New Berlin Citizens for Responsible Government

From Dave Ament. 7th District Alderman

Dear fellow Aldermen,

I apologize for not being available for the September 25, 2007 Common Council meeting. Because I will not be there to speak in person I needed to make this appeal to you by email.

At the Monday, September 10, 2007 Plan Commission meeting Attorney Jim Gatzke requested yet another extension of the Deer Creek Inn Planned Unit Development (PUD) that will expire on January 8, 2008.

You will remember the last time a PUD extension was requested for this project I asked that it be denied in order to inform the residents and neighbors of two major changes to the PUD. Those two major changes were to double the height of the building and the addition of a water park. The residents and neighbors were never formally notified of these changes, a Public Hearing was never held and the Common Council never was part of the decision making process.

Whether you agree with the changes or not it would be hard to understand that you, as elected representatives, would approve this extension and its changes without allowing the neighbors a chance to express their opinions.

The last time this PUD extension came to us at Council, the majority of you told me that you approved the PUD extension do to the threat of a lawsuit...don't let them do it again. This time there is no legal reason for you to be intimidated. This time you must demand that the residents and neighbors are officially notified and have a chance to voice their opinions, to the Alderman of the District and the rest of the Council. That can only happen if you (the Council) deny the extension.

If the PUD extension is denied the City and developer will be required to hold a Public Hearing before construction can begin. This PUD should have come in front of the Common Council when all the changes were made earlier this year. The Council should now let the PUD expire and let the Developer bring the plan back and allow the process to work as it should have earlier this year.

I voted for two previous extensions to this PUD because there were no changes to the original PUD. I am now opposed to this project because the public and the Council were bypassed, by political maneuvering, when major changes were made to the PUD. You now have a chance to change that by voting no for the extension.

Please deny this extension and let the process work as it was designed too.

Dave Ament

7th District Alderman, New Berlin

262-544-4534

dament@newberlin.org

A public service of NBCRG

I am writing you in regards to the blog entry of Linda Richter regarding Jerry Mellone. I do not want to respond directly to her regarding her entry because I do not want to give her any reason to write more lies about me. I went to New Berlin City Hall today and talked to the city clerk regarding this blog entry stating that I led a group that was trying to evade paying taxes to New Berlin.

She assured me that New Berlin has no part in these allegations and that I have been an excellent taxpayer since the late 1970’s. She stated she did not know this was being said and there is no truth to these allegations.

The reference Paul Gallagher’s website makes is as I was the president of the Lincoln Ave. Condo Assoc. I questioned the formula used in assessing charges when sewer and water was brought into our building. New Berlin set up a mediator at the court house in order to answer these questions for all of the properties involved in this sewer/water project.

My building is a corner lot with the sewer on the Lincoln Ave. frontage. New Berlin brought the water line on Liberty and required us to run a lateral for an extra 200 feet. This cost involved many thousands of dollars extra. I requested New Berlin pay for the extra sewer lateral. My request was denied. Our 8 unit condominium cost for hooking up to the new sewer and water was over $150,000. We have a total of 19 toilets. You do the math. I would think anyone would question this, if put in this position.

Other comments from this blog asked why I listed my New Berlin address. It’s because we have owned this property since 1987 and we were asked to give our input by New Berlin regarding this widening project. We attended the Public Information Meeting and I also contacted my alderman to represent my opinion on this project.

As far as the reference to an “agenda”, I represent the sixth district in Brookfield. There are over 75 properties threatened by eminent domain as a result of Brookfield’s project. Many of these taxpayers will lose their front yards. I felt it was important to alert New Berlin regarding this project since it involved millions of dollars and would also affect residents living on Calhoun in New Berlin.

I noted, in the Journal article, New Berlin took into account a future interchange at Calhoun in Brookfield adding to the traffic on this road. I contacted many people at WisDOT including Secretary Busalacchi and all of them say an interchange at this location will not happen for many years, if ever.

I called the New Berlin Now manager in order to question this blog entry and he left a message stating their bloggers can say anything they want. He has no control over them. I understand we have freedom of speech in this country, however before you accuse some one, you should make an attempt to get the story right.

Thank you for conveying my ideas on your blog.

Jerry Mellone
Brookfield Alderman
Sixth District

Note:
NBCRG initially asked for a Public Hearing because of the drastic changes since the PUD was approved many years ago.


At the Monday, September 10, 2007 Plan Commission meeting Attorney Jim Gatzke requested yet another extension of the Planned Unit Development (PUD) for the hotel on the southeast corner of Greenfield Avenue and Moorland Road that will expire on January 8, 2008. This would once again bypass the requirement in the City Code to hold a Public Hearing and identify the expansions.

This passed the Planning Commission with only one Commissioner (Dave Ament) voting no. This will come in front of the Common Council on Tuesday, September 25, 2007.

In the past the Aldermen (except Alderman Ament) did not have to give their opinions or vote on the Hotel because the Plan Commission and Mayor bypassed the Common Council. Some Alderman used that as an excuse not to give their opinion.

You need to voice your opinion and demand that your voice is heard. That can only happen if the Council denies the extension. If the PUD extension is denied, the City and developer will be required to hold a Public Hearing before construction can begin.

