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Homes along N. 17th St. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
City Hall on Monday hosted one of the most unusual public meetings in Milwaukee’s recent political history.
The five-hour hearing before the City Planning Commission was about a fairly simple issue: The Department of Metropolitan Development (DCD) is pursuing its Growing MKE plan to allow more housing types to be developed throughout the city in response to changing household sizes and Mayor Cavalier Johnson’s vision for expanding the city to a population of 1 million.
“This plan is just one part of a larger strategy that Mayor Johnson’s administration is implementing every day to make Milwaukee a more attractive place to live,” said City Development Commissioner Lafayette Crump, calling the initiative an effort to broaden the tax base to reverse service cuts, increase housing supply to provide more affordable housing, prevent evictions and slow or prevent rent increases.
“Our city once had a population 150,000 more than it does now,” Crump said of decades of cuts to public services. “Fewer residents means higher costs for everyone, including existing homeowners.”
But many residents of the Metcalf Park and Midtown neighborhoods had plenty else to talk about: drug dealing, potholes, historical segregation, racism, schools, absentee landlords, the Housing Authority and public safety.
At the heart of their concerns is a belief that the city is ignoring residents of some inner-city neighborhoods in developing the Growing MKE plan and several other initiatives.
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Councilman Russell W. Stamper II, whose district represents the area, issued a press release before the meeting comparing the proposal to the massive demolition work done to make way for the unfinished Park West Freeway, voiced concerns early in the hearing.
“As it stands, I am totally opposed to this plan and all of the false narratives being presented,” Stamper said, without naming any specific stories.
His colleagues took a more cautious approach.
“That’s what this is about – to listen to our community,” said Councilwoman Charlene P. Moore. “I’m here to listen and learn as much as I can.”
Planning Commission Chair Stephanie Bloomingdale said before the testimony that no votes would be taken during the hearing and any future votes would only be recommendations to the full City Council. However, there were several objections from opponents, including Stamper, that continued throughout the meeting. She used her gavel extensively to maintain order during the hearing.
Commissioner Allison Nemec said dozens of letters submitted before the meeting had asked for a delay.
Before the testimony began, Crump and other DCD representatives said there would be more community engagement following the hearings, but many speakers argued that not enough engagement has taken place so far.
“When you really think about it, this is a really simple issue,” said Megan Shepard Smith, a Midtown resident, executive director of the Midtown Neighborhood Coalition and the first member of the public to speak. “Residents have not been effectively engaged.”
“The reason this room is so full is because of a lack of participation,” said Dynasty Caesar of the reparations movement.
Melody McCurtis, executive director of Metcalf Park Community Bridges, said residents in her neighborhood received a meeting in March. But she was critical of the outcome. “They already had a plan,” she said.
DCD would formally begin working on the plan in early 2023 after gaining council approval in 2022. The center would host library and online-focused outreach plans throughout the year and release a draft plan in April 2024. As a result of feedback, the center narrowed the areas where new small apartment buildings can be built and made a series of other tweaks ahead of Monday’s public hearing.
But McCurtis wants at least a six-month delay for further engagement. “We can’t do it in a month,” she said. McCurtis called for outreach along the lines of what was done with the 2021 Fond du Lac and North Area Plan, which she said was developed with neighbors. “I’m tired of being told we’re not high thinkers. We are geniuses.”
While some speakers were supportive, most of the speakers attacked the city and its process.
“I’m not asking for a six-month pause, I want another year or two,” said Ramona Curry, whose wide-ranging criticism also included calling Milwaukee Public Schools a “pipeline to prison” and pointing out problems at the city-run Milwaukee Housing Authority.
“Folks, stop lying,” said Fatima Laster, a leader in the Five Points neighborhood, who said the plan would “accelerate gentrification” and “drive black people out of Milwaukee 100 percent.”
Marquette University researcher John D. Johnson supported the proposal, saying the city’s poorest neighborhoods are unlikely to experience any direct change from it. “For better or worse, I don’t think the Growing MKE plan will affect those areas of the city,” said Johnson, who lives uptown. He said the proposal would allow for more housing in areas where there is market demand, limiting the number of people who want to live in one neighborhood but choose another because of a lack of supply or rising prices. “A lack of housing in Washington Heights will lead to displacement in other parts of the city in these harmful ways.”
