Village Spillage

B-O-R-I-N-G   zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

My wife and I are very interested in the condo development.  We currently live in a house on Kent, a few blocks north of Silver Spring, and we fully anticipate utilizing the businesses on the street even more if we're living just off it.  Sure, it's not enough to revive the street single-handily, but it doesn't need to be an all or nothing equation to make the project worthwhile and to make one of the justifications for it the added customer base it would bring to Silver Spring businesses.    

And the biggest reason, from my family's perspective, anyway, for the half-empty Condotastrophe on Lake is price.  Over $400K just to get into a two-bedroom is obscene, and many young families like mine, who are attracted to the condo lifestyle but want to remain in WFB, just can't afford it.

As for those who would need to be staring at it, my understanding is that the new proposal would only occupy the private portion of the lot, which is the relatively small section on the far west side of the block.  So the only residents who would be truly staring directly at it are the two houses on that block of Beaumont (one of which is currently for sale) and those in the condo development that's already there on the north side of Beaumont (the houses near the corner of Beaumont & Consul and those north on Santa Monica may be able to see it, but they wouldn't be staring at it).  I wouldn't doubt some in the general vicinity of the project may show up on Oct. 6 to complain, but I don't think they'll have much to complain about when it comes to the scope of the proposed project.

I'm optimistic that the scaled down project size and the fact that it would come on the private portion of the lot gives this proposal a significant step up on the last one.  Now, if we can only afford one of the units...

For someone that isn't showing up as a taxing paying resident on the land records search in the Village of Whitefish Bay, you certainly have a lot of chutzpah Ms. Wanger.

That being said, it looks like you have done your homework again Kevin and I'm on the fence about the condos as well.  Like Sethz said, these condos on Silver Spring and Lake are extremely well priced and they have been sitting vacant for what 3 years now - unsold.  As you both mention, the Beaumont people have to look at them and the one on Lake/SS that has the "open concept" in the back - isn't the most attractive piece of property in the Village.  To me, and I look at it quite frequently, it looks like a cheap "motel" in the evening, with all the lights on and hallways exposed.  BUT that's just me.

As far as the crime, you know Kevin, that I live in one of the "high crime areas" in the Bay. Based on the situation, I have been assured to call whenever something suspicious happens and I have.  The police have been more than responsive and to answer your question I call the dispatch number - 962-4619.  It goes straight to 911/Dispatch and now that the non-emergency number 962-3830 goes into night service after 10, you now have communication directly with the police.  A couple of my situations did not get handled right away, as there were 911 emergencies at the time - so I became low priority - understandably.  Dispatch did keep coming on the line to make sure my status did not change.   The other times I have called, I've gotten a minute and a half response time and four squad cars.  I can not stress enough, that people need to lock their cars, doors and windows.  I'm seeing a pattern here of the following:

1) people entering unlocked vehicles and taking electronics, wallets and pocket change. (about the last two years)

2) people smashing windows to enter vehicles. ( the last 4-5 months)

3) people smashing windows and entering houses. (the last 4-5 months)

4) people entering homes while residents are asleep.  Most of this summer.

A lot of this is happening on the 5000 - 4800 block residents in the village and 6200 block of Berkeley.

This is going on in Shorewood and Fox Point.

Check the crime in your neighborhood weekly on the main page of this website.

Kevin,

Thanks a lot for your blog.  It's sad, but your blog is my primary source of Village news.  

Do you have more information about the proposed condo plan or a link to the Village website where it is disclosed?  I took a quick look at the Village website but could not find any information. I know that you have said it before, but the Village website sure could use some work to be a little more user friendly.  

I do live within a couple of blocks from the proposed site, and my main concern is parking and traffic patterns.  Like you, I am a strong proponent of landowners rights, but I think that any plan that is ultimately approved should ensure that adequate parking remains, and that adequate steps are taken to manage additional traffic (perhaps making several of the surrounding streets one-way).    

Also, I do not think that it is wise, particularly in this economy, for the Village to allow development on the Village owned parking lots.  Any sale and development of Village owned property should only be done after a competitive bidding process and significant public discourse.  With all due respect to your blog, I don’t think this is the proper forum for that discourse.  I’d like to see a referendum before any significant Village assets are sold.  

Ryan

.. I do not have any additional info on the condo proposal.  Highly doubtful there's anything on the WFB website, either -- If you're looking for anything that's happened within, say 3 months, the Village website is not the place to look!  (sad)

.. As for traffic patterns around the new condos .. I dunno.  We're only talking 20 condos, so at most 40 adults, 40 cars.  Most likely, less than that.  Traffic shouldn't be a big deal.

As for the referendum idea .. while direct democracy is usually desirable .. I think that seriously hampers any business deal, that it needs to pass through the electorate.   Gotta create a plan, sell it, then wait for an election cycle?  That's a ton of work.  -- I'd rather trust the Trustees to make decisions like this. -- And, that's nearly EXACTLY what we had a referendum on 2 years ago, that failed, allowing the Trustees to make decisions like this.

(.. oh, and I think the condos would be going on the parking lot that New Land owns .. pretty sure that's his property, not WFB's.)

The announcements page actually has some announcements.

www.whitefishbaywi.govoffice2.com/index.asp{0B52F64A-EFD9-4307-89BD-F420C9E79572}

It would be nice if we could sign up for announcement alerts.  You can for other topics.

www.whitefishbaywi.govoffice2.com/index.asp{BDC4F00B-84DF-43CD-ADF4-E64AF42EE22E}

Thanks Kevin and DogLover.  I know that the referendum failed a couple of years ago, so it's a likely a dead issue. However, given the relatively small amount of village owned property and it's location, I would hope that the Trustees exercise due care and caution before selling any of it.  

The only condo plans I ever saw were a couple of years ago and they included the public parking lots.  If the new plan really is only for Boris's property, then I'm more inclined to support it.