Bryan Simon
NUMBER OF YEARS IN THE GATEWAY: I purchased the property in June of 2008.
WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO THE GATEWAY AREA? It’s a central location with ready access to anywhere you need to travel in the greater Milwaukee region—whether it’s the city or the suburbs. Our firm does a lot of work for the Department of Transportation and this location is just minutes away from the interstates and many of the major thoroughfares.
WHAT IS SIMON LANDSCAPE’S PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENT IN THE GATEWAY? A Low Impact Development (LID) facility that I developed in partnership with American Rivers–a conservation organization that works to protect and restore rivers throughout the country–and a number of other stakeholders. Our goal is to educate both residents and businesses about better resource management, especially about stormwater. In the 25 years that I’ve worked in landscaping, the typical property has been designed so that stormwater runs off the site. This depletes the natural aquifers because the water goes into the storm sewers, and, eventually, into the lakes instead of the ground. Plus, when we have a lot of rain it can lead to raw sewage being released into lakes and rivers. The Energy Exchange will give visitors a chance to see better stormwater management in action—tools we have on site include permeable pavement, a green roof, rain harvesting systems and rain gardens/bioswales. We’re launching an educational series about water management issues that’s free to the public and will be sharing environmental best management practices. We want to help people understand why it’s important to manage their stormwater from an environmental standpoint and from a fiscal one. For instance, businesses are assessed a fee for stormwater management that’s known as an ERU (Estimated Residential Unit). We’re on a lot that’s just less than an acre and the stormwater management changes we made will save us over $1300 a year in ERU charges. A business with a 10-acre site could save up to $13,000 annually.
BIGGEST CHALLENGE? Most people don’t understand the environmental and economic impact of their water management choices. This issue isn’t on people’s radar as are some other environmental issues. It’s critical to get this message out because the quantity of non-permeable surfaces in The Gateway leads to higher-than-average run-off levels, and has the potential to cause damage to a number of important waterways, including the Kinnickinnic River and Lake Michigan.
WHAT DO YOU ENVISION FOR THE FUTURE? WITH YOUR BUSINESS? WITH GTM? I’d like to see our area become a national leader in effective resource management. When businesses are looking
for a place to locate, I think it’s becoming increasingly important for them to choose a place that’s environmentally committed and aware. I’d love to see this area truly become the “garden district” that Alderman Terry Witkowski envisions. These types of efforts would be an excellent way to help create jobs in the Gateway.
