A reworked plan to modernize Milwaukee’s zoning code cleared its second major hurdle Tuesday, gaining unanimous approval from the city’s Zoning, Neighborhood and Development Committee (ZND) after a year of revisions and public debate.
Originally known as the Growing MKE plan, the initiative was launched in 2023 by the city’s Department of City Development (DCD), aiming to overhaul the city’s zoning code in an effort to boost and diversify the city’s housing stock and relieve some of the city’s affordability challenges.
Last summer, the plan faced significant opposition from some residents and waning political support from Common Council members, resulting in more community engagement and a new draft plan released last month with scaled-back recommendations and a new name, “Milwaukee’s Comprehensive Plan: Housing Element.”
The initiative marks the first update to the city’s zoning code since 2001.
“These archaic codes that we have right now are just simply not working,” said Ald. Mark Chambers, who sponsored the legislative file. “We have far too many vacant lots, we have far too many desolate houses, and we have a lot of creative individuals in this city that are eager to try and do something different from the former status quo.”
What’s in the plan
The Housing Element retains several key ideas from the original proposal:
- Allowing townhomes on all residential parcels;
- Permitting accessory dwelling units (ADUs) throughout the city;
- Supporting cottage courts, or clusters of small homes around a shared courtyard;
- Reducing technical zoning barriers, such as minimum lot sizes, to enable more housing development.
However, the more ambitious elements of the original plan—such as legalizing two- and three-family homes citywide or permitting fourplexes in specific areas—were removed. A proposal to allow small apartment buildings near transit corridors was also dropped months ago, although the Common Council separately approved a new RT5 zoning designation last month for apartment buildings between five and eight units.
Public comments in opposition to the Growing MKE plan last summer generally centered around the city’s public engagement efforts, gentrification, displacement, change of neighborhood character and creating more opportunities for “slumlords” to buy up housing in the city.
In response to that, a “benefit and harm analysis” was also prepared to document the potential impacts of the plan’s strategies, ways to track impacts and methods to mitigate unintended consequences.
Further, the city’s existing anti-displacement plan and affordable housing strategic plan would both be added to the comprehensive plan as part of the Housing Element, which city staff said would give those plans “more teeth.”
The Housing Element doesn’t change any zoning regulations or land sale policies, and none of the plan’s recommendations are automatically being applied to any properties. Those will all require separate processes.
“(The Housing Element) creates the vision for where we want to go as a community,” said Sam Leichtling, deputy city development commissioner.
Committee, public comment
ZND’s vote came after nearly two hours of debate.
The Housing Element’s proposal to allow accessory dwelling units on single-family home sites sparked debate among council members. A separate proposed ordinance to make it easier to develop ADUs is pending before the council, which Ald. Scott Spiker expressed concerns with.
Further, Ald. Bob Bauman said the plan would effectively do nothing but inflict a “direct assault on aldermanic involvement in the development process.”
Still, both Spiker and Bauman voted to support the plan. It will be reviewed by the full Common Council next.
That vote came after representatives from several community groups spoke in favor of the Housing Element, including Via Community Development Corp. and Metcalfe Park Community Bridges.
More articles about housing development regulations in Milwaukee:
- Milwaukee’s revised zoning code update wins initial approval
- City of Milwaukee releases revised Growing MKE plan with new name
- Which southeastern Wisconsin municipalities are best for real estate development?
- Growing MKE zoning code change faces backlash from some residents
- City of Milwaukee releases draft plan for zoning code changes
