Changes at Five Points

Changes are underway at Five Points. Quite simply I have become bored with this website in its current format.  Its just to easy to look at the soundoff, find a stupid comment, and call the person who wrote it a moron.  Its like shooting fish in a barrel to criticize the actions of the Waukesha Common Council.  In looking back, there is a certain sameness to a lot of the postings…take 2-3 items in the Freeman and comment on them.  I want to do something to differentiate this from other blogs.  Spring City Chronicle does an excellent job of reviewing local happenings and providing commentary and I feel like I was kind of doing the same thing albiet with a slightly different (i.e more liberal) approach.

So within the next couple of weeks you will see a change into something with more substantial (and probably less frequent) postings.  I will probbaly set up an archive site with the old postings because I want to start off with a blank slate.   The only posting I will probably keep will be the Five Questions with Jeff Barta of the Nice Ash Cigar Bar because that is exactly the type of posting I want to do; interviews and articles about Waukesha (though I will no longer limit myself to 5 questions).

The site will try to take a more positive approach as well.  Its easy to look at something the City does and say its stupid, what I want to do is try and shed some light on the positive things happening in the City.  That’s not saying that there won’t be postings that are critical of things, it will just be done in a slightly different manner.  The posts will read more like an editorial rather than a couple of sentences.

The focus will be on the City of Waukesha, with an emphasis on the downtown area.  I hope to have more interviews with downtown business owners, policy makers, and news makers.  I also want some guest editorials, columns,  and maybe some point/counterpoint columns.  One of the issues I want to do that with is bars downtown.  I have pretty much supported new bars opening downtown with the caveat that they must be nice bars.  However I don’t live down there do I don’t have to deal with the negative effects like some of the people who read this blog.   I would like to maybe get the perspective of someone who supports more bars and the perspective of someone who doesn’t (I actually think the answer lies somewhere in the middle).

I’d like to get people talking about the issues facing Waukesha.  Most people don’t go to Common Council or Plan Commission meetings where a lot of these issues are discussed, so this may provide another forum for that type of healthy debate.

I would also like have this site serve as an additional means of promoting Waukesha events, particularly the ones downtown.  I would like to establish links to websites/MySpace pages for the bands and musicians that perform downtown.  I would like to add more reviews of Waukesha restaurants, Civic Theater Productions, concerts, etc.  Another thing I want to do is Farmers Market reports/updates.

So bear with me over the next week or so while the new site is under construction.  Also feel free to e-mail me with any comments, suggestions, or if you want to write a guest column on the site.

Sounding Off on Wal Mart

Anyone who reads soundoff comments in the Freeman knows that its a mixed bag. Some comments are well thought out and insightful, some funny, some angry, and many are just rants by people who often times don’t really know what they are talking about. This morning there was a comment that I thought was so off-base that I had to post it and comment. This person said the following:

“NEWS FLASH! The new Wal-Mart Superstore might not be built in Waukesha. The way Wal-Mart was jerked around by Sometimes Mayor Nelson and the rest of his ilk in City Hall, is it any wonder they may not build here? This is Wal-Mart, not Neiman-Marcus or Bloomingdale’s. Wal-Mart profits are not the same to allow them to build the Taj Mahal of buildings in our city. Anything Wal-Mart would build is better than what is on the property now. Thank you, city officials. You are doing a great job and we will remember you come election time. Another good tax producer about to evaporate from Waukesha.”

First off Wal Mart would not bail because the City asked them to improve the appearance of the building. If they want to be in a community they will pretty much build whatever the City wants. Why should Waukesha get a dumpy looking Wal Mart while places like Pewaukee get attractive looking ones? Its about time the City stands up and demands some higher architectural standards. If Wal Mart doesn’t want to make some alterations that the City wants, to get a more attractive product, I say good riddance. Would you rather they just emulated the piece of crap Wal Mart building on 164? The one with the crumbling parking lot with no landscaping and a stormwater management pond that is filled with garbage and enclosed with a Cyclone fence? The one that is quite possibly the worst looking retail property on 164? The articles about Wal Mart don’t really clarify why Wal Mart may back out but I seriously doubt that it has anything to do with Waukesha’s site and architectural enhancement requests.

Second, your comments about Wal Mart’s profits not being the same as Neiman-Marcus or Bloomingdale’s to allow them to build the Taj Mahal of buildings in our city is quit possibly the most ill-informed, idiotic comment ever published in the Soundoff. Wal Mart was ranked Number 1 in the Fortune 500 last year. Their profits were 11,284,000,000 (thats 11.3 BILLION dollars) in the fiscal year ending in January 2007 and you are telling me they cannot afford to make their buildings look nice? Give me a break!

