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PVV Letter to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Wednesday, March 17 2010 @ 08:20 AM CDT

The following letter was sent to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel with a copy of a map of the Village in response to their article about Pewaukee

To the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

We are writing regarding the article about Pewaukee posted on the JS Online House and Home web page on 2/20/2010, printed in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on 2/21/2010 and written by Rebecca R. Konya. It’s a nice article, too bad almost nothing is accurate. The only possible exception is the City of Pewaukee statistics which manage to totally ignore the Village of Pewaukee.

The community that “hugs the eastern shore of Pewaukee Lake” is the VILLAGE of Pewaukee, not the City. The downtown area mentioned in the article and ALL of the events are in the VILLAGE of Pewaukee. Positively Pewaukee is the sponsor of the “Main Street” program which is in the Village, not the City. The City of Pewaukee does not actually have a “downtown”.

The Pewaukee Post Office, the Library, the downtown, the lake front, the Pewaukee schools and Waukesha County Technical Institute are all located in the Village. The storefront picture on your web article and the lake view picture on the print version are both in the Village as well as the offices of the Pewaukee Chamber of Commerce and Positively Pewaukee. The Village of Pewaukee was incorporated in 1876; the City was not incorporated until 1999. Before that, the area now known as the City of Pewaukee was an unincorporated township. Even a cursory check of the facts would have prevented the egregious errors in your article.

As long term residents of the Village of Pewaukee, we find it completely infuriating that your paper would print an article that is so inaccurate and does not even have the courtesy to mention the community where the events in the article are actually held. It is an insult to Village of Pewaukee taxpayers whose tax dollars are used to support these events and to pay for the capital improvements at the lakefront.

We expect that your paper, in the interest of accurate reporting, will remove this article from your web site and substitute it with an article that accurately reflects the facts. We also expect you to print a correction of the print version that appeared in your paper along with an apology to Village of Pewaukee residents. We have included a map of the Village of Pewaukee for your reference.

Submitted on behalf of the membership of
Pewaukee Village Voice and the citizens of the Village of Pewaukee

Any comments can be submitted to Pewaukee Village Voice.

Letter to Jeff Knutson from Tom Millard

Wednesday, March 10 2010 @ 07:59 AM CST

Costco Development

9 March 2010

Jeff,

I have serious concerns over what appears to be a reckless campaign to have the Costco store located in the Village of Pewaukee. From everything I’ve read it appears that you are in favor of setting aside any of the standards that have been established for commercial development here. I believe your willingness to allow them to build an inferior structure will permanently damage, if not completely destroy development criterion that are important to quality community improvement.

For too many years the village planning operated in a very haphazard and ad hoc manner. A complete lack of long range and systemic planning resulted in excess multi-family housing, some commercial development that did not fit some of the neighborhoods they were operating from as well as minimal thought to future consequences for the community as a whole. The downtown in particular was left to flounder and be vulnerable to whatever might come along. And, as you may recall, not much came along.

In the late 90’s the village was faced with many developers whose prime interest was to build cheap structures as fast as possible. The village guidelines were weak, and subject to the whims of expediency. Minimal thought was given to the quality or long term effects that many of the commercial proposals might have on the well being or image of the community as a whole.

As a result of the above, the village finally retained a professional planner, whose essential objective was to establish zoning standards that would attract quality development. Well planned, and well conceived development that would assist the tax base and add to the pride in living and working in this community. In order to put this in place a one year building moratorium was approved. Not everyone liked this idea, but it proved to be appropriate, and gave the Planning Commission and the Village Board a footing on which to base its decisions. It was necessary to establish goals and a sense of order in what could be built here, and how it would benefit the community as a whole. Sometime after the plan was in operation I wrote the following:

“We are now following an orderly process in meeting the aggressive development demands in the Village. We have a solid planning blueprint in place and we are adhering to its expectations in our approach to development requests. It is a living and active reference document.”

I urge you, the village board, and the planning commission to consider that plan as you deliberate this issue. Your decision and the process you follow in coming to that decision will have a profound effect on this community and its future.

Costco claims the urgent schedule to build is necessary because they want to be open for the 2010 Xmas shopping season. That is a flimsy excuse, and should not even be considered in any deliberations for this project. The structure will remain in our community for many years following the coming Xmas season. However, we who live here will have to look at it for many years to come. Additionally you and other village officials will have to respond to future developers, who will also be in a hurry and want to build on the cheap. They will expect you to accommodate them with the same standards that Costco received. If you compromise to meet this request, you will be vulnerable to all future development requests. Not to mention how Menards and Walmart will react after they complied with the standards.

As an individual I am pro business and pro development for Pewaukee. Note, I said “and” not but. You can, and I believe must, be both in any development request, large or small. I think scrapping standards for this project is a serious mistake. It is a significant project, and will have a fundamental effect on our community for a long time to come. In my mind, they have to meet our standards. Menard’s originally told us no, but when they found out a brick building was the only way they would be approved they came around. Why would you presume Costco will not? And, if they choose not to come, what is so flawed about the existing zoning, and standards? Is the village in such dire straits that Costco can make or break us if they choose not to come here? I doubt that.

In the event you care to discuss this issue further please feel free to contact me at your earliest convenience.

Tom Millard

9 March 2010

Posted with permission of the author