Adios Pedro's. Hola Hooters. UGH

We learned last week that Hooters restaurant won the auction for the bankrupt Pedro's restaurant. So much for Brookfield's image. 

A Brookfield Hooters makes an Aldis* look good, doesn't it? 

And what concerns the City of Brookfield with the prospect of Hooters? What goes on inside the building? No, the design and the color.

The city that pushed to have McDonald's abandon its Golden Arches and a grocer to paint over an objectionable shade of orange may have new challenges with an unexpected national restaurant chain coming to Brookfield: Hooters.

... 

He [Hooter's VP] said the chain would work with Brookfield to meet the city's architectural requirements as it renovates the building's exterior.

Dan Ertl, city development director, said he expected that, like McDonald's and other national chain restaurants that have sought to operate in Brookfield, Hooters "will most likely have to adjust their corporate architectural design to meet the standards of Brookfield, if not the landlord."

The chain's trademark bright orange might draw complaints from city plan commissioners who insisted that Fresh Market, an upscale grocer near Brookfield Square mall, repaint an orange trim to a more yellow color.

Alderman Jerry Melone did express some concerns over the Hooters franchise; other aldermen might have objected too. But the bottom line is, I don't think there is much the city can do to deter them from locating here. I can't picture them denying a  liquor license.

Let's face it, many other Brookfield businesses might go on the auction block in this troubled economy. What other unsavory businesses might be the winning bidder that the City of Brookfield would never have given the time of day before?

My family frequented The Bombay Bicycle Club and then Pedro's for lunch after church. Needless to say, Hooter's will not inherit our past patronage of that location. How about you?

"What do you think of Hooters coming to Brookfield? Share your views in an interactive forum at BrookfieldNOW.com."

With so many other more tasteful choices on Bluemound, it will be interesting to see if Hooters makes a go of it. Looking through the comments, people are split on whether the food is good or not. Time will tell. 

*The controversial Aldi's was in the Town of Brookfield, not the City. 

Please, comment content should relate to the subject of the post. Although I try to respond to many, do not interpret my lack of a response as agreement.

Links: 

I almost missed this, but thanks to a reader, here it is: A group of pro 4K residents will be making an appeal to the school board this Tuesday during the Citizen's Forum time--first on the agenda.

My reader had this to say about the pro 4K group:

...Seems as though they believe that the old 'wear em down one request at a time' philosophy will work on the board as well as it works on the taxpayers.

...I was reminded of Tom Gehl's comment about where the taxpayers went the last time the proposal came up, forcing him to face an [emotionally charged crowd]** alone.

My reader then suggested a counter "No Way 4K" cheering section at the meeting, to give the board a little moral support.

Last fall, I was there when they made that difficult decision in discontinuing Elmbrook's 4K program. They made that tough choice because there was no proof that 4K made a long term academic improvement.

True, 4K will add money to the school district's budget, but it will also add more tax burden to Elmbrook taxpayers. We cannot afford to add programs that do not deliver real results. 4K shows no long lasting academic improvement, therefore it is a luxury. Right now is the time to tighten our belt, not indulge in self serving programs.

We will already see higher property tax bills because that magical 2% growth (projected by the experts) the referendum tax calculations were based on has not materialized.

We did not even hit 1% growth this year, and that was a figure from June, when our market was stronger. From Fairly Conservative, Brookfield assessed growth less than 1%: (My emphasis)

The Board of Review met this morning and assessed property values in the City of Brookfield only grew 0.987% to $6,300,693,600.

This low number has enormous implications for taxpayers who will be taxed above that growth according to state caps. Low growth also affects the estimates used for the Elmbrook referendum as well as the failing TIF district in our community.

Come to the School Board meeting on Tuesday to show your support for the board's decision to discontinue 4K. (Maybe I could make the Citizen Forum and still catch most of the Creation Science speaker?) If you plan on speaking, make your comments short (2 minutes) and please be polite.

Superintendent Matt Gibson and some of the board are looking at ways to increase their budget through "revenue enhancers." 4K would do that, but at an added expense to the taxpayer. Let's not even let them think about flirting with 4K** again! 

*I could not verify Tom Gehl's original words. This conveys the same meaning. Tom was one among 4 who voted the measure down: Meg Wartman, Patrick Murphy, and Glen Allgaier.

**I don't want to make more of this flirtation than it was: just a mention. But often "mentions" are made to test the waters of acceptance or opposition.

Brookfield District 7 Info meeting, Wed., Sept. 24, 2-3pm or 6:30-7:30pm City Clerk Kris Schmidt will be in attendance to answer questions or concerns regarding recent news about the Van Hollen lawsuit against the state elections authority.

Please, comment content should relate to the subject of the post. Although I try to respond to many, do not interpret my lack of a response as agreement.

