Looking south & east from Locust Court (the tower on Locust Street) Photo Kimberly Gleffe Vision Create a central park along the Milwaukee River upstream of the North Avenue footbridge to Silver Spring Drive. Preserve the wild aspect of the natural area while improving the habitat. Improve water quality. Restore native plant species while removing non-native invasive plants. Improve public access to this urban natural resource. View Establish by municipal zoning a “viewshed” in the river valley that regulates new development on the river’s edge to control development on the slopes or valley perimeter that would visually intrude in this natural landscape . Valley Your valley . e land along the Milwaukee River in this area is mostly in public ownership. Milwaukee is now developing a North East Side plan to guide future development. Now is the time for residents to express their desires for the future of the valley. You walk along the Milwaukee River on a recreational path winding six or so river miles from the city limits at Silver Spring Drive to the har- bor at Lake Michigan; a soft pedestrian trail uniting suburban Glendale and Shorewood to their Milwau- kee neighbors. is river path then zigzags through Riverwest, along Brewers Hill and the Beer Line B, past Park East through downtown and the ird Ward to the lake front. e cool river water bubbles over the rocks through a protected park bringing our neighborhoods and communities together. Sheltered above by silver maple, cottonwoods and black willow, you cannot see or hear the activity of the densely developed neighborhoods nearby. What you notice instead are the deep blue spikes of blue vervain against the delicate lavender joe pye weed growing along the riverbanks. Pedestrian bridges unite east and west at North Avenue and at Locust Street, creating a series of loops for runners, hikers, dog-walkers, and commuters. is path is net worked to the Oakleaf Bike Trail and the Milwaukee Urban Water Trail at multiple sites. Land- scaped access points that are handicap accessible link the river to urban gardens, parks and city sites. Finally you reach the Riverwalk District where views of downtown unfold, a contrast to the upstream wooded stretch. Here you find public access to retail, entertainment, and dining. You are part of a Milwaukee celebrating its sense of place; a place where fresh water is central to its identity. Imagine is path meanders alongside anglers enjoying the improved water quality and fish habitat, canoers and kayakers exploring the natural beauty around the fast flowing water.You see picnickers along the banks and bikers pausing from an afternoon ride. School children at Riverside Park are taking river samples and delighting in amphibian discoveries. At various sites citizen scientists are monitoring water quality. Increased public access has made the river once again a safe social and recreational gathering place. e greenway restores the river as nature’s gathering place too. is urban corridor is home to the Butler’s garter snake(a State protected species), the red fox, and white tailed deer. Overhead a Cooper’s hawk flies away with a humble vole. A spawning salmon jumps below while migratory birds follow the waterway on a longer com- mute. You are discovering a shifting natural landscape in the heart of Milwaukee. Imagine is corridor unites the river’s rich working past with its economic, recreational, and sustainable pres- ent. Historical markers note former boathouses, tan- neries, swimming schools, and resorts with distinctive signage and corridor emblems. Still home to Wisconsin Paperboard and other industries, the river maintains its working character through environmental improvements and manage- ment. e city has helped industrial sites employ storm water best-management practices and ensured attractive riverfront facades and landscaped setbacks. Residential property values have increased and nearby retail districts are booming as people come to enjoy this lively corridor. e river corridor is the backbone for our city’s green infrastructure as we move into the 21st cen- tury. Just as our sewers, roads, and buildings enliven modern life and commerce, we now see that green parks, gardens, and waterways must equally sustain our urban life. We nurture this urban wilderness and its connec- tion to our spirit. It is a magnificent place of beauty and refuge in the heart of Milwaukee. From Imagination to Reality We can imagine our Milwaukee River always remaining like this. Making our imaginings come true and stay true into the future is going to take planning and work. is paper offers ideas on how we can make our imaginings come true. Page 2-3 • Overview: Our Valley Page 4-5 • Milwaukee River at Risk Page 6-7 • Map of Milwaukee River Valley Page 8 • Public Policy Page 9 • Guidelines for Stewardship Page 10 • Sustainability Pages 11 • Partnering Organizations Page 12 • Opportunities LAND & WATER Milwaukee’s Central Park Milwaukee’s Central Park: A vision paper brought to you by:
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Look ing south & east f rom Locust Cour t ( the tower on Locust S t reet) Photo K imber ly G le ffe
VisionCreate a central park along the Milwaukee River upstream of the North Avenue footbridge to Silver Spring Drive.
Preserve the wild aspect of the natural area while improving the habitat. Improve water quality. Restore native plant species while removing non-native invasive plants.Improve public access to this urban natural resource.
ViewEstablish by municipal zoning a “viewshed” in the river valley that regulates new development on the river’s edge to control development on the slopes or valley perimeter that would visually intrude in this natural landscape .
ValleyYour valley . The land along the Milwaukee River in this area is mostly in public ownership. Milwaukee is now developing a North East Side plan to guide future development. Now is the time for residents to express their desires for the future of the valley.
