Sprawled Out: The Search for Community in the American Suburb

The gloves come off at Fountains of Franklin: Part 2 of what looks to be an ongoing reality series

Last week it was a very frank letter from Equitable Development to residents of the subdivision behind Fountains of Franklin. This week it's an equally frank letter from Lyle Sohns, alderman for the district, to Mayor Tom Taylor.

The issues: Why has the Fountains of Franklin-bisecting Fox property (a house with connected storage business) been able to avoid addressing numerous clear-cut zoning violations for so long? (See Franklin Today for vintage documents.) Is the city employing due process in this case, or, as Sohns clearly alleges below, has the mayor "suppressed" the complaint?

The intrigue: Competing developer Mark Carstensen's vehicle has been seen numerous times parked on the Fox property while the complaint has been left unenforced.

The pitch: I propose a reality series for Bravo entitled "Developer Wars: Franklin."

The text of Alderman Sohn's letter is below, with my added link to the blog he references and boldface.

Mayor Thomas Taylor
City of Franklin
9229 W. Loomis Road
Franklin, WI 53132


Mayor Taylor:

On February 27, May 13, June 3 and June 9, 2008, Planning Manager Joel Dietl issued letters to Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Fox concerning zoning violations at 5510 West Rawson Avenue.

On July 7, 2008 a Notice of Circumstances and Notice of Claim was filed with the Clerk's Office by the Fountains of Franklin, LLC requesting timely enforcement of the zoning violations and claiming damages of $4 million.

On July 12,2008 Greg Kowalski posted an Internet blog article alleging that Franklin was not acting in a timely manner in enforcing said zoning violations. As a result, I've received numerous calls and e-mails from constituents concerned about the apparent lack of due process.

An Affidavit of Service was served to Leonard Fox on 7/29/2008, 153 days after the first letter from Mr. Dietl dated February 27, 2008.

An Open Records request on July 22 to the City Clerk and the City Attorney for a copy of the original complaint has gone unanswered. No response has been received to date to a July 29 call for a copy of the Summons and Complaint.

At my request, a copy of the original complaint was provided by the complainant - dated June 7, 2007. According to the clerk's office, no such complaint was officially recorded, nor was the complaint distributed as is common practice.

The Policy of the City of Franklin is to enforce Ordinance violations upon complaint. Further, under Franklin Code of Ordinances, § 55-2 City administrative organization:

A. Mayor. Pursuant to § 62.09(8)(a), Wis. Stats., the Mayor shall be the chief executive officer of the City, shall take care that City ordinances and state laws are observed and enforced and that all City officers and employees discharge their duties.

The responsibility for timely enforcement of a complaint lies squarely on the shoulders of the Mayor and departments who are under his direct control. It seems clear from the available documentation and from reports from the parties involved that the Complaint was suppressed by your hand or at your direction.

You have the following responsibilities to the Common Council and the residents of the City of Franklin:

1. An immediate written report to the Common Council substantiating your handling of the Complaint in question.

2. Prompt action to amend the Summons and Complaint to address all of the issues raised by the complainant, to be re-served on the property owner.

To the extent the City of Franklin is at risk relative to the Notice of Circumstances and Notice of Claim filed on July 7, 2008, the responsibility is entirely yours.

Prompt action with respect to this matter is required - time is of the essence.

Sincerely,

Lyle Sohns
5th District Alderman

Cc: Alderman
City Clerk
City Attorney

Download 20080812_sohnstaylor.pdf

Download fox_citation_document.pdf

The gloves come off at Fountains of Franklin

There was a meeting this past Thursday evening between the developers of Sendik's West (what we're now calling the Greg Devorkian-developed portion of Fountains of Franklin, I guess) and residents of the subdivision to the immediate North (see Metro Milwaukee Today's post by Greg Kowalski).

A digression: As I've mentioned before, note how this commercial development continues to concentrate solely on Rawson Avenue traffic without even the tiniest nod toward serving the nearby neighborhood in any way, shape or form; it is a site plan that effectively creates maximum sound and visual annoyance for nearby residents without the reward of providing useful and interesting civic space - - it's no wonder they aren't excited about their potential new neighbors. But I digress.

