Our Vision for Middleton (details found in comprehensive plan)

 

Goal: Maintain a balanced community with a mixture of residential, commercial, office, and industrial development

 

Objectives and Policies:

1.      Develop an economic development strategy.

2.      Encourage the location of industries within planned business parks.

3.      Offer a variety of types of business and commercial park settings.

4.      Encourage the development of smaller neighborhood-oriented businesses.

5.      Adopt strong “green building” standards.

6.      Implement appropriate land use tools.

7.      Discourage “big box” retailers that would have the effect of undermining existing business districts

8.      Promote the development of underutilized and environmentally-contaminated sites.

 

Goal: Protect, leverage and accelerate the growth of Middleton’s strongest economic growth opportunities while actively preserving and enhancing the quality of life of all citizens.

 

Objectives and Policies:

1.      Promote the City of Middleton as a friendly place to do business.

2.      Maintain a database of available commercial and industrial property and fully-serviced lots.

3.      Continue to promote programs to enhance the downtown business district.

4.      Extend Middleton’s Downtown District northward along Parmenter Street.

5.      Complete a Downtown Traffic Circulation Study.

6.      Develop a visual appealing gateway and wayfinding signage system.

7.      Enhance the visual attractiveness of commercial areas and transportation corridors.

9.      Reserve areas for future business park development.

 

Goal: Foster entrepreneurship, business retention and growth of Middleton businesses.

 

Objectives and Policies:

1. Continue to use TIF assistance to support the redevelopment of underdeveloped, blighted areas or environmental contaminated areas.

2. Develop a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) policy to guide TIF assistance allocation decisions.

3. Continue to work with the Middleton Area Development Corporation to provide timely financial support to attract new businesses to Middleton.

4. Continue to use the Middleton Revolving Loan Fund to support businesses in Middleton with their expansion and retention projects.

5. Work with eligible “high technology” businesses to receive the Capital Ideas Technology Zone tax credit.

6. Continue to collect a hotel room tax to fund activities for promoting Middleton as a visitor destination and conference location.

Chapter 8 – Economic Development Element Page 12

City of Middleton 2006 Comprehensive Plan Adopted November 21, 2006

7. Continue to work with Chamber of Commerce as a means to maintain good ties and working relationships with Middleton businesses.

8. Work through the CDA to foster improved Downtown development opportunities and to link workforce housing assistance in residential areas adjacent to business development areas.

9. Continue to support the efforts of the Collaboration Council to protect, leverage and accelerate regional economic growth.

10. Identify economic development programs at the county, regional, and state level to assist with the economic development goals, objectives and policies.

11. Seek out economic assistance grants and investigate other financial incentives and grants for the utilization of environmentally contaminated sites.

 

Goal: Expand Housing Opportunities in Middleton

 

Objectives and Policies:

1. Encourage the development of housing:

a. To meet the needs of all the people who work in Middleton, so that they can have good housing choices closer to their jobs.

b. For people who would like to join the workforce, so that they have a stable, affordable base on which to build their working lives.

c. For older adults, many of who are still in the workforce and who have built the community we all enjoy. Housing options for older adults who do not want to stay in larger homes may better meet their needs, and can make more affordable housing choices available to younger families.

2. Assure that new growth is balanced, and encourage the development of both rental and ownership housing for a range of incomes, for people with different life situations and cultural and ethnic backgrounds, for people with disabilities, for single people with very low incomes, and for the homeless.

3. Provide opportunities for renters to become homeowners if that choice best meets their housing needs.

 

Goal: Protect and Preserve the Community’s Investment in Existing Housing and Neighborhoods

 

Objectives and Policies:

1. Develop housing policy that promotes and maintains safe neighborhoods.

Chapter 8 – Economic Development Element Page 13

City of Middleton 2006 Comprehensive Plan Adopted November 21, 2006

2. Recognize the value of existing housing in established neighborhoods and support rehabilitation efforts.

3. Encourage the infilling of housing in urban areas that make more efficient use of existing infrastructure.

4. Collaborate with the County and nonprofit agencies like the Wisconsin Partnership for Housing Development, WHEDA and the Dane County Housing Authority that provide home ownership education, training and counseling to homebuyers to increase their capacity to become successful homeowners, and to improve their ability to maintain their homes.

5. Promote the use of programs that assist low and moderate income homeowners to repair and maintain their homes and identify gaps in these programs.

 

Goal: Use Partnerships Creatively to Meet Housing Needs

 

Objectives and Policies:

1. Propose ways in which the Community Development Authority (CDA) can invest its available funds in housing development, with the rate of return based on how well a project meets public policy objectives.

2. Encourage the CDA to explore the use of its funds to leverage CDA-issued bonds, the interest on which is exempt from both state and federal tax, to maximize the impact of limited public financial resources.

3. Work with the County, other communities, the state government, employers and community businesses, for-profit developers and the nonprofit development sector to achieve housing development objectives.

4. Promote the use of the Dane County Housing Authority’s programs and services, and collaborate with the DCHA to help achieve mutual goals and objectives.

 

Goal: Improve the City’s Ability to Play an Active Role as a Partner in Housing Development

 

Objectives and Policies:

1. Advise the Common Council on how the City can play the most effective role in expanding affordable housing choices.

2. Support public ownership of land used for affordable housing development.

3. Consider creation of a community development corporation.

4. Use a community land trust model or other financial arrangements to keep housing affordable.

5. Hire staff or contract with consultants to identify and pursue grants and other funding opportunities for affordable housing development, identify sites for affordable housing development and the most effective role for the City in encouraging their use, and provide support to the Task Force and liaison with other development partners.

6. Develop standards to measure the success of housing policies and to monitor progress in meeting housing needs.