The largest undeveloped tract in Bay View could become the city's first comprehensive solar village, if the area's alderman vision comes to fruition.

At a community meeting last week, neighbors gave input on what to do with seven acres of vacant land in Bay View. The city controls the land, which was once the site of the Army Reserve, through the Port of Milwaukee.

There is currently no plan on the books for the site, which borders Lincoln Avenue, Bay Street, Logan Street and Conway Street along the Lake Parkway.

One plan, developed in anticipation of a train station being built as part of the KRM commuter system, envisioned retail and apartments along Bay Street and single-family and duplexes throughout the rest of the site.

Ald. Tony Zielinski says he still thinks the train station plan is the best idea for the land-but with the caveat that proposals feature solar-powered buildings. He says he wouldn't favor any building taller than three-and-a-half stories and would insist that the housing be owner-occupied or high-end rentals costing more than $900 per month.

Solar features would guarantee that the project would cost more than normal developments, he said.

"I want it to be the first solar-powered development in the state of Wisconsin," Zielinski said. "It would put Bay View on the cutting edge."

The term "solar village" is tossed around with many definitions. Zielinski wasn't precise in exactly what he envisions, although he would like any development to have a solar component.

Soldiers Grove, in southwestern Wisconsin, calls itself "America's first solar village." The town's central business district was relocated from the banks of the Kickapoo River to higher ground in 1979 after repeated flooding.

According to the town's Web site, the village passed ordinances that required new buildings be built to specific thermal performance standards twice as stringent as those required by state law at the time. A community-wide "solar access" law was prohibits any building from blocking another building's sunlight. Another law required that all new commercial buildings receive at least half their heating energy from the sun-the first such ordinance in the country.

More then 20 solar buildings opened, including the medical center, pharmacy, community / library building, fire station, post office, a bank, two apartment complexes, an office building, a storage building, two restaurants, a supermarket and five other privately-owned businesses.

A town in South Korea just finished a 40-home complex that is considered the world's first 100 percent solar village.

Some residents at the meeting requested that the space become a dog park or remain vacant green space. Zielinski said Bay View has a good amount of green space now and that holding firm for this to be green is "going to hurt our credibility in protecting more precious spaces."

Zielinski, however, does not oppose allowing the space to be used temporarily as a dog park until a development project comes along, but residents didn't raise that prospect. "I wish they would have," he said.

Planners with the Department of City Development will be compiling citizen input for the area and at least one more community meeting will be scheduled. Zielinski hopes guidelines for project bids would be ready within a few months and figures that putting in solar requirements could make it take some time for the right development to come forward.

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