The May 5th Planning Commission meeting involved discussion of different options for a south Whitewater plan along the Elkhorn Road corridor. The meeting did not involve taking any action – it was merely to present a revised proposal from two earlier options.

(Whitewater’s often-cited master plan for planning is really a collection of documents for neighborhood plans. They act as guidelines for municipal planning, and one for the south of Whitewater would be the fourth in a quartet. The Elkhorn Road corridor was considered previously in a east Whitewater neighborhood plan.)

During citizen comments, someone asked if the final proposal might be submitted to a referendum. (The conventional procedure is for Planning Commission approval followed by Common Council certification.)

I’d side against a referendum: (1) starting out at a referendum would be a departure from prior practice, and (2) if a referendum would apply in this case, there are other equally significant maters where it might apply, but has not been used.

There will be additional meetings before the planning Commission votes on a final proposal. The proposal as it stands involves different nodes for development, some being commercial, and some residential. The Whitewater bypass plays a role in all these plans – it channels traffic around the city, but may yet aggregate commercial or residential development along some stretches.

Some favored the bypass as a way to reduce traffic in the city, but others opposed it. Those opposed were concerned that it would reduce shopping traffic, or would spoil the areas near their homes immediately or after additional development.

What if there was no neighborhood plan (and did not have to be one), and no zoning or other restrictions? What would happen to the Elkhorn Road corridor? There are a few possibilities: (1) no change, (2) predominantly residential growth, (3) predominantly commercial growth, (4) a mixture of residential and commercial.

From a libertarian point of view, you’d hope for the result with the least government intervention, and if government intervention, then that which would most closely follow private growth.

A consultants from planners Vanderwall and Associates noted that Whitewater is about fifteen miles or so from several major arteries with significant commercial development. Over the last year, I would have said that the best option would be to encourage commerce to come here, to complete with other locations, and increase jobs for Whitewater. (Generally, and not specifically in the area in consideration at the may 5th meeting.) That result would seem especially needed in light of our poverty rate.

If we took no government action, and there were no zoning restrictions, would that commerce show up? That is, if there were almost no barriers to setting up shop here? Or, would more residential housing come instead? I don’t know, but I wonder now if the more likely answer is residential, and not commercial.

If that’s the case, then Whitewater will have to ask what the cost might be to entice commerce here, above the incentives that exist already. (I know that, for example, some enticements include a rejuvenated downtown. I’m referring, instead, more to tax breaks or subsidies, etc. to encourage a specific commercial development.)

These are plans only, so those incentives are not in play. Perhaps they never will be. How much government intervention would still make sense? A smart growth advocate would say that the best plans are a partnership of business and government, a mix of residential and commercial, a sort of third way, so to speak. The partnership might lead to zoning changes, financial incentives, etc.

The market advocate responds that if the development wouldn’t happen privately, it probably shouldn’t happen at all. Ultimately, the government resources to make a project happen would be a misallocation.

We do not know how these proposals will continue to evolve, but the closer they hew to a limited role for government, the less likely Whitewater is to commit itself to an otherwise misdirected result. A private result, however, may not involve a balanced mixture of residential and commercial, but may significantly favor the former over the latter.

We may find that there will be less commercial development than we might have imagined.

If that’s what the private result would be, then I’m convinced that it would be the best one for us. It leaves a question though, to which we have not yet found an answer – how to provide broad opportunity for all parts of the community?

I would not ordinarily think that residential development, or retail, would be the obvious answers to that question.

Here’s a Felix the Cat cartoon from 1923. Entitled, “Felix the Cat Get Broadcasted,” it’s both an example of an emerging technology of the time, and a sci fi prediction of what might one day be possible. Enjoy.

Good morning, Whitewater

Today in 1950, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society, the first sporting event was held at Milwaukee Arena. Rocky Graziano defeated Vinnie Cidone after four rounds.

In our school district, there will be freshman orientations at the high school.

There will be a Police Day ceremony at 3 p.m. in the municipal building.

The National Weather Service predicts a chance of rain and a high of 60 degrees. The Farmers’ Almanac calls for stormy weather.

Over at libertarian magazine Reason’s online blog, David Weigel offers commentary on the Democratic primary battle, or what remains of it.

He thinks, as most pundits do, that Sen. Obama is the sure nominee.