Links: 

Brookfield7, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, Mark Levin,  Vicki Mckenna

My 2 aldermen, Lisa Mellone and Renee' Lowerr, sent out an email that there will be an information meeting on Percheron Square tonight, from 6-7pm at City Hall in Council Chambers. If you are interested in this development project, this would be a good opportunity for you to find out more. (Sorry this is late, I have been having computer troubles.)

Percheron Square is an AVS project (division of VK Development) and will be located on the former Ruby Farm and WTMJ properties next to Swanson Elementary School. Former plans.

The plans have changed a few times since it first came to the plan commission last June. The fitness and recreation facility is no longer a part of Percheron Square. I believe the fitness / recreation element was touted as being a benefit to the community at the plan commission meeting. I don't know if there now is some sort replacement for that loss. 

The old Ruby Farmstead is still a part of the development plans. 

There will also be a public hearing on the rezoning of the project to a PDD on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 7:45pm, at the beginning of the Common Council meeting.

Past posts: VK's Percheron Square a.k.a. Ruby Farms proposal heads to plan commission Monday, 7pm 

No surprise, Percheron Square PDD passed first hurdle, or should I say jump 

Percheron Square: Again, density is the problem

Links: 

Brookfield7, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, Mark Levin,  Vicki Mckenna

One of the first things we purchased when we moved here was a utility trailer. What do we need that for? I asked my husband. He said we would need to to haul brush to the dump. (Back then we still called it the dump.) He did use it for that purpose...a lot.

In 1995 I became the one to go to the recycling center. We were remodeling and in 1995 the center still allowed residents to bring in their used building materials.

Every week I would make at least 3 trips with trailer fully loaded. I was a bit of a novelty, because there were not too many women who would drive a car with a trailer. (I got to know the guys pretty well--a few were nice.)

I've made a few trips since then, but I always needed my husband's car since he had the hitch.

But this summer, I got a trailer hitch put onto my car. That might not seem like a big deal to you, but it made me happy. Now I can go to the Recycling Center whenever they are open.

On a recent trip, my son and I watched other residents struggle shoveling mulch and dirt into their trunks and mini vans. I happily forked the mulch into my little old red trailer.

The Recycling Center has changed a great deal since my earlier visits. The new facilities for Public Works are pretty impressive. (Our tax dollars at work.) 

I must say I miss the piles of stuff and scrap lumber though. It was always fun to check those out. (Once a nice worker even let me retrieve a plaid metal lunch box from the scrap metal heap!)

Kids loved the idea of bringing home wood for a fort or tree house. It was truly a Recycling Center back then!

If you like to garden or if you have a lot of mature trees on your lot, may I recommend the humble trailer and hitch. They have more than paid for themselves at our homestead. 

Links: 

Saturday, July 26th, Boy Scout Troop 55 will be giving several Brookfield park shelters an interior face lift.

I happened to catch a sneak peek at my area's Kinsey Park the other night. The scout in the photo told me his troop would be painting 3 shelter interiors on Saturday.

Look for CNI story about this--the painting family (mom was there too) said the paper would be sending a reporter.

Boy Scouts are required to do service projects. Kinsey Park already has benefited from an Eagle Scout project a few years ago. The perennial plantings by the sign were one scout's service project.

The scouts also do periodic park clean ups and have spread wood chips on the trails from time to time.

I'm sure the Boy Scouts are inundated with lots of ideas for projects. Maybe they could add building Heron nesting boxes or bat and purple martin houses (natural mosquito control) for our wetlands to their list?

  Thanks scouts and scout parents for all you do!

Don't forget, the Hot Air Tour Press Conference has been moved from Miller Park to AFP headquarters on Saturday

Kinsey Park pier project is completed 

Links: 

Traditionally, the days between July and September are called the Dog Days of Summer, not because of the heat and humidity causing you to pant like a dog, but because of the appearance of Sirius, the bright star in the constellation Canis Major.

But this summer, Brookfield's Common Council's Legislative & Licensing Committee* is having their own Dog Days. The Aldermen members are discussing whether or not Brookfield should adopt a dog and cat limit.

According to the JSOnline article yesterday, most people at the meeting did not favor limiting pets, but enforcing current laws,

The city should not limit the number of dogs residents can own, and instead should better enforce existing ordinances to resolve problems with dogs and their owners, animal hobbyists and rescuers say.

...A majority of the approximately 35 residents at the meeting opposed pet limits, saying they were not needed and would cause a domino effect of unintended negative consequences.

They said it was an overreaction to a single case in which neighbors complained about a dog rescue operation being run by Brookfield resident Jean Rhoten. A judge ruled that the rescue was an illegal business in a residential district.

As I stated earlier in How many dogs are too many?, it seems we already have laws on the books to protect neighbors against irresponsible pet owners. Simply making another rule will do little to eliminate the problem if Brookfield does not enforce those ordinances either.

