by Tony Palmeri
May 23, 2001
Last night, the Oshkosh Common Council voted 5-1 (Mayor Dell'Antonia did not attend the meeting) to change the zoning in a west-side neighborhood from residential to commercial. New Life Community Church stands to profit handsomely from the sale of about 20 acres of land, on which will probaby be developed a major chain retail store. Councilor Melanie Bloechl, who spent more than 7 years telling Jackson St. residents that neighborhood preservation was a weak argument against sprawl-inducing street widening plans, had a change of heart last night as the commercial rezoning is in her neighborhood. In her council member statement, she even chided Shirley Mattox for voting for the rezoning even though she (Shirley) was an organizer of NICE (Neighbors Involved in Community Environments). Bloechl went further and urged people to watch a June 7 PBS program on community efforts to battle sprawl development--a program that she found out about on the Commentary web site. Mr. Mather and I appreciate the plug--I think.
There are two major issues regarding the rezoning that the Common Council did not consider in any serious way: (1) the impact of the future development on downtown and (2) the track record of the potential businesses that might develop the area.
First, the impact of future development on downtown. If the city of Oshkosh is serious about downtown redevelopment, then it must get serious about controlling commercial retail development on the west side. The major way any municipal government controls such growth is through zoning. For a commercial developer to set up shop on land that is already zoned commercial is one thing, but why on earth--especially knowing what we know now after experiencing the impact of almost 50 years worth of haphazard sprawl development--would a city create more commercial space out of residential areas? How does the city imagine that what little commercial activity still existing on Main St. can survive the creation of still another major retail outlet on the west side? Until city planners and politicians begin to look at the city "holistically;" that is, as a place in which actions in one area have a direct impact on others, we will never see a downtown resurgence worthy of that description.
Second, the track record of potential businesses. Former Councilor Kevin McGee spoke at last night's meeting and made the argument that it really does not matter who the retailer for the area might be. He could not be more wrong. Modern day, huge chain retailers have track records that can and must be assessed before they are allowed to enter a community. Besides the anti-competitive, predatory pricing policies of many of these retailers, they have also been known to engage in union-busting, assaults on employee privacy, selling items made with sweatshop labor, and a host of other abuses. That the Oshkosh Common Council could vote to designate a neighborhood as zoned commercial without insisting on knowing who the potential retailer might be is shocking in its shortsightedness. Now that the area has been rezoned, it becomes that much more difficult to prevent a huge predator chain from entering the area.
Let's assume that the chain is Home Depot, as has been rumored around town. The Atlanta-based, largest home improvement retail chain in the world has had effects on communities that rival Wal-Mart. What will be the impact on downtown Kitz & Pfeil if and when Home Depot practices predatory pricing? Kitz & Pfeil is currently the only real anchor store on Main St.--is it smart planning to allow a retail giant known for anti-competitive behaviors to have a negative impact on that anchor? If it turns out that Home Depot is the retailer in question, will the Common Council try to get company representatives to make a commitment to play fair?
The city of Racine defeated Home Depot in 1999 when activists from the Rainforest Action Network demonstrated convincingly to the Racine City Council that the retail giant was the only home improvement chain refusing to commit to stop using wood gathered from old-growth forests. While Home Depot has become more responsive to such concerns in recent years, the company still argues that "market-based" approaches to forest management are desireable, a position opposed by every major global and national environmental organization.
Again, we don't know if Home Depot is the retailer in question. But similar concerns could be raised with any number of chains.
By watching the Oshkosh Common Council, you'd never know that we are in a new century with the benefit of being able to learn from the mistakes of the past. The Council insists on staying wedded to a 1960s and 1970s type of municipal development in which all commercial development is seen as "progress" and the exploitation of green space along with downtown flight are seen as being the work of "natural market forces." Some people on the Council, even at this stage in our nation's history, actually believe this nonsense.
There is nothing natural about a retail giant buying out church leaders and working behind the scenes to get zoning changed. There is nothing natural about a retail chain putting into place predatory policies to destroy competition. There is nothing natural about increased traffic, noise, and pollution.
Modern sprawl development is not natural, but political. Sprawl development is a choice, and when you are in the realm of choice you are in the realm of politics. By framing events as "natural," elected officials and city planners are able to shield themselves from charges that their choices are in fact anti-consumer and maybe even unethical. "Hey folks, we couldn't stop it even if we wanted to--shit happens naturally, ya know?"
The Oshkosh Common Council just doesn't get it.