PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THE CONTENT OF THIS PAGE IS BASED SOLEY ON OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE SITUATIONS DISCUSSED BELOW. OUR OPINIONS HAVE BEEN FORMED BASED ON INFORMATION WE HAVE GATHERED FROM PUBLIC MEETINGS OF THE CITY OF CEDARBURG AND OUR PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS DERIVED FROM OUR EXPERIENCE LIVING IN THIS CITY. WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH, COME TO YOUR OWN CONCLUSIONS AND BECOME MORE ACTIVE IN THE FUTURE OF CEDARBURG.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- WHO ARE WE?
- WHAT IS OVERDEVELOPMENT?
- HOW MANY HOUSING UNITS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED OR ARE UNDER DEVELOPMENT?
- HOW MANY ADDITIONAL HOUSING UNITS ARE CURRENTLY SEEKING APPROVAL?
- WHAT PROBLEMS DOES OVERDEVELOPMENT CAUSE?
- WHAT IS THE SOLUTION?
- HOW DO WE ACCOMPLISH THIS?
- WHY ORGANIZE NOW?
- WHAT CAN I DO?
WHO ARE WE?
WE ARE YOU.
We are fellow residents of Cedarburg. Some of us have lived here all of our lives, some for only a few years. We all have different backgrounds and interests. Our common thread is that we choose to live here because we love Cedarburg. We are you.
We have united as a group due to a shared concern that too many residential developments have been built in too short a period of time, with more high density developments being proposed. This before we even know the impact of the housing units under construction or recently built and not yet fully occupied. We are you.
We are beginning to see the negative effects of the developments approved and concerned that the ones in progress will magnify these effects. Furthermore we feel the need to have a unified voice to successfully prevent any more higher density housing development within our city’s boundaries and possibly beyond to future annexed land. We are you.
We take as our model, Mayor Stephen Fischer. In the 1970’s developers had their sights set on Cedarburg. They wanted to tear down the beautiful buildings that give our city its charm. They argued they could raise more tax money by “modernizing” Cedarburg. Many other established villages and small towns lost their quaintness when developers tore down their beautiful old, historic buildings during this period. Cedarburg itself had already lost some of its own. Mayor Fischer stood up to the developers. He and a group of residents stopped the destruction and preserved this amazing jewel of a community.
Nobody is directly threatening the buildings in the historic district at this time. However, we believe that continued overdevelopment in the area will permanently damage downtown Cedarburg. A congested, unattractive, unsafe, unvisitable, city is not what any of us want.
WE ARE YOU.
WHAT IS OVERDEVELOPMENT?
BUILDING MORE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT THAN THE CITY CAN SUPPORT.
HOW MANY HOUSING UNITS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED OR ARE UNDER DEVELOPMENT?
197 Cedar Place apartments
158 Fairway Village
230 Fox Run
350 Stonewall Farms (Town of Grafton with Cedarburg School system impact)
69 The Glen at Cedar Creek
110 Hamilton House Assisted Living
72 Stone Lake Condos to be constructed starting this fall
___
1186 Total Residences
Vehicle Impact: Estimated 2,372 vehicles added to the Cedarburg traffic patterns.
All this development has come within the past 6 or 7 years.
WE HAVE NO IDEA HOW BAD CONGESTION IN THE CITY AND IN THE SCHOOLS WILL BE UNTIL THESE IN-PROGRESS DEVELOPMENTS ARE FULLY POPULATED.
YET BEFORE WE KNOW HOW BAD IT WILL GET, THERE ARE MORE DEVELOPMENTS SEEKING APPROVAL.
HOW MANY ADDITIONAL HOUSING UNITS ARE CURRENTLY SEEKING APPROVAL?
90 Amcast site (forecasted)
439 Neuman Development (NW corner of Hwy 60 and Sheboygan Rd)
207 Mandel Development (SE corner of Hwy 60 and Sheboygan Rd)
Plus we now have 39+ acres for sale SW of Hwy 60 and Sheboygan Rd. This could easily add an additional 200 to 400 households.
Let us not forget all of the residential building taking place outside of the city boundaries. All of these projects will contribute to our traffic problems, infrastructure needs and the need to build more schools.
AFTER THESE DEVELOPMENTS, ARE WE DONE? IT APPEARS NOT.
Our current Plan Commission and some members of our Common Council are determined to add yet more growth to the City of Cedarburg.