While I do sympathize with residents who have to endure rude pet owners, I guess I don't see how simply limiting the number of pets to 4 would help. Example: We have an area resident who owns 2 large dogs who we suspect of not consistently picking up their dog dirt when on a walk. The new rule wouldn't help that situation. 

Karen Sparapani, Elmbrook Humane Society's Community Outreach Director and fellow blogger stated, "Most complaints are about dogs barking, being out of control or neglected, and that can happen whether there is one dog or 10."

The article suggested (as I did) "Some [communities] issue animal kennel, hobby or fancier permits that allow more dogs, charge higher fees and sometimes require annual inspections."

The Aldermen are obviously more aware of the number of complaints received on the too many pets issue. The L&L Committee will "likely hold another special meeting to take potential action on the issue" in August about this, according to the article in today's Brookfieldnow paper. If a policy change is approved, it then heads to the Common Council.

Legislative & Licensing Committee members (aldermen) are: Steve Ponto, Gary Mahkorn, Rick Owen, Ron Balzer, and Bill Carnell

If you have an opinion on limiting or not limiting pets, do give the committee and your aldermen a call or email.

*Correction--Because the Journal article did not state what meeting this was discussed at, I mistakingly said it was the Common Council in the earlier posting. Thank you Alan Hamari for reporting more specifics in today's Brookfieldnow article. 

Links: 

Yesterday, Brookfieldnow informed us there was a Hearing set on high school additions. That got my attention.

Could it be the board was still allowing public input on the referendum? If so, I would have requested that since Elmbrook has classes that teach global warming*, they should put into practice what they are teaching. If the district would scrap their plans to air condition both high schools, they could reduce our carbon footprint and reduce energy use. I am not a global warming-ist, but I do favor reducing costs: Air conditioning installation and operation costs money!

Alas, my hopes were dashed. The hearing is a City Plan Commission hearing being held to address landscaping and parking lot issues:

The commission’s main concerns about the plans at East revolved around landscaping. Commission member Jennifer Donze said she wants the district to address the “seas of asphalt” at East by meeting the city’s standards and including landscaping islands in the parking lot.

District officials said they would work with city staff to reach and agreement on the landscaping in the parking lot along Lilly Road in front of East’s new main entrance.

At Central, members talked about the addition of 213 parking stalls near the school’s main entrance to the southwest of the building. The plans also call for a realignment of the school’s exit to the west with a proposed extension of Civic Drive north of City Hall.

The city has asked that the connection be built within 18 months of the approval of the conditional use and revised plan for the school or the end of 2010, whichever comes first.

I don't mean to trivialize these landscape and road issues--especially if you live near the schools. If they are important to you, go voice your opinion. (The date has not been set--the Common Council votes on July 15 to schedule hearing.)

Me? At this point I just want windows that open as part of our $62.2 million.  At least then we could have the option of opening a window instead of air conditioning when electricity prices go through the roof.

*Dr. Melanie Stewart informed me Elmbrook does cover Global Warming in the AP Environmental classes, Biology Ecology unit, and a bit in middle school science classes. 

Click here to sign the DRILL HERE. DRILL NOW. PAY LESS.  domestic drilling petition and see the latest links to related oil news (updated every day).

Drill Here is now over the 1.3 million mark. The goal is 3 million signatures by the Democratic and Republican Conventions. 

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Gravel piles, backhoes, trucks, sewer suckers,  barricades, sewer pipes and huge concrete junction pipes again are familiar sights for those living on Robinwood Street. Seems like the city just did sewer work over there.

Actually, it has been 7 years since the last sewer project. But what is going on now?

I asked Tom Grisa, the Director of Public Works. He said it is a sanitary sewer project.

While it may seem that the project started because of the June 7th rains, it has been in the works for over a year. From Tom Grisa:

"The City replaced a portion of the sanitary sewer on Robinwood from S[outh]. 123rd St. to Parkmoor in accordance with the engineering report and storm water and flood task force recommendations for this area.  This work was done in 2001.  Since then we have had several sewer backups on Robinwood west of Parkmoor, so we decided to replace the sewer from Parkmoor to Harvey with the expectation that this should help the situation.  

"This has been in the works for a little over a year.  We proposed the improvement in last year's budget and Capital plan, designed it over the winter, got approval from regulatory agencies this spring and bid the work out and awarded it in late May.

"This improvement will help reduce the frequency and severity of basement backups..."

Many residents living on the side streets near Robinwood experienced basement flooding and sewer backups again. Grisa explained:

 "...this rain resulted in many homes with flooded basements from their sump pumps not keeping up for a variety of reasons (pump failed, pump burned out because they pumped against a lot of pressure from a full storm sewer or ditch, pump couldn't keep up, power outage, window wells leaked, walls leaked, floors leaked through cracks, downspouts were not extended or knocked off, etc.)  When that happens all that water goes down the floor drain into our sewer which is then overloaded and backs up into other people's houses."