YouwalkalongtheMilwaukeeRiverona recreationalpathwindingsixorsorivermilesfromthecitylimitsatSilverSpringDrivetothehar-boratLakeMichigan;asoftpedestriantrailunitingsuburbanGlendaleandShorewoodtotheirMilwau-keeneighbors.ThisriverpaththenzigzagsthroughRiverwest,alongBrewersHillandtheBeerLineB,pastParkEastthroughdowntownandtheThirdWardtothelakefront.Thecoolriverwaterbubblesovertherocksthroughaprotectedparkbringingourneighborhoodsandcommunitiestogether.
Shelteredabovebysilvermaple,cottonwoodsandblackwillow,youcannotseeorheartheactivityofthedenselydevelopedneighborhoodsnearby.Whatyounoticeinsteadarethedeepbluespikesofbluevervainagainstthedelicatelavenderjoepyeweedgrowingalongtheriverbanks.
PedestrianbridgesuniteeastandwestatNorthAvenueandatLocustStreet,creatingaseriesofloopsforrunners,hikers,dog-walkers,andcommuters.ThispathisnetworkedtotheOakleafBikeTrailandtheMilwaukeeUrbanWaterTrailatmultiplesites.Land-scapedaccesspointsthatarehandicapaccessiblelinktherivertourbangardens,parksandcitysites.
FinallyyoureachtheRiverwalkDistrictwhereviewsofdowntownunfold,acontrasttotheupstreamwoodedstretch.Hereyoufindpublicaccesstoretail,entertainment,anddining.
YouarepartofaMilwaukeecelebratingitssenseofplace;aplacewherefreshwateriscentraltoitsidentity.Imagine
Thispathmeandersalongsideanglersenjoyingtheimprovedwaterqualityandfishhabitat,canoersandkayakersexploringthenaturalbeautyaroundthefastflowingwater.Youseepicnickersalongthebanksandbikerspausingfromanafternoonride.
SchoolchildrenatRiversideParkaretakingriversamplesanddelightinginamphibiandiscoveries.Atvarioussitescitizenscientistsaremonitoringwaterquality.
Increasedpublicaccesshasmadetheriveronce
againasafesocialandrecreationalgatheringplace.Thegreenwayrestorestheriverasnature’sgatheringplacetoo.ThisurbancorridorishometotheButler’sgartersnake(aStateprotectedspecies),theredfox,andwhitetaileddeer.OverheadaCooper’shawkfliesawaywithahumblevole.Aspawningsalmonjumpsbelowwhilemigratorybirdsfollowthewaterwayonalongercom-mute.YouarediscoveringashiftingnaturallandscapeintheheartofMilwaukee.Imagine
Thiscorridorunitestheriver’srichworkingpastwithitseconomic,recreational,andsustainablepres-ent.Historicalmarkersnoteformerboathouses,tan-neries,swimmingschools,andresortswithdistinctivesignageandcorridoremblems.
StillhometoWisconsinPaperboardandotherindustries,therivermaintainsitsworkingcharacterthroughenvironmentalimprovementsandmanage-ment.Thecityhashelpedindustrialsitesemploystormwaterbest-managementpracticesandensuredattractiveriverfrontfacadesandlandscapedsetbacks.Residentialpropertyvalueshaveincreasedandnearbyretaildistrictsareboomingaspeoplecometoenjoythislivelycorridor.
Therivercorridoristhebackboneforourcity’sgreeninfrastructureaswemoveintothe21stcen-tury.Justasoursewers,roads,andbuildingsenlivenmodernlifeandcommerce,wenowseethatgreenparks,gardens,andwaterwaysmustequallysustainoururbanlife.
Wenurturethisurbanwildernessanditsconnec-tiontoourspirit.ItisamagnificentplaceofbeautyandrefugeintheheartofMilwaukee.From Imagination to Reality
WecanimagineourMilwaukeeRiveralwaysremaininglikethis.Makingourimaginingscometrueandstaytrueintothefutureisgoingtotakeplanningandwork.
Thispaperoffersideasonhowwecanmakeourimaginingscometrue.
Page 2-3 • Overview: Our ValleyPage 4-5 • Milwaukee River at RiskPage 6-7 • Map of Milwaukee River ValleyPage 8 • Public PolicyPage 9 • Guidelines for StewardshipPage 10 • SustainabilityPages 11 • Partnering OrganizationsPage 12 • Opportunities
LAND & WATER
Milwaukee’s Central Park
Milwaukee’s Central Park:A vision paper brought to you by:
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Our RiverOur Flora & FaunaOur Valley Looking Around
Let’sgetourbearings.IfyoustandontheNorthAvenueBridgethatcrossestheMilwaukeeRiverandlooksouth,youwillseethattheriver,whichhasbeenrunningpredominantlynorthandsouth,curvestothewest.Apedestrianfootbridgecrossestheriverseveralhundredfeetdownstream.
Fromthere,theriverflowswestpastahighlydevelopedareawithlargebuildingsandcondominiums,somenewlybuilt,someinremodeledfactories.Thereareafewcommercialspacesinterspersed.
