Editorial: Waukesha County balancing act

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, June 18, 2006

Propped against a wall in one of our offices is a framed old advertisement for "The Lake Region of Waukesha County, Wisconsin," aimed at Chicago-area folks. It's essentially a lovely map of northwestern Waukesha County, depicting an area of lakes, railroad tracks, a few roads and clusters of villages. It also provides a list of hotels and summer resorts for vacationers and points out that "all these lakes and resorts are within four hours ride of Chicago via the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway." Quaint old Waukesha County.

No more. Not for a long time. The new Waukesha County and especially the new western Waukesha County is coming faster and with more force than a speeding train. Thursday's announcement that the owners of Wauwatosa's Mayfair Mall plan to build a 1 million-square-foot development at the Pabst Farms site near I-94 and Highway 67 in Oconomowoc is just one more sign - although perhaps the biggest yet - of the continuing transformation of the county.

That transformation has been going on for a while now, but it seems to be gathering a head of steam, and that's good. Without economic growth and the new businesses and jobs growth brings, the region will be unable to compete in the global marketplace. Economic development may bring a lot of headaches, but they are good headaches to have.

Oconomowoc city officials should do what they can - and they no doubt will - to make sure this proposal moves forward. That includes ensuring that Aurora Health Care's longtime effort to build a hospital on some of the very same land goes nowhere. We still believe that the area doesn't need another hospital right now, but if one does get built, it shouldn't be in Pabst Farms.

The Pabst Farms development isn't the only area shopping center proposal. Just last month, Delafield developer Robert Lang announced plans for a $200 million lifestyle center at Highway C and I-94. And at the other end of the county, Brookfield Square near I-94 and Moorland Road is undergoing a major renovation. There might be losers in the shopping center race, but the race itself is a good indication of a healthy demand.

By the way, be sure to notice the I-94 thread in all this; the gap between Milwaukee and Madison is being filled in. The essential question is what shape that will take.

No one wants all of quaint old Waukesha County to go away. The county will never again be called "Cow County, U.S.A.," but holding on to the Lake Country title would be a good thing. Becoming known as "Strip Mall County, U.S.A." - or worse, "Blue Mound Road Corridor, U.S.A." - would be a bad thing.

Encourage development. Push for the corporate headquarters and branch offices and small businesses the county needs. Bring in those new workers and build the new subdivisions they'll want to live in and the shopping centers where they'll want to shop. Maintain the quality of the schools, and make sure the roads will take them where they want to go; that means doing the necessary freeway work, such as rebuilding the Zoo Interchange, sooner rather than later.

But set aside some land, too, as open space and parkland to maintain the quality of life that area residents enjoy now. Under the leadership of former County Executive Dan Finley, the county purchased certain properties to keep them green and out of the hands of developers. County Executive Dan Vrakas and the County Board need to keep doing that, as should municipalities, where it's warranted.

Local governments and the county should also explore programs such as purchase-of-development-rights programs, aimed at preserving farmland. And developers and local governments should consider offering home buyers a broader array of options, such as the conservation subdivision proposed for the former Rainbow Springs property, which sadly, got a cold shoulder recently from officials in the town of East Troy, nearby in Walworth County.

No, quaint old Waukesha County won't be coming back. But if residents are smart enough and careful enough and work together, they can find the right balance between that old quaintness and a promising future.