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Common Ground

A homeowner in Waukesha for 20 years, Steve is president of the Waukesha Dog Parks Organization and enjoys motorcycling, fishing and staying on top of politics.

Drive Right Up and Park Your Car!

By Steve Bukosky
Monday, Aug 18 2008, 06:46 PM

I continue to be open-minded about the Frame Park baseball issue. I'd like to think that there is a way to make it work in harmony with the other park users and the neighborhood but I can't think of one. My biggest objection is about where to park the cars, as it is with many other taxpayers. I've heard that there is plenty of parking within 15 minutes of the park. That's acceptable? "The church is going to rent out parking space." How about church events that coincide with games? Are the church members going to appreciate working around the ballgames?

A very valid concern is that ballgame people will take up parking spaces that park visitors would normally use. This point is voiced by many and needs to be addressed before proceeding with any binding vote.

It seems that no Waukesha resident has driven around State Fair Park during the State Fair. As it has been for as many years as it's been there, the neighborhood residents become entrepreneurs and have junior out by the curb with a flag, waving people to park on any piece of driveway or grass that they can fit a car on. Tolerable, at best, for the week that the Fair is held, but have that done during each of the baseball games and it will turn residential neighborhoods around Frame Park into a circus grounds.

Is it good for downtown? Any increase in business is good for the business, but are people going to leave their cars scattered around Frame Park and walk back and forth to get a snack, push the limits of intoxication, buy a book or critique fine art? Answer that for yourself.

Promises have been made by the promoters that they will be picking things up and so forth. Such promises are frequently broken by less than adequate fulfillment of them.

Already a popular writer within the city has called for people that don't like the soon to happen Harley Davidson party to leave the city for a few days if they don't like it. Is the council going to send a message to residents to give up Frame Park when there is a baseball game?

Comments

luke   

Steve-

I am a big fan of baseball.  I likely will not visit a new ballpark if built in Frame park.  Mostly, because I don't want to pay to go see a game there.  Also, I don't want to have to fight for a place to park.

Although, based on the comments by many people, I am not sure parking will be that much of an issue cause I can't believe that many people will be going to the games.  Either way, there are games there now and a lot of cars show up.  As far as parking goes, people can park on city streets, in the parking lot by Waukesha State Bank and the new antique store.  Yes people will whine about it, but those are the same people that could use the walk up the beautiful riverwalk to the stadium.

Finally, I disagree that this will be a big boost for downtown business.  There are more empty store fronts in downtown Waukesha than occupied.  I was down there for the art crawl a couple of weeks back which had a great turn out, but we simply will not see that kind of turn out for a baseball game that is blocks away.

So, let's go ahead and build a stadium.  We can use some taxpayer dollars to help out, just like we are doing with the Clarke Hotel.  Then, maybe in 5 years, we can all get together to clean the cobwebs and graffiti off of these places, because I can't imagine either one is going to be a big money maker.

August 19, 2008 7:11 AM

FivePoints   

Steve, you make the comparison to State Fair with regards to parking and claim that it will turn residential neighborhoods around Frame Park into a circus grounds? Come on.  State fair attracts almost 80,000 people a day.  The baseball stadium will draw 2 percent of that per game.  It will take almost 2 seasons of Northwoods baseball (assuming sellouts) to reach 80,000.  I estimate 600 spaces would be needed for a sellout (avg of 3 persons per car).  There is so much on-street parking that isn't used in that neighborhood that the parking is a non-issue.

August 19, 2008 10:44 AM

bulma   

Fivepoints - Parking will be an issue. I grew up in that neighborhood and finding a parking spot can be an issue at times. There are many events/activities that take place at the Schutze building, plus the Rotary building is used for various activities along with the church. Add to that the water/ski show and a baseball game and parking will be an issue.

Leave the park as it is. It's finally a great place for families and residents to spend time in. Don't mess it up with a large stadium and more traffic.

August 19, 2008 5:24 PM

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About Steve Bukosky

Began working in Waukesha County in 1966 and navigated the streets of Waukesha the next year when working for the Capital Drive Airport. I have owned a house in Waukesha since 1986 and my sons went through the city's school system. I am presently a heating and air conditioning technical representative for a company in Pewaukee.