TheriverthenturnssouthflowingthroughdowntownMilwaukeeandenterstheharborandLakeMichiganaftertravelingundertheHoanBridgeandpastJonesIsland.
IfyouwalkacrossNorthAvenueandstandonthenorthsideofthebridgeandlookupstream,you’llseethatmuchofthevalleyissteepandwooded.
TheMilwaukeeRiverValleynorthofthefootbridgenearNorthAvenueuptoSilverSpringDriveistheareaofprimaryfocusforthispaper.
Looking Back
ThesectionneartheNorthAvenueBridgewasintenselyusedforcommercialandrecreationaluseintothe20thcentury.Shipscameuptheriverfromthelakeandoff-loadedcoalintopilesnearHumboldtAvenue.TheBeerLinerailroad,thesecondoldestraillineinWisconsin,ranalongtheriverhere.Itwasfunctioningasaconduitofgoodsuntilthemid1980s,whenoneofitsmajorcustomers,SchlitzBrewery,ceasedoperations.
Somepeopledoingdevelopmentprojectsinneighboringareasthoughtofthevalleyasanicedeepdumpingholeinthelandscape.Asnewfoundationsweredugforhomesandfactories,itwasnotunusualforthesoilandrockfromtheworktobedumpedintotherivervalley.Infact,youstillcanseeevidenceofpeopleusingthevalleyasadumpsiteforwasteconcreteandhouseholdgoods.
AbovetheolddamwhichusedtospantherivernearNorthAvenue,boatsofadifferentsortwereused.Pleasuresteamerscarriedpassengerstobeergardensupstream.CanoeistslaunchedtheirboatsinRiversideParkontheeastbank.SwimmersdoveintothedampondatGordonParkandatotherswimmingschoolsthatborderedtherivershoreline.InwintericeskaterscamedowntotheriverandskijumperslandedonthesnowandicenearGordonPark.
Inthelate19thandearly20thcenturies,muchoftheshorelinesouthofCapitolDrivewasbareoftrees.GordonandRiversideParkswerewoodedalongtheshore.Theseparkswere
partofanextendedplanbyLakeParkdesignerFrederickLawOlmstedandCharlesB.Whitnall.Knownasthefatherofourparksystem,Whitnallreferredtoopenareasalongtheriverasthe“lungsofthecity.”HelivedalongtheriverandhisfirstwifewasnamedGordon,whosefamilyhomesteadwasdonatedtotheparkdistrict.
Thesewereplaceswherethecommonmancouldbreathefreeandrecreate.Thinkofallthosehomesburningcoalforfuelaswellasthesmellthataccompaniedtheuseofhorsesasthemaintransportationofgoodswithinthecity.Freshairwasimportant.Thelegacyoftheparkssystem,firstlaidoutbyearlycityplanners,haskeptmuchoftherivervalleyinpublicownership.
Looking AwayAttitudestowardtherivervalleychangedas
attentionturnedawayfromthissectionoftheriver.Undoubtedlythemainreasonthishappenedwasthedeclineofwaterqualityintheriver,duetoanumberoffactors.
Growthinthecityandmetroareasresultedinincreasedrunofffromstreetsandconstructionsites.Amajorityofthesedimentloading–thematerialthatmakesthewaterbrown–comesfromconstructionsites.Thisrunoffalsocausesalgalgrowthwhichwhenitdiesanddecayslowerstheamountofdissolvedoxygeninthewater,whichdestroysthehabitatforfishandthemyriadofothercreatureslargeandsmallthatusetheriverastheirlifeline.
Growingpopulationalsoresultedinincreasedpressureonsewersanddumpingofhumanandstreetwastedirectlyintotheriver.Muchhasbeendonetomitigatethesewaterpollutionissues,buttheattitudetowardtheriverasawasteland
Continued on next page.
Washington H igh School s tudents f ind sum-mer employment improv ing the r i ver va l ley.
Photo by R.R.F.
Tur t les aren’t the only rept i les found in the r i ver va l ley. Severa l spec ies o f snakes l i ve
on the grassy wet land and open upland. The But le r gar ter snake, a threatened spec ies pro-
tec ted by s ta te law, makes i t s home in over 30 acres o f the r i ver va l ley between Nor th
Avenue and Capi to l Dr ive. Photo F.M.R.
Students o f a l l ages d iscover the ecology o f our r i ver wi th he lp f rom the Urban
Ecology Center. Photo U.E.C
The R iver i s beaut i fu l in a l l seasons.
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continuesinmanypeople’sminds.Overtheyears,allusesoftheriverdeclined.
Peoplestoppedswimmingintheriver.Soontheystoppedboatingandice-skating.Theindustrialusesdeclinedduetochangingeconomies.Shippingstoppedusingtheriver.Therailroadshutdown.
Look AgainOnedayweturnedaroundandtherivervalley
nearNorthAvenuewasanabandonedbackyard.RiversideParkwasariverparkinnameonly,asmaintenancewasdiscontinuedandaccesstothewesternsectionoftheparkandrivervalleywasmademoredifficult.Thevalleyonbothsidesoftheriverrevertedtoawildstate.
