Elm Grove CDA brought back to life, but why?

A body formed in 2003 to facilitate business growth in Elm Grove has been re-engaged by village officials. The Community Development Authority was created to help with the St. Mary's Triangle development, but the group was never put to use.

On Tuesday, the Committee of the Whole met to discuss what role the re-formed group of seven community members - including two trustees appointed by the Village president - will have moving forward.

Bylaws for the group, responsibilities and goals will all have to be established in order to give the CDA a defined role in developing the local business community.

The point of CDA bodies in communities is to give businesses an option for low-interest or tax-exempt financing. In the case of Elm Grove, the CDA was formed to work outside the constructs of current political bodies.

In other words, the body will have to walk a fine line between spurring growth and engaging in the planning that the village already has committees to handle.

"There's got to be some teeth, otherwise why are they meeting? But they can't have so much teeth that they're taking away from the Plan Commission," Trustee John Meser said.

The major issue is how active the CDA will be in recruiting businesses. Since the group will be able to offer some tax-exempt financing, including industrial bonding, the CDA would aim to entice businesses and development. There is an inherent conflict of interest, according to village officials, when a body potentially financing a development deal attempts to sell Elm Grove to new businesses while also maintaining the interest of current businesses in the village.

As President Neil Palmer noted, it's also tough for the CDA to keep track of what may be for sale.

"Every bar and every farm is available for sale - it's just how much are you willing to pay for them," he quipped.

Given the relatively small space available for development, the Committee of the Whole suggested that the CDA - several members were at the meeting, as were the trustee representatives - speak with the handful of companies with properties for sale about finding new buyers.

Following that, the CDA would have the discretion to work with current or potential developers in Elm Grove with the caveat that final say is held with village bodies like the Plan Commission and Village Board. Part of the reason for that, village officials said, is to keep major decisions about development to elected officials.

"We don't want to go down the road with the CDA working with a developer that we don't want to see," Trustee George Haas noted.

The panel also suggested using some of the surveys and studies done in the past to solicit information regarding what residents of Elm Grove want to see in terms of development.

The Village Board will vote on the CDA bylaws Feb. 28.

Next Step

WHAT: Village Board vote on CDA bylaws

WHEN: 7 p.m. Tuesday

WHERE: Village Hall, 13600 Juneau Blvd.