How Does 2050 & Economic Development Meet Up for Germantown?
Placemaking: Creating Quality Places for the Germantown Community to Live, Work, Play and Learn In
In Germantown a tent in a parking lot is enough for a fun, family-friendly place over a weekend in May. The community, although small, has a sense of itself as a people. There is a pride of who we are, and a desire to hold onto small town values; for which we think we are known.
This sort of place is not permanent, it’s not intended to be; it is for celebrating a traditional spring holiday weekend, with a nod to ancestral folklore. It’s not unusual to see two year old’s dancing along side octogenarians.
Germantown has many such events, and gatherings in each year, most of which are fleeting, seasonal, and always about people getting together. The obvious ones are the music in the park series, Oktoberfest, Fourth of July festivities, as well as the odd pop up event, such as an attempt to hold a Winterfest a while ago.
Other gatherings revolve around sports, outdoor activities delivered by the excellent park and recreation department of Germantown; school music and theatrical events; chamber of commerce sponsored get-togethers, as well as Germantown Leaderships activities.
The Germantown Historical Society manages several local museums in the Dheinsville area, we have several good local taverns and restaurants. There are churches, the senior center, farmer’s market, library, and on. The common thing about all this is there are set groups of people that participate with all this subsets of Germantown people.
There is no single place or area where everyone goes at some point. The 2050 Plan has goals to identify a village center, and create a more permanent place for gatherings and activities that are a natural, non-event driven, hub. Something that accessible by many, not just by motorized vehicle.
To define what and where this could be is such an important undertaking, that it cannot be allowed to be left to the village staff or consultants. This requires as much input by Germantown’s people as possible. Unlike the 2050 plan, where staff determined the final outcome, the decisions are for the people to make.
The Economic Development Commission has “revamped” itself, and set goals to create this place for us. See here, previous discussion on their goals. They are just starting. They going to become BFFs with the planning department to figure out how to achieve this. The discussion at the last village board meeting occurs here at the 2 hour mark.
Please pass the word about these activities, and look for actions taken by the village board. We should have the most say in such a significant transformation of an area in our village.
Is it a town square? If so, where?
Would a nature center make sense at the old recycling center on the river?
Part of the golf course becomes housing, with commercial along Mequon.
Those are some of the 2050 plan ideas. Is that what we want?
What does it look like? We don’t have design standards.
How much do the village of Germantown really care?
We’ll find out.