Well, I lost count of the weeks of the construction along Bluemound Road.  In mid-June, I summarized activities of week one.The three one-mile segments of construction between Moorland and Barker Road were to have each taken three months.

It's now November, and the orange barrels are catching snowflakes.  The DOT has improved the flow of traffic along Bluemound Road.  Traffic can more easily travel at 45 mph.  Many medians were closed.  Crossing over to a business or retail shop on our "Bluemound Corridor" is more difficult.  For example, when traveling east on Bluemound,  I can make a left turn into my bank.  When I leave the bank, I need to turn right (west).  Luckily there are strip malls along the way for turning around and getting back to 18 Eastbound.  Of course, one could always make a U-turn at the stop lights.

Ooops.  Sorry, that's illegal. It's been decades since I read the motor vehicle handbook, so I confirmed the legality with the town and city police departments.  If an officer happens to be nearby, you may get a ticket or a warning. The city police department told me the DOT isn't likely to post No U-Turn Signs at intersections. Somehow the town of Brookfield convinced the DOT to post them.

Other DOT improvements consist of removing some driveway entrances/exits onto Bluemound, and putting in "walk signals," marking sidewalk crossings and meeting ADA (Americans with Disability) standards.  That should make it easier for pedestrians of all abilities to cross the highway.

The inconvenience of the road construction will soon be forgotten.  But, in 2011 construction will begin on both Capitol Drive and Bluemound Road. That should really be a trip!

Bunnies are either hated or loved.  The garden variety of bunnies take pleasure in eating our garden's baby plants. (I'm sure they enjoy them just as much as we enjoy baby spinach, baby corn, baby carrots and other tender vegetables.)  The bunnies that are loved are the domesticated variety, often referred to as 'rabbits'.  Well, if you have or want a pet rabbit, you can learn much, much more about them next Saturday.

Just attend Rabbitopia II at the Elmbrook Humane Society (Brookfield).  Rabbit expert and trainer Heather Mohan-Gibbons, will teach clicker-training techniques.  Classes are at 11:30 am and at 1:30 pm. Class space is limited.  Call 262-782-9261 to reserve your seat.  Admission $5. (kids 12 and under free). Rabbits in cages are welcomed.  Their nails will be trimmed and scent glands cleaned.

Adoptable rabbits and accessories will also be available from 11 am to 3 pm.  There's no charge for looking. Elmbrook Humane Society is conveniently located just west of Barker Rd.at 20950 Enterprise Avenue, Brookfield.

There's a curious relationship between bunnies and Halloween.  Or really, pre-Halloween activities.  They happen on the same date - October 25, and staff and animals from the Elmbrook Humane Society are involved.

The first annual Harvest Fest is sponsored by the business at Village Court Shopping Center from 10 am to 3 pm.  It's free.

This fun event features face painting, food, raffles, music and cart rides for kids and adoptable animals from Elmbrook Humane Society.  Free Pumpkin Decorating Contest at 11 am; Children's Costume Contest at Noon; "Best Animal Friend " Costume Contest at 1 pm. and Raffle Drawing at 2 pm.

Village Court Shopping Center is at 890 Elm Grove Road, Elm Grove.

Elmbrook Humane Society and the Vetter Denk are combining forces for a not-to-be missed event on Thursday, October 23 from 7 to 10 pm.

Reserve your space no later than October 20. Call Cathy Reilly at 262 751 4494. $30 per person.  Please leave your pets at home.  

BARKitecture is a fundraiser for Brookfield's Humane Society.  If you cannot attend, please consider a tax-deductible donation.  http://www.elmbrookhumanesociety.org

*  Fire Trucks, Flight for Life and more!

On Sunday, October 5th, from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm, the Town of Brookfield Fire Department is again excited to open its doors for a fun and free family event! 

This is an annual event going back decades to promote the National Fire Prevention Association's (NFPA) annual Fire Prevention Week.   This year's theme is preventing home fires. 

Flight for Life will be making a special landing at 12:00 noon; this will give guests a chance to get up close and meet the flight crew as well as see this incredible piece of machinery.

There will be live demonstrations on the use of many tools that the fire department relies on daily such as the jaws of life at 1:15pm.

If children are in need of new bike helmets, this is the place to shop!  We have many styles to choose from all for only $10.00 each.

The town has many special surprises this year for the kids! Balloons, treats, a giant fire truck slide and more!

Lunch will be available all day, hot dogs, soda, cotton candy and popcorn.

Pet moms and dads should stop by and ask for free ASPCA window clings which notify emergency personnel that there is a pet in the home that needs help too!

Town residents who are a senior citizens or parents of young children qualify for a free smoke detector and battery at this special event. They can even schedule to have fire personnel stop at their home to do a free fire inspection.