If you think Cedarburg is almost through with adding new developments beyond these, think again. The Plan Commission is looking to add, through annexation from the Town of Cedarburg, hundreds of additional acres they could zone as medium density residential developments. Hundreds of additional residents would be added beyond the developments proposed that we are currently fighting against. During Plan Commission meetings and Common Council meetings, your Mayor(s) and other representatives have tried to minimize the impact of developments by stating that we only had a very small amount of land that was left to be developed. These statements to the citizens, due to recent developments, can no longer be relied upon.
Please go to the City of Cedarburg website. Click on the Plan Commission Agenda for August 5, 2024. Amid the plethora of data presented, you will find references to SGA’s 9, 13, and 15. These are all parcels of land the city is considering in the Land Use Plan for possible annexation and development in the future..
WHAT PROBLEMS DOES OVERDEVELOPMENT CAUSE?
TRAFFIC CONGESTION / GRIDLOCK
We have but one lane each way handling all of the traffic through the downtown. There are no other options available to handle that traffic.
Anyone that drives through Downtown Cedarburg during our heavy traffic times has already noticed the gridlock we experience is getting worse and worse. This occurs during traditional rush hours and on the weekends when visitors drive through. Those of us that live here are all too familiar with this problem.
Every increase in traffic flow also increases the dangers pedestrians and bicyclists face trying to safely cross our streets.
Cedarburg has enjoyed a tremendous reputation as a perfect little city to visit. It has earned this, in no small part, due to its small town feel. Lots of diverse shops. convenient parking, low traffic, and small town atmosphere. Compared to some quaint little villages in Door County, Cedarburg feels like a relaxing, walkable visit.
Door County towns are comparatively stressful. Like Cedarburg, these are destination, tourist towns. Long lines of bumper to bumper traffic, congested sidewalks, crowded shops and restaurants with long wait times fill those towns. Many people avoid visiting Door County for these reasons. We do not want to see Cedarburg become a place to avoid. We want to preserve its attraction as a tourist destination and preserve the lifestyle it affords to those of us that have chosen to live here.
SCHOOL OVERCROWDING LEADING TO A NEED FOR NEW SCHOOLS
The argument has been made by members of the Plan Commission and the Common Council that our schools have a declining enrollment and can take on the added numbers that even more development will bring. Suggestions have been put forward at these meetings such as temporary classrooms and piecemeal additions to schools with larger class sizes.
If you have, or plan to have, children in the Cedarburg school district, take the time to talk to teachers to get their opinions on the above suggestions. You are likely to get an earful.
We are very proud of our excellent school system, consistently ranked in the top 10 in the state. What a shame if that reputation is sullied by overcrowding our schools.
Of course, eventually, the solution to over crowding our schools will come in the form of additional schools being constructed at a large cost to us all in the form of tax increases.
PROPERTY TAX INCREASES
Arguments FOR development have been made in the press and at meetings of the Plan Commission and the Common Council touting the increases in tax revenues these developments will produce. Unfortunately these revenues will be offset by the additional costs incurred by servicing the increases in population. When costs exceed revenues your taxes go up.
We are close to a tipping point in our infrastructure. We could get by with what we have for an extended period of time with our current population. But adding even a small increase in population beyond that point, could force a much greater amount of spending (your taxes go up) compared to the small amount of additional revenue. If you hear someone assert that we will have a net increase in tax revenue, ask to see the numbers. Ask how much your taxes will go down if the developments go through. Get that in writing.
THERE MUST BE A REASON SOME PEOPLE FAVOR INCREASED DEVELOPMENT.
WON’T DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES DO MUCH BETTER IF A LOT MORE PEOPLE ARE LIVING IN THE CITY?
Not necessarily, once again, we are approaching that tipping point right now due to all the recently constructed developments that are still filling in. Overcrowding Washington Avenue with cars, and sidewalks with people, will make those downtown businesses less attractive to residents and tourists alike. Long wait times at establishments further pushes people to other communities that are more relaxed and convenient.
While bars and restaurants are attractive to all types of people, the quaint shops that line Washington Avenue mostly cater to out-of-towners. When these potential customers are turned off by over crowding, more and more of these shops could fail. As we have seen, when these types of businesses fail, we find more businesses like bars moving into these spaces because they thrive no matter what the tourist percentage of the crowds are.
