Highest Priority Strategies Expedite disposition of vacant properties to productive use Vacant properties that the City owns can be returned to productive use through a streamlined process for selling City property, achieved by reducing redundant approvals, providing flexibility in recruiting and hiring professional staff and vendors, and adopting sales policies and priorities with input from community-based stakeholders. City real estate disposition policy should be updated for lease and sale of vacant lots. Removing City real estate requirements, such as reducing the minimum building area for new housing construction, can be explored to promote owner occupancy and eliminate blight. Sales of vacant lots to adjoining owner occupants can be increased to create larger lots in identified neighborhoods by conducting research to identify those neighborhoods, and revising City real estate policy on sale of buildable lots. The City should also explore developing incentive programs that match landscaping funds with vacant land purchases for neighbors looking to increase green space or gardens. The result is reduction in the City’s inventory and additional tax base to be reinvested back into our neighborhoods. The City has already made many improvements in this area and seeks to build on these successes and best practices.
Develop vacant lot reuse handbook The DCD will develop a vacant lot handbook for reuse of vacant, abandoned, and under-used lots for converted uses as parks, green stormwater facilities, food production, landscaping, Nature Explore Outdoor Classrooms™ or other beneficial temporary and permanent uses, focusing on enhancing the effects of the Sustainability Plan’s Catalytic Projects (HOME GR/OWN and the Inner Harbor Redevelopment). A vacant lot reuse book will include examples of existing models of area urban agricultural organizations, and provide visual images and ideas, available on DCD’s website, for community groups and owners to adaptively reuse vacant residential lots.
New tools for maintaining vacant lots, public parks, and open spaces Vacant lots need to be stabilized, by thorough cleanup and removal of debris and basic landscaping, to prevent further deterioration until future uses for the land are determined. Stabilization may also include ongoing maintenance and installation of barriers to prevent illegal dumping. The City should establish a new fee schedule, to be charged to absentee property owners, to cover the costs of maintaining their vacant, privately owned lots and strengthen the enforcement of dumping and litter laws. Stabilization and maintenance efforts can be turned into local jobs. The adoption and community stewardship of public land through adopt-a-lot programs should be expanded and job creation opportunities identified, following the model of the Neighborhood Ambassador Program and Neighborhood Environment Ambassador program.
Analyze zoning codes
Photo: Milwaukee County Parks
The City will review, analyze, and update zoning codes to promote land use policies for sustainable urban design. Nodes and multi-modal corridors for rezoning should be identified to allow for highdensity, mixed-use, transit-orientated development. A revision to the zoning code should be explored to allow for other temporary uses, such as art installations and exhibits, to provide temporary reuse of vacant lots and create more welcoming public spaces. A great example of this type of temporary use is the swing installation under the Marsupial Bridge.4
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