Since I've lived in Brookfield, we have had two 100 year rains and now a Millennium rain or flood, depending on your circumstance. When we moved here in 1986, we had no idea that we chose a home on very high ground, just a few houses east of the subcontinental divide on Sunnyslope. Once those 100 year rains came, we realized how blessed we were. The residents near Robinwood Street, less than 1 mile east of us however, are not that fortunate. The land is low over there.

According to residents who predate Brookfield becoming a city, much of Robinwood Street was a wetland, complete with ducks. (The old-timers also say that the Pick 'n Save on Greenfield in West Allis was a marsh when they moved in.)

Kinsey Park pond used to have a dam near Elm Grove Road. If full enough, the pond water would spill over the dam and run down the open storm sewer. As a kid, my cousins, sister and I explored that storm sewer all the way down Robinwood--a very stupid thing to do. Hey, we were kids, we did not know that if it would have rained, we would have been killed. (My parents and aunt and uncle sure did not know what we were up to.)

The City of Brookfield took out the dam--I'm trying to remember--in the 1990s? They installed an overflow stand pipe type drain with a baffle inside and a grate on the top. The baffle acts like an internal dam. Children can no longer access the storm sewers like we so foolishly did. 

Trouble is, when we have a severe rain like the June 7th storm, fallen trees from Kinsey woods wash down the creek and plug the drain. Photo is from June 8th. The backhoe was removing some of the debris.

I spoke with a motorist who saw the pond the evening of June 7th. They said the pond had overflowed its banks and the southbound lane of Elm Grove Road was flooded. A workman was trying to remove debris from the grate that night, so the pond could properly drain. (If you look closely, the drain is on the far left of the photo.)

Back in the 1940s and 1950s, most of this area was farmland, and Cardinal Crest subdivision along Robinwood wasn't developed yet. When we had heavy rains, it really did not matter. But now the southeast corner of Brookfield is nearly totally developed. When it rains; it matters!

Engineering continues to make improvements. Judging by the amount of soggy items out on the driveways waiting to be picked up, even though this last rain was heavier than our previous 2 deluges, it seemed fewer homes were affected. I sincerely hope this project improves the situation for these Robinwood area residents.  

Have anything to add to my history of the area? I love to hear from long time residents.

Click here to sign the DRILL HERE. DRILL NOW. PAY LESS.  domestic drilling petition and see the latest links to related oil news (updated every day).

Drill Here is now over the 1 million mark. The goal is 3 million signatures by the Democratic and Republican Conventions. 

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We knew something was up late this afternoon. The news helicopters were hovering to the east of us for about a half an hour it seemed.

I was doing yard work and had the radio on, but there was no mention of any bad accident on I-94 (just a block north). What could it be?

Maybe its a cave in over on Robinwood where they are doing a sewer project? We sure hoped that was not the case.

Ah, I will look on Brookfieldnow!

Sure enough, the Community Watch informed me there was a gas leak over near the sewer project on Robinwood.

My photo is of Webster and Robinwood, the street just east of Harvey and Robinwood Street where the 4 inch gas line was cut accidentally. 

The helicopters are now quiet. I just checked with someone I know who lives over there. They are back, safe and sound, thank God. This could have been very bad.

My friend said the firemen went door to door and made the residents evacuate. They then had to walk 2 blocks to the south or north of Robinwood, depending on which side of the street they lived on. The gas has been shut off to all the homes. Later, WE energies will go around to turn on and relight pilot lights.

News crews from channel 10 and 12 were interviewing residents. Film at 10PM? 

It's been a rough few weeks for this neighborhood. First the flooding and now this. Let's hope things settle down soon.

More on the sewer project tomorrow. 

Click here to sign the DRILL HERE. DRILL NOW. PAY LESS.  domestic drilling petition and see the latest links to related oil news (updated every day).

Drill Here just reached the 1 million mark. The goal is 3 million signatures by the Democratic and Republican Conventions. 

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ANSWER: ONE, IF IT IS A BARKER OR MENACE.

(Sorry about yesterday's mispost. Don't know how that happened--I wasn't home at the time it was posted!) 

It is easy to see why Brookfield's JR Pups 'N Stuff would be In the doghouse with the neighbors. I would not want a neighbor with 6 to 17 dogs either--especially on such a small lot. The article also stated:

Neighbors, however, said they were tired of Rhoten’s dogs’ barking, defecating and leaving her half-acre yard despite an electric fence. Brookfield does not allow physical fences, except where residences abut commercial areas.

Neighbors also said Rhoten’s yard in the 4600 block of N. 135th St. has been cluttered with kennels, trailers and a large white tent. About 40 neighbors signed a petition against the rescue business.