ThiscametobeseenasanassetastheUrbanEcologyCenterwasfoundedanduseditslocationalongtherivertocreatealivinglabformembersandstudents.Citizenshadanopportunitytoenjoythenaturalarea.Itwasaplacetowalkdogs,watchbirds,catchfish,rideabike,goforahike,orjustsitandenjoythesolitude.
ThedamatNorthAvenuewasremovedin1997,revealingmudflatsthatsoonbegansupportingvegetationandpioneertreespecies.Thiswildstatecametobeseenasavaluedconnectionbetweennatureandthecity.Waterqualitybegantoimprove,particularlyaftertheremovalofthedamandtheseweragedistrict’sdeeptunnelloweredtheincidenceofoverflowsintotheriver.
Thefishhabitatimprovedwiththewaterquality.ArockreefwasinstalledbelowNorthAvenueasabreedingarealastsummer.TheWisconsinDepartmentofNaturalResources(DNR)hasbeenworkingtoestablishareproducingfisheryfornativespeciessuchaswalleyeandsturgeon.Lakegamespeciessuchassalmonandsteelheadtroutarenowcommonlycaughtbyfishermen.
Look Out for Invaders!Thisreturntoawildstatewasnotanideal
situationforvegetation.Original,nativespecieswerenottheonesthatgrewupmostreadilyonthedisturbedland.Opportunistplantspeciesinvadedtheareawithvigor.Chiefamongtheinvadersaregarlicmustardinboththewoodsandtheflatsandreedcanarygrassovertheflats.Buckthornisawoodyshrubtosmalltreethatiscrowdingoutnativetreespecies.
Itmightnotbeevidenttotheuntrainedeye,butthesespeciesarerampantandthreatennative
wildflowersandadiverselandscapethatsupportsabroadbaseofnativebirdsandotheranimals.
WiththenewcenturywehaveseenanewinterestintheMilwaukeeRivervalleyasaplacetolive,workandplay.Thevalueofourriverhasbeenrediscovered,ifnotbyall,certainlybydevelopers.Asawarenessofthisresourceincreases,sodoesaconstituencyforpreservationoftheswathofwaterandgreenthatcouldcometobeseenasMilwaukee’s“centralpark,”aplacewheremanandnaturecometogetherjustthreeshortmilesfromdowntown.
Therearemanygroupsandindividualswhohaveplayedaroleinthisrevival.Developershavemadelivingontheriverfashionable.Thecityhasencouragedinvestmentalongtheriver.
Looking AheadWiththeplansetforwardinthispaper(see
page8),theMilwaukeeRiverWorkGroupisencouraginginvestmentalongtheriverthatrivalsthevisionofothergreatcitiesthathavesetasidelandforthecommongood.Landthatwilladdvaluetoalladjacentlandsforgenerationstocome.
TheMilwaukeeRiverWorkGroupismadeupoftheFriendsofMilwaukee’sRivers,RiverRevitalizationFoundationandtheUrbanEcologyCenter.Thesethreegroups,workinginassociationwithneighborhoodgroups,theCityofMilwaukee,theWisconsinDepartmentofNaturalResourcesDNR,RiversandTrailsProgramoftheNationalParkService,MilwaukeeCountyParksDepartmentandothersaredevelopingavisionforthefutureofthisvalleythatincorporatestheirvariousmissionstoeducateabout,preserve,improve,andprovidepublicaccesstotheMilwaukeeRivervalley.
IfwewantaplaceintheheartofMilwaukeewherewecangobepartofthenaturalworld,wherewethecityfadesfromview,weneedtoplanforfuturedevelopmentthatrespectsthatnatural
world.Weareproposingsuchaplan.
About the Groups:Friends of Milwaukee’s Rivers (FMR)is
designatedasMilwaukee’s“Riverkeeper.”Thisdesignationrecognizestheirroleinprotectingourwaterqualitybyworkingtostoppollutionfromenteringourpublicwatersfromindustrial,agricultural,construction,andmuniciplesources.TheyhavedevelopedaMilwaukeeUrbanWaterTrailMapthatencouragesuseoftheriverbycanoeistsandkayakers.Theirmapshowswheretolaunchandtakeoutalongourthreerivers.Signagehasbeenplacedalongtheshoretomarkthesepoints.Waterqualitymonitoring,advocacyandpromotingpublicawarenessofwaterissuesformamajorpartoftheirwork.
River Revitalization Foundation (RRF)isoururbanriverlandtrust.Theirgoalistoprotectthelandadjacenttotheriverandimprovepublicaccesstothisresource.In2006theEastBankTrailopenedbetweenRiversideParkandthefootbridgeatCaesar’sPark.Thispathgreatlyimprovesaccesstotherivervalley.OnthewestbankasectionoftheBeerLinerailcorridorisownedbythefoundation,andrestorationofthewoodlandhasbegun.AnADA(AmericanswithDisabilitiesAct)accessibletrailwillbebuiltprovidinganothermileoftrailandaccesstotheeastbank.ThefootbridgebuiltbytheCityofMilwaukeeovertheolddamfoundationatCaesar’sparkisasignificantlinkinthistrailsystemandrepresentsaphysicalandculturalbridgebetweenneighborhoods.
