Sprawled Out: The Search for Community in the American Suburb

"Stimulus" synonymous with sprawl in the suburbs, alas

Tonight's Special Council Meeting (6:30 pm at the resplendent and huge Franklin Law Enforcement Center) does not - repeat: does not - include any vote to include in Franklin's stimulus/sprawl request the much-hated widen-51st-north-of-Rawson idea. So neighbors who are coming ready to rant about that project should be so advised.

Turns out the project has parameters that fall outside of stimulus requirements. So the mayor's veto is moot - though discussion of same still appears on tonight's agenda.

Discussion will be regarding the three remaining lipstick-on-a-pig projects, including a re-do of 51st in front of the High School - - and the council is actually considering an option with, once again, no sidewalks. Time is short, take it or leave it, etc.

Gigantic missed opportunity.

UPDATED: "The tone of the initial post sets the stage for what is to follow. We get what we give."

Saw this comment on a "MyCommunityNOW" blog and thought it was so well-stated that it needs to be posted here as well. With slight edits for context and my added emphasis, this good advice is by the commenter known as "JUST1THOUGHT":

The post says: "It is appropriate and quite helpful if the individual and/or group that is distributing the literature provide full disclosure on the pamphlets, brochures, etc. with contact information including name, address, telephone number, e-mail address."

I sort of agree with him about the literature distribution. I’d like to know who is saying what too. But when it comes to blogging on a regular basis (3-5 times a day) those rules don’t seem to necessarily apply.  But why not and what if they did?  Scary thought isn’t it?

Most blogger bios are blank or vague at best. Some are down right silly. Yet they complain about anonymous commenters as evil.  Again, I sort of agree, people are mean, but they are responding to something you "distributed".

Just imagine if we had to provide our “contact information including name, address, telephone number, e-mail address" on a blog or a comment for that matter. The literature distributed, and the comments they receive would be more objective and less subjective (and less in general) Or we all would have broken windows and flat tires.

To prove the point, view your blog with the highest comments in the last few weeks and look at the subject. Then read the comments.  Good begets good and bad begets bad.

Now it might be said, (has been said), if you don’t like it, don’t read it. But I have to read it to come to a conclusion. You are posting on a Community Web Page as a “community voice”. Comments are invited by nature of the ability to comment. But the blogger is in full control. You don’t have to pass through a comment you find offensive either. But sometimes you do, just to counter attack. A real dialog never develops. I guess that’ why there are so few comments these days. Unless it’s good news.

Don’t mistake a high hit count for popularity, curiosity counts too. People love to hate. Good or bad, the numbers of comments you receive to a post are the true gauge of the effectiveness of your blog. Since you have control of what gets through, you control how effective the conversation can get.  The tone of the initial post sets the stage for what is to follow. We get what we give.

Bloggers (especially NOW bloggers) - I am not suggesting that you provide full disclosure on your bio, I sure won’t, but try blogging as if you did. Try and imagine yourself entering my neighborhood and placing you literature in my “newspaper box or at my front door.” As long as you are on the Now website, it’s sort of the same thing, 21st century style. I go to the NOW for a lot of reasons and there you are.

BUT MOST OF ALL, IT IS NOT WHAT YOU SAY AS MUCH AS THE WAY YOU SAY IT.

End of Post.

UPDATE: As if to underscore and add an exclamation point to "JUST1THOUGHT's" excellent observations and articulation thereof, the blogger in question "responded" to this well thought-out comment thusly:

Now if only the hateful left would read and heed.
We get what we give, hey? You have no idea what I all get...

Name-calling, non-engagement and self-pity, all in the space of 24 words. At least in this case his approach to mediocrity is somewhat parsimonious.

Good news for Franklin residents; our economic worries seem to be over ....

... because the Franklin Economic Development Commission, which hadn't gathered in 60 days, met for approximately 9 minutes last night. And four members could not attend (one due to her resignation).

Not good. I will begin adding MY many items to the agenda for the next meeting TODAY. A sense of urgency is certainly applicable.

"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." Albert Einstein

Truth.

Predicting traffic capacity? How about predicting DOWNWARD?

For suburbs like mine, where the game is all about spending money to get MORE traffic down collector roads FASTER, this concept will come as a complete and utter surprise. 

For 14th Month In A Row, Americans Drive Less — But Will It Last? via the INFRASTRUCTURIST.

"And now we'd like to walk to your local coffee shop for further discussion. Surely you have a coffee shop in walking distance of your public library, right?"

Nope.

Feingold, Ryan unveil line item veto plan at Franklin Library - JSOnline.

"The hidden perils of poorly-connected streets, or why I’m afraid of German Shepherds"

Another voice explaining the value of a well-connected community (you'll notice the familiar swirl of Franklin's streets in the leftmost illustration). Should have aimed the stimulus applications in this direction.

 

"The hidden perils of poorly-connected streets, or why I’m afraid of German Shepherds".

Uploaded with plasq's Skitch!