Is this problem simply too many dogs? Granted, the high volume of canines does not help the situation, but from the above description of the yard being strewn with kennels, trailers, and big tent, and the dogs escaping and defecating in the neighborhood, it sounds like the problem went beyond just the number of dogs.

There are a lot of dog owners who are not model neighbors. Some let their dogs bark incessantly. Some do not pick up after their dogs when on walks. Some let their dogs run out of their yards. In these cases, even one dog is one dog too many!

When I walk our pooch* pictured here, I frequently encounter 2 of these one is one too many canines. Often I think, I'm glad I don't live next to that! 

One should have been named Diablo. He barks and snarls with fur raised on his back everytime anyone passes by. Heaven help us if his invisible fence battery ever dies.

The other dog on our walking route has no invisible fence. His owner thinks he has trained it to stay in the yard, but it comes charging out at us, snarling, with fur again raised on his back (a sign of aggression.)

Since the problem with the dog rescue household in question has been solved with a court order, do we really need to make another law for everyone?

There may be times the average household would have more dogs than the 2-3 limit that is so common in other communities. A family member once bred their boxer and had 4 puppies. It was a very positive experience for the family. (All the puppies were sold.) 

Sometimes a household must keep a dog or dogs for a short time for someone else who is in the process of moving or building a home. Often if you are looking for someone to temporarily keep your pet, you ask someone who already has a dog. 

Maybe one solution would be to require Dog Rescue households to apply for a special permit or license? They could be required to abide by more stringent rules, with number of dogs proportioned to size of yard? Rescue organizations do perform a valuable service, I would hate to stop them all. (We once adopted a dog from one rescue house in Aurora, Illinois. That home seemed to have its act together.)

The Aldermen will have to sort all this out with the wisdom of Solomon. They know how many resident complaint calls they get about multiple dog menaces. But often the problem isn't simply the number of dogs, it is the owners!

What do you think?

If you are trying to train your dog to behave better, you might wish to watch The Dog Whisperer. It is a show on cable and available through the Waukesha Library system on DVD. Cesar Millan, the Whisperer, really knows his dogs and gently illustrates the problem is not the dog!

*I am not really a dog person, although I love our little 13 pounder!

Click here to sign the DRILL HERE. DRILL NOW. PAY LESS.  domestic drilling petition and see the latest links to related oil news (updated every day).

Drill Here just reached the 1 million mark. The goal is 3 million signatures by the Democratic and Republican Conventions. 

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The Commission OKs plans for Ruby Farms site.  What I find so frustrating with our Plan Commission is that they grant PDDs and project proposals so easily. Oh, they raise all sorts of questions and concerns, but then vote as if with one "Aye."

Tuesday's meeting was interesting. There were a lot of points the mayor, AVS Development (VK), and commissioners were careful to make. These are not direct quotes, just my impression of the statements.  Watch cable broadcast for exact words:

Mayor makes a point of asking Ajay of AVS something about the amount of runoff water after development vs. before development.

Ajay: Considering the storms this weekend, there will be questions about storm water. We are meeting and exceeding ordinances.

Mayor: You're going to reduce current runoff?

Ajay: Yes,  AVS will sell construction ready pads [to other developers]. We, [AVS] are not requesting public assistance for storm water [or parking structures.]

In other words, no TID district to AVS. More details about what Percheron Square will include. Plans include 1/2 million sq. ft. in office space and parking structure buildings along with 210 condos, retail, an 126 unit extended stay hotel, fitness center, 80 resident assisted living, and Ruby farmsted.(Since Mrs. Ruby still lives there, I don't think they had much of a choice.)

More talk about how much tax base Percheron would add to Brookfield--estimated at $250 million.

Mayor questions Ajay about the office space.

Mayor: Our plan called for 1 million square feet in office space and you are saying less? 

The neighborhood plan did not have all the retail in it that Percheron Square has (852,000 sq. ft?).

Ajay: Yes, our office space was based on [5] parking decks, with that we get 420,000. With no decks, surface parking will cause office space to go down about 1/2.

 Mayor: You're not asking for any TID money for decks?

I think Ajay had to clarify this. The other developer could ask for TID to keep the decks and thus keep all office space of 420,000 of the freestanding office space, not the retail/office mix along Bluemound. 

The subject of connectivity came up several times. Approval based on Patrick Blvd. connecting to Percheron Square does not seem to be a major issue. (Patrick Blvd. extension runs through the neighboring DNR designated wetlands.)

Jennifer Donze raised some good points.

Donze: One of the things I feel is important to plan is the connection to office parks to the west. If we wait for DNR approval after plan [approval] that keeps us from other alternatives. I would request the permit to the DNR prior to the public hearing. 

She also brought up the narrow feel of Percheron Square Drive, a north south internal connection road between the tall office buildings.

Donze: 29 feet back to back is too narrow.

Mayor: "Narrower roads serve as traffic calming."  We have school on the other side, a narrower road puts drivers on notice that this is not a cut through, but a definite purpose.

