EAST TOSA NORTH AVenUE PLAN WAUWATOSA EAST TOWN NORTH AVE PLAN ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS e are grateful for the help and friendship of many people during the preparation of this plan. We especially appreciate the help and insight of Nancy Welch, Tammy Szudy, and Jen Ferguson of the Community Development Department; the dedicated leadership of Ed Haydin and Meg Miller; the W willingness of North Avenue’s community of great businesses to talk with us about their hopes for North Avenue; Mayor Didien’s sharing her time to discuss her vision of the East Tosa district; the creativity of Bill Wehrley in guiding some of our thinking about the transportation environment; and everyone who completed the survey, came to a meeting, attended in workshops, or participated in this project in any way. It has been a great pleasure to be welcomed as part of the East Tosa community. We also thank Al and Susie Brkich for making their wonderful bakery and coffee shop available for meetings, and for making some of the world’s best pizza. It has been a great pleasure to be welcomed as part of the East Tosa community. CITY OF WAUWATOSA EAST TOSA ALLIANCE BOARD NORTH AVENUE PLAN PARTICIPANTS Jill Didier, Mayor Ed Haydin, Planning Chair The following community members participated in the Common Council: Meg Miller planning process and meetings: Michael Phillips Ben Clark Kathy Ehley Karl Schreiber Peter Donegan Bobby Pantuso Kate Hill David Glazer Linda Nikcevich Michael Walsh Joe Stack David Wacholz Mary Perry Jeanne Babuka Eric Meaux Brian Ewerdt Courtney Stack Donald Horaits Jennifer Nebbia Kathleen Causier Jeffrey Roznowski John Sandvik Kimberly Jahnke Barb Blaney Bob Nicol Tim Hanson Donald Birschel Matthew Stippich Susie Brkich Michael Wolaver Jacqueline Jay Cheryl Berdan Julia Carpenter Tom McCormick Alex Brkich Joel Tilleson Dennis McBride Jason Wilke Bobby Pantuso Amy Gilsper Kelly Ott Carolyn McCarthy Jill Organ Craig Wilson Tyra Hildebrand Jessica Brittingham Gloria Stearns RDG PLAnning & DESign David Wall Barb Ginger Jen Hardman Administration: Carolyn Esswein Luke Perry Michael Zirbel James Archambo, City Manager Martin H. Shukert FAICP, Principal Planner Julie Walker Heidi Ladd Guy Landgraf Nancy Welch AICP, Community Development Cory Scott AICP, Planner Maureen Badding Jennifer Brown Laure DeMattia Katherine Lazarski Director Ben Iwen, Plan and Concept Graphics Norman Wahn Gary Dalton Bill Wehrley, PE, Acting Public Works Director Sonja Carter, Graphic Design Karri Tait Katie Claxton Robyn Vining David Dahlquist, Art Concepts Sue Venturi Linda Nikcevich Deb Kruse Dick Bond 2 3| NORTH AvenUE MARKETS EAST TOSA NORTH AVE PLAN TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION . 5 CHAPTER 1 | FRAMEWORK .............. 7 CHAPTER 2 | NORTH AVENUE TODAY .... 13 CHAPTER 3 | NORTH AVENUE MARKETS . 23 CHAPTER 4 | PLANNING PROCESS ....... 43 CHAPTER 5 | THE PLAN . 51 CHAPTER 6 | ImplemenTATION ......... 81 3 WAUWATOSA EAST TOWN NORTH AVE PLAN 4 3| NORTH AvenUE MARKETS orth Avenue in East Tosa is a remarkable community incremental development. INTRODUCTION street – remarkable for the variety of goods, services, Nfood, and experiences that it offers. Fast food to fine din- Despite these distinctive characteristics, many people who love ing; friendly neighborhood pubs to iconic neighborhood baker- North Avenue and are its natural supporters believe that it falls ies and coffee shops; Milwaukee’s best malts and best pizza – all short of its potential. They understand the fragility of a diverse are here on North Avenue. High performance bicycles for rac- and stable business base and the critical need to maintain a ing, commuting, or simple pleasure; party supplies and gourmet safe, comfortable, and delightful environment. They believe that food to make a special event festive; fine guitars; pet fish; paint long-term success lies in viewing the East Tosa district as a des- and home improvement supplies; auto services; vintage and tination – a place that people go to, rather than move through. new clothes; African art; lamps; health care; coins; music – cus- The vision statement of the North Avenue Neighborhood Alli- tomers can find them all on the district’s sixteen blocks. North ance, made up of five neighborhood organizations and a busi- Avenue is truly a street of pleasant surprises and great diversity. ness association, expresses the potential of the trade district suc- cinctly: The North Avenue business district is also remarkable for its con- nection to residents of surrounding neighborhoods. People East Tosa is a progressive, walkable, urban community of- who live around North Avenue are passionate about the dis- fering niche shopping and dining experiences intercon- trict and committed to its economic and physical health. They necting with vibrant, established neighborhoods. understand how the strength of the district increases the value of their property and the quality of their neighborhood. Con- The North Avenue business district in East Tosa faces challenges sequently, they have been unusually involved