Major changes for harbor, downtown in master plan

A sweeping plan for downtown Port Washington that includes proposed changes large and small — including major changes to the harbor, a roundabout at the intersection of Grand Avenue and Wisconsin Street and development proposals for properties throughout the area — was greeted with skepticism by a group of about 40 people last week.

The plan is intended to guide the city’s future development but isn’t a strict set of rules, Bob Harris, the city’s director of planning and development, said.

Some of the ideas are intended as long-term aspirational projects, he said, such as the harbor plans. Those include extending the breakwater to allow more slips to be built and creating a launch ramp at Coal Dock Park as well as construction of a pedestrian bridge linking Coal Dock and Rotary parks.

That plan was roundly panned by the city's Harbor Commission after it was introduced last year.

Others could be more immediate, such as creating a bike path on Wisconsin Street that would connect to the Interurban Trail and improve safety for bicyclists and redesigning East Main Street, west of Franklin Street as a place for events.

“You’re starting to see more communities do this as they realize streets aren’t just for downtown,” Harris said.

Encouraging development and traffic on Grand Avenue is another goal that could be a short-term idea.

“Maybe there’s a way to make Grand Avenue a little more like Franklin Street,” Harris said. “Maybe we can take the energy of Franklin Street and move it to the side streets. The idea is to drag activity down the street.”

Parking, a perennial downtown issue, is an issue that the city is still studying, he said, adding it is something the city needs to work to manage.

The plan also includes proposals for downtown land that could be developed, including housing on property currently occupied by the police and fire stations — if the city decides to move these facilities elsewhere, Harris said.

Or the Port Harbor Center along the north slip, where two buildings with a variety of uses could replace the one currently on the site, the space between them is envisioned as tree lined, linking Franklin Street and the waterfront while creating a scenic vista.

Or the Jadair property, where public spaces and housing could potentially be enhanced with a new library.

“These are ideas of what it could be,” Harris said.

The plan, Harris said, is expected to be reviewed by the Plan Commission when it meets May 18. A public hearing would then be held before the Common Council on June 20, and aldermen could adopt the plan that night.

That timetable frustrated some of those in attendance, who said they believe more time is needed to consider the plan in-depth.

“I think it’s too fast. Why not August? Give the community time to digest it,” one man asked during an open house to introduce the plan held at Grand Avenue Church Wednesday, saying a delay would give people more time to consider the many aspects of the plan.

And, he added, the city should hold at least one more public meeting before the plan is considered.

Noting that individual parts of the plan require approval before they become reality, one woman questioned why the entire document should be considered at one time.

Another questioned some of the uses in the plan, saying, “Maybe the people of the city want to do something else with this land (the police and fire station site).”

She also questioned the priorities in the plan, saying it doesn’t address things like a new library, senior center or repairs to the lighthouse that are important to residents.

“Those things need to be fixed before you do some of this,” she said, especially considering the costs involved with many aspects of the plan.

“If we’re looking at some of this, we need to look at other things in town that need to be fixed,” she said.

Another woman added, “I think a lot of people came to see specific things. Where is the library going to be? Where is the senior center going to be?”

But Harris said the plan is a framework for the city to use when considering development in the community, adding it also gives developers an idea of what things the city wants to see so they don’t waste time with plans they city will reject.

“It’s kind of a map,” he said. “It’s a plan that informs decisions.”

Some aspects of the plan may be embraced by officials while others may never come to fruition, he said. Other parts may be altered over time as circumstances change.

“If it’s not planned out with a big vision, it gets choppy,” one woman noted.

The plan does include general ideas of where facilities such as a library could be developed, Harris said, such as the Jadair property on Grand Avenue.

Ed Freer, a consultant who worked on the plan, noted that there are opportunities for grant money to finance some aspects of the plan, mentioning the harbor amenities specifically.

One man asked why any plans for the harbor are included in the downtown plan.

“Port has a unique marina that’s right in downtown,” Harris noted.

Freer added that the downtown and waterfront are what will make other things in the plan possible, noting they are the driver of change in the community.

“The important thing is to have consensus (about the overall plan),” he said.

Karen Oleski, who lives on Lake Street, asked how the Ozaukee Square development proposed last year would fit into the plan.

“Are they still considering doing anything?” she asked.

“She (developer Cindy Shaffer) may or may not come back,” Harris said. “She’s focused on other developments right now.”

But, he said, the plan does address the properties Shaffer’s development would have occupied. The focus, he added, is on infill development rather than razing buildings in the area.

Some residents questioned why tall buildings are included in the plan when, as one woman said, “the appetite for tall buildings has been so volatile.”

The document proposes uses allowed under current city ordinances, Harris said, but if the ordinances change, any development that’s proposed will have to meet the new requirements.

The proposed plan is available on the city’s website, www.portwashingtonwi.gov.