Sprawled Out: The Search for Community in the American Suburb

Is Franklin ready for Safe Routes to School?

Rabbit path: The current walking/biking route from the Hillendale subdivision to Pleasant View Elementary

Last night the Franklin Trails Committee, of which I am a member, met for the second time since its formation. It's mission is to address the creation of a pedestrian and bike path or trail on or near 51st street between Rawson and Drexel, while also discussing citywide non-vehicular connectivity.

The very first hurdle the Committee - and, by extension, the city of Franklin - needs to overcome is the outdated idea of bike and walking paths as purely recreational. Alderman Tim Solomon, a fellow member of the Trails Committee and also on the Parks Commission, seems especially prone to seeing non-vehicular trails as frivolous park-type amenities rather than vital elements of infrastructure. After all, up until now the city's trails have been under the direction of the Parks Commission, and our street system is notoriously unfriendly (read: deadly) to pedestrians and bikes.

After Alderman Solomon traced on a map a winding, Parks-proposed trail that eventually empties out onto 27th street, I was emphatic about defining the difference between UTILITY trails - which I believe the Trails Committee is charged with creating - and pure RECREATIONAL trails, which, while of great interest to me personally, do nothing whatsoever to facilitate the kind of connectivity in the city that will in turn encourage economic development. The trail Solomon traced described a potentially wonderful, winding course though fields and woodlands, but ultimately led from nowhere to nowhere - - another path where we need to build a parking lot next to it, perhaps?

I'd brought to the meeting a fairly voluminous amount of information on the state and federal Safe Routes to School program and associated grants. It's been clear for some time now that the area surrounding Pleasant View Elementary, which is a few hundred yards from 51st street, is woefully ill-equipped for accommodating non-vehicular traffic of kids and their parents who live mere blocks away (the entire city of Franklin is, of course, declared an unusually hazardous transportation area by the County Sheriff). Solving the 51st street conundrum and adding simple trails through currently unused land south of the school as well as improving crossings to the north on Rawson will make it possible for children in the subdivisions surrounding Pleasant View to choose to walk or bike to school and add connectivity to commercial sites on Rawson that could do with some foot traffic.

(Think this is an easy problem to tackle? Readers of this blog are aware of the torturous hand-wringing over whether to connect east toward 51st street or, inexplicably, send traffic through Hillendale subdivision.)

It turns out that the city has grant money available to build a sidewalk on the east side of 51st street from Drexel to Claire Meadows - - which seems fairly useless until you consider extending a path east from the West Evergreen stub-road through the vacant land south of Pleasant View.

Safe Routes to School offers fairly substantial grant dollars, but in order to have a chance at getting those funds the community - especially school officials - need to commit to a SRTS program that offers resources on everything from polling parents on their attitudes regarding walking or biking to suggesting sign placement and speed-abatement enforcement options.

So, in order to capture grant funds to help pay for improvements, Job One is to get the school administration on board with the Safe Routes to School program. Cross your fingers.

(See also Franklin Today.)

Light Rail spurs economic development and success in Phoenix

Not hard to grasp - Economic development and light rail, hand-in-hand successes:

The light rail here, which opened in December, has been a greater success than its proponents thought it would be, but not quite the way they envisioned. Unlike the rest of the country’s public transportation systems, which are used principally by commuters, the 20 miles of light rail here stretching from central Phoenix to Mesa and Tempe is used largely by people going to restaurants, bars, ball games and cultural events downtown.

The rail was projected to attract 26,000 riders per day, but the number is closer to 33,000, boosted in large part by weekend riders. Only 27 percent use the train for work, according to its operator, compared with 60 percent of other public transit users on average nationwide.

Read the rest at: In Phoenix, Weekend Users Make Light Rail a Success - NYTimes.com:

Bikeable neighborhoods prove profitable for Portland realtor

What happens when you recognize that bike and pedestrian connectivity is a UTILITY and not merely "recreation"?

From Smart Growth Around America: Bikeable neighborhoods prove profitable for Portland realtor:

The latest batch of annual census data examining Americans’ travel patterns came out this week . The American Communities Survey surveys a cross-section of the country at random to find out, among other things, how they get to work. Do they take transit, do they walk, do they ride a bike?

