Ooops, I thought I posted this . . . this is from a few weeks ago
I went to the Urban Design Commission Wednesday night for 2 projects and the most interesting one was the one sandwiched in between them.
From what I could piece together. . . T Wall has been working on this project for a year. There was one neighborhood meeting. When some people found out about the project they were upset and started organizing. Joe Clausius was basically condescending and didn’t listen to the neighbors, thinking he knew best (he repeats this again below). Alder-elect Samba Baldeh, within 24 hours of being elected and not yet sworn in, requested a delay for appropriate public input. Something that district hasn’t seemed to have had. Alder Joe Clausius, who was defeated after 8 years on the council replies below as well. The UDC ended up referring the item for 2 weeks to allow a meeting. After the meeting T Wall met with the neighbors in the hallway and they decided to meet at Sanborn (giggle, er, Sandburg) School on the 15th.
What’s interesting to me here is, given the number of people opposed to the project, its very likely that this might have cost Joe Clausius the election since he only lost by about 30 votes. 40 petitions were in hand at the Urban Design Commission meeting.
The other thing is that T Wall never fails to make me laugh. The letter below was sent out and I know about it because they blamed Sue Pastor for bringing Occupy Madison to Portage Rd. (not true, by the way, she may have been supportive, but really didn’t play that kind of role.) Anyways, Sue was concerned that this was really an elections piece and that T Wall had maxed out in his contributions to Clausius and she was concerned about the statements made in the letter. She confronted him and he claimed that he didn’t write the letter and “Joe” did. Clearly he wrote it, its full of typos and he spends 1/3 of the letter bragging. However, he had no clue who Sue was as he was talking to her. Did you know that he named the “far east side” of town himself. I think he invented chocolate and beer and well. Ok, I might be exaggerating, but he does say this “I have created more value, more jobs, more opportunity and more benefit on the Far East side than any other person in history. End of story.”
AUDIO
Here’s the audio from the meeting.
T WALL LETTER
To: Our Neighbors along Portage Road and in Churchill Heights
From: Terrance R. Wall, President
Re: New Portage Road Development
Date: April 2, 2015Dear Neighbor
Although we held a neighborhood meeting, we are all busy and some people may have missed the meeting, so I thought I would drop you a note to share some information on our upcoming development on Portage Rd.
Proposed Development
The proposed high-end luxury multi-family development is comprised three building totalling approximately 290 units. It will be built in three phases over three years, starting this summer. The buildings are multi-story and the community will have a club house and pool. (I would be open to considering allowing Churchill Heights and Portage Rd residents to use the pool and club house for a reasonable annual membership fee.) Only the narrow end of one single building will face Portage Rd and other buildings will be “hidden” farther into the site. Another feature of the development is a tremendous amount of permanent open space with nature trails that you, our neighbors, will be able to use and enjoy.All the buildings will have underground parking and two will have roof top decks facing east to the ?. There will also be a green open “square” in between two of the builsings.
Process and Zoning
The develop,ent process involves completeing the City of Madison review process, including plan commission and council, then staring construction (probably in July) constructing the first building over twelve month period, and then opening the summer of 2016. The property has already been annexed into the City of Madison and zoned for multi-family. Permanent zoning inis part of the process, but the property has temporary multi-family zoning and is legally permitted to develop multi-family.Residents
Our residents are mostly empty nesters (over age 55) or young urban professionals Half are age 30 or older and half are typically age 29 or younger. Many will undoubtedly be Epic Systems employees who wish to be located close to the airport since they travel during the week. It is also likely that many residents will be new employees of the new UW Hospital and the two new clinics located just across the highway. Typically half to the residents in our communities have income greater than $60,000, while 25% have incomes greater than $80l,000.Please in in mind that Dane County has a severe multi-family housing shortage and new residents are desperately in need of apartments.
Property Values
In every neighborhood where we have developed a mult-family community, the neighborhood has experienced an increase in property after our development opened. Our buildings, including this new development, are constructed of the highest quality materials, both inside and out, are of condo ownership quality level, and feature stainless steel appliances, solid surface counter tops, high ceilings, and much more. The development will be professionally managed by T. Wall Enterprises.Misinformation
Recently, many of you received a flier from Zach May. I need to inform you that many of the claims in his letter are simply false, and he never checked with us to verify his information. One wild example: He claimed our development required an upgrade to the water system, which would increase the water bill. This is absolutely false and demonstrates a gross misunderstanding of how a water system works. This particular false statement is petty stunning, given that I am responsible for getting the City of Madison to construct the High Crossing water tower that serves the entire Far East side. Even your cellular service in the area exists because of cellular towers that reside on my buildings and near the water tower that solicited and worked to get.I will not go into the many other false states Mr. May made, but I will point out that Churchill Heights is already located near a couple thousand apartments on Hayes Road., which do not have a negative impact on the neighborhood. In addition, our development will be required to pay substantial park fees that will be used to improve parks near our development, which benefit Portage Road and Churchill Heights residents.
