Shorelines

Dear Dave – may I start with 2 words?   BIG PICTURE.   Is the lack of parking for a few weeks an inconvenience for people who use the High School parking lot? Yes. Is the current parking situation a serious problem for the business owners and their clients? Absolutely. But all of this a temporary problem. I am not unsympathetic to either constituency. However, in the long run, when it is complete, the streetscape WILL enhance the business district and the appearance of the village. Unfortunately, you can’t wave a magic wand and make it done overnight. Road work simply necessitates some inconvenience and is to some degree at the mercy of the elements when it comes to timetables.

Your recent posts would seem to indicate that this is the end of the world in Shorewood. We have to endure – gasp! – heavier traffic, slightly slower travel times on Oakland and to top it off – WE CAN”T PARK WHERE WE WANT TO!! Horrors! We might have to park our stupid cars and actually walk a couple extra blocks to our destination.

Have we become such a spoiled community that we feel the need to escalate this temporary inconvenience to the level you are taking it? I don’t think so. But, you are entitled to your opinion and to rant about whatever you want.

Here’s mine:  There’s a lot of important stuff going on in our state (Missing budget? County Exec’s race? How about the races for the Senate and Assembly seats for our district?), in our country (don’t even get me started) and in our world. Nothing else ranks as more important than railing on a daily basis about not being able to park our cars where we want for a few weeks? I’m simply asking you to use the platform you have responsibly.

I’ll say it again ---Big Picture --- this project will have an ending. The south end of Oakland has been difficult and we will learn from it as we move north. But in the end, we will all be proud of our business district when it is done – and it will reflect the long process of discussion between village officials and residents who got involved during the planning process. Our crosswalks and major intersections will be improved and will be safer for pedestrians. And more people WILL come to Shorewood to shop and dine.

Dawn Anderson, Village Trustee

PS. Regarding your suggestion about tearing holes in the fieldstone walls to gain access to the parking lot. The SHS campus is registered as a Milwaukee County Historical Landmark. A County designation wouldn’t constrain us from tearing down those walls. But would it be worth it for a couple weeks of convenient access to more asphalt on which to park our cars?