The Urban Ecology Center (UEC)isanationalleaderinprovidingaccesstothenaturalenvironment.Theyofferhands-oneducationalexperiencesinthenaturalworldtoyoungandoldalikeintheheartofamajormetropolitanarea.Theirnewcentersitsneartheriverandisaneducationaltoolinitself,asitexhibitssomanyformsofgreenconstructionandenergysavinginfrastructureintegratedintothebuilding.Therivervalleyistheirmainpointofobservationofthenaturalworld.Theyoffermanyprogramsthatbringvisitorsclosertonature,fromthestarsandplanetsinthenightskytothemicroscopiccreatureslivinginthesedimentoftheriver.TheUECprovidesappreciationofourlocalecologyandinsightintotheimpactofouractivitiesontheworldatlarge.
Continued from previous page.
Lef t to R ight : :F ishermen have found the
r i ver again.
The DNR is s tock ing the r i v -e r wi th the nat ive S turgeon
and as wel l as Wal leye.
Nat ive whi te oak t rees can be found a long both s ides
o f the r i ver.
If we want a place in the heart of Milwaukee where we can go be part of the natural world, where the city fades from view, we need to plan for future development that respects that natural world.
photos by V ince Bushel l
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HaveyouevergoneonahikeorabikeridealongtheMilwaukeeRiverbetweenthe
former North Avenue Dam and Silver SpringAvenue?
Haveyoueverputyourcanoeorkayakintothewaterforaslowpaddledownstream?
Do you run or walk your dog alongside therivereveryday?
Doyoudrinkwateroutofthetap?Ifyouanswered“yes”toanyofthosequestions,
you should care about the Milwaukee River,which along with Lake Michigan, is one of ourcity’smostprizednaturalresources.
TheMilwaukeeRiveroffersapeaceful escapeandaconnectiontonatureinsharpcontrasttotheurban environment. The natural areas along theMilwaukeeRiverhelpfilterurbanpollutantsfromentering our surface waters, provide migratorypathways for wildlife, andminimizetheeffectsoffloodingondowntownMilwaukee.
An Unprotected Treasure
Whether you are a regularrecreational user of this rivercorridor or a resident whojust enjoys looking at theriver as you drive over one ofour many bridges, the valueof the Milwaukee River to our local economy,our environment, and our quality of life cannotbe overstated. Many people assume that thisrivercorridorislegallyprotectedasa“statepark,”“county parkway,” or “environmental corridor.”The truth is that this gem within the City ofMilwaukeeislargelywithoutanylegalprotectionsandvulnerabletoconstantthreatofdestruction,development,anddegradation.
If thisseemsabitalarmisttoyou,Iurgeyoutoputdownthispaperandgo forawalkalongthe Milwaukee River downstream of NorthAvenue.Milwaukeeexists largelybecauseof theaccessthatourriversprovidedforshipping,trade,and commerce. Our urban riverfronts providea connection to that past, even as warehousestransitiontocondominiumsandtradingpoststoparks.
However, the river corridor upstream fromdowntownMilwaukeethatrunsthroughpresent-dayRiverwest,EastSide,GlendaleandShorewood
Milwaukee River at Riskisunderextremedevelopmentpressureasthelastfewriverfrontparcelsdowntownarebeingslowlyredeveloped.
In addition, landowners currently have theright tocutdowntreesandvegetation fromthetopoftheriverbluffdowntotheriverbankfornootherreasonthantoimprovetheirview.Suchan incident inShorewoodlastyearspurredthatmunicipality to create a shoreland protectionordinance to ensure that this couldn’t happenagain.
Thisisnottosaythatallriverfrontdevelopmentisabadthing.In fact, therearepositivereasonstohavemoreresidentslivingneartherivers–inshort, more eyes and ears mean more peoplewatching out for the river and its protection.Future riverfront development must occur in asutainablefashionthatrespectstherivervalley.
A Patchwork QuiltRecognizingthebeautyandimportanceofthe
naturalrivercorridorupstreamofNorthAvenue,many City plans have suggested that this areabe maintained in a natural state and that accessbeprovided inthe formof trails toenhancethequalityoflifeforMilwaukeeresidentsandincreasevalueofsurroundingneighborhoods.
While the City of Milwaukee created anoverlay district to provide for creation of theRiverWalk(essentiallyaspecialzoningareathatprovidesadditionaldesignguidelinesandreviewfordevelopmentswithin50feetoftheriverfromNorth Avenue downstream to Lake Michigan),nothing was ever done to officially protect thenaturalrivercorridorupstreamofNorthAvenue.CurrentMilwaukeezoningfortherivercorridorfromNorthAvenuetoSilverSpringlookslikeapatchworkquiltofresidential,industrial,businessdistrict and park uses. Regulations provide no
guidance on building set-backs from the water,minimum lot sizes, building heights to protectscenicbeauty,orvegetationremoval.