Good morning, Whitewater

In our school district today, there will be a middle school band concert at the high school tonight.

The Farmers’ Almanac predicts that it will become stormy especially in the Great Lakes. The more flexible forecasting of the National Weather Service predicts a different prospect — mostly sunny and 62 degrees.

According to the Wisconsin Historical Society, in this day in 1891, Arthur J. Altmeyer was born, in DePere. I had never heard of him, but they describe him as the father of Social Security.

There’s an alternative approach on Social Security — that some or all of it could be privatized. Over at Cato, they have a post on a successful privatization approach from El Salvador, a country that has a private pension system.

It hardly seems politically possible to take that approach here, but it has worked well elsewhere.

Quick note: still typing away on notes from recent meetings. More soon.

I saw that the Irvin Young Library produced a small pamphlet highlighting some of the statistics from its 2007 annual report. I have advocated the construction of a larger library, and here are highlights from the pamphlet about services provided from the existing building:

These are impressive statistics for a community that much needs and benefits from a strong public library.

Front Page. There are three front page stories in the Register for the May 1st issue: “An Arbor Day with Special meaning,” a story about a rock for peace concert, and coverage of a suit against the building of a new Lakeland School in Elkhorn.

The arbor day story centers on the planting of a memorial tree, and includes two color photographs. The story about the concert describes a UW-Whitewater organization’s plans for a concert at Starin Park. The third story is about the rejection, at the appellate level, of a suit against construction of a new, larger Lakeland School in Elkhorn.

Inside. The Register lists headings inside for different areas of coverage: Community, School, Business, UW-Whitewater News, Health Matters, On the Record, Opinion, and Sports.

This seems like a more recent design change — the sections are more clearly indicated than I remember them being in the past. It makes the paper easier to read, certainly.

Will it spur more local coverage? If format sets the agenda, then the answer should be yes. If the format isn’t fixed and decided, but can shift based on content, then it won’t have that same influence of driving efforts to collect stories of a certain type.

Over time, additional local coverage should encourage more local readership, and more local ads. It only works if the focus on providing content for the different categories is diligent.

We’ll see.

Insert. There’s an insert in the Register called American Profile, sixteen pages long, in full color. It may not attract new readers to the paper, but it will likely provide additional value to some existing readers.

Good morning, Whitewater

In Wisconsin history today, in 1956, the 35th million car was produced at the GM plan in Janesville. That’s roughly six times as many cars as the current population of Wisconsin.

The National Weather Service predicts a probability of thunderstorms, with a high of 74 degrees. The Farmers’ Almanac predicts showers, followed by clearing. In a way, only half of the Farmers’ Almanac prediction of showers, then clearing is a true prediction. Starting out by predicting showers is a possibility, as against sunny skies, or light snow. But the second half, predicting clearing, is almost certain, sooner or later, following the original prediction.

It’s almost like a horoscope that says you’ll meet someone new — sooner or later, you will.

I’ve mentioned before that I think that the Farmers’ Almanac, although a private concern, operates more like a planning agency, by trying to forecast complex events like the weather up to a year in advance. One challenge with that kind of planning is the need to supply information for events far away in time.

That need leads to an appearance of specificity and precision (’followed by clearing’) that’s both inevitable and banal. The first part of the prediction might be right, but the second part’s just an obvious consequence of the first.

In our school district today, there will be senior awards in the high school auditorium this evening.

Good morning, Whitewater

There will be a Common Council meeting tonight, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

In Wisconsin history today, courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society, Orson Welles was born in Kenosha, in 1915.

According to the National Weather Service, it will be mostly sunny today with a high of 79 degrees. The Farmers’ Almanac predicts showers.

In our school district, there will be a PATT meeting at Washington School at 6:30 p.m.

I have a lot of notes to type up, for pending posts — more posting tomorrow. See you then.

There’s a story online at Newsweek entitled, “The Left Starts to Rethink Ronald Reagan.” The story features an interview with Sean Wilentz, a prominent liberal activist, who has been reconsidering Reagan’s legacy. (Wilnetz’s reconsideration follows Sen. Obama’s remarks that Reagan was a ‘transformational’ president.)

Wilnetz sees much that was positive in Reagan, and urges others on the left to do so.

Wilnetz might have noted that many of the right should reconsider Reagan, too. I am not sure that Reagan would recognize much of the party that he led so successfully.