It wasn’t easy, but after several years of negotiations with the City of Mequon, the Jewish Home and Care Center was granted approval to build a 100-unit senior housing residential facility.
“It’s been a long journey,” said, Nita Corré, president of the JHCC. “It’s been seven years since we began looking for land in the area. The approval was a giant step in our 96-year history to make our dream a reality. We hope to break ground in the spring.”
In a five to four vote, with Mayor Christine Nuernberg breaking a four to four tie, the Common Council approved the home’s request to rezone 17.4 acres of land located at 1737 W. Mequon Rd. from residential to institutional at its meeting Tuesday night.
The vote followed a calm public hearing with most people supporting the project. However, several residents, again, objected to locating the project in a residential neighborhood.
Burton Friedenthal said he supports the project but that “It’s in the wrong place.” He said he is still concerned about the increase in traffic in the area and the impact the project will have on the sewers, despite reports from city staff who say the impacts will be “negligible.”
While all the aldermen commended the quality of the project and its compliance with the city’s visioning statement to provide housing so its elderly population can remain in Mequon, several officials argued that the project should be built on the east side of the property rather than on the west portion.
In his presentation, Brad Steinke, director of city development, noted that the applicant, the Jewish Home and Care Center, had failed in its attempt to get the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center, which co-owns the property, to permit the siting to the east side. However, he added that locating the project on the west side of the parcel “will not compromise future use of the vacant land to the east.”
Ald. Sam Cutler said he was satisfied that the home had tried to flip the parcels. And Ald. Curt Gielow said, “You can’t build a house on your neighbor’s property. I won’t penalize this project because of its neighbor. We need to evaluate it on its merits and I think it does all we want it to.”
However, Ald. Pamela Adams, who is also a member of the Mequon Planning Commission, said, “I opposed the project at the planning commission and will again tonight, not because I don’t think the project is worthy, but because I feel it will impact the empty parcel to the east.” Ald. Dan Abendroth said that he feels it belongs on the east side of the property “to protect the rest of the parcel.”
In casting the deciding vote, Nuernburg said, “Whatever is built on the site will have impacts and I think the city numbers are reliable. We can’t object to a proposal just because there are impacts. And, concerning the vacant parcel, I will trust the discipline of the council and the planning commission.”
According to Rob Irwin, attorney representing the JHCC, “The proposal will be returned to the planning commission in October to request the issuance of a conditional use permit, which will allow the project to proceed.”
Of the vote, he said, “I’m glad the concerns of a few of the aldermen didn’t overcome the overall merit of the project. I was surprised that the siting came up again because I thought after the Planning Commission recommended the project, that fact was understood.”
Richard Rakita, president of the JHCC board of directors, said, “Obviously, I’m thrilled that the project was approved. I’m sorry that we were not able to accommodate the city’s wishes to locate the project on the east side of the parcel.
“The JCC has issues we don’t have. I’m not privy to what its decision-making process was or why it took the position it did. I’m glad it didn’t impede us, and hope its expansion plans in Whitefish Bay go forward. I’m confident we’ll work out the remaining details as gentlemen.”
While acknowledging that cooperation among Jewish agencies is a high priority, former JCC president Jane Gellman said, “Each agency still has to determine what is perceived in its own best interest. At the time when the siting decision needed to be made, we had so much up in the air and were so undecided about our future we were not in a position to resolve that issue. We do what we can to cooperate with each other, but at the time, our agency’s best interest was a higher priority.”
Judy Segall Guten, president of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation, which is spearheading and coordinating community-wide capital planning, said, “What matters to me is that we as a community can now look forward with optimism to the development of an entity for older adults that will be good for future residents and their families. Most important, this entity will generally further one of our very top priorities as a community — the health and welfare of our older adult population. The JHCC project recognizes that this population’s needs are evolving, and it is a perfect example of what agencies need to do, which is to plan for the future of the populations they serve.”
Previously, the Mequon Planning Commission rejected a joint development proposal by the JCC and the JHCC on the 74-acre site jointly owned by both entities. Following denial of the joint plan, the JHCC advanced its own project, which will be known as Mequon Terrace.
Plans call for a mix of independent, assisted living, rehabilitation and skilled nursing units, a hospice and memory care apartments.
MORE STORIES
Loading ...