Lack of design guidelines and uniformstandards for riverfront development create anuneven playing field for developers and threatenthisimportantnaturalresource.Therivercorridorexists in its current natural“green” state due tolarge expanses of Milwaukee County Parklandand the benevolence and good stewardship ofprivatelandownersresidinginbetweentheparks.
What About County Parkland?County Parkland you may say? Surely that is
protected?Thankfully, our County Parks are currently
in well intentioned hands. However, MilwaukeeCounty Government ultimately has jurisdiction
overtheseproperties,andtheyarebroke.
If you think that theCounty would never sell offparkland,youmaywanttotalkto Southside residents whorecentlythwartedthesell-offofBenderParkforthepurposesofdevelopment. In addition, ourCounty Parkland continues tobedegradedby“benignneglect”–lackoffundstomaintainthe
health of the forests, trails, or rivers, or even tokeeptheparkrestroomsopen.
DNR Protection?WhataboutStateshorelandprotectionrules?
Surely the Department of Natural Resources(DNR)mustprotecttheseriverbanksyouask?
Wrongagain.WhileWisconsindoeshaverulesthatregulate
shoreland development in the form of NR115,these rules are not applicable to MilwaukeeCounty or many other areas that were alreadyincorporated when the rules came into effect in1968.
The DNR (as well as several other federalagencies) does have jurisdiction over someaspects of development that directly alter riversand riverbanks such as dredging, filling, andstreambankalterations,aswellasdevelopments
Continued next page.
...this gem within the City of Milwaukee is largely without any legal protections and vulnerable to constant threat of destruction, development, and degradation.
photo by Eddee Danie l
photo by V ince Bushel l
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affecting floodplains. However, these powers donotpreventdevelopmentonordestructionoftherivercorridoritselforitshabitat.Comprehensive Planning – Too Slow?
The City is in the midst of creating theirNortheastSideComprehensivePlan,whichwilllookattheriverasonesmallpartofoverallcity
planning. This planning effort is expected totaketwoyears,andwillinvolvelocalresidentsin what they want to see not only along theriver,butinthecommunity.
Given the changes in land ownership thatare rapidly occurring along this corridor, wecannotwaitthislongforlegalriverprotectionofthiscorridor.
A Simple SolutionThesolutionissimple.Let’skeepwhat’sgreen,
green.Itjustmakessense.Giventhepotentialforfutureflooding(dueto
upstreamdevelopment),protectedparklandisthe
highestandbestuse for this riverfrontproperty.There are also many studies that show thatland values increase when adjacent to protectednatural areas, and that parks provide important“qualityoflife”servicesthatattractemployersandemployees.
Creationofaspecialoverlaydistricttoprotectthesenaturalareasfromfuturedevelopmentanddegradation benefits current homeowners alongthe river as well as future development. Thisoverlay district consists entirely of natural areas(mostlyfloodplainsandsteepriverbluffs)atthepresent time, and would not affect any existingstructures.
Protecting the “Viewshed”The Milwaukee River Work Group also
proposes the creation of a small “buffer” areaadjacenttothetopofthe“green”riverbluff,whichwould create a special zoning district wheredesignguidelineswouldhavetobeadheredtoforNEW,multi-lotdevelopment(existingusesandstructures“grandfathered”).
This would not affect homeowners of singlefamilyhomesorduplexes, andwould just comeintoeffectwhenmultiplelotsareconsolidatedoroldindustrialpropertiesarebeingredevelopedinthefuture.
Thedesignguidelineswouldaddressbuildingheightsadjacenttotheriver,set-backofbuildingsfrom the bluff edge, vegetative screeningrequirements,andothercomponents.
Theoverallgoalof thisoverlaydistrictwouldbetoprotectthe“naturalfeel”ofthisrivercorridorandbuffertheeffectsofurbandevelopmentonthe“scenicviewshed”fromtheleveloftheriver.
ManyresidentsandvisitorsofMilwaukeealikemarvel at the beauty of our river corridor. Wedon’tneedtogotonorthernWisconsintohaveanicehikeoranicepaddledowntheriver,butcanenjoythe“wilderness”inourownbackyard–whatatremendouscommunityasset!
However, this experience is substantiallydegraded when adjacent buildings encroach notonlyphysicallybutvisuallyintotherivercorridor.
Good development and re-development canoccur while protecting this “urban wilderness”experience.OthercitieslikeChicagohaveinstilledriver corridor design guidelines to protect theseassets, and other cities such as Denver and SanAntonio are even creating (at great expense)naturalrivercorridorswheretheyneverpreviouslyexisted.
Milwaukeeneedstoembraceourriverresources,andensurethattheyareprotectedforcurrentandfuturegenerations.
Continued from previous page. Noth ing l i ke a summer day on the r i ver. photo by Eddee Danie l
Creation of a special overlay district to protect these natural areas from future development and degradation benefits current homeowners along the river as well as future development.
