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Wauwatosa holds public hearing on draft "TOSA Tomorrow 2045" comprehensive plan; housing and implementation drew most comment
Summary
City consultants presented the draft TOSA Tomorrow 2045 comprehensive plan and said it meets statutory requirements; public speakers urged stronger, measurable affordable-housing goals and clearer implementation steps. The council will consider the plan after Planning Commission review on Feb. 10 and a return to council on Feb. 25.
City of Wauwatosa officials held a public hearing on the draft TOSA Tomorrow 2045 comprehensive plan, a long-range policy document consultants described as a foundation for local decision-making.
Josh Coats, the lead consultant from the project team, told the Common Council the draft covers required elements under Wisconsin statutes and summarized the public-engagement process and plan structure. "Really, at its core, what you have is a document that's a foundation for, decision making. It's a policy document," Coats said.
The draft, Coats said, is organized into 11 chapters including an introductory section, a community profile, a plan framework with a future land use map, and an implementation chapter. The consultant reported roughly 1,240 engagement points during the planning process, a mix of workshops, steering-committee meetings, stakeholder interviews, online surveys and an open comment period.
Kathy Gosher, speaking for the Joint Housing Coalition, urged the council to adopt the plan's housing components and to add specific, measurable implementation steps. "A comprehensive plan is a broad vision only without measurable goals or actions to implement that vision," Gosher said. The Coalition asked the council to direct staff to complete a zoning review, develop zoning modifications and adopt a measurable affordable-housing plan that expands affordable and accessible units, proposing benchmarks tied to market-rate approvals and asking the city to consider using remaining ARPA funds for housing programs.
Other public commenters raised concerns about the plan's emphasis on increased density in some locations, potential changes to neighborhood character, and whether long-term costs and infrastructure needs have been fully analyzed. One speaker said the steering committee and consultants effectively set the agenda and asked for clearer protections for existing single-family neighborhoods.
Councilmembers and staff clarified that the comprehensive plan is a policy document, not the zoning code, and that any zoning changes or specific development approvals would come later through separate ordinance or permit actions. Coats and staff reiterated that the draft will go to the Planning Commission on Feb. 10 for review and return to the Common Council on Feb. 25 for final consideration.
The public hearing was opened and closed during the meeting; no final adoption vote was taken. The council accepted the public record and left the draft to follow the standard adoption path through the Planning Commission and back to the Common Council.
The record of public comments and the consultant's presentation will be included with the Planning Commission packet; the council chair advised residents to submit written comments before the Feb. 25 council meeting if they wish the council to consider them ahead of the final vote.
