ST FRANCIS, Wis. — A group of St. Francis residents is pushing back against a proposed high-rise development in an area known as The Triangle, saying the current plans don't reflect what the community envisioned during public input sessions nearly a decade ago.
Watch: St. Francis residents push back against high-rise plan for The Triangle
The residents, who call themselves Community for the Triangle, are concerned about a development proposal that includes 13-story and five-story apartment buildings, along with parking garages and additional parking spaces.
"Once this decision is made, we have one chance of getting this right," said resident Mari Haven during a Monday morning meeting of the group.
The controversy stems from a disconnect between current proposals and a city plan created in 2015-2017 with input from residents themselves. Back then, community pushback successfully stopped plans to move the library.
Haven said the group is now hoping for the same outcome.
The group isn't against development entirely, Haven said, but believes the current proposal doesn't fit the area's needs or the original wants of the community that lived here 10 years ago.
“Our concern is that this current plan is not in alignment of what the city actually envisioned for this property. We owe it to the St.Francis residents to do the right thing,” Haven said.
"We are just asking the city to be more transparent and involve the community a lot more," Haven said.
Haven discovered the high-rise plans on her own by reviewing a city meeting agenda over the summer. She said residents didn't receive emails or newsletters from the city about the proposal, asking for more transparency from elected officials as well as more opportunities to be heard on this specific topic.
The group has collected more than 200 signatures and has plans to speak during public comment at upcoming meetings. They're advocating for small businesses, healthcare facilities, and green space instead of high-rises.
"Let's slow down on this a little bit and let's make sure we do the right thing. And we want to put something here that will actually help the tax base. Apartments will not do that," Haven said.
TMJ4 reached out to the mayor, who said he doesn't have more to say until he gets more information in March, but that he's heard from residents on both sides of the issue.
The group is asking the planning commission to stop the plan before it moves forward to the common council.
"Because we know once that gets approved, we will have to live with that for decades and decades to come," Haven said.
For these neighbors, time is of the essence as they work to ensure their voices are heard in the development process.
Haven encourages other residents to contact city officials, alder people by email or call. You can also find out more information on Community for the Triangle, the original comprehensive plans for the city, as well as the proposed plans by clicking into any of the hyperlinks.
“Let them know your thoughts. Whether you agree or disagree, the conversation is the most important part.”
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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