SPORTS COMPLEX SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS
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It is important that interested parties stay updated on the park planning efforts. This section of the Sports Complex web page will attempt to accomplish this by posting summaries of the Sports Complex subcommittee meetings. Below is a picture of several of the members of the Sports Complex subcommittee and two Town Superviors during a tour of the Park property (from left to right): Jeff Gylland, Brad Chaney, Steve Schuette, Christi Tamsen, Supervisor David Salvaggio, Supervisor Larry Lechner, and Mark Schwantes.
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(The above picture was taken September 22, 2008 during a tour of the Park property during the Sports Complex subcommittee regular meeting.)
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Click here to view the final version of the recommendation report for the Sports Complex. This report summarizes the recommended active and passive recreation opportunities for the complex. A PowerPoint presentation given to the Plan Commission on March 18, 2009 summarizing the original Recommendation Report can also be viewed by clicking here.
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MINUTES FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS
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At this meeting, the Subcommittee reviewed a draft of their recommendation report. This report was prepared by Town staff and summarizes the recommended active and passive recreation opportunities discussed by the Subcommittee over the past several months. The report also identifies the priority level of each type of recreation opportunity and major feature of the proposed park. The Subcommittee unanimously approved the recommendation report and will present their findings at the March 17th Park Committee and April 1st Town Board meetings. Click here to view the unapproved minutes of this meeting. Click here to view the recommendation report.
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At this meeting, the Subcommittee discussed the possiblity of tennis courts at the sports complex. After noting that there are numerous courts at other parks and schools in the area (with two courts that have been recently resurfaced), the Subcommittee agreed tennis courts were not a high priority.
The Committee discussed the intentions of the park, stating the focus should be to create a family-friendly park that would encourage people to plan a whole day's worth of activities. Park amenities should fit into the natural terrain, preserving the natural beauty of the property. Capping the landfill area with a parking lot may be ideal because it would maximize the functionality of the most useable areas of the property.
The Subcommittee also discussed parking. Based on the parking capacity at the Harris Bank Fields (~170 spaces), the Subcommittee felt over 200 parking spaces would handle the needs associated with soccer tournaments at the new sports complex. Buckskin Bowman believes they will need about 80 parking spaces, with the current parking lot areas being sufficient. The Subcommittee also was informed Cedarburg Baseball would be willing to pay for the proposed batting cage; Buckskin Bowman would like to help fund the public archery range area.
The consensus of the Subcommittee regarding prioritization was that one large baseball diamond and one large soccer field with parking are needed most.
The Subcommittee did not set their next meeting date, but agreed it would be after the budget season was over. To view the complete minutes from this meeting, click here.
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This meeting, held on Monday, October 6, 2008 at 6:00pm at Town Hall, consisted mainly of a discussion focusing on the needs of the new Complex. To view the minutes from this meeting, click here.
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This meeting consisted of a walking tour of the Park property so those invovled in the planning process could begin to understand the current layout of the property. This tour covered the area used by Bucksin Bowmen, the landfill area, farmland area, and area used by the "Midnight Mudders." The trail utilized by the Monticello Snowmobile Club was also discussed. The subcommittee and others in attendance focused a needs discussion mainly on soccer and baseball needs at this point. To view the minutes from this meeting, click here.
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The first Town Sports Complex subcommittee meeting was held Monday, September 8, 2008 at Town Hall at 6:00pm. The meeting consisted of an introduction of the members of the subcommittee, and a discussion of the purpose of the subcommittee. To view the minutes from this meeting, click here.
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The Town held an Open House on the proposed Town Sports Complex Concept Plan on July 15th at Town Hall. Over 100 people attended the event, which was held from 4:00 - 8:00 pm. The Open House featured several stations with posters addressing key issues associated with the Concept Plan. The posters included:
1. The Five Corners Master Plan Map adopted in 2006 highlighting the inclusion of athletic facilities in the proposed park area; this demonstrated the foresight and intention of Town officials and residents to include a park in this area several years ago.
2. A poster with ratings for existing baseball and soccer facilities in the Town and City of Cedarburg, demonstrating the need for additional athletic facilities. Mark Schwantes from Cedarburg Soccer Club and Jeff Gylland and Brad Chaney from Cedarburg Baseball fielded questions at this station.
3. A poster detailed the landfill areas on the site and environmental experts and staff fielded questions.
4. A poster illustrating how common it is for landfills to be transformed into parks.
5. The Concept Plan for the new Town Sports Complex.
This Open House was the first step in the park planning process. There are many more to go. This website will be updated regularly, acting as a clearinghouse for all Town Sports Complex information, including meeting dates. Be sure to check back on a regular basis!
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Plans for a New Town Sports Complex
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On July 2nd, the Town Board indicated its support of a conceptual plan for a major sports and recreation complex for Town and City of Cedarburg residents. To view the complete press release, click here. The park is planned to be built on the former Prochnow landfill property, which is located south and west of the Five Corners intersection. The actual landfill is only about 7 acres, a small fraction of the 95 acre property. To view a PowerPoint presentation on the Sports Complex given to the Cedarburg / Grafton Rotary Club on October 16, 2008 by Administrator Jim Culotta, click here.
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The property currently consists of open farmland, wetlands, and woodlands. This new Town park will be one of the ten largest of its kind in all of Southeastern Wisconsin. The park will offer a wide-array of active and passive recreational amenities for the entire
family that include fields for soccer, baseball, softball, football, and other sports such as archery. A park facility of this magnitude will be able to host tournaments for Cedarburg area youth sport leagues.
The park will also include abundant passive recreational opportunities including an internal path that links to the Town's existing bike trail system. Playgrounds, picnic areas, and a concession building are also envisioned for this new Town park.
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The driving force behind this proposed park is the current lack of athletic fields in the community. The Town's Five Corners Master Plan, completed in April 2006, identified the
former landfill property as a possible location for athletic fields. A Town survey of residents last year reconfirmed the need when a majority of respondents said it is important to provide additional athletic and passive recreational facilities in
the Town.
To begin the process, earlier this year, the Town's Park and Open Space Committee invited representatives of the Cedarburg Soccer Club, Cedarburg Youth Baseball, and the City of Cedarburg to share their thoughts on current and future athletic field needs. All three
representatives indicated that existing athletic fields are unable to meet the current or future demands. Town staff assembled park ratings completed by representatives from the Cedarburg Soccer Club and Cedarburg Youth Baseball and compared these ratings to those completed by the City of Cedarburg.
To view ratings regarding current community baseball facilities, click here.
To view ratings regarding current community soccer facilities, click here.
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Environmental Responsibility
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The Town, City of Cedarburg, and two private companies, known as the responsible parties, are charged with cleaning up the 7 acre landfill portion of the property. The Town will continue to work closely with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the other responsible parties toward this end. The athletic fields and other recreational amenities
will not be located on the landfill, which was closed in 1972. Click here to view what the property looks like today.
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(The above picture was taken September 22, 2008 during a tour of the Park property during the Sports Complex subcommittee regular meeting.)
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Frequently Asked Questions
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A concept plan of this nature raises many questions. In an effort to answer those that most commonly come to mind, we have assembled a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) guide. Click here to view the FAQ guide.
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Other Landfills Turned Parks
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The idea of transforming a landfill facility into a community park is not new. There are examples of such instances from around the country. These include examples as close as Lime Kiln Park in Grafton and Mee-Kwon Park and Golf Course in Mequon to as far away as the West Covina Sportsplex in California. To view more information on these landfills-turned-parks, click here.
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