Politics & Government

Parking Lot 'Events Pad' Moves Forward

With a non-binding recommendation from the Plan Commission to authorize the space for public use, the Village Board will now hammer out the details for Stein's and other interested organizations to lease the space.

Stein's Garden Center moved one step closer to leasing out a median in the north Silver Spring parking lot Tuesday night, when Plan Commissioners voted to explore the leasing the land.

In a unanimous vote, the commissioners made a non-binding recommendation to the Village Board to authorize the median near Beaumont Avenue for private lease. The north end of the parking lot island is proposed to be partially covered with paved materials to host events and vendors, such as Stein's Garden Center's satellite garden center known as Stein's Just Plants.

The Whitefish Bay Village Board to create the "events pad" last month, and with the Plan Commission's action, the Village Board will now move forward with crafting a lease for Stein's Just Plants and could potentially lease out the space for other organizations interested in hosting events or temporary uses in the space.

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"We have one (user) on the hook, and I like to think that with the attractiveness of the events associated with the business district that we would see more come forward," said Whitefish Bay Village Manager Patrick DeGrave.

Cost Will Be Covered by TIF Surplus

While initial estimates for creating the paved area ranged from $30,000 to $50,000, DeGrave said Tuesday night that those estimates have been refined and are now closer to $50,000. The funds would come from the tax incremental finance district, which has a projected surplus of $90,000 in 2012.

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Commissioners to occupy the north end of the parking lot after business owners voiced concerns about the loss of 14 to 16 parking spaces in the northern edge of the 66-space lot nearest Beaumont Avenue and Consaul Place.

As part of the that rejected agreement, the garden center would have paid the village $15,000 in rent and donated 500 pumpkins for the Great Pumpkin Festival and flowers to the Public Works Department. The project is slated to be completed by April 2012. The Village Board will set the rent and conditions of the lease with Stein's at a future meeting.

DeGrave said the Whitefish Bay Business Improvement District supports the revised events pad solution, and the group of merchants plans to draft a letter of support in the future. Because the events pad is located on village property, the revenue would go to the village, and not the parking utility to which businesses contribute.

Concerns About Runoff, Congestion

Commissioners stopped short of outright approving the events pad by recommending the Village Board "explore" the development of the site, while taking into consideration the costs and benefits, low-impact lighting, parking, safety and the possibility of using pervious pavement to reduce stormwater runoff. Commissioners also suggested the Village Board consider shifting the paved area to the south β€” not the north β€” end of the median.

Neighboring resident Robert Batchelder said the lot fills up quickly, and he did not think there was enough room in the lot for additional traffic.

"I think your biggest fault is going to be parking, just because I'm in the area and I see it all the time," he said. "If you start getting so many businesses (on the event pad), people will stop going (to other businesses) because they will want to go here (to the event pad), but they won't want to go to other businesses because they can't get in."


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