Cooke Explains the Depths of Frustration

Samuel Cooke's testimony from Aug. 7th Public Hearing :

I appreciate what you have to go through to set policy. It is not easy weighing all the issues and deciding what is important and what is not regarding land use. That being said, I have to say that I, and others, both here at the meeting and not here at the meeting, are getting very frustrated with what we see happening. Many of us prepare statements and come to the meetings, we write letters to the editor of the Star, for example, and spend lots of time preparing comments on the reports but the Northeast Neighborhood portion of the Urban Development Boundary Map remains exactly the same as when it was originally proposed.

So, I want to help you to fathom the depths of our frustration, such as when we see what the stated Planning vision is for Fitchburg and then we witness something different. Here is the first sentence of the Draft City of Fitchburg Vision Statement’s second paragraph:

Respectful of its past, its unique natural areas, and its agricultural heritage, Fitchburg’s government recognizes the values of the community - our citizens.

That is what this public hearing is all about. That is what previous public hearings have been about. Yet when large numbers of people consistently speak out about the very real dangers to our surface water and groundwater from widespread development in the Northeast Neighborhood the Urban Development Boundary Map remains completely unchanged.

To further illustrate the frustration, 76% of residents who responded to the 2005 survey the City turned out (76%!) were “…very supportive of policies that would maintain open- or green-space between Fitchburg and neighboring municipalities. 79% were very supportive of open- or green-space within the city. That’s right from the Fitchburg website.

Yet the Northeast Neighborhood representation on the Urban Development Boundary Map remains unchanged. There are a lot of very frustrated people as a result of this – we seem to not be listened to at all. How would that make you feel?

And as I, and others, have participate in this process, through attending and speaking at meetings, by spending hours and hours reviewing and commenting on the Ruekert Mielke Draft Stormwater Management report I, and others, watch as many other changes were made from the initial Draft Urban Development Boundary Map. Changes that appear to have originated, at least in part, from comments and interests voiced at past public hearings and meetings.

But not a single change to the Northeast Neighborhood part of the growth boundary has been made.

The other changes have added hundreds of acres of land that weren’t in the original draft map (Stoner Prairie area, McGaw Neighborhood and the huge area north & south of Irish Lane, east of Hwy 14). Hundreds and hundreds of acres added for development and not a single acre removed from the Northeast Neighborhood, despite it being the part of Fitchburg that is adjacent to Nine Springs Creek, the E-Way, Swan Creek watershed, Lake Waubesa wetlands, Big Fen, Deep Springs, organic farms and our immediate neighbors to the east who have invested millions in preserving what a vast majority of Fitchburg residents value also – open, green spaces.

Maybe we just need to come together on a common vision. Maybe we just need to all really listen to Professor Phil Lewis.

Terry Carpenter and I recently attended a presentation on Regional Design by retired Professor Phil Lewis. Professor Lewis is the “father” of the E-Way and has served as a consultant to Governors and other notables from Wisconsin. He has studied the entire region for about 50 years. His vision of a sustainable future includes a number of Wisconsin cities connected by passenger rail. As I’m sure the Planning Commission is aware, he has included Fitchburg in some very special regional plans as part of a Circle City design. Other regional communities have embraced Professor Lewis’ vision. This is an amazing opportunity for Fitchburg to be part of the work of a visionary and his vision includes the Northeast Neighborhood.

I urge the Planning Dept to find a way to share Phil Lewis’ vision with area residents because Phil Lewis’ vision is right in line with what I think the Plan Commission and the Council wants – increases in density where it makes sense, reliance on commuter rail and what the Plan Commission, Council and the people of Fitchburg say that they want – protection of open- and green-spaces.

We are a very polite group and I respect the Plan Commission and Planning staff but we are frustrated. Please listen to our consistent and thoughtful message by following Phil Lewis’ concept of preserving the Northeast Neighborhood east of Highway MM and get the area east of Highway MM out of the delineated growth boundary.