The plan would allow for a gradual increase in density. The concept, implemented in several cities across the country, is to build more housing units in high-demand areas to mitigate price increases driven by supply and demand. The plan also would facilitate the development of “missing middle” housing types, such as back cottages (accessory dwelling units), that could provide housing for seniors and new residents as they age in place.
But the nuances of these proposals, including that the plan is only the beginning of a process that will produce future zoning code changes, were largely ignored in favor of the bigger picture.
“The legacy of anti-Black racism in this community is still unresolved,” Rodney Johnson said.
“Nobody asked us, ‘What does our community need?'” Marion Oatman said.
The Rev. Joseph Ellwanger, a Lindsay Heights resident, said Milwaukee would thrive if the plan included a requirement to hire Milwaukee residents for construction work.
Other speakers spoke about poverty, issues with absentee landlords, security issues and fears of eviction. One speaker detailed the unsafe conditions in his apartment and then asked for his address so a referral could be made for intervention. “I’ve heard a lot about where you live, and I think that needs to be addressed,” Bloomingdale said.
Nicole Robinson, a research consultant at Leverage Philanthropic Partners, said the plan is damaging to Milwaukee and designed as a “veiled form of white supremacy.” She said the commission will regret approving it and should instead consider “housing reparations,” as another speaker suggested. “This plan will only accelerate gentrification in and of itself,” resulting in “the complete gentrification and disappearance of black neighborhoods.”
“I’d like to hear what exactly people are up against,” Owen Driscoll, a high school senior and Youth Council member, said after many had left. He said he believes DCD will follow through on its promise of more outreach.
Some speakers went into great detail.
“The presentation you got today is not the version we received,” Danelle Cross said after Crump, DCD Planning Manager Sam Leichtling and Planner Amy Orth updated commissioners on the plans they’ve been briefed on periodically for the past 18 months. “We want to know about parking. We want to know about the façade.” Cross said she would like to see the proposed permitted density increase reduced even further. “I’m not comfortable with even a four-family home.” No significant changes to parking are proposed in the plans.
“I told them, [low income housing] “We can build tax credits in our neighborhoods,” Cross said.
Some advocates supported the plan but said more involvement was needed. “I’ve heard a lot of opinions and I agree with a lot of them,” MaryBeth McGinnis said.
But some cautioned that seeking further involvement shouldn’t come at the expense of lengthy delays, given that the city is already on a national list for rent increases. “I’m also worried about the unintended consequences of not passing this plan,” Aaron Moriak said.
After the hearing concluded, the commissioners discussed what they had just experienced.
“That’s a big deal,” Commissioner Tarik Moody said, adding that he’s studied what other cities, like Minneapolis, have done.
“There’s a lot of opportunity here,” Commissioner Willie Smith said, sounding optimistic. “I see this as an opportunity to reach out to other partners.”
Nemec, addressing criticism that zoning codes require a college degree to understand their specifics, said a glossary of terms “should be as clear as possible” should be added.
Commissioner Katrina Crain said the hearing reaffirmed the need for a different strategy for reaching inner-city communities. Crain, who now works for Menomonee Valley Partners, said the hearing reminded her of her work outreach to homeowners about lead hazards for the city 20 years ago.
“Certainly there were echoes of calls for more communication and engagement,” Bloomingdale said. She added that she also heard calls for quality housing and affordable housing. She thanked her fellow commissioners for being proactive.
So what did DCD hear? Leichtling said they learned two big lessons: homeownership initiatives and the need to do more research on evictions.
Despite the opposition seen Monday, several groups support the proposal. Those who submitted letters to the city include 1000 Friends of Wisconsin, AARP Wisconsin, Community Development Alliance, Community Advocates, Greater Milwaukee Association of REALTORS®, IndependenceFirst, Milwaukee County Transit System, Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council, Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity, Near West Side Partners, Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee, Take Routes Milwaukee, United Community Center and Wisconsin Urban Economic Development Association. Many of the letters reiterate three points that need to be addressed: reducing housing costs, addressing residential segregation and improving public health.
Related Law: File 240402
