Two weeks ago, an item that was never introduced through the council magically appeared on the Board of Estimates agenda. That item was one which would have taken money from neighborhood parks to accommodate a changed construction schedule for Breese Stevens Field. This proposal would take $100,000 from Development Fees and $340,692 from funds set aside to go to downtown parks. This would leave $106,381 for improvements to our downtown parks from Broom Street to Commercial Avenue (Law-Tenney fund).
Essentially, what happened was that we budgeted $1.3M for phase one construction of Breese Stevens Field. While working on the project, they discovered that it would be more cost effective to do several of the renovations to make it more accessible during Phase I, instead of Phase II. So this all makes sense, spending money now, to save it later. However, that doesn’t mean that the long term improvements to the parks should suffer. Instead, we should borrow the money now, and not borrow it later.
However, the proposal as it stands would essentially eliminate $300,000 worth of improvements to downtown parks. While I don’t have the list of desired improvements for all of the downtown parks, I can list a few:
Reynolds Park
- Rehabilitate the grass playing surface.
- Create an entryway at the corner of E Mifflin and N Paterson with landscaping, benches and walkway. Move the sign here from its current location on Dayton St. near the playground.
- Provide nets for the soccer posts.
- Install water access for the garden area at E Dayton and N Paterson.
- Replace the wing set in the current playground.
- Add a bicycle rack.
- Provide benches, game tables and adult exercise equipment.
- Provide operational lights for the tennis courts.
- Install another set of access stairs to the tennis court.
- Plant more trees where feasible.
- Provide more utilization along Livingston ST. side such as hopscotch and 4 square lines on the pavement and use of the wall for tennis and handball practice.
- If the Reynolds Crane property west of Livingston St. becomes available, acquire the area and connect it to Reynolds Park by removing all or part of the 100 block of N Livingston.
- Remove concrete stacks on the James Madison bathhouse to improve the view of the park. Maintain vegetation on the top of bathhouse.
- Clean the Gates of Heaven Parking lot and driveway on May 1 to Nov 15 schedule.
- Lake shore pier.
- Playground and shelter furnishings.
- Irrigation for the “grass”.
- relocation of basketball courts.
- Major shelter renovation for restaurant/concessions.
- Port-a-Potties for when the restrooms are closed.
Giddings Park
- Restore the dock at Giddings Park.
- Vacate (tear up and remove) part of N Brearly Street between Sherman Ave and Lake Mendota and incorporate it into Giddings Park. Replace the street with a lane for pedestrian, bicycle and utility access.
- In coordination with landscape restoration plans, clear underbrush and vines.
- Maintain and restore historic bridges in Tenney Park.
- Maintain and restore historic boathouse at corner of Marston/Sherman in Tenney Park – find suitable use for this structure (e.g. community meeting space or volunteer work space).
- Maintain and restore Tenney Park Shelter or replace it with a new one. Keep bathrooms cleaned year round.
- Continue removal of non-native vegetation in Tenney Park and replant with vegetation as detailed in historic planting designs for the park.
- Have a sign made detailing the historical significance of Tenney Park.
- Add more park facilities for adults, including, benches in Tenney Park.
- Horseshoes and boccie court in Tenney Park.
- In coordination with landscape restoration plans, clear underbrush aneud vines.
Yahara River Parkway
- Add more park facilities for adults, including benches in the Yahara River Parkway.
- Add stone access dock along the west bank of the Yahara River Parkway at the end of Dayton St.
Burr Jones
- In coordination with landscape restoration plans, clear underbrush and vines.
And generally speaking, there is lighting that needs to be repaired and a desire to add public art to our parks.
Given the huge needs, and how far this $300,000 could go toward downtown parks that desperately need some attention, I hope the Board of Estimates will decide tomorrow to do the right thing, borrow the money for upgrades to Breese Stevens Field and give the downtown parks a shot at some of the improvements they so desperately need.
Then, when they’re done with that, they can all ask the Mayor to please appoint the dang James Madison Park Committee that the Council approved last February so we can sell those houses and get some money to improve the much loved to the point it is over-utilized James Madison Park.