in efforts to im- in accomplishing this vision. One of the most difficult is its length prove North Avenue’s economic wellbeing. Moreover, many of – it is very difficult to maintain cohesion in a sixteen block linear North Avenue’s business owners and entrepreneurs live in the district. However, in our work on this East Tosa North Avenue stra- surrounding neighborhood. tegic plan, we have watched how the street works and feels, and believe that much of the street comes very close to fulfilling the Finally, North Avenue is remarkable for its physical context. The Alliance’s vision. Clearly, work needs to be done to secure North street has a scale and feel to it that give it a special quality. While Avenue’s economic and environmental future and, with that, to not a traditional, transit-oriented “main street,” the street pres- sustain the quality of its surrounding neighborhoods. This work ence of its commercial buildings and homes creates a pleasant is strategic and focused in nature – it involves efforts and invest- and intimate environment. The district’s structures, from the Ar- ments that can be accomplished with available resources. These cade Building of 1928 to the late-1940s moderne design of Ted’s actions, in turn, can trigger desirable private sector responses and to contemporary auto-oriented development, are different but investments. not chaotic; subtle night lighting adds to the street’s character. Adjacent neighborhoods, with beautifully designed and main- This document provides a coordinated approach to the contin- tained bungalows and other classic styles on closely spaced ur- ued, positive development of North Avenue as an integral part ban lots, complement the street’s urbanity. The boundaries be- of Wauwatosa and the Milwaukee metropolitan region, based on tween commercial and residential uses are also carefully tended the insights and participation of people with the greatest stake in to avoid the land use conflicts that can both degrade neighbor- its future – its businesses and residents. We hope that it proves a hoods and constrain business operations. The result is a genuine worthy tool as this intriguing and vital district moves forward. mixed use urban neighborhood that evolved from many years of 5 WAUWATOSA EAST TOWN NORTH AVE PLAN 6 CHAPTer 1FRAMEWORK 7 WAUWATOSA EAST TOWN NORTH AVE PLAN THE FRAmewORK near the street property line. A combination of traditional and contemporary “build-to” pat- orth Avenue historically developed as one of Milwau- • terns. Buildings built out to the street line about 44% of the kee’s major east-west corridors, with land use patterns street frontage in commercial part of the district between heavily influenced by transit service. By 1917, Milwau- N 60th and Lefeber Streets, while 33% of this street frontage is kee Electric streetcar service extended along North Avenue from adjacent to parking lots. Yards of buildings or houses set back Lake Drive to about Lisbon Avenue, helping to generate the from the street take up the remaining street frontage. Street higher-density commercial corridor pattern evident along the definition by buildings is somewhat greater and adjacent street. Electric service continued west to 60th Street, and was parking less dominant on the south side of the street. converted to trolley bus operation by 1938. However, North Av- • Small-scale one- and two-story commercial or mixed use enue west of 60th Street was never a rail corridor, instead served buildings, except for the Lutheran Home. About two-thirds of by connecting buses as the city of Wauwatosa grew during the North Avenue’s commercial buildings are single-story. 1920s. Rail transit instead ran to the Village of Wauwatosa, the A number of houses converted to commercial use, sometimes town’s traditional center, operating along Lloyd Street until 1933 • with extension of storefront additions to the street line. and Wells Street until 1958. • Close and exceedingly well-managed boundaries between The 1920s were a period of dramatic growth for Wauwatosa, as residential and commercial uses. On the north side, an alley its population grew from 5,818 in 1920 to 21,194 in 1930. The separates the commercial corridor and residential streets be- East Towne, Inglewood Heights, and Pabst Park neighborhoods, tween 60th and 65th, 66th and 69th, and 71st and 74th. The adjacent to North Avenue between 60th and 76th Streets, de- south side of the street lacks an intervening alley. Despite this, veloped during this pivotal period. The 1920s also brought normal external effects of adjacent commercial development, such as loading, storage, and waste disposal, are extremely major commercial development along North Avenue, includ- well-controlled. ing the mixed use Arcade Building (1928) with its bowling al- ley, stores, offices, and apartments; and the National Tea grocery • Small-lot single-family development behind the commercial store (1927), an early supermarket that partially burned in 1993 corridor, oriented to north-south streets. Typical lot width is and is now the site of Walter’s Restaurant.