Also, please keep in mind that approximately half of our residents will eventually move out and become home owners in the same neighborhood in which they were renters, thereby propping up values for single family homes in the area. The other half of our residents are lifestyle renters. In other words, thy choose to be renters because they desire the r=freedom of renting – they appreciate having the maintenance, lawn care, snow removal and other tasks professionally managed and taken care of for them. They also like the amenities that a community like our provides such as a pool and club house, community rooms, library, fitness center, game room and other extras that they can’t obtain by living in a single family home.
History
Maybe Mr. May was not aware of the history of T. Wall companies in the area. I grew up and still live here on the east side. I developed High Crossing Environ located just across the highway, which includes the Holborn Village and Camden Court mult9-family communities as well as the Park Bank building, Uno’s and all the other office buildings in High Crossing, along with the Johnson Bank building in American Center. I was the first developer to cross the interstate.Much of the growth and jobs created on the Far side over the last 25 years are the results of T. Wall developments. Also, my family business, Demco, is located on Hayes Road at Forrest Run Road (which I also had a hand in developing, having personally selected the site back in 1987) Demco and the other businesses located in my buildings employ thousands of hard working east siders. I also developed The Center for Industry &Commerce on Hanson Road just a short distance away. I also raised the donations for and developed the Glacier’s Edge Council of the Boy Scouts of America headquarters located in The Center for Industry & Commerce. I also developed the Target store on Lien Road, along with all the other retail stores at East Prairie Commons, in addition to constructing the Rocky Raccoco restaurant and redeveloping the retail center there, plus the Verizon Store building and building that houses multiple stores at Lien and E. Washington Avenue. I developed the American TV Center property as well.
I also convinced the Department of Transportation to design and construct the High Crossing exit and on ramp to the Interstate as well as what they call a “collector-distributor” interchange design that many of you drive on each day. I also stopped Waste Management from opening a garbage landfill on Nelson Road on the other side of the interstate. In addition, I developed two city parks in the area and actively lobbied for the bike trail that now exists. East Washington Ave was beautified and has upgraded decorative lights and other upgraded components because of my active participation on the original East Washington Avenue Committee that planned the design and reconstruction with the state.
Finally, the business community in the East Town Mall areas exists today because I organized and founded the Far East Side Business Association for the purpose of promoting jobs and improvements in our area at a time when almost all the city’s funding for infrastructure and improvements was going tot eh far west side.
When everyone in the city said that the east side was dead and that the only place to be was the west died, I refused to buy into that, and I lobbied the City to draft new neighborhood plans and significant infrastructure on the east side that is now taken for granted (including the resurfacing of Hansen Road). I have developed over 380,000 square feet of office space and five retail centers along with over 160 apartments on the Far East side, along with being the person that actually gave the area its name., the “Far East side”, to distinguish it from the “east side”.
Finally, I was the first private person in the State of Wisconsin to create new wetlands (located behind Target) that are now held up as a model of wetlands create by the Army Corps of Engineers. I am also the only developers to ever receive the Governor’s Award for Energy Efficiency (from Governor Doyle) in recognition for our pioneering green efforts in development.
So, when Zach May moves into the district, which I personally developers over the last 25 years, and then claims that somehow I cam going to damage it, harm it or reduce the value of it, I sure would appreciate it if he checked his history and facts and maybe, just maybe, give me the benefit of the doubt since I have created more value, more jobs, more opportunity and more benefit on the Far East side than any other person in history. End of story.
I want to add that Alderperson Joe Clausius has been in integral part of the improving of the east side. In your neighborhood park, he added a shelter, and ADA compliant walking path and a new drinking fountain. Joe also worked to construct the new splash pad at Rhindahl Park. He is now hard at work encouraging city planning for a new east side branch library. He is one of the hardest working alders for district 17 at a time when the East Towne Mall area is under assault by Sun Prairie’s new retail ?. Ironically, his opponent’s campaign treasurer, Sue Pastor, helped move Occupy Madison into your neighborhood two years ago.
Conclusion
IN conclusion, in contrast to the scare tactics that two residents have chosen to present, I hope you will consider all the facts and positive benefits that my developments have brought to the Far East side. This development will proceed per the City of Madion’s approved plans and it will be of the utmost quality in nature.Thank you.
Email from Samba Baldeh
I am sorry that I cannot attend tonight’s Urban Design Commission but as alder elect for this district I understand neighbors have significant concerns and that there are also important issues raised in the staff report. This development really represents a gateway to what will be increasing development in this area and it is very important to get it right. I therefore respectfully request that UDC refer this item to a later date so I can work with the neighborhood and the developer as well as staff to arrive at the best possible solution for our future.
Al Martin, the staff says that in response to that he got an email from Joe Clausius. Who apparently knows better than everyone else what the neighborhood needs.
Al-
Please don’t refer T Wall’s apartment project. The new UW hospital is opening in August and we desperately need market rate housing in that area. Plus FSC is on board with the project and T Wall restoring the creek. The Zach guy moved into that neighborhood a few months ago (Zach says it was 2 years ago) and has done nothing but cause trouble. Plus he supported my opposition. I am still the alder and I know what’s best for the area. Please call me.
Lovely. What a mess.
