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| | 1. | | Call to order.
Minutes note: The meeting was called to order at 10:15 a.m. | | | |
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| | | | Also present:
Minutes note: Ald. Milele Coggs, 6th Ald. Dist.
Akuwa Dantzler, 6th Ald. Dist.
Kyle Gast, Dept. of City Development Planning
Ed Richardson, Dept. of City Development Planning | | | |
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| | 3. | | Introductory and welcoming remarks.
Minutes note: Ald. Coggs gave introductory remarks. She helped created the committee as an extension of the community to provide input and recommendations on new development (both City-involved and private) in the Bronzeville Cultural and Entertainment District. The committee was made of residents, artists, business owners, and stakeholders. The committee made recommendations on City RFPs and project finalists. The development to be presented today was a private development.
Chair Vernon welcomed everyone to today's meeting. | | | |
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| | 4. | | Presentation on Union at the Rose Park affordable housing development located at 3030, 3048 3056 & 3064 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.
Minutes note: Appearing:
Rachel Kriech, The Annex Group
Ms. Kriech presented. Her firm was a national multi-family affordable housing developer and property manager based in Indiana. They were active in 17 states. The new development (Union at the Rose Park) entailed 1.4 acres, which was the site of 2 former auto service structures. The structures have been demolished. They were working with the Wisconsin Dept. of National Resources to remediate the site and address environmental contamination. The new development would be a single 4-5 story building with 75 affordable units, 12 town home units, 50 surface parking spaces, integrated amenities, and a community space. The development would meet community needs to add diverse affordable housing for lower income residents as called for by the Northeast Side Area Plan and the Harambee Great Neighborhood Plan District. There was a strong market demand for affordable housing. They were awarded WHEDA tax credits. Median income eligibility would be at 30% AMI (15 units), 50% AMI (30 units), 60% AMI (25), and market rate (5 units). 9 units would be for veterans and 12 units would be for larger families with private entrances. There would be a mix of 1, 2, and 3 bedroom units. There would be onsite community service and referrals provided to residents. Their construction firm would look to provide job opportunities for local residents and engage with local economic organizations and chambers of commerce. They were seeking recommendation from the committee to approve their dimensional variance application before the City's Board of Zoning Appeals to not require 60% glazing and activation standards for the ground floor along Dr. Martin L. King Jr. drive. The glazing requirement would not be appropriate for the town home ground floor units. The building design, such as color scheme and material placements, would be cohesive and match the neighborhood.
Member Smith questioned whether this development would aesthetically match other developments in the area long-term.
Ms. Kriech replied. Building materials would be high end and similar to other developments like the new MLK library. Biggest difference from other developments was that this development was more pitched. They were open to modifying material placement, such as panels. The thought was to have a transitional design and not something overly moderate.
Mr. Gast commented. His office was doing design review of the development and would provide a recommendation to BOZA as well. This development was being privately developed and complied with current zoning. Current zoning required traditional storefront transparency along MLK Drive. There is understanding that the glazing requirement would not be practical for the entirety of MLK Drive. Discussions were ongoing regarding design review of the development.
Chair Vernon said that the development was brought to the community for engagement today to provide a community process, which may have been lacking for this particular private development. The committee would consider the feedback obtained today and meet subsequently to provide a recommendation. | | | |
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| | 5. | | Public comments.
Minutes note: Appearing to provide public testimony:
Frieda Webb, resident, inquired about and advocated for green space, workforce inclusion, and advancing construction trade apprenticeships.
Chieftess Rachel Campbell-Onaguisse, resident, inquired about site contamination. She was an environmental expert and was concerned about the impact the development would have on the public health. She would like to be directly engaged, involved, and be informed about the environmental remediation plan and the materials that would be used to construct the building.
A resident at the Clinton Rose Senior Center inquired about the relocation of residents during a remodel of the senior center and the amount of funds allocated for the remodel.
Rose Stietz, resident, inquired about the gradation of the hill and was concerned about traffic and safety hazards, especially in icy conditions, due to the gradation.
