MONROE - Community members believe the city needs ordinance changes to help combat the housing issues prevalent in the city.
The city of Monroe's lack of age-appropriate housing and beautification were the focal points Monday as community members and business representatives met at the Monroe Public Library to develop potential solutions to housing issues in the city. The meeting, hosted by the Southwestern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, was the second discussion centering around housing issues as part of a series of on-going meetings to help shape the city's comprehensive plan.
Savannah Ernzen, Southwestern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission associate planner, said the meeting was intended to determine goals, objectives and strategies needed to address housing issues in the city.
"The comprehensive plan allows for community input," she said.
Craig Patchin, who owns various properties throughout the city, said there is a need to make the city more appealing.
Patchin, along with Kevin Visel from Lighthouse Commercial Real Estate, said the city should look into ways to enforce violations for run-down houses.
"If there's a way to enforce it," Patchin said, "there should be a "red tag' to get (the house) fixed or hand it over to someone else."
While he said that method may be a little harsh, it would help encourage home owners to invest in improving their houses.
While some people cannot afford to fix up their homes, Visel said the city can
look into promoting or investing in subsidizing homes in Monroe.
Real-estate agent Ryan Ziltner said the current stock of houses on the market is small and old from the early 1900s.
"There needs to be a rehabilitation of the existing (housing) stock," he said.
Ziltner said part of making Monroe more beautiful is through making specific homes appeal to certain segments of the population like lofts for millennials or single-story homes for elderly.
He said in order to give Monroe more age-appropriate options, there needs to be more done than just renovating houses.
Ziltner added the city should look into adding housing complexes around town and planned developments with move-in ready homes in the range between $150,000 and $200,000 that the elderly and millennials seek.
"The young ones are the ones that will build it, buy it, and grow the city," he said.
Another big issue community members felt needed to be addressed were the outdated zoning ordinances.
Al Hanusa of Colony Brands said the current zoning ordinances place do not reflect modern time.
He said the old ordinances do not allow for high-density population.
Patchin said by increasing density in the downtown area, the city can avoid purchasing land in the outer edges of the city, saving it money in the long run.
"There needs to be a challenge against those (ordinances)," he said.
While Patchin said downtown needs a lot of updating, zoning is a city-wide effort that should match what the people want.
"There's more to life in (high-density zoning)," he said.
The city of Monroe's lack of age-appropriate housing and beautification were the focal points Monday as community members and business representatives met at the Monroe Public Library to develop potential solutions to housing issues in the city. The meeting, hosted by the Southwestern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, was the second discussion centering around housing issues as part of a series of on-going meetings to help shape the city's comprehensive plan.
Savannah Ernzen, Southwestern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission associate planner, said the meeting was intended to determine goals, objectives and strategies needed to address housing issues in the city.
"The comprehensive plan allows for community input," she said.
Craig Patchin, who owns various properties throughout the city, said there is a need to make the city more appealing.
Patchin, along with Kevin Visel from Lighthouse Commercial Real Estate, said the city should look into ways to enforce violations for run-down houses.
"If there's a way to enforce it," Patchin said, "there should be a "red tag' to get (the house) fixed or hand it over to someone else."
While he said that method may be a little harsh, it would help encourage home owners to invest in improving their houses.
While some people cannot afford to fix up their homes, Visel said the city can
look into promoting or investing in subsidizing homes in Monroe.
Real-estate agent Ryan Ziltner said the current stock of houses on the market is small and old from the early 1900s.
"There needs to be a rehabilitation of the existing (housing) stock," he said.
Ziltner said part of making Monroe more beautiful is through making specific homes appeal to certain segments of the population like lofts for millennials or single-story homes for elderly.
He said in order to give Monroe more age-appropriate options, there needs to be more done than just renovating houses.
Ziltner added the city should look into adding housing complexes around town and planned developments with move-in ready homes in the range between $150,000 and $200,000 that the elderly and millennials seek.
"The young ones are the ones that will build it, buy it, and grow the city," he said.
Another big issue community members felt needed to be addressed were the outdated zoning ordinances.
Al Hanusa of Colony Brands said the current zoning ordinances place do not reflect modern time.
He said the old ordinances do not allow for high-density population.
Patchin said by increasing density in the downtown area, the city can avoid purchasing land in the outer edges of the city, saving it money in the long run.
"There needs to be a challenge against those (ordinances)," he said.
While Patchin said downtown needs a lot of updating, zoning is a city-wide effort that should match what the people want.
"There's more to life in (high-density zoning)," he said.