Muskego — The Common Council will likely consider in September whether to incorporate homes and businesses along a portion of Janesville Road into the city's downtown redevelopment district.
On a recent 5-2 vote, the Community Development Authority recommended those properties from Pioneer Drive west to Racine Avenue be included in the district, which generally includes both sides of Janesville Road from Pioneer Drive east to about Glen Cove.
The CDA wrestled with the concept of putting so many homes into a redevelopment district. But the majority wanted to include the commercial area at Janesville Road and Racine Avenue in the downtown redevelopment district, and the homes were in between.
'Simple' solution
The CDA felt it was better to put the commercial corner in the downtown redevelopment district than to join it to a nearby redevelopment district in which the Muskego industrial park is located on Racine Avenue.
Keeping the park separate made sense, said CDA member Larry Lefabvre.
"It kept it simple," Lefabvre said.
And being in the redevelopment district will make homeowners eligible for grants and loans to fix up their properties if they are damaged by the Janesville Road widening, he added. They also could get grants to fix up their properties if the road project results in unlovely aspects of their properties being exposed to general view.
Too close to home
But at a public hearing, residents said they did not like the price. They worried that businesses would be more likely to develop next door if the area is in a such a district.
Indeed, the city does offer grants and loans to businesses that move into redevelopment districts, said Jeff Muekel, community development director.
The residents also objected to their homes being declared blighted, which would happen if they are included in a redevelopment district. But the "blighted" designation is just a formality and does not mean the homes are shabby or are in any danger of being torn down, Muenkel said.
Casting votes against the plan were aldermen Daniel Soltysiak and Kert Harenda.
Misusing 'business' funds
Soltysiak said the city should use its scarce resources strictly for business development, not giving grants to homeowners.
"That would help the entire community more than giving residents money to plant bushes and paint trim," Soltysiak said.
Harenda agreed, saying, "The CDA is supposed to be for developing business."
And there is nothing driving a change from a mix of mainly residential to business properties for that particular stretch, he said.
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