The text of Franklin Mayor Taylor's Veto of possible 51st Street widening

I'll have more to say on this topic later, but for now, here is the text of Mayor Tom Taylor's veto of a federal stimulus request that could have resulted in a four-lane widening of 51st street.

It should be noted that the 51st street aspect of this stimulus request was able to be singly eliminated only because Alderman Kristen Wilhelm responded to the overwhelming opinion of residents inside and outside of her district and ignored the apathy (and, it must be said, outright sneers) of some of her fellow aldermen; she moved to separate this misbegotten project from the main stimulus request package. She got no support that I could detect during the proceedings; the other aldermen were busy lecturing members of the public who dared to disagree.

Franklin was especially well-served by Wilhelm in this case, and Mayor Taylor demonstrated consistency with his previous statements to me in subsequently vetoing the 51st street project as a stimulus request.

As for the rest of the council, I question whether their vision of this city and its direction has any resemblance to that of the electors. And I wonder whether their vision is indeed consistent with the oncoming realities for which we need to prepare in order to remain competitive.

Any spelling error or typos in this text should be attributed to my retyping efforts and not the author:

Thomas M. Taylor, Mayor
March 19,2009
City Clerk Sandra Wesolowski
City of Franklin
9229 W. Loomis Road
Franklin, WI 53132

RE: Veto

Dear City Clerk Wesolowski,

On March 17, 2009, the Common Council approved the following motion:

"Alderman Sohns moved to authorize the City Engineer to apply for second stage of Federal Stimulus funding for the reconstruction of S. 51st Street (north of W. Rawson Avenue to W. College Avenue in Greendale), with the additional requirement of a traffic impact analysis, neighborhood meetings, and public input. Seconded by Alderman Olson. On roll call, Aldermen Olson, Solomon, Taylor, Sohns, and Skowronski voted Aye; Alderman Wilhelm voted No. Motion carried."

In short, the intent of the motion is to request federal stimulus dollars to address reconstruction of South 51st Street north of Rawson Avenue to College Avenue in Greendale. The purpose of this letter is to inform the Common Council that I have vetoed their action directing the City Engineer to apply for second stage of Federal Stimulus Funding for this project.

First, let me reiterate that I am absolutely opposed to the widening of 51st Street north of Rawson to a road with four lanes of traffic. My opposition to the widening of this roadway was vociferously echoed by the large crowd in attendance at the meeting and by the calls and emails I received. The people of Franklin in the neighborhoods bordering this street do not want four lanes of traffic on this stretch of 51st Street.

I also understand very clearly that the action of the Common Council did not address or recommend expansion of 51st Street. The Common Council's action was clear and specific in that it simply directed the Engineer to apply for funding for a project in this area. On its face, acquiring federal stimulus funds and eliminating the need for the use of local property tax dollars would appear to be a good thing.

We can't, however, let the federal dollars put our local project at risk. The neighbors made two points clear at the meeting: 1) they do not want this stretch of 51st Street widened to four lanes of traffic, and 2) 51st Street is currently unsafe and in need of rehabilitation, possibly including sidewalks and/or a bike path. The eventual solution to the rehabilitation of South 51st Street north of Rawson will require detailed evaluation, careful consideration, and significant public input on viable, acceptable, safe alternatives.


In order to ensure that sufficient time is available to carefully and openly evaluate and select the appropriate eventual design for South 51 st Street north of Rawson, I must veto the action of the Common Council. Although the City Engineer indicated at the meeting that there would be time for the normal public input process, he noted that it would be rushed. I don't believe the important design decisions that must be evaluated and considered can be rushed. The citizens made it very clear that they desired and demanded to be part of the process. Significant public input and consideration is essential to this project, and it cannot be rushed. If more time is needed, the City must have the flexibility to take that time. Unfortunately, we cannot expect that the State will provide a flexible schedule with the allocation of federal stimulus funds. We know, in fact, that the State expects to establish very clear and specific timelines.

Some road rehabilitation or reconstruction project must be considered to address citizen concerns about safety and pedestrian traffic. The bottom line, however, is that there is no guarantee that such a project can line up with the State time line that must be followed. Since the need for significant public input and participation cannot be compromised, the City's interests and those of its residents would be best served if the project were not dependent on federal stimulus funds that could force a rushed decision.

Additionally, the City Engineer indicated that projects completed with stimulus funds would be State projects, bid and let by the State of Wisconsin. This specific project will likely require a higher level of public input and involvement than the typical State project. This project needs to be a local project, with local control. The State should not decide what South 51st Street north of Rawson will look like. This must be a City project.

These two arguments alone provide a sufficient reason for me to veto this action of the Common Council. It becomes even more obvious that this veto is the appropriate action when one also considers that there is a very low possibility of being approved for stimulus fnnds for this project. I believe the City Engineer stated at the meeting that the chance of approval was "one in a million." Granted, this was more of an expression than a mathematical estimation. Nonetheless, given the low likelihood of being approved for funding, the legitimate possibility of a need for more time for public input, and the importance of local control; the funding of South 51st Street north of Rawson should not be aligned with or dependent upon federal stimulus dollars.

