What is Growing MKE?
The Department of City Development (DCD) is leading an effort called Growing MKE. Growing MKE is a citywide planning effort that is setting a framework for housing growth and choice in Milwaukee. The project will result in a proposed amendment to the Citywide Policy Plan and updates to the City’s Zoning Code.
We didn't start from scratch… Growing MKE advances the goals and recommendations from several recent City of Milwaukee planning efforts. These plans were shaped through stakeholder and resident input and include recommendations to increase housing supply within the city of Milwaukee. Goals also include supporting new housing that creates walkable urban neighborhoods, increasing transit options and access to jobs, and providing more quality, affordable housing choices for all Milwaukeeans. This project also advances Mayor Cavalier Johnson’s vision for economic prosperity, which includes updating the City’s Zoning Code to support new development and growth.
Recent Events
In-person Open-house-style Public Meetings were held on December 9th and December 12th to continue hear feedback. A virtual version of these meetings is available on the engagement site. Please take a look and submit your comments! Materials are also available on the Past Events page on the engagement site.
Virtual Information Meetings were held on November 20th and November 21st. While the presentation was the same for both meetings, the Question & Answer portion varied based on questions asked by attendees. Full meeting recordings, with the presentation and Question & Answer portion are available on the Past Events page. Recordings of the presentation are available on the home page of the engagement site in English, Spanish, and Hmong.
July 15, 2024 - Proposed Draft Plan
Thank you to everyone who provided comments on the 4-30-24 Draft Plan! We appreciate the time and thoughtful comments that Milwaukee community provided throughout this planning process. Planning staff have reviewed the feedback and updated the draft plan. Below are links to the proposed Final Draft Plan, the Final Draft Executive Summary, Frequently Asked Questions, a document summarizing engagement and changes made to the plan based on feedback, and presentation slides from the July 29th City Plan Commission meeting.
A public hearing was held at City Plan Commission on July 29, 2024 to review and receive comments on the July 15, 2024 Proposed Final Draft. Community members requested more time for engagement and there will be more engagement before the plan returns to City Plan Commission for another public hearing.
Adoption Process
The Plan will need to be formally adopted as an ordinance by the Common Council. That process includes public hearings before City Plan Commission and Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development. To track the adoption process and view comments, please visit Legistar under the Common Council File No. 240402.
- Public review and comment at City Plan Commission (CPC) meeting on Monday, July 29, 2024
- In response to requests from community members to provide more time for engagement, City staff recommended that CPC hold the public hearing, but not take action on July 29th. The file was held to the call of the chair. This delays the vote to allow for more time for engagement. For more information, please visit Legistar under the Common Council File No. 240402.
- Additional public engagement to receive feedback on the 7-15-24 Proposed Plan
- Updates to the Proposed Plan
- A hearing at City Plan Commission (CPC) - details pending
- A hearing at Zoning, Neighborhood, and Development Committee (ZND) – details pending
- Adoption by the Common Council – details pending, pending recommendation from CPC and ZND
Want to learn more about the project?
Visit the Engagement website to:
- View the Proposed Plan, Executive Summary, FAQs, Summary of Changes, etc.
- Access information from past engagement opportunities (recordings of Webinars, Public Meeting Open House Boards, etc.)
- Learn more about the project through the resource page
- Provide comments on the Proposed Plan
engage.milwaukee.gov/GrowingMKE
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