When your alder doesn’t work for you, sometimes you just have to do it yourself. Thanks Joe and Aleen!
From the western fringe of the Tenney-Lapham neighborhood, here are some James Madison Park updates based on recent conversations with city staff:
Shoreline Repair : The original shoreline repair plan presented by the city last fall has changed based on an independent engineering consultant’s study of the project and subsequent recommendations.
* The most major reconstruction will occur around Bernard Boathouse, with large limestone steps descending into the lake between the two piers. Originally, permeable pavers were to replace the concrete in front of the boathouse, but with the pavers so close to the water table anyway, they now favor using extra thick concrete for its durability.
* In the revision, the concrete would extend about 40ft to the east of the boathouse, where it will serve as a platform for the city-owned boat racks. It will also extend partially up the sides of the boathouse for bike racks and a gas tank platform.
* When asked about having the concrete stained or stamped for aesthetic value, staff indicated it’s not in the budget.
* Although it sounds like more concrete than is there currently, the city’s landscape architect says “We are still cutting the amount of concrete down from 7,120 square feet to 6,255 square feet. We are also cutting the amount of concrete abutment down from 215 feet to 73 feet”
* To the immediate west of the city pier, there is a small beach that will be reinforced with stone riprap, and a concrete ramp and set of limestone steps will be installed to maintain lake access. In a later phase, vegetated riprap will span the entire shoreline east of the boathouse (by Lincoln School).
* The architect stressed the severe beating the shoreline takes from ice heaving, flooding, and waves. He said the engineering consultant indicates that some of the materials originally proposed by the city could only withstand the trauma for 3-4 years.
* Parks is working closely with Mendota Rowing Club to minimize interruption of their season. They hope to begin in October, but with the changes, the project may be delayed another year until late fall 2011. The next step is submitting the revised plan to DNR for approval.
Boat Rental: As you may know, the city did not renew Supreme Watersports’ lease for 2010. Supreme ran a summer boating camp for kids and offered boat rentals from the park shelter. They also provided the tables, chairs, and shade umbrellas by the shelter rooftop gardens. The parks department initially proposed taking over the boat rental, but they confirm that currently nothing is in the works for this summer.
Shelter towers: There has been a longstanding multi-neighborhood interest in removing the non-functional concrete towers from the shelter. At a recent neighborhood association meeting, Alder Maniaci reported that removing the towers is not currently a budgeting priority for the city. She proposed an alternative–commissioning a street artist to paint them, ala Bansky: http://www.banksy.co.uk/
Trees: Replacements for the doomed Ash trees in city parks are being planted this summer. The maximum diameter of replacement trees is 3 inches, variety unknown. Park trees are planned and planted by the parks department, then managed by forestry. As for a city response to the emerald ash borer threat to street trees, a city forestry plan has not yet been submitted to the common council for approval.
Houses: The status of the three city-owned houses on Gorham Street in the park has not changed (two west of Blount St, plus the former Collins House B&B). As a result of the mayorally-appointed ad hoc committee in early 2009 recommending the three houses be sold, but not the land under them, the houses are now declared surplus property. The recommendation was that owners be given 66-year leases to the land and be required to make significant repairs.
The next step would be for the mayor to appoint a committee to create a request for proposals (RFP) to seek buyers for the houses. The mayor has not yet appointed such a committee and it is not known whether there is any timeline to do so. Meanwhile, some are concerned that the houses, all officially-designated city landmarks, continue to deteriorate without adequate resources for their maintenance.
Gardens: Gorgeous! The park shelter gardens are especially glorious now, and we have the team of James Madison Park District volunteers to thank for creating and maintaining a place of such beauty in our neighborhood. Thank you.
Joe Lusson and Aleen Tierney
627 E. Gorham St
To be fair, it was also reported that (sorry I didn’t credit this one as I wasn’t sure he would want me to):
Regarding there being no boat rental at James Madison this summer, this spring XXXXX and I attended the Parks department volunteer appreciation program at Olbrich and we talked to a parks department employee (whose name escapes me now) about Supreme Sports not getting a contract renewal for the James Madison shelter this summer. He gave us the reasons and then assured us that the parks department would be taking over the boat rental program and they would have something in place for the summer.
And in reading the current TLNA newsletter, our alder Bridget was under the same impression. Here is what she wrote: “The Parks Department has taken over the operations of the boathouse and will be offering family programming, volleyball tournaments, and will be overseeing concessions and renting kayaks to the public. Perhaps most exciting, they will be installing a floating trampoline raft shortly off-shore for the enjoyment of swimmers and park users.”
It’s deja vu time on the part of the city regarding James Madison Park. The city did not renew the contract for the B&B at the Collins House and that building has sat empty and deteriorating for years. Now they did not renew the contract for Supreme Watersports and after promising us they would have something in place this summer – nothing.
Sigh, I don’t know why James Madison Park is so hard to deal with, but it has been for years and it takes constant vigilance by the alder and neighbors to make anything happen here.
My son did a camp at Supreme Water Sports last year and it was great. That they were not renewed with no alternate renter or camp lined up is terrible management.