In the late 1990s, former County Executive Tom Ament
proposed selling more than 300 acres in the County Grounds Northeast Quadrant
(see map). Almost overnight, “Save the County Grounds" lawn signs were
everywhere!
This outpouring of public opposition led to the creation of
a Northeast Quadrant Land Use Plan that set boundaries for a business
development zone of approximately 66 acres on the west end of the property and
set aside approximately 55 acres of naturalized parkland in the middle of the
property. To create holding ponds to address flooding, the easternmost section
of the property was allocated to the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewage District. This plan was developed by Kubala Wasatko Architects and served as the consensus plan representing all interests.
As active participants in the public hearings and planning
sessions that went into the land use plan, we were thrilled when it was adopted
by the Wauwatosa Common Council but deeply disappointed that the County Board
of Supervisors never took formal action to adopt it (despite having paid half
of the expenses to create it). Until the plan is adopted by the County Board,
the 55 acres of naturalized parkland could be threatened by future development
plans.
Recently, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Chancellor
Carlos Santiago outlined a plan to create a new campus for their School of Engineering on the County Grounds
Northeast Quadrant. UWM would purchase 89 acres; 66 acres designated for
business development plus another 23 acres from the 55 designated as
naturalized parkland. Once purchased by UWM, Santiago plans to sell some of this land to
businesses that would work with the school on medical technology initiatives.
We support UWM and the great education it provides for the
members of our community. We do not take exception to UWM building its
engineering campus on the County
Grounds, however we feel
strongly that the designated 55 acres of naturalized parkland should be forever
protected against development by any organization regardless of their other
good works in our community.
Representatives from The Park People, Friends of Milwaukee's Rivers, and the Sierra Club met with officials from UWM late last
year to inform them of our stand on this issue. Recently UWM came before the
County Board Economic and Community Development Committee to formalize their
offer to purchase 89 acres not only for the school, but also to resell to
businesses.
At this point in time the best scenario to preserve the identified parkland
on the County Grounds
would be for the County
Board of Supervisors to
adopt the Kubala Washatko plan and limit the sale of land to those acres designated
for business development.
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