The September 5th meeting of the Franklin Common Council opened with citizen comments, and a middle-aged woman stepped to the microphone to speak about an article she'd read in the Franklin Hub newspaper about developer Mark Carstensen's plans for commercial development on the corner of Drexel and Hwy. 100 - - an agenda item for later in the meeting, as it happens:
I’d just like to make a comment in support of that. I’d like to see that happen. There are other prople in the area that also would like to see him build. He does a nice job; he’s done a wonderful job with what he’s done in Wyndham Hills and his own little mall he has on Loomis Road and Drexel. I’ve been waiting a long time – I’ve been here only five years – but it seems like a long time for some of those stores, retail stores and other stores, grocery stores, to come into our area. And since he’s made that proposal I’d just like to say that I’d like to see that happen. I drive to North Avenue and 124th to go to Sendik’s. I drive out to Waukesha or Brookfield to visit Chico’s and Talbot’s; Wauwatosa to go to Outpost, and I sure would like to see some of those in our Franklin area. I don’t know if there’s anything else you’d like me to say, but …
Mayor Tom Taylor, in thanking the commentor, noted that he was getting substantial email in support of the project, with just a few in opposition.
Finally, after normal city business, the “Shops at Wyndham Village” agenda item came up. The director of community development, Doug Wheaton – a near-enigma to me, as I’ve been utterly unable to get through to him via phone or email – sat before the council with Mark Carstensen to render the opinion of the Department of City Development and clarify the requests before the council, which were A) rezoning from multi-family to Civic Center, and B) to establish a date for a public hearing on the matter.
Wheaton outlined seven key criteria on which the City Development department’s positive appraisal of the project is based:
- The project brings the property into compliance with Comprehensive Master Plan
- It’s an attractive commercial location
- The plan provides amenities beneficial to community and appropriate to the neighborhood; citizens have requested upscale shopping
- The plan is consistent with goal of decreasing tax burden on residents by pursuing the 70-30 goal (Mayor Tom Taylor interjected at this point: “The number 1 goal of the common council”). 27th Street, the site of anticipated growth, is actually outside the Franklin School District while the Carstensen property is within it.
- The developer has agreed to fully comply with environmental regulations
- The developer’s reputation is excellent
- The opportunity will pass if no action is taken
After Wheaton's remarks, Carstensen made the Sendik's announcement, which spread rosy joy throughout the room. Council members took turns praising Carstensen, and, true to my prediction, mention was made of a letter or flier that had been distributed in adjacent neighborhoods that was, according to more than one alderman, full of erronious information. (I'd love to see that flier.)
Once again, I have to say that the project seems very promising. So what's to worry about? Well, for one thing, there are no plans or visualizations of the development available to review. Carstensen's inability at the last meeting of the Plan Commission to definitively say that a big-box like Wal-Mart would not be part of the complex raised some eyebrows; Wal-Mart has a track record of elbowing its way into communities that don't want it there, sometimes by getting zoning changes made by a “front developer” before announcing their intention to invade.
At this particular meeting, it seemed clear that Carstensen’s liberal use of phrases like “you have my word” and direct statements like “I would not impose anything that would negatively impact any of those people that live on the north side [of Drexel]” were aimed squarely at the Wal-Mart boogie-man. He is certainly no carpet-bagger, having been born and raised right here in Franklin. The Wal-Mart fear can most likely be put to rest.
Another concern is the placement of the potential “Shops at Wyndham Village” (let’s call it The SaWV from now on) commercial center in relationship to Franklin’s already sprawled civic buildings.
I’ve shaded a “dead zone” in the photo above that will exist between the Franklin Library – which is an enormous community asset that is fast becoming a popular civic gathering space – and The SaWV. Though still in the “Civic Center” district as defined by Franklin’s Comprehensive Master Plan (though the comical, car-centric separation of the library, city hall, the police station and the post office make "Center" an iffy designation at best), there is not so much as a sidewalk connecting The SaWV site and the library. Franklin cannot afford to put in a sidewalk, and they cannot require Carstensen to do so; in any event, the space between the two areas is too far to walk for the typical shopper.
For all of its wonderful potential, The SaWV are in danger of becoming another parking lot-encircled “pod” in the sprawling Franklin landscape. Will this concern be aired at the public hearing?
Whitney Gould http://www.jsonline.com/story/?id=122518 described the Franklin Public Library as a "columned, red-brick behemoth set off by a vast parking lot, looks more like a big-box retail store than a library." Interesting that it could become an "enormous community asset that is fast becoming a popular civic gathering space."
Posted by: Terrence Berres | September 13, 2006 at 02:48 PM
I can assure you, the building's physical structure (not to mention its useless expanse of lawn at streetside, band of asphalt on two sides, and numerous "false fronts") has little to do with its emerging role as a civic gathering place. Rather, the fact that it's a place with meeting rooms and browsable bookshelves makes it a psuedo-public space that could have been much, much more.
Posted by: John Michlig | September 13, 2006 at 10:21 PM
Okay, what you criticise does not hinder its operation as a library and, in your words, "has little to do with its emerging role as a civic gathering place." That's not very compelling criticism if one could go back to re-argue the project.
Posted by: Terrence Berres | September 14, 2006 at 12:13 PM
I guess I don't understand what you're asking.
That's probably my fault, as my point may have been less than clear. The library's emergence as a civic gathering space is happening IN SPITE of its location and design; it actually could and should be a much more vibrant public space.
The Franklin Library is a wonderful facility on the inside (I still remember the old "library"), but its a victim of typical suburban "pod" development in that it's isolated, has given over a substantial chunk of its corner lot to nothing more than "lawn" (though a veteran's memorial is being installed), has zero walkable proximity to other useful public/commercial spaces (other than the park and PERHAPS city hall, if you brave the expanse of parking lot on foot), has numerous "entry facades" that cannot be used for entry or exit, has small patios that have become de facto "smoke break" areas, and now faces the possibility of further isolation due to the commercial center being shifted to the Carstensen development at Hwy. 100 and Drexel.
I believe its operation as the Franklin PUBLIC Library would have been much enhanced by more forward-looking site design. An expanse of lawn is NOT green space.
I'll throw out a real wild card: There should be a commercial business on the corner of Drexel and Loomis, across a courtyard from the library. A coffee shop, or even a Kinko's. Perhaps that business could work out a revenue-sharing plan with the library as well. What a boon to the nearby neighborhoods, and what a nice place to spend an afternoon without having to drive from place to place.
Posted by: John Michlig | September 14, 2006 at 01:15 PM