A concern raised again and again regarding Devorkian's portion of the development is that, now that Sendik's is in place, the original promise of "high-end development" has been replaced with Devorkian's evident desire to get some quick payback on his investment with whatever tenants he can get signed in the near term - - a Dairy Queen, for instance, and/or a standard-issue CVS pharmacy. What he has brought forth in terms of building proposals and potential tenants since those heady days of "this will be a high-end development" have been dismal.

Devorkian's ostensible "partner" in the Fountains of Franklin project is Dave Hintzman's Equitable Development, which, according to Hintzman,  still clings to the idea that upscale tenants are worth courting and waiting for. He has long been frustrated by a series of situations that he could or would mention previously only in an off-the-record context. Yesterday, as a follow-up to the meeting with residents, he sent the following email to everyone who had attended. Attached was a pdf of a complaint dated 7/29/08 and filed by the City of Franklin (specifically, planning manager Joel Dietl) against the owners of a storage company that bisects the Fountains of Franklin site. The owners of the storage company, who also have a residence on the property, have been reluctant to sell in spite of the fact that they have been for years in clear violation of specific zoning rules. And they have recently been entertaining multiple visits from rival developer Mark Carstensen.

Here is the email. We'll discuss it further in coming days.

Thank you for your feedback.  Its nice to see the community expressing their desires with the commercial development on Rawson Avenue.  Your community has a unique opportunity now that should not be squandered.
 
Unfortunately, there are many details that the public is unaware of.  Due to your and your neighbor's concerns the following is background and current information you may find beneficial.
 
The original Fountains of Franklin project had received thirteen Letters of Intent (Pre-Contract) from local businesses such as an OB/GYN, local cafe, florist, dentistry, optical, gift shop, malt shop, Aveda day spa, and an Asian fusion restaurant among others.  However, we were marketing upscale national tenants at the same time.  In the recent past, many high end retailers have expressed interest in locating here.  Most of them are current tenants at the Bayshore Town Center.  For example, last Fall, a senior executive from Coldwater Creek spend six hours with us.  At that time, the Mayor also attended the meeting.  Coldwater Creek explained that their market research proved that their customers are already in our market area. In addition, a major high end department store (not currently in WI) has also expressed interest. Based on the quantity of national retailer interest, we felt that this project should be looked at more globally.
 
However, at that time, we were becoming very frustrated as the city Staff placed an unwarranted and inaccurate $110,000 assessment on our property.  Additionally, the city Staff provided a strong recommendation to deny a required Certified Survey Map (property lines) for a major upscale tenant on our property.  During this period, our neighbor (storage company) asked me that if I came across a well qualified buyer to send them his way.  Shortly after, one of the national retailers interested in our site introduced us to a major national developer.  Coincidently, this developer has a client list similar to Bayshore.  Persuant to my neighbor's request, I forwarded their contact information to them.  Our neighbor requested to meet with the national developer about a month ago.
 
Since then, it was noticed that Mark Carstensen's vehicle has been parked outside the office of the storage company on three separate occasions (7/24, 7/30 & 8/6).  Now, at this Monday's Special Common Council meeting, our neighbor stated his reluctance on selling his property.  We found it very interesting that Judge Fred Klimetz (former Mayor) spoke strongly towards the same position my neighbor (Fox) holds.
 
It has come to our attention that the outdoor parking facilities next door never received the required Special Use Approvals to operate legally.  While the city Staff are aware of this, to date they have chosen not to enforce this part of their ordinance.  Instead, just recently, they chose to begin enforcing a variety of zoning violations only.  The Staff has recently confirmed that the property owner running the concrete shop and outdoor storage facility has been unlawfully existing for some time.  Our current zoning of OL-2 does not allow for a concrete company, outdoor storage or mini-warehouse operations. Due to their unlawful status, they cannot be "grandfathered."  To be quite frank, why would high end retailers come to a community who doesn't enforce all of their ordinances?
 
We have also been made aware that there may be a public perception that someone is kicking our neighbor out of his home.  That is not true.  After reviewing the attached citation that was recently filed in the Franklin Municipal Court, it appears that the residential portion of the property is not in question.  It will be heard in front of Judge Fred Klimetz (former Mayor).
 