“There is a t ime for everything, and aseason for every activity under heaven,” Ecc les ias tes
Every th ing in i t s p lace, a p lace for r i ver f ront deve lopment , a p lace for nature.
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The C
ity of Milw
aukee, through the Departm
ent of City
Developm
ent, is asking residents of the northeast side to participate in a planning process for future developm
ent. Th
e heart of this area is the Milw
aukee River valley. Th
is m
ap shows the valley from
the old North A
venue dam foun-
dation at the south to Silver Spring Drive on the N
orth. A
t the request of the Milw
aukee River W
ork Group,
there is a proposal for a interim study district before the
City C
omm
on Council that focuses on the M
ilwaukee
River V
alley. The purpose of the study district is to consider
design criteria for new developm
ent in or near the valley on the city’s northeast side. Th
e adoption of the guide lines proposed in the study district w
ould provide protection for the river valley as outlined in this vision paper.
This m
ap is preliminary and not offi
cial but it does give a close approxim
ation of certain boundaries that are ad-dressed in the interim
study district that is proposed. The
green lines are the approximate boundary of the E
nviron-m
ental Corridor as defined by the Southeastern W
isconsin P
lanning Com
mittee (SE
WR
PC
). This group is advisory
to local governments and the recom
mendation is that land
that is within the environm
ental corridor be conserved and not developed. Th
e yellow lines indicate adjacent park lands
to the river valley. The red lines indicate the approxim
ate areas under consideration by the interim
study group for developm
ent guide lines that would consider m
inimizing
the impact of future developm
ent on the natural environ-m
ent in the river valley. For a more detailed description of
the concept please see the story on page 8.
Silver Spring Drive
at the top edge of map
Lake Michigan
touching shorewood
Ham
pton Avenue
Capitol D
rive
Locust Street
North Avenue
Old dam
at N
orth Avenuenow
with a pedestrian bridge
Urban
EcologyC
enter
View
upstream from
old dam
Canoeing can be enjoyed in this entire
stretch of the river.
Building the eastbank trail
Seining the river for organisms
pages 6-7
�
The C
ity of Milw
aukee, through the Departm
ent of City
Developm
ent, is asking residents of the northeast side to participate in a planning process for future developm
ent. Th
e heart of this area is the Milw
aukee River valley. Th
is m
ap shows the valley from
the old North A
venue dam foun-
dation at the south to Silver Spring Drive on the N
orth. A
t the request of the Milw
aukee River W
ork Group,
there is a proposal for a interim study district before the
City C
omm
on Council that focuses on the M
ilwaukee
River V
alley. The purpose of the study district is to consider
design criteria for new developm
ent in or near the valley on the city’s northeast side. Th
e adoption of the guide lines proposed in the study district w
ould provide protection for the river valley as outlined in this vision paper.
This m
ap is preliminary and not offi
cial but it does give a close approxim
ation of certain boundaries that are ad-dressed in the interim
study district that is proposed. The
green lines are the approximate boundary of the E
nviron-m
ental Corridor as defined by the Southeastern W
isconsin P
lanning Com
mittee (SE
WR
PC
). This group is advisory
to local governments and the recom
mendation is that land
that is within the environm
ental corridor be conserved and not developed. Th
e yellow lines indicate adjacent park lands
to the river valley. The red lines indicate the approxim
ate areas under consideration by the interim
study group for developm
ent guide lines that would consider m
inimizing
the impact of future developm
ent on the natural environ-m
ent in the river valley. For a more detailed description of
the concept please see the story on page 8.
Silver Spring Drive
at the top edge of map
Lake Michigan
touching shorewood
Ham
pton Avenue
Capitol D
rive
Locust Street
North Avenue
Old dam
at N
orth Avenuenow
with a pedestrian bridge
Urban
EcologyC
enter
View
upstream from
old dam
Canoeing can be enjoyed in this entire
stretch of the river.
Building the eastbank trail
Seining the river for organisms
pages 6-7
�
Who is the Milwaukee River Work Group?
TheMilwaukeeRiverWorkGroup(MRWG)isacoalitionoforganizationsconcernedwiththeMilwaukeeRiver,includingrepresentativesfromtheUrbanEcologyCenter,FriendsofMilwaukee’sRivers,andRiverRevitalizationFoundation,alongwithotherinterestedagencies,businessesandindividuals.Together,theyhavebeenexploringavarietyofmethodsandtechniquestopreservenaturalspaces,manageadjacentdevelopmentandensurepublicaccessalongtheriver.
Theyadvocateacomprehensiveplanthatincludespublicpolicy,zoning,preservationguidelinesandastewardshipplanforthefuture.
Proposed Zoning RegulationsTheMRWGrecommendsthatacomparable
approachbeimplementedtoprotectthemorenaturalupstreamportionsoftheMilwaukeeRivercorridor.