We appreciate the bars and restaurants that have moved into buildings that previously housed the closed up retailers, but we need a healthy balance of quaint retail if we hope to Preserve the ambiance that has made Cedarburg a nationally recognized treasure.
The bottom line: If a business has a strong business model, great product, great service, great environment, and fair price, residents and out of towners will support that business. Especially in Cedarburg. This city is one of the most attractive small towns in the state, in the Midwest, and yes, in the nation.
WHAT IS THE SOLUTION?
BAD NEWS AND GOOD NEWS
THE BAD NEWS:
There are no practical solutions to the traffic/pedestrian issues we experience in our downtown. Our historic street patterns were set in stone at a time when nobody could imagine the level of population or the number and types of vehicles to come.
We cannot widen Washington Avenue.
We have no room to add roundabouts.
Pedestrian safety could be improved with speed tables, additional stoplights and lower speed limits. However, slowing traffic also has the side effect of further increasing gridlock.
The only practical way to bypass Cedarburg is Hwy 181 (Wauwatosa Rd.), but this road is also experiencing traffic problems as it is. Do we re-open an old wound and try to expand Hwy 181? That effort generated massive resistance when it was proposed in the recent past and would likely face the same in the future.
More cars are being added to our streets every day as current housing projects are completed and occupied. It's a given, traffic concerns will only increase as housing units, people, and vehicles, multiply.
Once a housing development is approved by city officials, there is no turning back. If it is realized, after the fact, that Cedarburg cannot sustain the added population, there is no option to tear the housing down. This is why we must not approve any new projects until we have fixed the problems stemming from existing developments. We must not approve any annexation, any new developments, until we have ready solutions in place to the problems they will pose.
THE GOOD NEWS:
We have a voice in these decisions. We can prevent additional overdevelopment. We can minimize pedestrian/traffic problems, reduce the need for higher taxes with additional schools and infrastructure, and maintain the integrity and charm of our city.
We can do this with a collective, strong voice to our civic leaders.
HOW DO WE ACCOMPLISH THIS?
We feel that the City of Cedarburg should not expand its current borders. No annexation of Town Lands which by the addition of Cedarburg Water and Sewer, allows these developers to build higher density housing.
Furthermore, any lands currently in the City of Cedarburg should not be zoned for, nor approved for any residential development beyond our standard single family zoning restrictions.
The City of Cedarburg should instead, consider zoning these properties for the benefit of our currently underserved population. This land can be zoned for commercial uses such as restaurants, bistros, hotels, entrepreneur incubators, sports training facilities, etc. Some of this land could also be purchased by the city for a new senior center, soccer fields or other civic needs. Some of this land should also remain as it is, agricultural or natural. As is, this undeveloped land forms a natural buffer around our city, preserving our unique identity and preventing Cedarburg from disappearing into just another contiguous suburban sprawl.
The city can also prevent school overcrowding by changing its policies regarding the acceptance of an unlimited amount of students from other municipalities and townships..
WHY ORGANIZE NOW?
Cedarburg has just officially begun the process of developing the 2025 Land Use Plan. This plan is required by State Law. The plan will be used to guide decisions on zoning and annexation of additional city property over the next ten years.
This plan can be developed in a way that preserves Cedarburg OR the plan could jeopardize Cedarburg’s future.
By law, this plan must be developed with the inclusion of PUBLIC INPUT.
A resolution has already been passed by the Common Council to put together a plan of what that public input will include. We need to make sure that all residents of Cedarburg are made aware of the critical nature of these decisions.
Up to this point, the Plan Commission and the Common Council have acted with little public involvement. Only those people who sought out information as to the decisions being made by our local government were privy to this information. As far as we know this is not some devious plot designed to keep the public away. This is just how it has always been done. That is how we got to the point that we have.
In order for someone to find out what was going on in city government, that person would have to seek out the official website and search for information leading to various meeting agendas. The city’s website has recently added an option to opt in to automatic emails alerting residents to government activities. But still, it requires one to proactively seek out the information. The majority of people will not make that effort because they are not aware that a city website exists.
A much better approach would be for the government to reach out proactively to the citizens in all matters that will / could have great effect on their lives. Because this is not the practice, many of us have been surprised when we saw massive housing projects being erected around town and shockingly, in the shadow of the Historic Downtown. We were not paying close enough attention to the process that allowed these things to happen. We did not know that we could have added our voice to the decision process that could have made these projects less onerous. We did not know how. That needs to change. All of us need to ensure greater transparency and citizen involvement if we want to preserve the city we love.