Portland continued their national dominance of percentage of people who ride bikes, jumping all the way from 4.2% to 6.4% in one year. The city has invested in making biking safer and more attractive, which has paid off with more people biking, fewer cars on the road and cleaner air. With biking growing in popularity each year, scores of enterprising people have started bike-related businesses to ride the rising tide of bike culture in the city.

One enterprising Portland realtor combined the growing demand for homes in convenient locations with Portland’s biking fervor to boost her bottom line — filling a niche that was previously empty. When Portlanders want to buy a home that lets them bike to the office, the grocery store, or the post office, they call Kirsten Kaufman, whom Portland Live calls the “Bike Broker.”

Riding around Portland on her custom-built bicycle, she showcases homes that provide easy access by bike, by foot, and by public transportation — that is to say, the kinds of homes that more people want these days, but that other Realtors might not think to showcase. Kaufman has capitalized on the fact that convenience, short commutes, and access to the community without having to drive everywhere is as much a marketable selling point as good schools or low crime with a growing segment of homebuyers.

Riding on bicycle also gives her a better sense of the neighborhoods she’s selling in.  Of her strategy, Kaufman says:

“I started doing focus groups by showing homes by bike to cycling advocates. All of the feedback I got was positive. Once I actively started marketing to people who want to drive less, my business increased. This year versus last year, I’ve almost doubled my business in the worst real estate market ever. I took that to mean it was a good idea.”

Doubled her business? Sounds like she’s onto something.

Democrats move to close developer loophole

Good news from Madison for home property taxpayers.

Democrats zoom in on property tax loophole - JSOnline.

Break meant for farmers, not developers, they say By Mike Johnson of the Journal Sentinel Posted: Jun. 22, 2009 Senate Democrats are moving to close a loophole that has given developers huge property tax breaks by planting crops on land that is zoned for residential or business purposes.

In some cases, lots have roads, utilities and street lights and are straddled by houses, but the developers get a break on the assessment and taxes because they have farmers grow corn, winter wheat or other crops.

At issue is the use-value assessment law enacted in 1995 to help keep farms viable by giving them a property tax break. Real estate developers soon found a way to make the law work for them.

"It just seems like it is being misused and getting out of hand," Fond du Lac Assessor Donald Wegner said.

Local assessors and municipalities complained to Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker (D-Weston) about the problem, and he has inserted a provision in the Senate version of the state budget bill that would remove the tax break.

Under the provision, the definition of agricultural land would be modified for property tax purposes to exclude any land that is platted or zoned for residential, commercial or industrial use.

If approved by the Senate and Assembly and signed by the governor, the change would take effect Jan. 1.

Effect on development

Developers and attorneys who represent them oppose the change, arguing it will stymie development.

"It will significantly increase costs related to development, discourage further economic development and have a direct impact on the affordability of housing and commercial office space," said Thomas D. Larson, director of Regulatory and Legislative Affairs for the Wisconsin Realtors Association. "With the downturn in the economy, many developments have been delayed, causing land that was planned and platted for development to continue to be used and taxed for property tax purposes as farmland until the economy improves," Larson said.

Larson said if this provision becomes law, the property tax assessments on land will significantly increase - ranging anywhere from 10 to 50 times higher per acre depending upon the location of the property. This, he said, would result in more financial hardship for developers, financial institutions and local economies.

Assessors and municipal officials, though, say they want the change because the loophole shifts property taxes that should be paid by developers to other taxpayers, mostly homeowners.

The change would not add "one nickel more" in tax revenue for municipalities, said Ed Huck, director of the Alliance of Wisconsin Cities, which supports the change. "For long periods of time, developers have been able to hold land and shift taxes to others," Huck said.

Rich Eggleston, communications coordinator of the Wisconsin Alliance of Cities, said a developer in Eau Claire is tilling and seeding two parcels next to the Metropolis Hotel so it will qualify for the use-value assessment next year. Currently, the property taxes for this land are $27,000, but next year, taxes will drop to about $40 because of the farm designation, Eggleston said.