I hope you will find this information helpful.
 
Equitable Development

 

Honestly, I was just checking the Star Wars trading cards I have stored there

Fountains of Franklin has a problem; the land it owns is bisected by a storage facility, and the owners will not sell (even as the city of Franklin applies pressure). FofF can't really do much in terms of a unified commercial space until they get the owners of the storage facility to sell them the land that effectively splits their developable property. You can't get from one section to the other without going back out on Rawson (though that "solution" would be par for the course in Franklin).

Wouldn't it be funny if the developers of Fountains of Franklin found out that rival developer Mark Carstensen - -  whose not-yet-ready-for-prime-time Target-Sendik's strip mall has a ribbon cutting scheduled for tomorrow - - was visiting the owner of that storage facility?

Greg Kowalski has the damning photo posted at Metro Milwaukee Today: Development drama in Franklin?

(A Cadillac Escalade - that's just perfect.)

Fountains of Franklin: No tenants, but looking to build. Here's a suggestion -

(Image above from Cooltown Studios)

Let me make a (in light of my current situation, rather selfish) suggestion to the developers of Fountains of Franklin: TWO STORY BUILDINGS with co-working spaces up top - - WiFi, phones, electric, desks and chairs - - that collect nominal monthly/weekly/daily "user fees" whether or not the commercial spaces below are leased. Maybe a handy FedEx Kinko's Office and Print Center moves in. Starbucks loves these gatherings of coffee-swilling laptop pounders who can be counted on to show up every day (better yet, let a locally-owned coffeeshop get in there).

Imagine - - actual all-day foot traffic! People coming and going! Impromtu meetings in the greenspace! Bike racks!

Truth is, you should have done that with the ANDY'S building, which now has attractive empty windows on either side of the service station section of the building - no tenants.

C'mon - think outside the box already. Shoppes at Wyndham Village is certainly no threat to do something the least bit innovative or outside their build-a-stripmall kit - - make yourself stand out! Create a positive vibe over there!

Or build another strip mall.

See also:
Third place coffeehouses and coworking sites as economic development tools
Attract more creatives with 'anchored coworking'

From FranklinNow.com:

For the second time in six weeks the Plan Commission conditionally approved a plan for the next phase of the Fountains of Franklin Sendik's development. The Common Council has yet to cast its vote on the plan.

The $25 million to $30 million project would feature two commercial buildings totaling 39,700 square feet. Both structures, which do not have tenants yet, would be adjacent to the 61,500-square-foot Sendik's Fine Foods, a popular store that opened in November.

After reviewing revised architectural plans, the commission on June 19 conditionally approved a revised certified survey map for the next phase of the multiphase development in the 5300 to 5400 blocks of West Rawson Avenue. The commission called for more tweaking, particularly to the larger building's south elevation, which will face Rawson Avenue.

The commission approved a similar plan last month, but it was rejected the the Common Council on May 20.

Has Fountains of Franklin peed on local blogger's lawn?

ABOVE: A recent picture of the Fountains of Franklin site. Or an old one - - it doesn't really matter, as nothing has changed.

How does one begin to dissect the folly of the latest manifestation of Republican senate aide Kevin Fischer’s fixation with the baby-step progress of Fountains of Franklin?

True - nothing is going on over there. I've had a little fun at Fountains' expense as well; there's no great glory in tagging a slow-moving beast, however. But Mr. Fischer seems deeply, personally offended by the lack of earth-moving equipment on the site. He is asking the city of Franklin for no less than “an analysis of the monthly lost tax revenue to the city of Franklin caused by the continued dormant site at 56th and Rawson. How much tax revenue is it costing the city of Franklin each and every month that site fails to operate with open businesses?”

He equates this request, you see, with the conjecture that Alderman Sohns' disastrous grandstand play wherein he displayed property values and taxes for Franklin bloggers was prepared by a city employee. Therefor, thinks Mr. Fischer, this same employee can run some numbers for him as well.

