Beware the media

A friend of mine all the way down in Georgia alerted me to the fact that my name was mentioned on local right wing radio host Mark Belling's show in relationship to the Shoppes at Wyndham Village (he listens to the podcast).

I can't blame Belling for mispronouncing my name, but it was truly painful to have my opinion mischaracterized as "antidevelopment." He read my quote from the May 3rd Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel story on the Shoppes project:

"We need a town center desperately."

Belling took this to mean that I think we need a Town Center, ala Bayshore, rather than what I really meant and said to the reporter: "I'd like to see this succeed and be done carefully because Franklin needs an area of commercial and public focus - a town center." My quote was truncated; my own fault for not feeding sound bites.

What was interesting when I listened further was Belling's insistence that the residents of Franklin were "snobs" and feel "too good for a Target." The essence of his argument was that in a "tax hell" like Franklin, you should be happy with anything that comes your way. (He, of course, included the common "solution" that childless people feel is viable: "MOVE AWAY!")

And, finally, Belling labored under the delusion that the project was temporarily pulled because of citizen concerns. The truth as I know it is that some DNR permitting issues had to be worked out: This thing is already a done deal as far as I can see.

I can't speak for others who have voiced concerns about the Shoppes at Wyndham Village, but my opinion is that a commercial development in that location could be extremely good for the city - I'm not against a well-done development. HOWEVER, a municipality can and should resist the temptation to grasp at whatever development in whatever form is proffered without careful consideration of how best to implement it - - make it more lucrative to the developer and more useful to the community. Shoppes at Wyndham Village could be the start of something really big if done right, but just another strip mall if done unimaginatively.

As it is, it is very unimaginative. Almost spookily so. Yet certain city officials are ready to rubber-stamp it and light a celebratory cigar.

I see in the Franklin Plan Staff some very, very sharp professionals whose input should be heeded and supported with laser-like focus by the Plan Commission and Common Council. Too often their comments, supported by the city's Unified Development Ordinance, are regarded as "suggestions" and shrugged off - - even in direct correspondence from the developer to the city in response to plan staff site plan comments.

More later ...

 

[This entry amended in response to a comment from Franklinnow.com blogger Greg Kowalski, who believed I appeared a bit too accommodating in the previous version of this post]

Comments

[Greg Kowalski]

Good morning,

For the record, I'm probably the most disappointed reader thus far for this blog. You've been basically the man the radio (Mark Belling) and the Journal Sentinel used as the head of opposition for this particular project. Your numerous postings about WV's lack thereofs and disappointments apparently didn't mean much, since ultimately in the end you stood for the side you were bantering all these months. I guess your title had it right - all Mark needed to do was ruffle your feathers a bit by linking you to the people of Franklin (snobs, etc) - you backed down and basically gave the open-ended support for this.

They got their way after all.

[John Michlig]

You prompted me to go back and re-read what I posted.

I dunno - seems pretty clear that while I want a commercial development to succeed there, but I want to see it done right. I didn't like the characterization in the media of people like us as "antidevelopment" simply because we would like things done BETTER and with the future of that zone in mind.

Belling said this: "These knuckleheads don't want ANYTHING! Where do they get off?"

I think you and I agree on these items:

A. Commercial development on the corner of Drexel and Hwy. 100 = GOOD and NEEDED

B. The present configuration = BAD and NEEDS ALTERATION

C. Commercial development WILL occur there

D. Target = DONE DEAL and may, unfortunately, kibosh "B."

E. The ENTIRE Plan Commission can vote "no," but the Common Council ultimately will simply say "yes."

But, in the end, you and I want development on that corner to proceed, no? So we press "B" as best we can.

Let me go back and read it again ...

Is it "I'm not against it at all" that skews the whole deal for you? Should I say "Not against a GOOD DEVELOPMENT"? Because, really, what good is the opinion of a guy who is against development in general?

Regarding "City Center": The development as planned - and, indeed Franklin - can't at this point support a City Center configuration ala Bayshore. HOWEVER, if Carstensen plans for the future, he can configure the 8 buildings in the present plan to allow for infill down the line. Furthermore, if the city redoes that stretch of Drexel properly, that whole section could fill right up to the library.

As far as environmental issues go, of course I believe that all the "i's" should be crossed and "T's" dotted, as they say. If that's the big deal breaker, that's entirely appropriate.

John Michlig