Mayor vs Freeman: Round 3

The war of words between the Mayor and the Freeman is escalating. It started last Saturday when the Freeman gave the Mayor a “Dart” in their weekly Laurels and Darts column. The dart was because Larry Nelson said at the Obama rally last week that “I feel an obligation to the citizens of Waukesha to say who I think would be the best president for the city of Waukesha, and that person is Barack Obama.” 

Not content to just let the issue die, Larry Nelson responded with a Guest Commentary on Tuesday in which he defended his statements.

Then this morning the Freeman responded to Nelson’s response to their Dart. They also posted an editorial cartoon in a potshot at Nelson and new City Administrator Lori Curtis Luther.

My take is that I side with both the Freeman and Nelson. I think that Nelson has the right to endorse whoever he wants but where I draw the line is when he said “I feel an obligation to the citizens of Waukesha to say who I think would be the best president for the city of Waukesha, and that person is Barack Obama.” No you don’t have an obligation to tell us who to vote for. We are adults who can make informed decisions on who we think is the best candidate and while I agree with Larry Nelson that Obama is the best candidate left, I think he crossed the “non-partisan” line that should define the Mayor’s office. What puzzled me was that Freeman said in todays response that “this is getting out of hand,” but isn’t the Freeman just contributing to it “getting out of hand” as well? Actually it isn’t getting out of hand. There were two events; Nelson’s blog posting and Nelson and Luther attending the rally. That’s it. In the grand scheme of things, this is really a non-issue. Aren’t there more important things to worry about like the fact that more downtown businesses have closed and that a sex offender was able to set up shop downtown? Maybe they should work on repairing Broadway Avenue from Racine Avenue to East Avenue before my muffler falls off from all of the potholes.

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In a move that can only be described as puzzling, the ordinance and license committee decided that there should be limits on how long you can keep a dumpster on your property but not those obnoxious PODS storage units. What a joke. I think that the PODS should be subject to the same restrictions as dumpsters. I don’t think that any neighbors should have to put up with one of those being stored on a residential property indefinitely. According to the article, several aldermen had no issues with PODs overstaying their welcome and becoming an eyesore. If I lived next to an alderman I would go out and rent a pod and just let it sit on my driveway just to. prove that they are an eyesore. I plan on writing my Alderman, but I doubt I will get any response because I never do. Speaking of trash, we are going to license hookers escorts now too.

 

I don’t think this story is going away

In what will likely provide weeks of fodder for soundoff commenters, letters to the editor, and the Waukesha blogs, Mayor Larry Nelson and newly hired City Administrator Lori Curtis Luther are getting some flack for attending the Obama rally last week Wednesday at the Expo Center. 

I think that the criticism of Larry Nelson being there is unwarranted.  He took a vacation day and he has a right to endorse whatever candidate he prefers and attend whatever political rally he wants to attend.  Everyone who pays attention knows that Larry Nelson is a Democrat, so why are people getting all up in arms about him attending and participating in a rally for the Democratic race leader, Barack Obama?  What he shouldn’t have done was endorse Obama on his blog, which he removed on advice of our City Attorney.  The blog is linked to the City’s web page so there should be no political endorsements on it. What Larry Nelson should do is start a blog wholly independent of the City’s website.  Then he can say whatever he wants.

Now the case of City Administrator Lori Curtis Luther is a little different.  She explains her attendence at the rally by stating “My role as city administrator is 100 percent neutral and nonpartisan. As such, I am not formally or informally affiliated with any party. I am not nor will I ever be active in any local, state or national campaigns. Any time a candidate requiring secret service protection visits the city, I will cooperate with our police department and sheriff’s department to ensure the safety of the candidate while in our jurisdiction. It is my opinion, that regardless of party politics, the national recognition Waukesha receives by hosting presidential candidates is positive for the community.”

I have no reason not to believe her explanation.  However we all know that what your intention is and what it appears your intention is can often be two separate things.  People in right-leaning Waukesha are going to have a field day with this. For a City employee to be at a rally on City time just looks bad even if your intentions were only to coordinate with the Secret Service and Police Department and to welcome Obama to Waukesha.  I personally don’t have a problem with her being there for her stated reasons but I would recommend that she try to stay away from things like this on City time because it gives people the impression that you are endorsing Obama as a representative of the City.  Now if he becomes President and comes to the City its different because you are then welcoming the President of the United States to Waukesha.

 

Five Questions @ Five Points: The Nice Ash

Today I am starting a new (and hopefully regular) feature called “Five Questions @ Five Points” where I ask a business owner, politician/policymaker, news maker, or anyone else I feel like talking to a series of five questions. I settled on 5 questions for a variety of reasons. First, I realize that people are busy so I figured five questions would make it easy for me to get people to participate. Second, I think that the purpse of a blog is to provide short commentary/stories on items of interest. Five questions should allow these posts to be a quick read. Also since the name of the blog is Five Points it seemed logical.

Anyone who is interested in being interviewed should e-mail me.