*  Enjoy a Special Exhibit

The last dates to visit the British Doll House Exhibit at the Dousman Stagecoach Inn, 1075 Pilgrim Parkway (Brookfield) are Sundays, October 5 and 19.  If you haven't seen this private collection yet, make sure you do.  The 1843 Stagecoach Inn is open from 1 to 4 pm.  Consider joining the Elmbrook Historical Society to help preserve the history of our communities.  Learn more about this non-profit group on Sunday, October 19 by calling 262 782 4057

* Take pleasure in the Local Market

The city's Farmers Market is open Saturday mornings through October.  Make sure you enjoy the seasonal crops, products and flowers.   

As most readers know, I live in the Town of Brookfield.  I am about 30 feet from the city line. 

 For about two months, Brookfield's Economic Development Committee has been considering the city's staff proposal to solicit bids for convention and visitor bureau services beyond its existing provider.  These services have been provided by the Brookfield Convention and Visitors Bureau for nearly twenty years.   The bureau is currently autonomous and apparently the mayor and his staff want more control and more accountability from the bureau.

The Bureau's marketing efforts are funded by the city's and town's hotel room taxes. 70% of its revenue is from city hotels; 30% is from the town's hotels. As of the July 28 meeting, the town had not been informed about the city's intent to 'secede'.

Several attendees at the July 28 meeting spoke against the proposal.  An attorney for the Brookfield Convention & Visitors Bureau said the city seemed to be trying to find a solution without defining the problem.  Another person voiced that ‘the proposal was not a positive step' toward regional cooperation.  (As of July 28, the town was not aware of the city's proposal.) 

All but one committee member favored moving forward - sending Requests for Proposals (RFPs) with an anticipated turnover date of January 1, 2009.

Dan Ertl, community development director stressed that, "The Mayor and city department heads have suggested that this is the model that needs to be followed to effectuate change."

This week, Mayor Jeff Speaker clarified the motivation by suggesting that some of the hotel tax revenue should be used toward further economic development of the city.  Is that the intent of the hotel room tax?

Work began in early June to improve the safety of Bluemound Road.  The first segment of construction is between Moorland Road and Calhoun Road.  The DOT anticipated that each segment would take about a month to complete.  We are at week four, so the newly configured highway should soon be "open." 

Businesses east of Calhoun should breathe a sigh of relief within a week or so. The learning process will then begin.

In the meantime, we have all enjoyed the traffic calming to date and traffic tie-ups. Especially enjoyable are the motorists who block other intersections while waiting.

Also noticed (while sitting through three stop light cycles) is that more drivers are making u-turns at intersections with stop lights.  The "no u-turn" signs are no longer at the intersections, so evidently they are legal now.  

Also, be especially wary of work that has been completed.  For example, Calhoun Road, north of Bluemound, has already made changes to traffic patterns, but one exit from the strip mall does not have a "no left turn" sign - yet.

When the work is completed east of Calhoun, crews will begin working on the Calhoun to Brookfield Road improvements.

Andrew Smerz, fire chief, recently discussed the Town of Brookfield's fire department.  It provides emergency services for town residents 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Five people are on duty at all times.  Three people serve on the fire engine and two firefighter paramedics provide emergency medical services.

The vast majority of calls (85%) are for Emergency Medical Services which range in scope from car accidents to cardiac or respiratory events.  Although the town's population is only slightly older than the city's, many calls are from the town's senior apartments, assisted living and long-term care facilities.

Other fire department responses are for alarms sounding, structure fires or mutual aid requests.  (In the first five months of 2008, the town had three structure fires.)  Local fire departments provide mutual aid - that is, provide manpower and equipment in large events.  Recent examples include the town's Silver Spur Restaurant fire and a fire in Genesee.  During the fire in Genesee, the town's firefighters staffed the Town of Waukesha's firehouse.

Smerz described his department as having a very good relationship with the city's fire department and that they work cooperatively together. The town and city, New Berlin, Pewaukee and City of Waukesha all provide mutual aid to one another when needed.

All 911 calls are handled by the Waukesha County Communications Dispatch center.  Although the town has only about 6,000 residents, the town's footprint spans from Greenfield Avenue to Lisbon.   These form eight geographic zones for dispatch purposes.  Smerz has been pleased with the central dispatch.

On June 12^th, the town took its water tower to Pleasant Hill School.  On Friday, the town's fire engines will be in the 4^th of July Parade at Marx Park. And, there will be an Open House on October 5 during Fire Prevention Week.  This hands-on event includes a tour of the fire department, the apparatus and equipment, and firefighters will show how they remove (extricate) someone from an automobile involved in a collision. What else? The Flight for Life helicopter will be landing at the town's fire department and provide tours of the helicopter.

Smerz recommends that a person who ‘feels something is physically wrong' should call 911.  "You are not inconveniencing anyone.  We are here - and ready - all the time."