This is not a matter of retrieving numbers from a database, however. Evidently Mr. Fischer imagines an Excel spreadsheet sort of thing that the city of Franklin can fire up on their Dell computers (because I just know they don’t have Macs at city hall) and spit out a neat and tidy number that somehow perfectly conjectures not only what kind of businesses would be operating in Fountains of Franklin, but exactly how much revenue they are taking in per month: “By gar - - that idle land is costing us $7,267.54 per day, and $7,976.21 on double-coupon days! Let’s get a Walgreens planted, stat!”

The answer, perhaps, is an evening's session on the computer game SimCity. Punch in some data, do some terraforming, get rid of pesky plan commission input and UDI nonsense, add permanent tax cuts - DONE. Here's what Fountains of Franklin should look like in, say, 2010:

Will you just LOOK at the tax revenue we're losing as Fountains stands idle! No wonder Mr. Fischer is typing with such righteous ferver and purpose! Compare to the "before" photo:

Thank goodness for Mr. Fischer's vigilance, born as it is out nothing more than a pure and overwhelming concern for his community.

(Pause as laughter subsides....)

Fortunately, since "just a concerned citizen" Mr. Fischer has begrudgingly emerged from stealth mode (we are now told in his blog bio - - though not in print - - that he is an employee of state senator Mary Lazich, but only after I admonished the concealment) readers can fairly easily supply context. His employer has received (and undoubtedly hopes to continue to receive) financial contributions from Mark Carstensen, the developer of the troubled, no-announced-tenants Target-Shoppes at Wyndham Village (that's the one I fixate on, but I wear my bias on my sleeve), which is a direct competitor of what is planned for Fountains of Franklin. Nothing wrong with that, but smart businessmen don't lay out dough without expecting results. For her part, Senator Lazich has delivered, writing in support of Carstensen’s development sight unseen. She's a little inaccurate, however, in her effusive 1/6/07 letter to Secretary Frank Bussalacchi of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation:

I am pleased to add my support for the project to the unanimous support off [sic] the City of Franklin Plan Commission and Common Council.

Not unanimous. Plan Commissioner Kevin Haley voted against the development's crummy site plan - - hence, I submit, his momentary (more on that later) ouster from the commission.

So, bad for Fountains of Franklin is good for Carstensen and Shoppes at Wyndham Village. You don't think he'd like the tenants that are talking to Fountains to reconsider and come over to the currently Shoppes-less Shoppes at Wyndham Village? (How's this for a sales pitch: "Hey, Azana Spa - wouldn't you love to be located in the Target parking lot? it's, uh, really warm in the Summer!")

So, here's an idea: Plant seeds of doubt in the competing development. The only question is: Do Mr. Fischer’s marching orders come via fax, email, or over the phone? Bluetooth receiver in his ear? Bike messenger?

On the other side of the "methinks he protests too much" continuum is Fountains of Franklin's de facto champion, Greg Kowalski. His reaction to Mr. Fischer's post is virtually a Fountains press release. Having met with Fountains developer Dave Hintzman and apparently made privy to some Top Secret Information, Mr. Kowalski appears to have embraced the project and takes criticism of it somewhat personally. 

Who said municipal planning has to be dull?

Fountains of Franklin continues to underwhelm, remains characteristically disconnected from non-vehicular traffic

Though ostensibly home to one of the more welcome additions to Franklin commerce in many years (Sendik's), the Fountains of Franklin commercial development continues its slide into the valley of lowered expectations (a tumble which began with their unveiling of DQ Grill & Chill as one of their "high-end" tenants), with the announcement of CVS Pharmacy as an "anchor tenant."

Greg Kowalski's "Today's Concerns" blog notes that FoF developer Greg Devorkin also proposed commercial development for the SW corner of 51st & Rawson - - which is backed up to the impassable quarry, allowing only a single plane of access (from the 51st and Rawson side) unless hot air balloons are made available to residents of Franklin who might want to get to that particular corner without a car.

Unfortunately, the long-promised walking/biking path on 51st Street that would have made these proposed Rawson businesses accessible by foot or bike to the substantial population on and south of Drexel - - - and, by the way, vastly improved the survival rate for Franklin High School students who might want to walk or bike to the new commercial concerns on Rawson without being brushed by traffic - - never materialized.

Meanwhile, we pat ourselves on the back for various Oak Leaf Trail extensions which, while a boon to recreation runners and bikers like myself, require an actual parking lot for accessibility and lead nowhere.

