I've written many times on the debate over whether Aurora/Advanced Health Care should be granted permission to move in to the old Talbot's / Famous Footwear location owned by Boulder Venture.

Tuesday, April 29th, 7pm, at the Village Hall, the Plan Commission will decide our fate.  (See Agenda)  The public is invited to appear and speak.   You may also send statements to the Village Manager (Manager@WFBVillage.org) who will forward them to the Plan Commission.  (Do so quickly.  The meeting is tonight!)

Since I've already written a half-dozen articles on this subject, I'll summarize:

1. Silver Spring Drive needs help, having lost 9+ businesses over the past year and a half.  While its infrastructure will be renewed in the next 18 months, the true cancer is the lack of broad-appeal retail and service offerings on the Drive.   

2. Because of this decline, we need aggressive action to improve the district, with a strong vision for the end goal of having a thriving business district full of entities the Villagers find necessary and interesting.  The Plan Commission (and CDA) should allow or deny businesses on the basis of whether said business moves us closer to that vision.   "Aurora won't hurt" signals a terrible policy direction: we've given up.  When prime locations are vacant, the Village must ensure they are used optimally.

3.  A medical clinic is not bad for the area; It is simply a poor use of prime land.  A clinic does not fill a need for Villagers, as there are over 200 physicians in a two mile radius.   Silver Spring needs businesses that provide spill-over from one establishment to another.  People who visit doctors do so for a clear reason, because they are unwell.  This means there will be little customer spill-over, as people will see their doctor, then depart the area.   Silver Spring needs businesses that "turn night into day" adding to the economic health of the street, past 5pm, at which time, a medical clinic will be a big, dark building.

4. For these reasons, I urge the Plan Commission to understand that the granting of a conditional use for Aurora on this prime land WILL impede the normal and orderly development and specifically impede the improvement of surrounding property in the district.  

As an additional note .. I am not anti-Aurora.  I am confident they have hundreds of caring professionals serving thousands of people in the area.   I would welcome them to other locations in Whitefish Bay that aren't front and center, signature opportunities.

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If you'd like to read another letter sent to the Plan Commission, two residents have forwarded theirs for your perusal.

A few more items about the Aurora clinic today..

A loyal reader reported back from Aurora's meet & greet at the high school.  He stayed an hour, and estimated 7 other people drifted in.  He said they displayed a number of posters of the project which included pictures of the vacant buildings on Silver Spring .. a not-so-subtle way of Aurora saying "See?  Love us.  You have no other choice."

Next, this story caught me off guard.  In honesty, I didn't know the CDA was meeting about Aurora.  Kept thinking the Plan Commission was the (only) meeting where it'd be discussed. 

The summary of that CDA story is that they voted 6-1 that, while they preferred retail move into the old Talbot's/Famous Footwear spot "so surrounding business benefit from the foot traffic generated" .. that the "proposed medical clinic would probably not hurt the business district."

Hooray.  It "probably won't hurt the business district." --  I must agree there.

But my, how we've lowered the bar.  Makes me wonder what businesses would hurt the district.  A gas station?  Used car lot?  Hooters?  I think you could argue none of them would "hurt" the district.  (My neighbor thinks Hooters would be awesome, though.  If my wife didn't read this blog, I would agree.)

How about "Would certainly help the business district" or "Would be a great asset to Silver Spring and Whitefish Bay"  or . "A unique business Whitefish Bay needs" as guidelines?

I've received more than one email suggesting, with CVS and now Aurora, people (like me) stop trying to "block" business who want to come to Whitefish Bay.    Firstly, it's only been two.  On the same property.  Both fit similar molds, in that they don't fill a community need.  We have 3 major pharmacies within a 5 minute drive.   There are over 300 physicians within 5 miles.  Neither of these businesses move Silver Spring forward.  Neither business generate any excitement with villagers.

The argument that we should stop "blocking" .. give in .. lower the bar because what, we've been worn down?  What about the next property?  Should we just squander great potential this time, or continue to acquiesce until we've got a street full of pharmacies, banks, and clinics?

It's not far fetched to imagine the future areas that may be developed, like Zita's block, Fox Bay lot .. that they would fall to the same peril.  Expensive renovation, high assessment, high rent, and presto, citizen opposition because the only ones who can pay are the CVS and AHC type companies few are interested in.

That's where we are headed if things don't turn around, without strong partnerships between the Village, land owners, developers, and businesses.

This I like to see:

Initial streetscape construction is scheduled to start late this year, and CDA Chairman Raymond Krueger is pressing for the bulk of the work to be done in 2008, with some finishing work to be done in 2009. That is a faster pace than had been envisioned. The initial timetable called for most of the streetscaping to be done in 2009, because so much utility and sidewalk work is needed in 2008.

Now, whether the CDA can actually make the rusty village gears grind faster, I know not.  But it's a great sign that someone "gets" the urgency of what needs to be done on Silver Spring before more businesses close their doors.

There's another story about The Drive today .. here's a clip:  

Whether Whitefish Bay residents want more four-story buildings in the East Silver Spring Drive shopping district as it redevelops is one of the questions officials hope will be answered at the second visioning session (mid-to-late February) to be held by the Community Development Authority.

Truly, I haven't thought much about the height of any new buildings on Silver Spring.  No doubt, the Condotastrophy on SS and Lake looms large over the street, and I've heard from neighbors who hate that aspect. 

What's going in those 2nd, 3rd, and 4th stories of possible new buildings?  Condos?  I will say I don't believe Silver Spring needs condos in order to survive.  I do recall one of the bullet points of renewing urban retail is "turning night into day" .. which would be enhanced by people actually living on Silver Spring.  But what are we talking here, 10 units?  20?  An extra 40 people living on SS isn't going to make or break its success.  There's probably 2,000 people within a two minute walk.

It's the businesses, stupid.  You need quality businesses and restaurants that generate foot traffic for the benefit of all establishments on the street for it to thrive.  The focus should be on the ground level.  What's above that is gravy.