Sincerely,
Thomas M. Taylor
Mayor, City of Franklin

Why we need to REHABILITATE rather than EXPAND a broken street and road network

Long-Term Outlook: Slow Growth And Deflation | The Big Picture.

The deepening recession and spreading financial crisis is the beginning of the unwinding of about three decades of financial leverage and spending excesses. The process will probably take many years to complete as U.S. consumers mount a decade-long saving spree, the world’s financial institutions delever, commodity prices remain weak, government regulation intensifies and protectionism threatens, if not dominates. Sluggish economic growth and deflation are the likely results.

Still worried about getting more traffic through town?

Franklin Common Council and Stimulus Funds: looks like sprawl as usual

[UPDATE: Blogger (and rabble-rouser) Fred Keller has posted a LiveScribe recording of the citizen's comment period here.]

A contentious Common Council meeting last night, featuring some disappointing behavior by aldermen who should know better. Arrogance and a dismissive attitude toward the very real concerns of your electors will get you tossed out of that seat in a hurry.

Especially if 51st street is widened to four lanes notwithstanding your condescending mockery of the neighborhood's apprehensions.

Yes, despite rather weak (and, frankly, contradictory) reassurances to the large contingent of residents present to speak against a grotesque four-lane 51st street expansion, that possibility remains on the table.

And, based on an announcement due from the US Secretary of Transportation today, the city of Franklin has made an enormous and costly mistake in voting for more road-bloat last night.

We are hopelessly out of step, I fear.

More details tomorrow, but, in the meantime, here is the text of my address to the council during the lively citizen comment period. My turn came on the heels of Alderman Steve Olson stressing the inevitability of these road-bloat projects by listing upcoming work in the long-range schedule - - all concentrated on further super-sizing collector roads. "Does anyone see the trend?" he said.

So I said:

I guess I'm going to be addressing Alderman Olson's "trend." It's a trend I'm clearly not too fond of.

On a purely economic level, we need streets that feed our businesses while making “park once, multiple stops” possible - a virtually unknown concept here.

That’s what attracts investment and creates local character. That's what brings business to town.

The city of Franklin - with all due respect [to city engineer Jack Bennett] - almost flamboyantly thumbs its nose at the idea of traveling from place to place without a vehicle. Residential roads are built wide and curvilinear for maximum speed - kids and bikes be damned.

We seem preoccupied with expanding traffic capacity rather than creating special places and desirable environments for people and business.

And nearby is STILL far away.

There are neighborhoods close enough to Franklin High School to be illuminated by the sports field's lights - yet the residents of those houses have no way to safely walk or bike to the high school! So is it any wonder that so many vehicles are on 51st street at the beginning and end of school days?

That's an embarrassment.

Pleasant View Elementary remains accessible by a single thin road with not so much as a shoulder to retreat to if you should attempt to walk or bike to the school.

That's an embarrassment.

I know of a child who gets on a bus from his house maybe 200, 300 yards from the front door of the school. The distance he walks getting on the bus, going to the back seat of the bus, then walking back off the bus is probably longer than if he'd simply walked to school. But he can't walk to school, because there's not even a shoulder to escape oncoming traffic. And is there ever more traffic than after and before a school day? I don't think so.

That's an embarrassment.

Let's remember that the County Sheriff has determined that all of Franklin School District is in an "unusually hazardous transportation area." Therefor, all students in the district are entitled to bus transportation.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding should not be used to expand a system of roads that do not provide safe travel for people who are walking or bicycling. Too many Franklin streets are designed wide and fast, without sufficient sidewalks, crosswalks or bicycle lanes.

We, in fact, CREATE traffic with huge roads and no alternative.

Now we have an opportunity for a new approach. there's not a lot of time.

We currently have little or no consideration given for the safety of older people, children, or people with disabilities.

These incomplete streets are dangerous and create barriers for people to get to jobs, school, the doctor, and fully participate in civic life.

Basically, Franklin's system of ever-widening collector streets -- which is all Alderman Olson listed -- expand without regard to interior grid roads - a blatant concession to subdivision developers - and does nothing but concentrate and increase traffic, create noise, and make it impossible to travel from place to place without firing up an internal combustion engine.

This is not an environment that encourages businesses to move in and take root. It is not an environment friendly to commercial enterprises that benefit from the ability to linger; I'm talking about book stores, coffee shops and the like.

I fear that Franklin seems content to ignore opportunities to increase connectivity and instead continues to encourage volume and throughput.

I have a list of almost 600 Wisconsin bicycle and pedestrian projects funded or co-funded by the federal government from 1993 to 2007. Franklin does not appear once.

We're going to have to address this.

As for 51st street: There are clear and ready-to-implement street schemes that can be deployed there to make it a neighborhood amenity and increase commercial foot traffic.

So let’s get on that.