Is that the same mayor who did not care that the Calhoun south neighborhood is now constructing a roadway the size of some highways cutting through it? 

Mark Nelson brought up this point and even said that other plans were denied because there were not other road connections within.

Mark Nelson: The dominoes needed to fall no matter who developed it. The one domino that is essential is the Patrick Blvd. We've stopped entire subdivisions because of too many culdusacs. We're lessening our standards without knowing what we can do with Patrick Blvd. 

The other domino is the Ruby and Swanson Swap. It seems to me those dominoes aren't going to fall in place right now. If we approve this, when can Mark Nelson step forward and say, Let's reduce buildings and heights

More work needs to be done to get it right.  

I heartily agree.  

Original plans of having Ruby Lane extended into the project have been scrapped. We were told that Elmbrook is not interested in any kind of playfield swap.

Jennifer Donze wished the future Ruby Lane extension would stay on the map.

Donze: There could be some time in the future that the school is no longer there. Why not keep it on the map for future use the city could not foresee? Sometimes plans aren't realized for 50 years.

Ertl fielded that one.

Ertl: School district lands are owned and controlled by the district... Matt Gibson was keen on the idea that the entire project was planned without needing school land.    

 Later Gary Mahkorn assured all that Swanson was off the table.

Mahkorn: I support taking Ruby Lane as a good will gesture to the School District off the map. It is an honorable gesture. I have a hard time believing Swanson will ever move. [Reference to I was at that Town Hall meeting with all the people.]

Why does that make me not feel assured? 

Talk of the poor economic climate and how this project was coming in not asking for TID money. Remember though, it is AVS not asking for TID money. There still could be a request for TID help for the parking structures. (Parking structures cost $15-16,000 each vs. surface parking at $2,000.)

This project is over the current FAR zoning of 30%. Of course the Plan Commission is salivating at the proposed $250 million increase to our tax base, so we know they will approve the PDD. I always ask myself, of that $250 mil, how much will it cost taxpayers in increased city services? Adding that much retail, office, and residential is bound to increase demand on fire, police, schools, and infrastructure, and add to traffic congestion. Plus, Brookfield does not have unlimited water supplies and certainly our sewer capacity does not seem to have excess capacity either.

There finally was some real clarification about the storm water. The Mayor again asked something about the water flow. 

Mayor: The water flow, once they do their grading it will decrease the amount?

Jeff  Chase: The devil is in the details. I haven't reviewed their plan yet, I have no reason to doubt their presentation.

Someone mentioned a standard of 120 ft/second. They propose 98 feet/second. (Sorry, I don't know if it was Chase or the next speaker.)

Then some "Expert" from the project stepped up to the podium. I think he felt he had to clarify.

Expert: The PEAK runoff rate, that is down 20%, not the total.

Jennifer Donze pipes up to help the mayor (and me) understand.

 Donze: They are slowing it down.

Bottom line is, after all the questions and doubts expressed, Gary Mahkorn makes his usual pronouncement...

Mahkorn: We're being asked to approve a PDD general plan, we're not committing to anything right now. Mark and Jennifer's issues ...[all the detail isn't there, but it doesn't need to be there.] 

We all knew someday Ruby Farm would be developed. I am prepared to approve the request tonight. All the other tough questions will be answered down the road. 

And with that, they all voted, AYE. 

Why is it whenever I hear "We aren't committing to anything now" later on, it seems, nothing can be changed? 

Public hearing is tentatively scheduled for  Monday, July 15th's Plan Commission meeting.

Links:

I got back from the Plan Commission Meeting 30 min.ago. Dan Ertl spoke for a long time, then Ajay Kuttemperoor made the presentation for AVS Development.

The question of connectivity came up because Patrick Blvd. probably will not be able to connect to Percheron Square. It would need to traverse the neighbor's wetlands and DNR approval is doubtful. Sara Lane is probably out too. That would need to cross the neighbor's parking lot. Ruby Lane is a no. The school district was not in favor of a land swap. (Phew!)

Despite Alderman Mark Nelson's concerns that, "I get a feeling we're going a little fast. If we say 'yes' tonight, what are we agreeing to?" and Jennifer Donze's many good questions, the PDD for Percheron Square passed unanimously.

All it took was Alderman Gary Mahkorn to say something like, We're being asked to approve a PDD general plan, we're not committing to anything right now [such as Mark and Jennifer's issues]. All the detail isn't there [now, but it doesn't need to be there].

Gary went on to say, I am prepared to approve the request tonight. All the other tough questions will be answered down the road. 

They voted shortly after. All said, Aye. Think we might see a few more Nay votes if they switched to the electronic voting boxes?

More about this tomorrow.  