Min Kanavas was known to many in the Brookfield and Elm Grove areas.  Min and her husband made Brookfield their home in the 1950s – about the time it became a city.  Her four boys grew up there.  One became (and is) a state Senator.

Min was devoted to her family and the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church.  She tremendously enjoyed contributing her time and skills to many activities.  She had boundless energy and was an enthusiastic volunteer for the Elmbrook Historical Society.  If you don’t remember Min for her community activities, you may have known her as the floral designer at Reinder’s (Elm Grove).

The Dousman Stagecoach Inn and the Elmbrook Historical Society will host the unveiling of a painting by area artist Scott Hefti, who works with Brookfield-based North Shore Bank to create one-of-a-kind watercolors depicting the communities in which it operates.

Hefti's colorful Brookfield painting features the historic inn along with its neighbor, North Shore Bank's corporate headquarters. The bank is donating the artwork to the Historical Society to celebrate the bank's 85th birthday and a unique bit of shared history.  For 138 years, the inn stood at what is now the intersection of Bluemound and Moorland roads.

When North Shore Bank's new headquarters was built on that site in 1981, the Elmbrook Historical Society moved the inn a little way up the road.  Hefti's painting, with the historic and modern buildings and the preserved green space that lies between them, celebrates the past and present of the Brookfield community.

Hefti, along with representatives of the bank and the Historical Society, will unveil the donated painting during a special reception from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 11, at the inn, 1075 N. Pilgrim Parkway.  Guided tours are offered at 5:45 and 6:15 pm.

The public is welcome to attend and talk with the artist and Historical Society representatives about this new piece of art celebrating two Brookfield institutions.  Reserve your spot now - just contact Brenna Kriviskey Sadler at (414) 276-6237.

The Elmbrook Historical Society also hosts public guided tours at the Stagecoach Inn on the first and third Sundays from 1 to 4 pm. from May through October.  In celebration of Father's Day, June 15, admission is free for all fathers.

Taxpayers in the Elmbrook School District (SDE) have a second chance at approving a referendum for SDE high schools on April 1.  Two groups independently developed recommendations for the 2008 referendum.  One group (sponsored by SDE) included district/board representatives.  The second group did not.

Let's compare the 2007 and 2008 referendums.

Last year's recommendation was presented as "needs based."  However, it was a two-part referendum (one for the high schools themselves and another for the athletic stations).  The combined price tag: $108.8 million.  Both referendums were resoundly defeated.

This year's referendum is also "needs based" but it includes both schools and athletics. The price tag: $62.2 million. 

Last year, the school district used a comprehensive and expensive information campaign to sway voters.  This year, SDE is apparently presenting "just the facts".  They apparently feel more confident with this year's referendum proposal.

How do the two referendums differ?

The schools have been downsized from 2007 in terms of student body and square footage.  Classrooms are smaller, but they are being more fully utilized.  The buildings' square footage cost is higher $683.41 (2008) vs. $425.00 (2007).  The financing rate is lower (5% vs. 5.5% last year). Based on the average Elmbrook home value ($321,000) the building tax will be lower $170 vs. $326.

When you vote April 1, carefully consider all the facts and the "needs."   The building tax is only one element of school taxes; school taxes are only one component of overall property taxes.

The Town of Brookfield announced plans for development of the "Bluemound Road Corridor."  The area is bounded by Barker Road, I 94 and Bluemound Road and extends east of Poplar Creek.  The development covers about 80 acres. It includes the properties owned by Marcus Corporation and Menards. 

The Corridor plans include 4-8 story commercial buildings and 2-4 story multi-family units.  Since the plans were announced, the town has sought public comment and met with property owners. Town officials believe it's important to work with the business owners - to meld the visions of the town and business owners together.  There is a strong desire to achieve positive acceptance about the development. Indeed, suggestions about roadway placement and project flexibility have already been integrated into the consultant's plans.

The goals of the development plans are to address problems of circulation (pedestrian and automobile), maintain property values and provide an inviting consumer environment.  Plans for the Bluemound Corridor Node accomplish all three.

Traffic circulation will be improved by two additional east/west roads (parallel to I94) and a north/south road (beneath high-tension lines). Sidewalks will encourage foot traffic between the businesses and offices.

Taller structures (4-8 and 2-4 stories) provide more business / office space.  This yields a more economically-viable development while positively impacting property values. A planned parking structure will reduce the need for large asphalt parking lots.

An inviting consumer environment is provided through urban style architecture.  Ground level stores will have large windows, and include eateries and service providers. It's possible that a person working in an office or business could spend his/her lunch hour within the same complex.

The Town of Brookfield's administrator, Rick Czopp, said, "Government should be slow and deliberate because of the future impact on the community" and a desire to achieve positive acceptance.

