Politics & Government

Plan Commission Supports Extended Hours for JCC

The Plan Commission agreed to eight changes to the organization's development agreement and recommended the Village Board approve the JCC's request at its May 5 meeting.

Extended hours for the were approved Tuesday by the Plan Commission, leaving only the Village Board to bless the request.

The expanded hours would be as follows:

  • Open Monday through Friday at 5 a.m. rather than 6 a.m.
  • Open Saturday at 8 a.m. instead of noon.
  • Permit up to 30 events annually to run until 1 a.m., rather than the current closing time of 11 p.m.

The Milwaukee Jewish Federation asked the village to amend the JCC’s development agreement to allow the extended hours. Also part of the request supported by the Plan Commission on Tuesday:

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  • Permission to host 20 special events per year, up from 12. JCC Executive Director Mark Shapiro said the group does not plan to hold more events than usual, rather the greater allowance of 20 will give them flexibility in planning events that could require street parking. With the current cap of 12 per year, it is difficult to plan in advance without knowing whether they will have reached their maximum number of allowable special events by that point. "This is not a request to do more," he said.
  • Allow snow-plowing between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. Under a separate ordinance change approved last month, non-municipal snow plows are not allowed to use backup alarms within 50 feet of a home during overnight hours.
  • Allow 150 people, instead of 40, for overnight "lock-in" events, such as teen events with BBYO.
  • Build two fences — for the back field around the retention pond, and for the front of the south building. The village's Architectural Review Commission approved the JCC's fence proposals at its April 5 meeting.

Center addressing concerns

Some neighboring residents on Devon Street and Bay Ridge Avenue have voiced concerns about increased night traffic, so Commissioner Mark Huber suggested an amendment to the petition requesting the JCC be flexible to re-route traffic to meet neighbors' concerns.

Huber said the JCC seems receptive to those changes, as they have worked to meet residents' concerns so far.

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"I think the JCC has done a good job addressing the concerns of the residents that have been raised," Huber said.

, a lawyer representing a group of residents opposed to the changes said they violated the spirit of a moratorium condition that was part of the 2003 development agreement. The condition stated the JCC would not make any "substantial" new development for 25 years.

After the meeting James Madlom, representing the Milwaukee Jewish Federation, said the JCC held a series of neighborhood meetings in January when it first drafted the changes, and has since worked to accommodate neighbors' concerns.

He said the JCC remains willing to make changes to keep those neighbors happy.

"We want to maintain and build the good relationship on we have with village and neighbors," he said. "We’ve been flexible in order to reach an agreement that works for everyone."

What’s next

The Village Board will consider the amended development agreement May 5.


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