(Franklin's not alone in dubious stewardship of the Trail. In theory, you can bike all the way to the lakeshore from Franklin or points west on the Oak Leaf Trail - great, right? However, the picture below shows the Oak Creek portion of the Oak Leaf Trail that that stands between you and Lake Michigan. Those little rubble-strewn areas delineated by the white lines on either side of the road are reserved for you and your bike. Enjoy.)

So, anyway, a CVS is coming to Franklin, and you'll be able to drive to it and park and shop and get back in your car and then drive to another place. Whoo-hoo.

The ongoing, self-perpetuating wonders of sprawl.

Franklin Candidate Forum notes: part 3

I've got six pages of notes on the mayoral candidates forum, but I'm going to toss those and focus on the specific issue that jumped out at me that is both appropriate to the theme of this blog and an area where Franklin is hurting.

To wit:

Mayor Tom Taylor has on different occasions expressed his idea of where Franklin's downtown is or will be located. Sometimes it's Fountains of Franklin; other times it's Shoppes at Wyndham Village.

On the night of the forum, it was 76th and Rawson, of all places (aka the intersection of Ugly and Bleak). He then identified a separate civic center for Franklin roughly radiating outward from the library and eventually connected by walkways.

ABOVE: 76th and Rawson - downtown Franklin?

I cannot disagree more with that non-unified, scattered, "pod" vision of community life - the very definition of "hither and yon."

When did we get it in our heads that we can (or should) separate civic and commercial amenities? I'm mystified by that notion. The very reason that vibrant community centers  - and the cities within which they thrive - become so popular and lucrative is the fact that useful and desired facilities are within walking distance of each other. Take the kids to the park, then walk over to the coffee shop. Drop off dry cleaning after story-time at the library. Grab a sandwich before mailing a package at the post office.

In the meantime, meaningful interaction occurs again and again, and money changes hands between citizens and merchants again and again.

Did it not occur to anyone leaving the library on the night of the forum that you were, once you hit the parking lot, effectively nowhere? No nearby coffee shop, deli, bar, or restaurant to which to adjourn; everyone to their cars and back to their pods.

Challenger Basil Ryan impressed me with his alternative vision: Let's utilize the investments and infrastructure already in place (and already paid for) - -   beautiful library, a palace-like "Law Enforcement Center," city hall, and park - - and make that Franklin's nominal downtown and civic center by using the city-owned land between facilities in a more efficient manner.

He said:

We need the vision to do it here, right in our backyard, with the land that’s available here. We can tie in the police department, city hall, the library. We DO have enough space. We need someone with a creative vision, work with the existing buildings, and if we do that I think that would be your downtown. The land is there and we can encompass the buildings we’ve already paid for - - the city owns that land in between.

This was something I suggested in this blog last year using the photo below. The areas in green have potential.

And, as I noted a few days back: how sad is it that locally-owned Moondance Coffee goes out of business in a crummy 27th street location when we have no coffee shop in walking distance of the well-used library? The simple injection of two or three commercial amenity-type businesses in the area around Legend park and the library will create a much-needed civic AND commercial center that will pull together the eventual Shoppes at Wyndham Village and Legend Creek commercial developments as well. That's how you create a vibrant, tax-base expanding community focal-point. Add a literal Civic Center building (or the Franklin Cultural Arts Center), and now you have a real town center.

Hear the cash registers?

At the same time, why not use that opportunity to give locally-owned businesses first dibs by offering subsidies and incentives to them for a change? Moondance Coffee should be right where the enormous (and useless) front lawn of the library is currently, a public courtyard between. With a coffee shop nearby, I defy you to visit the library without stopping for java and/or a bagel while there.

Money changing hands!

Mayor Taylor said at the forum: "Business will go where business will do well." Drive by the library parking lot on any weekday - it's always nearly full - and do the math.

Ryan further impressed me by shifting focus away from 27th Street and calling our attention to the area around the House of Corrections. We can either develop it ourselves or wait for the County to place an undesirable - and non-lucrative -  facility or facilities there. What he didn't mention is that we will actually increase security for the area by making it inhabited and trafficked; hard to sneak off the jail property and melt into the surroundings when the surroundings contain alert humanity and lit streets.

