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| | 1. | | Roll Call
Minutes note: Meeting convened at 9:02 am | | | |
Roll call
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| | 2. | | Review and approval of the minutes of the March 4, 2026 meeting
Minutes note: Member Erdmann moved approval of the meeting minutes seconded by member
Dr. Brookshire. There were no objections. | | | |
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| | 3. | | Discussion and possible vote on Satwinder Singh for Spring Circle, LLC at 8661 W Brown Deer Rd
Minutes note: Applicant was not present, Member Erdmann moved hold the item to the call of the chair seconded by member Upshawn. There were no objections. | | | |
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| | 4. | | Discussion and possible vote on Marquess Hardy for Inetter's Learning Academy at 6910 W Brown Deer Rd
Minutes note: Marquis Hardy was present introduced himself and shared he has been in business for about four years.
Previously operated a family childcare program on the north side of Milwaukee.
In November, he took over an existing childcare facility on Brown Deer Road (previously “Anne’s Childcare House”).
Plan is to expand into a bigger facility and provide childcare plus after school services to children in the community.
Transition to group childcare details:
Marquis clarified the Brown Deer Road site was already a daycare and had operated for eight years under prior ownership.
He has not been able to operate the new facility yet.
He plans to transfer children from his prior family childcare program once the new location begins operating.
Estimated capacity is about 30 children per shift; practically expecting one main shift (6 AM–6 PM) with roughly 30–40 children max.
This would be his first time owning a group childcare center, though he has worked in other group centers around Milwaukee.
Members questions and discussion:
Member Natasha Upshaw asked clarifying questions about moving from family childcare to group childcare, noting the operational and regulatory differences (including different rule books).
Natasha emphasized group childcare is an oversaturated industry locally and encouraged Marquis to differentiate his center from nearby competitors.
Marquis shared he is affiliated with WECA and connected with other childcare providers in the Milwaukee area.
Marquis stated his family childcare has been at capacity and successful for nearly four years and his licensor encouraged him to transition to a group setting.
Members suggested Marquis to begin operating the Brown Deer Road facility and complete the transition of children from his prior family childcare program once operations start.
Vice-Chair Natasha Upshaw moved approval seconded by members Dr. Brookshire.
Member Erdmann Abstain.
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| | 5. | | Discussion and possible vote on Christina Cunningham for A Nurturing Home Away From Home at 8225B N 107th St
Minutes note: Christina Cunningham was present, she stated it is an existing community based residential facility, operating since 2017, currently serving as an 8-bed facility.
Christina described the resident population as elderly individuals with mental illness, advanced age, and physical disabilities.
Christina noted the facility is ADA-accessible with no stairs, resulting in frequent referrals for residents using wheelchairs and walkers.
Christina shared she is the facility administrator and also trains/certifies prospective providers through the Wisconsin State Registry.
Inspection & Concerns:
Alderwoman Taylor reported visiting the facility multiple times and bringing a city inspector for a walkthrough.
Ald.Taylor noted the facility passed the city inspection focused on safety (locked doors, fire safety, exit signs, etc.), but said “quality of life” was not evaluated by the inspector.
Photos shared with the committee raised concerns about building conditions and cleanliness including exposed wiring, missing tiles and worn outdoor furniture.
Christina said issues cited were or will be corrected; fire safety systems are current. Kitchen access is mainly staff-only but residents may enter for drinks with assistance.
Questions arose about MPI provider certification, but Christina clarified billing and payments are current through the portal, and additional MPI follow-up is not needed.
Member John Erdmann proposed moving the item to next month to include the building owner/landlord on the call, since many issues appeared building-related and Christina is a tenant.
Dr. Terri Brokshire also requested voluntary resident testimonials regarding quality of life at the facility (with attention to resident rights/privacy).
Christina agreed but wanted to confirm what is permissible.
Invite landlord James Ross to address repairs Mr. James Rohs.
Christina to gather voluntary resident testimonials.
Member John Erdmann moved seconded by member Natasha Upshaw to hold the item to the call of the chair. There were no objections.
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| | 6. | | Discussion and possible vote on Mary Akande for Authentic Nigerian Food and Catering at 8704 W Brown Deer Rd
Minutes note: Applicant Mary Akande was present. She has catered for years and said customer motivated her to open a brick-and-mortar location.
