Joan Rupnow of Monroe speaks out Wednesday against repealing the moratorium on "big box" superstore development in the city. Although Rupnow wasn't alone in her objections, the City Council voted unanimously to rescind the moratorium, paving the way for future large-scale retail development in Monroe. Times photo: Jason Busch

Aldermen Kate Maresch, Mike Capesius and Keith Ingwell were absent from Wednesday's meeting.

The moratorium had been in place for almost a year. It was enacted, in part, to give an ad hoc committee time to study development implications on the city and create LSR guidelines to adopt into a regulatory ordinance.

The LSR ordinance was passed unanimously by the council June 6.

In spite of several, last-ditch objections to repealing the moratorium, the council was adamant in declaring it's time to move forward on the issue.

"I have a few issues with the (LSR) ordinance still," Alderman Chuck Koch said, "but I have confidence in the council and I'm not going to stand in the way of the moratorium."

"I think we need to tighten some things up with the zoning (requirements in the LSR ordinance), too," Alderman Jan Lefevre agreed, "but we can't keep the moratorium indefinitely."

"The people have to have trust in the council (they voted for)," Alderman Mark Coplien added. "I don't know how we could have done any more than we've already done (with respect to the LSR issue)."

Coplien added the council has the final on whether a developer will be allowed to build within the city. Without the ordinance, he said, the city wouldn't have much power to prevent a developer from building wherever or however it liked.

"People look at the City Council as a rubber stamp, and that's not the way we (the aldermen) look at it," Coplien said after the meeting. "People just need to place the trust in us (now) that they placed in us when they elected us to office."

Alderman Thurston Hanson also reminded the audience the council wasn't voting Wednesday to approve plans from any particular large-scale retailer. He said the city hasn't received any formal proposals "big box" development in the city.

Wal-Mart did approach the city in January 2005 with a preliminary proposal to build a supercenter north of the Wisconsin 11/81 bypass.

Some residents weren't convinced, though, and chose to air their grievances one more time during the public hearing. About 14 residents and observers attended Wednesday's meeting.

Joan Rupnow of Monroe said she believed an LSR plan was already approved by the city before the issue was ever brought to the public's attention in early 2005. She said about two-thirds of voters voted against a Wal-Mart supercenter during an April 2005 advisory referendum and if the city is going to let a business build nearby it should only be one that offers high-paying jobs.

Others agreed with Rupnow, stating they felt the language in the LSR ordinance wasn't strong enough and, as a conservative community, they felt the council shouldn't waste taxpayers' dollars possibly helping to fund an LSR project.

The moratorium officially expires on the day following its passage and publication, most likely no earlier than July 11.

Jason Busch can be reached at

jbusch@themonroetimes.com