The South Milwaukee Community Development Authority unanimously endorsed the Walmart development Monday night following a lengthy public hearing that saw strong opposition to the project.
The vote was 7-0 on two motions: on the sale of the approximately 3.5-acre, city-owned parcel at 222 N. Chicago Ave. and on the amendment and modifications to the tax incremental financing district #2 redevelopment plan.
The votes came at the end of a more than two-hour, 30-minute meeting that included a sometimes contentious public hearing.
I estimated the crowd at around 75 people and counted 22 people who spoke. Of those, 19 were clearly opposed to the project. Two were non-committal, while another spoke in favor.
Criticisms were raised over a number of different issues, including traffic, noise, concerns over declining area property values, the size of the city’s investment in cleaning up the site (up to $1.8 million), the wages offered to Walmart workers, the sourcing of Walmart products, stormwater runoff, landscaping, the potential increase in crime a new Walmart (or any big box development, for that matter) would bring, the development’s impact on other city and area businesses, and the design of the building. And there were others.
It was a long list, and Walmart and city officials answered the concerns as best they could when the meeting actually began. For the most part, it was a constructive give and take, and I appreciate the majority of the audience for keeping it so. (There were a few exceptions.)
The outcry was not unexpected, especially considering this was the first formal public hearing on the project since it was first proposed nearly a year ago.
That said, two more public hearings are planned starting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 18, both before the start of the City Council meeting. Learn more about those hearings in this letter being sent to more than 500 area property owners.
And, as always, contact me anytime with questions, comments or concerns.