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The first victim participant is Jeff Barta from the Nice Ash Cigar Bar located at who was kind enough to answer some questions about his business and his thoughts on Downtown Waukesha.

Background Information on the Nice Ash

We offer a full service bar and a walk in humidor with about 300 different cigars. We regularly feature music and strive to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. We have tried to create a different atmosphere than most bars. We hold many special events, do a bit of charity work and have contests for our customers. Right now we are holding our “Bring us your Virgins” contest; virgins = new customers. You can earn chances for a trip to Vegas and other prizes by bringing in new customers to the Ash. We also use our website quite extensively to promote our business.

1. Why did you chose to open up/purchase a business in downtown Waukesha?

We were long time customers of the former establishment and decided we could do better. We saw the potential in the business and in downtown and made the decision to buy the assets of the business. We are glad we did.

2. What types of things do you think downtown Waukesha needs?

Downtown needs to be an entertainment center for Waukesha County and beyond. Our retail space is not conducive to having anchor stores to bring people into downtown, which leaves restaurants and bars. We have the opportunity to become the place to be and attract the entertainment dollars that have been going to Water Street, Brady Street, the 3rd ward and scattered destinations. Once an entertainment destination is established it will draw more retail and encourage additional residential development. The Clarke Hotel and Black Trumpet will be a great catalyst for additions to downtown.

3. What do you feel are some of the biggest challenges facing downtown?

Despite having more than adequate parking, there is still a perception of a parking problem in downtown. Our parking is actually much better than other destinations in the area.

There is still a perception that downtown is hard to get around in and has one way streets.

We could use some more cooperative marketing efforts to bring people downtown and overcome the first two challenges.

Vacancies are a deterrent to future entrepreneurs investing in downtown. A concerted effort to attract new viable businesses would enhance the opportunities for success downtown.

4. What vision do you have for downtown Waukesha in 5 years? 10 years?

I really do believe downtown can be a major destination for entertainment and shopping if properly positioned. We should have a solid residential base. As with any business you need to be constantly reinventing yourself to keep your customers interested. Downtown needs to find the right formula for success.

5. What can people expect when they visit the Nice Ash?

The Nice Ash is a friendly and comfortable bar. We offer a relaxed atmosphere with the opportunity for fun; poker tournaments, video games, a party room in the lower level, board games, live music several nights per week, 3 flat screen televisions, a great selection of beers and liquors, and a well stocked walk in humidor with all your favorite smokes. People from all walks of life frequent our place and are extremely welcoming to new customers. Expect to have a good time.

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Again I would like to thank Jeff Barta for agreeing to be interviewed. Anyone who wants to be featured in a “Five Questions @ Five Points” posting should contact me.

All Sprizzo, all the time.

Ok, not all the time but for this post.

First, Sprizzo Galley Cafe  owner Karla Harper got the honor of introducing Barack Obama at the town hall style rally at the Expo Center.  Then Darryl Enriquez reports that Sprizzo’s will cater the House of Guinnes’s St. Patrick’s Day Celebration.  Anyone who has ever been to the House of Guinness for St. Patrick’s day knows that it is a very well-attended event and they go through a ton of food (and beer too).  The past few years have been catered by the Rochester Deli, which was a logical fit given Chef Dan’s reputation for awesome corned beef sandwiches.   St. Patrick’s day revelers shouldn’t fret, Sprizzo makes some great sandwiches too and I think the extra exposure will help increase their business.

For those that haven’t tried Sprizzo yet, you should pay them a visit.  Its a low key place that serves some awesome and unique sandwiches.  Their grilled cheese (cheddar, provolone, tomato and dill mayo)  and their ZO Veggie (mixed veggies with cream cheese and olive spread) are my two favorites.

Is everyone in this City a sex offender?

Obviously not, but over the past year Waukesha has garnered headlines for the concentration of sex offenders living in the City. The arrest of Scott Ziegler didn’t help matters. Now we find out that former Alderman Joe La Porte (who is 86) was arrested at the River Hills West Nursing home on an accusation of 4th Degree Sexual Assault of a woman at the nursing home (that woman was not his wife, who is also at the same home). This was likely the reason he resigned from the Council on January 28th (the same day of the alleged assault). Fourth degree sexual assault is a misdemeanor and is defined in Wisconsin as “sexual contact with a person without consent of that person. The penalty for fourth degree sexual assault is imprisonment not to exceed nine months or a fine not to exceed $10,000, or both.”