We are a city without a center, and to further "decentralize" Franklin with talk of separate "civic" and "commercial" areas will merely reinforce Franklin's identity as a loose collection of subdivisions and strip malls with no vibrant community focal point.

And guess what? Tech companies don't want to move their employees to a "placeless place," no matter what kind of TIF you wave in front of them. On the other hand, TIF or not, progressive companies are hot for progressive communities; they and their money sniff out places like Middleton Hills and, if they follow up on certain plans, Oak Creek.

What does this mean for the mayor's race?

At the forum, Mayor Taylor claimed "in recent days and months we are being literally inundated with requests to build commercial development in the Franklin School District." If that's so, we need a person in the lead who is able to convey in no uncertain terms Franklin's vision and identity along the lines I laid out above. If we present an unambiguous set of standards and a confident plan, developers will be glad to work within Franklin's vision and indeed contribute to the process rather than rail against it.

Which candidate will strengthen the city Plan Staff (whose mandate is smart, effective, forward-thinking growth) and take it out from under Economic Development (whose mandate is just "growth" at all costs)?

Which candidate can look a big box in the eye and make them happy to become part of Franklin's plan, rather than the other way around?

Which candidate realizes that subdivisions need not be speedways, and that sidewalks and right-angle turns save kids' lives?

Which candidate recognizes the needs of the elderly and differently-abled to the extent that he will hold developers to a standard of walkability and accessibility in their site plans rather than mere sheds surrounded by parking lots?

Which candidate is willing to think creatively about mixed-used zoning and better, more cost-effective use of current infrastructure rather than more single-use pods and expensive sprawl?

If the southwest portion of Franklin is to be developed, which candidate is ready and willing to meet with a developer with ambitious plans for a Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) plan, and effectively communicate that plan and its strengths to nearby residents so they understand its value to them as taxpayers and community members?

Which candidate sees the value of leveraging all of the above to create a strong, vibrant, desirable community identity that will attract more business and expand the tax base without the need for subsidies and TIF's?

I'll vote for, and then work with, that guy.

The Sendik's triangle

The Balistreris have announced yet another Sendik's location, this time in Greendale Greenfield (oops). Pick-n-Save has got to be back on its heels - - this is pretty aggressive expansion for what was once considered a "boutique grocery."

Freeway proximity is key to why I'm confident two out of three Sendik's locations will thrive. The new Greenfield location is right off the Rock Freeway and en route to and from the popular "Border's-Southridge-Barnes & Noble-Office Depot-Best Buy" strip on 76th Street. With the addition of this Sendik's, expect a retail "boomlet" in an area that already draws most of Franklin's discretionary income.

The Franklin Sendik's on Rawson, while still new and a novelty, seems to have converted a great many "fence-sitters" who may have considered the store too expensive for their tastes and budgets before actually shopping there. Rawson is a main route to and from the freeway, so it couldn't be much easier to get in and out. The parking lot is compact enough to make a quick stop less daunting than the commitment you have to make at a Pick-n-Save.

The Sendik's at Shoppes at Wyndham Village, due to open Summer or Fall '08, faces lack of freeway proximity, potential traffic snags on Drexel, and what I think will be parasitic competition from its neighbor, Target. Its only hope, unfortunately, has been substantially diluted by a very poor site plan; had Carstensen's team spent more time creating a true "village" retail layout rather than retail barnacles surrounding a strip mall-type Target, people would have a reason to venture there even if it's a bit out of their way (i.e. not on the way to or from a freeway).

Still, a single additional top-tier retailer in the Wyndham space could make all the difference - - but, once again, that retailer would have to overlook the dreary site plan.

Fountains of Franklin - - which seems perpetually stuck in neutral ("Announcements forthcoming!") - - would do well to capitalize on that error by doing whatever is necessary to (A) acquire the strip of land that currently (and tragically) bisects its development zone, and (B) generate an outstanding site plan that will bring in some outstanding retailers.