This PUD should have come in front of the Common Council when all the changes were made earlier this year. These changes included almost doubling the height of the structure and the addition of a water park.

The Council should now let the PUD expire and let the Developer bring the plan back and allow the process to work as it should have earlier this year.

I am not only apposed to this project, but even more troubled as to how the changes have been slammed through the Planning Commission without any elected officials other than the Mayor and Alderman Ament having any say about it.

Please contact your Aldermen and let them know you want your voice heard and to deny the extension of the PUD.

Dave Ament
7th District Alderman, New Berlin
262-544-4534
dament@newberlin.org

New Berlin, WI

The attempt to override Mayor Chiovatero's veto failed by a 4 to 3 vote.
Five votes were required to turn back the veto.

This means that the Calhoun road rebuilding is forced to begin again. Residents will not see changes until 2009 at the earliest.

NBCRG would like to commend alderman Ament, Augustine, Harenda and Siedl for supporting the Calhoun Road design 1A. This is a design which will serve the city for the foreseeable future at a reasonable cost. We hope that the veto by Mayor Chiovatero will be overturned by the full Common Council at the September 11, 2007 meeting.

If version 1A is unsafe, then the Board of Public Works should be censured for failing to follow the instructions of the full Common Council to bring forth a satisfactory design for a 2 lane road.

I wish to ask the Mayor to bring the Calhoun Veto Override agenda item to the floor first ,as that is the reason that most people are here. You all are aware that regardless of when you vote on it , there will be a political price for failing to overide the veto. Remember that after public hearings and an election, aldermen whose districts are involved voted for the 2 lane version 1A.

It is time to stop the rhetoric and overturn the veto. We must have co-operation on the problems facing the city. The Budget, MMSD 20/20 plan, The attempt by companies and individuals to permit smaller lot sizes on the west side of town. and bike trails are but a few of the problems.

The City of New Berlin has projected road rebuilding into the future that exceed $45,000,000. It appears that most of these jobs will be paid for by New Berlin residents because most do not qualify for Federal, State or County appropriations. In addition the The Alternate Transportation Committee has ear marked Side paths sidewalks and bike trails which will cost more than $20,000,000.

One alderman who was defeated last year called for a large city tax boost. One of the current alderman has called for a 10% city tax boost and will not return calls to reporters who wanted to verify the comments.

There is $450,000 in Concrete pipe laying on the East Frontage Road off Calhoun. This is solving the storm water problem that JP Walker and Mayor Chiavatero said is not being addressed in the 2 lane Calhoun road design. Gentlemen it is time to stop the spin and half truths that you are so good at.

To say that the 4 lane Calhoun road does not affect taxes is very untrue

Ralph Heun

Bulletin: Concrete pipe for Storm water problems Delivered yesterday to Calhoun Road at Lincoln Avenue!!!

Dear New Berlin citizens,

My wife and I own a condominium office and warehouse in the New Berlin Industrial Park. We live in Brookfield and I am also an alderman in the City of Brookfield. We have been against the widening of Calhoun Road in Brookfield since it has been proposed.

We feel Calhoun Road in New Berlin needs improvements in the following areas.

1. The road surface needs to be replaced.

2. The intersection northbound at Greenfield needs improvement. A bottleneck is caused by the design of the left turn median.

3. Turn lanes need to be added at right and left hand turns, at Lincoln Ave. and Ryerson for example.

4. The intersection at Cleveland and Calhoun should be improved in all directions. The current design causes backups.

The Brookfield project used a traffic study on Calhoun. Two of the specialists I contacted regarding traffic counts on this road say the study is flawed. If you would like to see information disclaiming these counts I can make it available to you. Calhoun Road is a city street not a state or county north/south highway. Traffic counts on Calhoun have been relatively flat in recent years. Counts have increased 1 to 3 percent each year and in fact went down a few percent in two of the years. Brookfield based the widening on traffic increasing 3% a year up to 28%. This is not a logical assumption. This street ends into a farmer’s field to the south and a Menomonee Falls subdivision to the north. I do not see a huge traffic producer that would result in this kind of traffic escalation.

New Berlin’s original widening project cites escalation in traffic as a result of a new interchange at Calhoun and I-94. My contacts with WisDOT say there are no plans to add this interchange. In order to add this it would take a lengthy environmental impact study and there are no guarantees that this would result in the decision to add an interchange. Everyone I contacted at the DOT said this would not happen for at least 10 years and probably much longer if at all. I would agree if there were an interchange added that it would result in higher traffic counts. Other factors such as escalating costs, budget shortfalls, wetlands present at this site, interchange neutral plans etc. all point to no interchange at Calhoun and I-94.

Another reason I am against this project is the use of eminent domain in order to acquire property from private citizens. Brookfield is negotiating with 77 property owners to acquire property for a 130 foot and 100 foot ROW. I do not think the gains to taxpayers justify the use of private property seizure in this case. Ask yourself. Are the benefits of a wider road worth it? Studies have proven a two lane road can handle increased traffic if augmented with turn lanes and intersection improvements.

The high cost to taxpayers on this project does not warrant the scope you are considering.

Jerry and Laurel Mellone

17949 West Lincoln Ave.

New Berlin, Wisconsin