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Alan Huelsman wants to temporarily use the downtown Salvation Army building as a skatepark. I think it is a great idea for a temporary use. People are going to try and equate this with the Butler skatepark which has been in the news because a major pot selling operation was being run out of there, which I think would be unfair. In the interest of full disclosure I was a skateboarder for a good part of my youth, from 7th grade until after college, so I am biased. When I was in high school there were parties with filled with students doing drugs and drinking and because of skateboarding I wasn’t at them. While classmates were getting drunk or stoned I was in downtown Milwaukee, or at the Turf Skatepark in Milwaukee or another skatepark in Rockford, Il. While I didn’t stay completely out of trouble, skateboarding kept me away from drugs and alcohol. The City should issue a temporary conditional use permit that should be reviewed 90 days after the park opens to review it. Then review it again at 6 months and 1 year. If there are significant issues, revoke the permit. If not leave it open. However I do think there should also be a sunset date when the use needs to be discontinued and at that point the City should work with the owners (assuming they are successful and have a clean track record) of the operation to find another suitable site for the park.

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Back on January 24 I told you about the House of Guinness being named one of the Top 100 bars in America byNightclub & Bar Magazine. I found out about it on the House of Guinness website. The Freeman is just getting around to writing about it today, but in their defense they did talk to the owners.

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Obamamania sweeps into Waukesha today at 1:25 at the Expo Center. If you want to see our next president, today is your chance (assuming tickets are available). I would advise anyone not going to the event to stay away from the Expo Center because I am guessing traffic will be a bitch with all of the security detail and the large number of people attending the event.

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Rezoning for Brunswick Zone

On Wednesday night the Plan Commission will consider a request by Heartland Development to rezone the large parcel of land at the northeast corner of 164/Les Paul Parkway & E. Broadway to allow for a Brunswick Zone. Never heard of one?  Me either until this was brought up a couple of months ago.  The Brunswick Zone is a multi-faceted family entertainment center with bowling, laser tag, a video arcade, billiards, and a sports bar and restaurant.

City staff stated at the last meeting they were opposed to this because for some reason they think that there should be limited commercial on 164. I think its because they don’t want to add traffic – which would be an admirable goal if there was a problem here. There isn’t.  I understand the whole point of a bypass is to move traffic quickly around town, but the City should try and reap additional benefits of limited, yet prime real estate along this corridor – one of the most traveled roads in the City.  There are around 35,000 cars that drive on this segment every day, that provides a lot of visibility which is important for a business like this.  This is a corridor that is about to lose 1 major anchor (Sentry) and potentialy another (Wal Mart) once the Supercenter opens (though I am not sure on this one). This use is suited to a place like 164.   Sure, it would be nice to have it downtown but something like this needs a large parcel of land with ample on-site parking and easy aceess.

The Brunswick Zone is something very unique that hasn’t been tried in this market. Right now any family from Waukesha that wants to take their kids to an indoor place for fun and games is heading to Chuck E. Cheese or Fun World which are in Brookfield or Stone Fire Pizza in New Berlin.  Wouldn’t it be nice to have this money staying in Waukesha? Plus, this is a business that has things for adults too, like bowling and a bar/restaurant.  This will be a high-value building that generates significant tax revenue (after all we are the highest taxed City in the County). Is the City of Waukesha really in a position to be turning this request down in hopes that some high quality office user will surface? Wouldn’t an office contribute to congestion too, especially during peak travel times? If Waukesha denies this its just going to end up in a surrounding community, so why not approve it and have something that residents don’t need to leave the City to enjoy?

Ziegler case should be a wakeup call for downtown property owners

Last week wasn’t a good week for Waukesha.  The Scott Ziegler case and the rooming house fire dominated the headlines.  The Scott Ziegler case is the most troubling.  The fact that this guy was able to operate a store that attracted teens when the guy was a known sex offender was quite disturbing.  What is even more disturbing was that teens were even allowed in the store, which sold pot smoking paraphernalia and supposedly porn.   I guess I cannot blame landlords for leasing to whoever can produce a rent check.  There are a lot of vacancies downtown and someone has to pay the mortgage and the property taxes.  I just wish some of the property owners would take a look at the bigger picture before they lease to someone like Ziegler.  If landlords continue to lease to stores that sell drug paraphernalia, porn, and other less than desirable merchandise it will ultimately lower the value and leaseability of buildings downtown and make it less attractive as a place to do business.

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The Grammys were on last night.  Is it just me or does it seem like there are only 10-15 artists that seem to get media attention while better, more talented, and more important artists are left by the wayside.  Most of the artists featured are more style than substance….aww never mind, its not worth getting worked up over.  The Grammys have been pissing me off since I was a Freshman in High school.
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I think that Hillary is going to win Wisconsin next week, not because the state Democrats like her, but because Republicans have their candidate set (even though nobody likes him) and they figure that Hillary is easier to beat in November than Obama so they are all going to cross over and vote for her.

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Five Points Contest

What is the least surprising comment in Darryl Enriquez’s post about the aftermath of the Wisconsin House Fire and who made it?  Anyone who follows “controversial issues” in the City should get this.

I’ll buy a drink for the first person who gets it right.