And whoever gets an Apple Retail Store wins instantly - - all bets are off at that point.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

New Greenfield Sendik's won't be last, owner says

By TOM DAYKIN
[email protected]

Posted: Nov. 28, 2007

High-end supermarket chain Sendik's is opening a store in Greenfield, continuing the group's expansion beyond its North Shore roots and building an alternative to Pick 'n Save, the Milwaukee area's dominant supermarket chain.

The latest Sendik's Food Market will operate at 7901 W. Layton Ave. in a 60,000-square-foot building previously occupied by a Jewel-Osco store, it was announced Tuesday. The store will open next summer.

The supermarket, with 170 employees, will be part of a shopping center that will be renamed Sendik's Commons.

Sendik's stores throughout the Milwaukee area have various owners, most of them members of the extended Sendik-Balistreri family.

The Greenfield Sendik's will be owned by Ted Balistreri, along with his brothers, Nick and Patrick, and sister, Margaret Harris. They announced plans last week to open a Germantown Sendik's at N112-15800 Mequon Road.

The Germantown store also is to open by summer and will fill another former Jewel-Osco. The Jewel-Osco chain withdrew from southeastern Wisconsin in February.

Ted Balistreri and his siblings earlier this fall opened Sendik's markets in Elm Grove and Franklin. Since 2003, they've also expanded from their store in Whitefish Bay to Mequon, Grafton and Wauwatosa, occupying empty stores formerly operated by Kohl's Food Stores, Jewel-Osco and Sentry Foods.

While declining to provide details, Ted Balistreri said his strategic plan calls for additional Sendik's markets in southeastern Wisconsin.

The departure of Kohl's and Jewel-Osco, coupled with Sentry's decline, have created expansion opportunities for Sendik's, said Dave Livingston, a Pewaukee supermarket industry consultant.

Livingston expects Sendik's to eventually become the No. 3 competitor in the Milwaukee-area market, behind Pick 'n Save, which is run by Roundy's Supermarkets Inc., and Wal-Mart Stores Inc., which is opening combined supermarket-discount stores known as supercenters.

"They're already a credible alternative to Pick 'n Save," Livingston said.

Sendik's, known for its delis, bakeries, produce and meat, is "more of a category unto ourselves, rather than an alternative," Balistreri said.

Sendik's is benefiting from a growing demand for supermarkets with a lot of amenities and a high level of customer service, Livingston said.

Other high-end grocers have expanded in the Milwaukee area recently, including Whole Foods Market, which opened last year on the city's east side; Trader Joe's, which opened last year in Glendale; and The Fresh Market, which opened a Brookfield store earlier this year.

The Milwaukee area has five Sendik's stores that are not owned by Ted Balistreri and his siblings. The operators of a Sendik's at 18985 W. Capitol Drive in Brookfield plan to develop a Franklin store at The Shoppes of Wyndham Village.

The 90,000-square-foot shopping center that will house the Greenfield Sendik's was purchased last week by Devo Properties.

Greg Devorkin, Devo Properties principal, said he expects the Sendik's announcement to generate strong interest from retailers in the shopping center's 7,500 square feet of vacant space.

"It's wonderful that Sendik's is putting its trust and faith in Greenfield," Greenfield Mayor Mike Neitzke said in a statement. "I think the new Sendik's will be the cornerstone of a renaissance along Layton Ave. and 76th St."

Another reason to like shopping at Sendik's

I had my first "live fire" exercise at Sendik's tonight (i.e. I did real-life shopping with a list my wife made), and I learned that you can re-use their (durable) plastic bags; bring them back with you, and Sendik's will even give a 5 cent discount for each one.

Sendik's opens; no tenant announcements

County Exec Scott Walker and Mayor Taylor cut the ribbon

Funniest part of the grand opening festivities: No amount of hoopla was going to stop shoppers from simply walking behind the stage and podium to get in and get their shopping done.

Sendik's is all they promised; excellent selection, carpeted(!) floors, good prices, very helpful and friendly staff, and pretty darn good sushi (which I just polished off as I write this). Connectivity and community-integration issues aside, this is a pretty fantastic store.

And, of course, even the aldermen who did whatever they could to slow the completion of this particular Sendik's were present to take a bow. Everyone's on the same team on opening day.

HOWEVER - no announcement of future tenants.