And land adjacent to a Gander Mountain in Eau Claire also is being planted with crops. The current tax bill is about $50,000. It will drop to about $75 next year, Eggleston said.

Mike Grota, of Grota Appraisals, handles property assessments for Germantown and a number of municipalities in Ozaukee, Milwaukee, Washington and Waukesha counties.

"In Germantown and in many neighboring communities this scenario is common," he said of developers planting crops on land zoned for other purposes.

In Fond du Lac, Wegner, the assessor, said there are two commercial lots that should be assessed at $636,100, but are valued at a total of $900 because winter wheat was planted on them. With the commercial designation, the property tax bill should be around $13,536. Instead, the bill's estimated at $19.15.

Then there's the Whispering Springs subdivision that has homes along a golf course. Six lots there should be assessed at a total of $270,000, with property taxes totaling about $5,745. But with corn planted on one lot and weeds and marsh hay being harvested from the other five and used for farm bedding, Wegner said he is required to assess the land as agricultural. The total tax bill would be about $12.77.

Is the tide slowly turning against sprawl?

Ten years ago, few had heard the terms "new urbanism", "walkable urbanism", "complete streets", "town center development", "mixed use development" and so forth. Today those terms are widely known - and not just in planning and architectural circles.

I attending the American Planning Association's annual convention in Minneapolis a few weeks back and noted that nearly every session incorporated the principles I listed above - a big change from just a year ago. The hottest subject there was "form-based codes" which is very much a town center/mixed use orientation that greatly de-emphasizes the automobile and elevates walking, biking, and mass transit use.

Read the rest at: Sense Of Place - An Architect's Point of View: The Future of Sprawl.

Collaboration between HUD and DOT: The start of something big

Citiwire.net » Agencies Collaborating: Affair of the Year.

Column by Neal Peirce on groundbreaking collaboration between HUD and DOT - - a situation that has yet to make an impression on most of my Economic Development Commission collegues:

In Chicago, there’s rejoicing in the offices of a scrappy 30-year old research and advocacy group, the Center for Neighborhood Technology–a pioneer in demonstrating how residents’ combined housing and transportation costs can be reduced in transit-served neighborhoods. It’s a “new day in Washington,” exult leaders Scott Bernstein and Kathryn Tholin, as CNT research and ideas area are poised to be “incorporated into the framing of the Obama administration’s urban policy.”

But critical tests loom on how quickly the new approaches are grasped and implemented through the ranks of the HUD and DOT bureaucracies, contends public administration expert Kent Watkins, a key promoter of the new approach. He notes that multi-billion dollar initiatives, including at least $8 billion for DOT and $9 billion in HUD stimulus spending, are currently “going out the door” without instructions to put a premium on joint transportation and housing initiatives.

But focus on reform will keep building this year with debate on reauthorization of the federal government’s basic transportation program. And even AASHTO–the American Assn. of State Highway and Transportation Officials, historically known as the “big roads” crowd–is making new moves. It wants to double–to $100 million a year–a decade-old federal initiative, DOT’s Transportation, Community and System Preservation Program, to help states and local governments accomplish “smarter growth,” more compact development.

And why? “States now recognize that sprawl–the cost of the current system–will eat us alive,” says AASHTO Executive Director John Horsley. He wants to see the DOT program enlarged with expanded incentives for local and regional bodies to come up with smart combined land use-transportation solutions.

The bottom line’s clear: albeit with fits and starts, radical change is brewing in how Washington impacts growth and development of America’s communities.

What? You didn't get to the OfficeMax grand opening this morning?

A box of 25 hanging file folders for $1! Free box of printer paper for the first 50 customers!

I got there at 8:50am (after getting the kids off to school); an employee told me they had at least 100 people waiting in line for their 8am opening.

As for me, my hanging file folder needs are met for another year or so.

Coffee Shop/Co-Working project gets some ink

From the Franklin Citizen (no web site, unfortunately):

By Andrew C, Westbrook
Franklin Citizen staff writer

The City of Franklin Common Council approved further investigation of a  potential new commercial development near Lions Legend Park, Tuesday. 

