Tilting at Windmills

Julius Servantez & Family want to open an automobile sales and repair establishment at 1407 South Memorial Drive. For those of you who may not recognize this forgotten area of Racine, 1407 SMD is the old Racine Library. Several businesses have tried to succeed in the pursuit of happiness at this location, but have failed. The building sits vacant for a year.

Servantez came to the Council meeting November 3d well equipped with several impressive family members, particularly his daughter Jessica, with a degree in business and a well prepared statement on economic consequences.

They came as a family to bring a family business to Racine—in a district that cries for someone to succeed.

Undaunted by the show of aptitude, Alderman Greg Helding came to the forefront brandishing his usual halberd of obstruction. The Bulldozer went to work on the prevention of this family business. Here were his three objections:

1. There is only one bay in the old Library Building. Greg feels there should be more.
2. The driveway opens directly onto Memorial Drive. (I guess this adds to the problem caused by all the other driveways along all the streets in the City that open directly onto the street.)
3. This is an historic building (though not on the National Registry of Historic Buildings) and it used to be a library and this is a real come-down to become a “used car lot.”

Aaron Wisneski came up with some support for The Bulldozer’s obstructionism with this jewel:

4 Although an auto repair shop is not forbidden by the district rules, it is not recommended.

I guess if these guys couldn’t come up with a real reason to prevent a business from starting up, they felt they should at least give it a try with some ridiculous reasons.

Helding is the chairman of the City Plan Commission. He takes that job seriously. So if you don’t have perfect, guaranteed plan to succeed, if everybody isn’t going to just love you, be prepared to face The Bulldozer. He probably won’t want you to even try.

Wisneski, sitting along side of Helding, gets some of the obstructionism rubbed off on to him. He generally votes with Helding on the issues.

Is it any mystery why businesses have a hard time coming to Racine?

But this time cooler heads prevailed.

A strong voice from the First District, Alderman Jeff Coe, pointed out that when it was a library, they had a problem then backing out onto Memorial Drive. But they made it and Servantez can too. And besides, the Uptown District needs a business in there.

Coe also stated there are other similar businesses with one bay. If Servantez thinks he can succeed, he must be given the chance to do it.

Jim Kaplan felt the building had been vacant too long. And as most of the vehicles Servantez will be dealing with are waranteed, they will be repaired at dealerships.

QA Shakoor spoke strongly for the Servantez business, emphasizing the family nature of the business.

Common Sense prevailed on this one; while Helding and Wisneski were left tilting at their windmills.

And the City of Racine took one small step for a better future.