She described strong support from family (husband and kids) and the local Nigerian community.
Restaurant concept will offer both dine-in and takeout.
Concerns were raised that the building exterior has historically been poorly maintained (garbage, spray-painted sign covering prior business), and that it has had many tenants.
Applicant stated the landlord is a new owner and that substantial work has been done; electrical, plumbing, and construction inspections have passed.
Applicant is leasing (not owning) the space.
Building layout described as having two rental halls; owner operates the other side as an event rental hall, while applicant’s side includes the kitchen and dinning space.
Parking was flagged as limited.
Multiple members emphasized the need to clarify who is responsible for exterior items (signage, landscaping, general upkeep), depending on lease terms (owner vs. landlord responsibility).
It was noted that for licensing, occupancy and potential BOZA requirements, the operator may ultimately be held accountable by the City for site conditions presented with the application.
Committee expressed a desire to avoid situations where landlord and tenant blame each other and nothing gets fixed.
Applicant to coordinate with the landlord to attend the next meeting to address exterior property maintenance, signage, parking, and responsibility questions.
Member John Erdmann moved seconded by member Natasha Upshaw to hold the item to the call of the chair.
There were no objections.
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| | 7. | | Discussion and possible on Cory Carrigan for R/C Automotive, LLC Garage Dance Studio at 7419 W Bradley Rd and The Cove LLC, The Cove Jazz & R&B Lounge at 7427 W Bradley Rd.
Minutes note: Cory Carrigan was present, Cory operates RC Automotive and has run a dance studio at 7419 W Bradley Rd. since 2016. He has been running “Garage Dance Studio” stepping/dance classes.
Audience/patron focus is primarily middle-aged to older adults, but he does not want to exclude mature 21+ participants who want to learn stepping.
Plans include a jazz & R&B lounge next door to the studio at 7427 W Bradley Rd.
The proposed jazz club (“The Cove Jazz and R&B Lounge”) would be in the space directly next door to the dance studio.
Cory is seeking alcohol/liquor licensing (and also mentioned a food dealer’s license) to serve patrons who want to eat/drink during events.
Cory stated he has trained/experienced security and reported no history of calling police for his stepping classes; he recalled only one fight years ago at a different location.
Parking became the central issue: committee members described the site as over-capacity and expressed concern about traffic flow, plowing access, and child safety given proximity to daycares.
Cory agreed to post signage directing patrons to park legally in the lot and acknowledged some patrons park on the street.
Corey disputed claims that the lot is heavily occupied at 3:00 a.m., offering to provide security camera footage/photos from the last ~3 months.
Cory said the church services end around noon to 1 p.m., his requested hours (5 p.m.–12 a.m., daily) would be after church.
Cory estimated the lot is more open after 5 p.m. and should be empty around 3 a.m.
Cory described taking over the adjacent space about 1.5 years ago after a prior tenant caused “chaos,” including heavy parking issues and security with high-powered rifles; landlord removed that tenant.
Ald. Taylor noted event-space regulations changed in January; Cory “fell through the cracks” before the rule change and is now coming forward to obtain the required alcohol license.
Ald. Taylor emphasized Cory should be careful about who he rents the space to; she previously responded with MPD to clear out renters in the future jazz-club space (not Cory’s event).
Member Upshaw shared positive first hand experiences using the space, parking was actively directed, security was present, the venue was clean, and Cory screened renters, guests and monitored via cameras.
Member Erdmann clarification before voting suggested Cory to install/ display clear parking signage directing patrons to park legally in the lot (and not in the street/drive lanes).
Cory to provide security camera footage, photos showing overnight (3:00 a.m.) parking conditions to address over-capacity concerns.
Cory agreed to install signage for legal parking and disputed claims of chronic lot congestion, offering security footage as proof.
Clarification was made on the record that approval covered both addresses associated with Cory’s items.
Member Rupinder Sandhawalia moved approval seconded by Vice-Chair Natasha Upshaw. There were no objections.
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251073
| 0 | | Communication | Communication relating to the 2026 activities of the Granville-Havenwoods Advisory Council. | | | |
Action details
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| | | | Meeting Adjourned at 10:39 am
Carmen O. Roman
Staff Assistant
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