Past posts: VK's Percheron Square a.k.a. Ruby Farm Proposal Heads to Plan Commission Monday, 7pm 

Other VK news

Commission to look at Ruby Farm plans 

Fairly Conservative's Percheron Square, Brookfield, Wisconsin

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I hate to admit it, but it took me a while to figure out why VK Development would name the Ruby Farm/WTMJ project Percheron Square. The light bulb finally lit. (Somehow I thought the Ruby Farm horse barns housed Belgians instead of Percherons.)

Alderman Jerry Mellone, 6th District Alderman, sent out this email reminder today:

A proposal for the new development at the Ruby Farms site will be made to the Plan Commission on Monday June 9^th at 7 PM.  The developers are asking for rezoning to higher density etc.

You can attend the meeting but cannot speak to the Plan Commission.  In light of the flooding of this weekend, I feel it is important to note the density of this development and the implications it would have to storm and sanitary drainage problems to say nothing of the added traffic to our neighborhood.  Please note the traffic generated from this site will access primarily onto Calhoun and not Bluemound.

Your presence could make an impact.  I hope to see you there.  Please spread the word.

Commission to look at Ruby Farm plans gives a thumbnail sketch of the project. Fairly Conservative's Percheron Square, Brookfield, Wisconsin provides an in-depth look at many details and concerns I was unaware of. Take a look.

VK Development is famous notorious for high density in their projects. People still are talking about Capitol Heights! It comes as no surprise he is looking for an increase in zoning.

If the ever increasing density of Brookfield's development concerns you, I would think it would be good to attend this meeting: Brookfield City Hall, Monday, June 9th, 7pm, Council Chambers. 

Monday's flooded road closures 

Other VK news

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We're not out of the woods yet with the storms and flooding. As I am writing this at 2pm, it feels and looks like it could let lose again. Some areas in Brookfield experienced serious flooding yesterday. I noticed today the creek next to Pilgrim Road across from Wirth Park had roaring white caps! Some places were still under water today too: Pilgrim Road was closed by Pilgrim Park Middle School. If it rains heavily again today, there will be more. (Monday road closure update)

I saw this back-ho at Kinsey Park Pond just before 2pm  today. Yesterday at around 7:30pm the pond was up over the banks and completely flooding Elm Grove Road. I think this was due to the debris washed down from the woods creek and possibly blocking the pond outlet drain? 

Please be aware that the road conditions and area flooding do cause problems besides wet basements.

DO NOT drive through deep water. It can cause serious damage to your vehicle--even blow your engine!

Most cars today have their air intakes quite low. My son checked mine and found the air intake in the lower part of the front bumper. (No making waves for me!) Even less than 1 foot of water can cause serious damage. Gone are the days when the carburetor and air intake sat on top of the engine. 

If your car stalls out going through deep water, often you are better off to NOT try to start it. In fact today we need to go look at someone's car that stalled out trying to traverse just 9" or so of water yesterday. It sure did not seem that deep at the time.

I am no mechanic of course, but water sucked into an engine causes serious damage. I think my son called the condition hydro-locked.

Tom Grisa sent around an email to the aldermen about flooding--his own neighborhood was flooded! Here are a few excerpts: 

Obviously we have had a torrential downpour in Brookfield.  We are doing the best we can to deal with the myriad of problems caused by this massive storm.  Flooding exists in numerous locations. 

According to our rain gauges at the plant we had 5.8 inches of rain from 4:30 pm to midnight.  That is a higher rate of rain than occurred in the 1998 flood (8 inches of rain in 12 hours).  Roads are closed in many areas, streets underwater, creeks over their banks, yards flooded, basement flooded, sump pumps not able to keep up, flooded basements draining down the floor drain into the sanitary sewer causing basement backups elsewhere, etc.

Our treatment plant normally handles 7 million gallons per day (MGD). Our treatment plant is designed to treat a maximum of 50 MGD.  Last night we peaked at 66 MGD.  That is 50% higher than we have ever had
before since the plant was upgraded in 1996-1999 (previous record 44 MGD).  I don't know how it compares to the 1998 flows.  Our Riverview interceptor (along the Fox River) normally operates at 2 MGD and was flowing at 28 MGD for a time.

We have placed bypass pumps out in several locations, and some have reduced the backups, but others are still pumping.

Power outages also were prevalent in many areas resulting in sump pumps not working and floor drains taking the flow into the sanitary sewer -thus the backups.

We have had crews out yesterday afternoon and throughout the night.  We ran out of barricades for closing roads per the Policeman I spoke with this morning.  Crews continue to work today to alleviate things as best
they can.  There just isn't much we can do with the incredible amount of rain we had.  But they are doing what they can.  There is just no where for the water to go.

We continue to pump sanitary sewers, clean off inlets, etc.  Inlets near my house this morning at 5 am were completely covered with mulch from people's gardens and from the Lamplighter Park.  That obviously prevents
the area from draining.  I waded into the water a bit (only where I knew it was safe) and cleared some of the inlets and the big one for the pond.  But I do not advocate anyone from wading into water as it can be extremely dangerous.

