Stein's Could Open Parking Lot Garden Center Next Summer

Stein Garden and Gifts could be opening a satellite garden center in one of the municipal parking lots, contingent upon approval from village officials.

Jerry Schmitt of Stein's said the business would like to resurrect a temporary garden center in the parking lot behind from April 30 through July 6 in 2012. The proposed hours of operations are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

As part of the agreement, the garden center would pay the village $15,000 in rent and would donate 500 pumpkins for the Great Pumpkin Festival and flowers to the Public Works Department.

The garden center approached the village with the proposal at the end of 2010, but it was unable to move forward due to the planned parking lot reconstruction project.

The garden center would take up between 14 to 16 parking spaces in the northern edge of the 66-space lot. It would be staffed by a minimum of two to three employees at all times.

The village's Business Improvement District board recommended the Village Board deny Stein's proposal because it would reduce parking, set a precedent for transient merchant, and compete with other businesses that sell flowers, such as and .

“Though the BID would welcome a permanent florist or garden center in the district, it is not in favor of a temporary operation that displaces valuable customer parking, brings traffic but not shoppers for other retailers, competes with existing businesses that sell plants on the street, contributes only a modest revenue to the village, and could set a precedent for transient merchants," the BID board told trustees.

The decision to allow or deny Stein’s proposal is ultimately made by the Village Board because the village owns the parking lots.

BID President and Winkie's owner John Stuhlmacher said the BID did not disapprove of Stein’s as a business, but did disapprove of the general concept of a retailer using the public parking lot for private gain.

“We fear that in the future if we allow this type of use, a temporary merchant could come in and take over the parking lot, which is full right now,” he said. “I’ve never heard anyone say we have too much parking on Silver Spring.”

The Village Board on Monday approved the concept of the proposal on the condition that it is a one-year trial that would not set a precedent. A portion of the money would also go toward the parking utility, to which BID businesses contribute money.

Trustee Jay Miller said he did not think a temporary garden center would pave the way for other less desirable uses.

“We could allow this and not necessarily allow anything else,” Miller said. “I don’t think our hands are tied.”

Trustee Richard Foster said the garden center would be more of a draw than a detriment to the Silver Spring retail environment.

“I think it would be an asset to the commerce of the area,” he said.

With Monday night’s conceptual approval by the board, the proposal will now be forwarded to the Plan Commission. If the Plan Commission grants a conditional use permit, then the Village Board would have the ultimate say of approving the lease.

The garden center aims to open 10 to 12 of the temporary garden centers, known as “Stein Just Plants” in 2012. The flower centers first opened in 2010, and they expanded with five new locations this year.

If the project does not move forward in Whitefish Bay, Stein's has said the company would likely consider a temporary location in Fox Point instead.