The town's plans are consistent with Waukesha County's development plans.  The town is one of 27 communities that are collaborating with the county.

There are no plans for tax incremental financing (TIF or TID) for this development.  These designations are typically used in distressed areas.  The town did use TIF funds for the environmental clean up of the new Palladium Theatre site.  The ground had become contaminated by underground diesel storage leaks.

The Town of Brookfield will look much different in 10 years.

On Monday, March 17, you have a chance to hear Tom Ramstack, the author of Brookfield: A Fine and Fertile Land, speak about the rich history of the Brookfield and Elm Grove areas.  Our area began as a farming community in 1839.

Tom grew up in Elm Grove and heard his father's stories about the people in the Brookfield Township.  His quest to learn more - and a desire to write a book - resulted in a twenty year search of historic records and a two-volume book.

The free lecture is sponsored by the Elmbrook Historical Society. It's at 7 pm at Brookfield's Park & Rec Senior Community Center, 2000 N. Calhoun Rd., Brookfield.  The meeting is open to the public. Copies of Brookfield: A Fine and Fertile Land will be available for purchase.  Ramstack will sign copies.

Call (262) 782-4057 for more information.

There have been several headline making articles about the city lately.

In terms of planning and development, the city is considering annexing vacant land at its northwestern gateway.  The land currently lies within the town of Brookfield.  I met with Dan Ertl, department head, in fall.  At that time Ertl said the city does not actively solicit annexations (that is, it is not the aggressor).  Evidently, though, this additional property would make that portion of the "city's gateway" more viable.

The newly proposed gateway building at the corner of Moorland and Gateway has an overly large footprint.  It has little green space.  Kyle Prast has effectively shown the size of the footprint by overlaying various buildings on the GPS map of the building site.

Mayor Speaker has objected to having the donated art work displayed in front of the library along Calhoun Road. The art work is currently placed behind the library where no one can enjoy it. Speaker's concerned about the "some" people who may not approve or appreciate the art.

He has also raised the perennial concerns about the level of service provided by the county's centralized dispatch system.

Last week, in an unusual gesture, the mayor proposed that the city share more of the cost to widen all of Greenfield Road.  There is a half-mile stretch west of Brookfield Road that narrows to two lanes. This section of the road is along the Town of Brookfield.  It wasn't widened because the town felt the cost-sharing the state had proposed was disproportionate.

Speaker's rationale for kicking in more?  Alleviating potential accidents at the narrowed section and a more equitable cost-share. At the time the state apparently  included land the city had annexed from the town!  City aldermen rejected Speaker's proposal.

(1)  My writing (and believing) that 124^th Street south of Greenfield was in Brookfield.  (Dec 12, 2006)

(2) A statement that the Town of Brookfield won't use TIF (Tax Incremental Financing) to redevelop property along Bluemound Road  (Aug 13, 2007)

(3) My belief that Greenfield Road has better traffic flow than Bluemound Road (Sep 28, 2007)

He was right on the first one. I will never forget that 124th Street south of Greenfield is in New Berlin. In fact, I acknowledged that Dec 31, 2006.  But I do maintain that a [non-environmental] TIF won't be used in the town, and that the traffic flow on Greenfield is better than that on Bluemound.

Here's why:

Legally, the town form of government cannot use a TIF.  But evidently there is an exception for lands needing environmental cleanup.  A state TIF was used (by the Town) in clean up of the Majestic theatre site.

In my opinion, Greenfield Road does has better traffic flow than Bluemound Brookfield Road (corrected 11/2/07).  While I normally head east on Greenfield Road to 124^th, I have taken Greenfield Road west to Waukesha.  Admittedly, the road does narrow west of Bluemound Road. (That’s because the Town of Brookfield chose not to fund the road widening at the level the state demanded.)  From my perspective, the alternate design the state created does not impede traffic flow.

I do live in the Town of Brookfield.  I enjoy the lower tax rates, town water, and sanitary sewer rates that are lower that the city’s.  Emergency response times have been good, and I am confident in the first responders’ skills.  As the word ‘town’ implies, it has smaller government which I feel tends to be more responsive than larger entities.

Nonetheless, I’m sorry I inconvenienced those who pointed out my errors. So please let me know about future misstatements by using the "commenting tool' on this blog.

Earlier this week, the Town of Brookfield announced development plans for the area near Goerke's Corners.

The timing is right.  The Marcus Theater complex is vacant, and the Menards complex will soon become vacant.

Current plans call for a mix of residential and commercial development that wisely uses the open space available.  A road that runs parallel to Bluemound (but well south of it) will be built  The road will intersect with Janacek.

Like many of the city's plans, the development requires higher density.  Unlike the city, the Town's development won't require a tax-incremental district.