Mr. Winston, resident, questioned whether the developer planned to acquire and develop the adjacent apartment that was damaged by a fire, when the remediation action plan was submitted to the DNR, whether there was plans to incorporate solar energy and maximize windows. He advocated for maximizing windows and usage of solar energy to benefit the health of residents there and to reduce carbon emissions. He would also like to access the DNS open case file. He further questioned how the development would benefit current homeowners and comply with the anti-displacement plan.
LaRisa Lynch, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, inquired about the average square footage of units.
Ms. Kriech replied. There was not much opportunity to provide green space due to significant site constraint from the 25 foot retaining wall at the back pitch of the property. The development would be situated across the street from Rose Park, and the park would help benefit the development in providing green space. Site contamination would relate to spilled petroleum from the past auto service operations at the site. They would establish a remediation action plan with the Wisconsin DNR, obtain DNR approval, and implement that plan. There was an open case via the DNR website that the public could access and view. She would be happy to help direct individuals to get information regarding the open DNR case file and remediation plan. There were no plans to acquire and develop the apartment to the south that recently caught fire. The case with DNR was opened back in August 2024 by the current property owner. They were under contract to purchase the land. The development would have many windows. Larger and more transparent windows would be at the north where all the amenities and community space would be located on the ground floor. Smaller and nontransparent windows would be more appropriate for the southern portion of the ground floor with the town homes and private entrances. They were committed to implement enterprise green standards for the construction. complying with all City building codes, and would consider use of solar energy. The development would benefit local renters at a variety of area median incomes. Their construction firm would be engaging the local chambers of commerce to hire from local enterprises. She can follow-up to respond on the question of apprenticeships and average square footage of units. Units would be comparable to the market.
Mr. Gast commented. Gradation was not regulated from a zoning perspective.
Ald. Coggs commented. She would help to get the information regarding the remodel of the senior center. She would help forward the concern about gradation of the site to the Dept. of Public Works. The City's anti-displacement plan was two-fold, both for homeowners and renters. For renters, the anti-displacement plan helped to protect local renters against rising rental prices and to stay in the community. This development would impact renters and not homeowners.
Chair Vernon said that rental developments do not directly impact homeowners, but would impact the tenants of those developments. The anti-displacement plan called for those rental developments to have proper management operations to protect tenants. This development has social services built into their plan.
Ald. Coggs inquired about the total cost of the development and whether the City factored this development in relation to the overall density of the area given there had been much development in the area.
Mr. Gast said that the development complied with current zoning, much development along the corridor was encouraging to see, development in the area complied with the anti-displacement plan to promote affordable housing, and his office would continue to evaluate the overall development of the area. This development was a positive in being in close proximity to transit, MLK library, and other amenities.
Ms. Kriech commented. The development would cost about $24 million. They were mindful of the density and need for affordable housing. They conducted a market study early on, which factored in other multi-family developments in the area. The study found that the demand was high for affordable housing.
Ald. Coggs said that although this development was limited to the glazing issue, she was appreciative for having discussion on other topics. One concern she had was to preserve the affordable housing unit rents, especially for those developments that have expiring credits/periods on their AMI units.
There were further questions regarding property management and accountability.
Ms. Kriech replied that they would provide both on-site property management and community services. This development would be their only property in Milwaukee to manage regularly. They operated nationally and all throughout the Midwest and not only in Indiana.
Chair Vernon said that of importance was for residents to attend committee meetings and to inform the committee and Ald. Coggs' office of any issues regarding any development.
Ald. Coggs added that residents have the ability to contact the Dept. of Neighborhood Services to inspect any housing development violating any codes, orders, or operations. People could sign up for e-notification to receive notices of meetings or announcements. Her office does about a 250 feet notice on any community meetings held through her office. People could also notify her office of other preferred methods of contact. Thus far the City has adopted the recommendations from the advisory committee on respective past approved development projects. Most of the development projects that have gone through the advisory committee have been for City-owned sites. This particular project was the first privately owned project to come before the committee, which the committee and City has less authority and review over. Despite the difference, it was important to bring the Union at the Rose Park development to the community today to hear concerns and gain feedback.
Chair Vernon thanked residents for their attendance and engagement and said the committee would subsequently deliberate on the development further at its next meeting.
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| | 6. | | Adjournment.
Minutes note: Meeting adjourned at 11:21 a.m.
Chris Lee, Staff Assistant
Council Records Section
City Clerk's Office | | | |
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