The potential development was discussed as a mixed-use, community-based coffee shop with "co-working"  space. 

John Michlig asked the council to place the item on Tuesday's agenda after  it was discussed at length at the April 26 meeting of the Economic Development  Commission, of which he is a part. 

Michlig said the idea would be for the project to potentially be a community incubator that could involve  various educational groups, such as the Milwaukee School of Engineering,  Milwaukee Area Technical College or Franklin High School. 

The development, Michlig wrote in a letter to Mayor Tom Taylor, was suggested to also involve private commercial entities, as well, including possible philanthropic grants to co-fund and  operate facilities. 

The suggestion discussed at the meeting was that students entering into  businesses could learn in a hands-on way. 

"If you want to learn business, you can run a business," Michlig said. 

The idea is still in the experimental phase, and the EDC only sought, and  was given by the council, permission  to continue investigating to see what  potential is truly there by meeting with  various groups, 

However, the issue of location  became a concern, as the initial site talked about would be between the  Franklin Library and Fire Station 1, an  area the Fire Department listed as one they would like to expand their already cramped facility. 

It was suggested by Alderman Steve Olson that, as the fire department pro-  posed expanding for dorms and office space on that side of the building and  because their current dorm and office  spaces are on the east side of the building, a potential alternative would be  expansion of the tire station to the southeast side of their property instead. 

Most in attendance were in favor of the idea. 

Mayor Taylor noted that the idea  could potentially help create a greater  sense of community.

A long journey begins: The project is now official

Click on picture to embiggen

At last night's Common Council meeting I presented  a short description of my coffeeshop/co-working plan for the city civic center, and the council voted unanimously to allow myself and fellow Economic Development Commissioners to make queries in the city's name. It's a tiny step, but a vote of confidence for exploring this sort of nonstandard approach to encouraging economic development and active community space.

It was not without potholes. Not even an hour before the meeting, the mayor emailed me to note that he now recalled that the fire chief did indeed have possible plans to expand the fire department building and may desire the plot of land under discussion. Also, alderman Tim Solomon made it known at a meeting the night before that he was 100% against non-park, non-fire department usage of the land. Fortunately, there is quite a bit of open space in the area pictured above in which the concept could work; the building doesn't have to sit exactly where I initially planned. I was gratified by the unanimous affirmative vote and the supportive comments made from the council dais.

So, at this stage we question and query the "tentpoles"; MATC, Franklin High School, the Library (I met and enjoyed a long conversation with a library trustee last night; I'll speak at their next meeting), fire department, etc.

The idea is to gather the needed elements and put a "situation" in place so a Kinkos/FedEx or local-owned/franchise coffee shop can come in and feel comfortable with a nonstandard setup; one that enlivens community life, has an excellent educational and vocational training component, engages the "creative class," and stirs further walkable "commercial amenity" development in the area.

And off we go ...

Baby steps: Request for Council Action

 
ABOVE: A rather ambitious vision of co-working space

To move mountains, start with a scoopful of sand.

Here is the admittedly low-ball request for council action (hard to say "no" to something that costs nothing and obligates no one) related to my community co-venture coffee shop/co-working space scheme:

_______

At their regular meeting on 4/26/09, the Economic Development Commission discussed an item that proposes the City encourage a community-based development on the site of the former Schleutter residence adjacent to Fire Station 1, the Library and Lions Legend Park. The discussion centered around development of a coffee shop with facilities for “co-working” space, with a patio area. The presentation suggested that the development act as a community incubator and involve various educational and private commercial entities—including possible philanthropic grants—to co-fund and operate the facilities; thus, it is an economic development project with educational and community-building elements.
 
The Commission now requests that the Common Council permit members of the EDC to enter into discussions with numerous groups regarding the concept and development of such a project, and hold these discussions as representatives of the city.
 
It is important to remember that the idea is at the conceptual level and many issues must be dealt with prior to returning to the Common Council for formal approval of a plan and commitments being made.
 
 
Council Action:
 
Motion to authorize various members of the Economic Development Commission to discuss the possibility of a mixed-use community-based “coffee shop/co-working space” with interested parties and develop a plan for possible implementations.