If you have a basement backup emergency, please contact the treatment plant 782-0199, or if it is street flooding or overland flooding call highway at 782-5029. 
 

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VK: He's here (Ruby Farms), he's there (Florida), he is everywhere! (Pleasant Prairie)

On our drive back from Dearborn, Michigan, I noted a VK Development* sign on I-94 just south of that Mars Cheese Store near Pleasant Prairie and Kenosha. That got my attention.

I googled it when I got home and found VK's  Prairie Farm Neighborhood: (My emphasis)

The area includes 93.5 acres set aside as a potential site for a high school.

About 39 percent of the total acreage would be set aside for flood plains, wetlands, a park and other open space.

This quote caught my eye,

Noel Gentz, who lives along 114th Avenue near I-94, said he didn't think much of the plan and was concerned how the village will pay for the schools that the various subdivisions would more than likely attract.

"It's definitely hard to take, but there's no way to stop it," Gentz said.

Mr. Gentz has my sympathy, but there is more. There is also VK's  Hawthorn Suites in Prairie Ridge

Don't forget his other projects in Ozaukee County. Brookfield has one less VK property though: New Berlin firm buys Willow Brook apartments for $15.8 million. I guess there is never a dull moment for VK and family.

Be sure to read Fairly Conservative's piece on our Percheron Square

Maybe we could form a nation wide support group? Mr. Gentz might want to be the president.

*VK is a brilliant businessman. His projects are attractive in my opinion. My main objection is their density. 

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It is watering restriction season for Waukesha County, but in Brookfield, lawn watering, pool filling, and car washing* is restricted whether you are on a private well or municipal water every day of the year.

Somehow I was under the assumption that if one had a private well they were exempt from the watering restrictions. Many people on municipal water kept their private wells for watering and car washing purposes. I also thought there was a season to water restrictions. Not so. All Brookfield residents are under the restrictions all of the time: (My emphasis)

Sprinkling lawns, gardens, shrubs, trees, and other vegetation, washing vehicles or structures and filling swimming pools are restricted to certain days. Sprinkling is restricted to before 9 a.m. and after 6 p.m. by properties with even-numbered addresses on even-numbered days, and by properties with odd-numbered addresses on odd-numbered days. The regulations apply all year.

Now I don't have a problem with the concept of conserving water. We don't sprinkle our lawn as a rule, and washing a car is not a weekly occurrence. Brown lawns do survive. Even during the drought of 1988, when it did not rain all summer, I think we only broke down and sprinkled a few times.

In fact, most gardeners know that if you sprinkle often but not long, the root systems tend to grow horizontally instead of down. Watering less frequently, but longer, will result in stronger plants. (Exception: tomatoes need more frequent watering I think.) If the roots are established deeply, more than likely it will rain in a 2 week period and then watering isn't necessary. Early morning watering is better than mid day or evening too. 

Newly established lawns, plants/shrubs, and trees do need more care and they are exempt from restrictions. And "A watering can, container or hose may be used at any time to water gardens, trees or shrubs if the device is used manually and not left unattended."

The problem I have with restrictions is for one, the day system. Yes, it is simple. I am just thinking that maybe, just maybe I get the troops to finally wash the vinyl siding on my house only to realize the day is wrong! That is just a little annoyance.

The bigger picture is that Brookfield (and other cities outside of the Lake Michigan watershed) approve heavy water using development like restaurants or car washes left and right, but then tells me, who washes a car maybe 4 times a year I am restricted! (Car washes that use recycled water are exempt from the restriction, but they still use more than a homeowner!)

The article said that fines would be given for violators. In Brookfield the fine is $350. In Waukesha for example, "We wanted to nudge people to realize that we are serious about protecting the (water) resource," said Nancy Quirk of the Waukesha Water Utility.

I don't mind protecting water resources. Plentiful, good quality well water is a problem in Brookfield. But if municipalities were really serious about protecting water resources, would they be approving more and more heavy water users like restaurants, hotels, and car washes? Will water concerns at all determine what VK puts in at his Ruby Farms development? Approving them and then cracking down on residents to "save water" seems a little 2 faced to me. 

*UPDATE: City clarifies sprinkling policy, New rule aims to cut down lawn watering  Director of Public Works "Grisa said the ordinance does not apply to certain expectations, including hand washing of residential vehicles, residential uses such as children running through sprinklers and had watering of plants with a watering can or hose. He said that residents using water for those purposes should exercise common sense and not keep water running when it's not being used."

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Today's Journal article, Larger fire stations considered, brings us nearly full circle in the continuing EMS/fire station relocation saga. (My emphasis throughout.)

"The city should build extra space into its new fire stations in case future demands require additional staff and vehicles, fire and city officials say."

I would have substituted the word