Officials Say Redevelopment Concept Plans Will Continue for Village Center

Village officials say concept planning for the redevelopment of the municipal parking lot will continue even after they announced apartments will no longer be part of it.

Greendale residents' disapproval

Village officials say the Planning Commission and professional planners will continue to work on concepts. This is part of a plan to bring more life into the Village Center and find new uses for the parking lot on Parking Street.

“The real question remains, what are we going to do over the long term for the vitality of the Village Center?” asked Village President John Hermes. “We have to re-identify what the mission of the Village Center is going to be moving forward.”

The five concepts were first presented at a Planning Commission meeting in February. Residents objected to the apartments incluced in the plan. Some residents took to the streets after the first open house and passed out hundreds of fliers to Greendale homes.

Hermes responded quickly, releasing a letter the next day announcing the elimination of housing component. He said he heard residents’ concerns as well concerns from the Board of Trustees and felt that it was best to continue planning without housing.

The concepts were developed by GRAEF, a Milwaukee-based engineering firm. Village Manager Todd Michaels said the Village has spent $6,000 so far on the concepts and expects to spend approximately $30,000 by the time they are completed.

Hermes said he’s happy so many residents participated in the community discussion and hopes discussions will continue with resident involvement.

Residents Jackie Kraemer and Luke Huberty were happy to hear apartments were no longer in the plan. They believe their efforts in getting word out about the housing plans had a lot to do with the number of people who came to the open house.  

“Everyone knows there has to be change to some degree but I think that part of the charm is that some of the things do stay the same,” Huberty said.

Kraemer was full of joy, seeing so many people come together.

“I was overwhelmed at the people in Greendale who love this Village as much as I do,” Kraemer said. “It was heart-warming and humbling.”

Trustee Greg Turay emphasized the plans were only conceptual.

“I think the people who showed up had false concerns,” Turay said. “Things that came out of emails and flyers were not completely true… The plans we drew up were only conceptual plans… but we heard what people wanted or didn’t want and we acted accordingly.”

Trustee Carl Genz said if something like housing were to have been seriously considered he would have wanted it to go through a referendum.

Officials said talks on improving the Village Center to bring people in will continue with residents and shop owners.

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