Greendale zoning change rejected, bread stand at center of debate
GREENDALE, Wis. - The Greendale village board rejected a proposal that would've allowed The Salty Dog Farm Stand to set up shop in a new location.
Bakery stand
The backstory:
The bread stand's owner said, as the business has grown in popularity, a new location would be better for customers. They've operated a roadside stand on county-owned land for more than a year but wanted to move to Scout Lake Park.
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Milwaukee County approved the move, but the Village of Greendale's Board of Trustees would have the final say. The village said it would have to change its zoning ordinance to accommodate a move from the county-owned land along Loomis Road to a county park.
In early July, the village's Planning Commission denied the change after commissioners expressed concerns it would "open the door to more bakery stands in other parks." Village leaders said a grab-and-go bakery stand would not activate parks the way other onsite uses, like beer gardens or concessions stands, could.
The Salty Dog Farm Stand
Board denies proposal
What we know:
Greendale's Board of Trustees voted 4-3 to reject a change to the zoning ordinance, or allow for an exception, at its meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 4. The change would have conditionally allowed up to one bakery stand per Milwaukee County Parks property in the village.
"I want to support small business in Greendale, and I am open to supporting this use, if we can find a way to do it responsibly," board member Elaine Unger said in prepared remarks, expressing concern about the precedent that could be set. "At the same time, I am not comfortable with unlimited retail in our parks, and I don't want to create a situation where multiple commercial stands or trailers could eventually operate in each county park."
Salty Dog's response
What they're saying:
In a Facebook post after the decision, The Salty Dog's owners said it gathered more than 800 petition signatures, including more than 200 Greendale residents. The village has a population of just under 15,000, according to the 2020 U.S. Census.
"Our proposal was extremely limited and simply aimed to build a sensible framework to allow local micro-businesses to operate. Greendale frequently claims to be pro-small business, but decisions like this show otherwise," the business wrote on Facebook.
The Salty Dog Farm Stand sells everything sourdough – from cookies to bread – operating with an old-fashioned honor system.
The Source: Information in this story is from the Village of Greendale, The Salty Dog Farm Stand, the U.S. Census and prior coverage of the proposal.