The city considers the News Graphic as the official notification vehicle for our government. Yet many do not subscribe, and even if they do, they do not read through the boiler plate legal notices in the back printed in the smallest font available.
WHAT CAN I DO?
PUT UP A SIGN
Putting a sign on your lawn is the easiest way to communicate to tourists, to residents, and to city officials, that you agree we must preserve Cedarburg.
We are asking for a $10 donation per sign. The cost per sign is approximately $14. We are simply asking, not requiring your donation, to help cover the costs.
What is most important is to spread the message to every corner of the city! It is critical the residents of this city, and those that visit and love this city, understand this is not simply a concern for the northeast part of Cedarburg. All of this city will be impacted if we allow for continued over development. Preserve Cedarburg, the city we love and many adore.
CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE
The number of citizens that actually take the time to contact their Council representative is very small. This is unfortunate. The good news about that is your voice will carry a lot of weight. You may not get a reply right away because these representatives have full time jobs, families etc. in addition to their civic duties…
…WHICH BRINGS UP A VERY IMPORTANT POINT…
Your representative is also your neighbor. They take their responsibility very seriously even though they might not share your points of view on one issue or another. We must start with the assumption they are operating with the best of intentions. They may or may not bring up counter points to what you are expressing in order to gauge your reaction. This should not be construed as being argumentative.
They should welcome a mutually respectful, neighborly conversation about whatever topic you have concerns about. They cannot represent the citizens in their district without knowing the opinions of those citizens. Please respectfully provide them.
Contact information for the Mayor and all Common Council members are available at…
cityofcedarburg.wi.gov
Click for menu
Click on Government
Click on common council
names with phone numbers are there
…OR CLICK ON OUR CONTACT PAGE
WATCH YOUR MAIL FOR SURVEY FROM CITY
As a part of the statutory requirement for Public Input for the 2025 Land Use Plan, the city may mail out a survey to every resident. We will do our best to keep you informed of their plans.
ATTEND SPECIAL TOWN HALL MEETINGS / FOCUS GROUPS
The Building Committee has not yet come up with a plan for gathering public input on the Land Use Plan. If a part of this plan is to hold Town Hall meeting(s) and/or hold focus group, please attend. This meeting or meetings should not have the same limitations on speaking time that Common Council or Plan Commission meetings have. If you do not believe that your voice has been heard or taken seriously, let them know that too.
HELP US DO OUR JOB BETTER
As stated above, none of us involved in trying to Preserve Cedarburg are professional organizers, website developers, etc. If you have some skills to offer to assist us in this endeavor, please let us know. Help is very welcome.
TALK TO FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS
This is an easy one. Fill that next lull in any conversation with the topic of preserving Cedarburg. Every time somebody mentions how much they love living here, ask them if they still will feel that way when traffic downtown is grid-locked or their taxes increase.
TALK TO TEACHERS
They will tell you the truth regarding the dangers of over-crowding the classrooms.
ATTEND PLAN COMMISSION / COMMON COUNCIL MEETINGS
These meetings take place regularly. They are announced on the City’s website along with the agendas. Even if you do not comfortable speaking at these meetings, your presence speaks volumes. It indicates that the citizenry is concerned.
These meetings can be attended via Zoom as well.
SPEAK AT PLAN COMMISSION / COMMON COUNCIL MEETINGS
Your voice will help even more.
Speaking off camera via zoom can be less stressful for those who may be initially shy about public speaking.
SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES
Those beautiful buildings downtown take a large amount of money to maintain. The businesses that occupy them are paying for that upkeep either directly or via lease payments. We all need to find a way to steer as much of our purchase power to Cedarburg businesses. Let these business owners know that we have and will continue to keep them vibrant. Let them know that you feel that overcrowding the city is not the answer to having a successful business.
HELP US KEEP CEDARBURG “-ABLE”
WALK-ABLE
PARK-ABLE
DRIVE-ABLE
ADORE-ABLE
RELAX-ABLE
LIVE-ABLE
BIKE ABLE
LOVE-ABLE
ENJOY-ABLE
FEST-ABLE
MANAGE-ABLE