TheproposedMilwaukeeRiverGreenwaywouldextendtheconceptofsettingdevelopmentguidelinesandsiteplanreviewsupstreamfromtheformerNorthAvenuetothenortherncitylimits.Ultimately,theMRWGwouldliketoseeacomparableapproachtothemorenaturalportionsoftherivertakenbyothermunicipalitiesupstreamfromtheMilwaukeecitylimits.
ShorewoodhasalreadydonethisbyadoptingashorelandordinanceandRiverHillsisproposingasimilaroverlaydistrict.
TheMRWGisproposingthatMilwaukeeresidentsjoinwiththemincallingforthecityofMilwaukeetoappointaGreenwayTaskForceconsistingofadiversegroupofpropertyowners,businessrepresentatives,riverprotectionadvocatesandrepresentativesofgovernmentagencies.
TheGreenwayTaskForcewouldworktogethertodelineateaMilwaukeeRiverGreenway,preparedesignanddevelopmentguidelines,andrecommendasiteplanreviewprocessthatisbasedonpubliccommentelicitedthroughaseriesofworkshopsandpublicinputopportunities.FurtherrecommendationsoftheMRWGconcerningthisproposedpolicy,aswellasadetailedmapoftheareaunderdiscussion,areincludedinthisVisionPaper.
GoalsTheMRWGhasidentified
sevenprimarygoalsandobjectives:1. Permanentlyprotectexisting
naturalareasalongtheMilwaukeeRiverprimary
What’s the best way to preserve the good green Milwaukee River Corridor from North Avenue to Silver Spring Drive? The Milwaukee River Work Group has a proposal.
The proposed Milwaukee River Central Park would extend the concept of setting development guidelines and site plan reviews upstream of North Avenue to the northern city limits.
environmentalcorridor,floodplains,andriverbluffsthatareimportanttoprotectingwaterquality,minimizingflooding,andprovidingmigratorypathwaysforwildlife.
2. Protectthe“viewshed”ofthegreenwaycorridorsothatpersonsenjoyingtheriverorengaginginactivitiessuchascanoeing,kayaking,fishing,orhikingalongtheriver’sedgewillhaveanaturalexperience.
3. Establishbuildingsetbacksanddesignguidelinesfornewmulti-lotconstructionwithinabufferareaadjacenttothetopofthegreenbluffalongtheriver.
4. Establishenhancedguidelinestocontrolerosionandrunoffenteringtheriver.
5. Preserveandenhancenativevegetation,fisheriesandwildlifehabitatalongtherivercorridor.
6. Encouragelandusesandactivitieswithintherivercorridorthattakeintoaccounttheobjectiveofmaintaininganaturalgreenwaycorridor,withoutalteringpresentuses.
7.CreateaMilwaukeeRiverCentralParkTrustFundtofinancelandandwaterstewardshipintothefuture.
Strategies for PreservationTheMRWGhasstudiedabroadrangeof
toolstopreservethenaturalgreenwaycorridorwithinapredominantlyurbanenvironment.ThefirststepthatisunderwayisfortheMilwaukee
CommonCounciltocreateanstudydistrictfortherivercorridorandsurroundingareas.
ThecreationofaMilwaukeeRiverGreenwaywouldinvolveelicitingpublicinputandestablishingguidelinesfornewdevelopmentprojectsadjacenttotheriverthatarecompatiblewiththegoalsofmaintaininganaturalgreenwayalongtherivercorridorandpreservingthe“viewshed,”soimpositionofurbanviews
wouldbekepttoaminimumforpeopleusingtherivervalley.
Past SuccessesTheconceptofthiskindof
oversighthasbeensuccessfullyusedbythecityofMilwaukeeinthepast.
WhenthecitywasintheearlystagesofplanningtheRiverWalk
project,theypassedlegislationregulatingdevelopmentoflandadjacenttotheMilwaukeeRivercorridorfromtheHarbornorthwardstotheformerNorthAvenuedam.
AstheRiverWalkhasbeendeveloped,theseregulationsremaininplace.AnyprojectsproposedinthisareaaresubjecttoguidelinesandsiteplanreviewsthroughtheMilwaukeeRiverCorridorSitePlanReviewOverlayDistrict.Currently,theCityPlanCommissionreviewsallprojectsforthesespecificregulationswithin50feetlandwardoftheexistingdockwallalongurbansectionsoftheriver.TheresultingsystemofriverwalksandotherriveredgeimprovementsonbothsidesoftheMilwaukeeRiverthroughthedowntownareahasbecomeatremendousassetandamenityforallcitizens.ThecityhasalwaysenvisionedthatthispublicaccesswouldcontinueviaaseriesofnaturaltrailsupstreamoftheformerNorthAvenueDam.
= Milwaukee River Central Park
�The Milwaukee Central Park Philosophy: Sustainability into the Future
AlargeportionofthelandalongtheMilwaukeeRiverisalreadyinpublic
hands.ThevisionofaCentralParkalongtheriverisaexpansionofthatreality.
Withaconnectedandprotectedcorridor,someobviousquestionsarise.Howisthelandmanaged?Whotakesresponsibilityforupkeep?Howarepoliciesdecided?Whoenforcesthosepolicies?Whopaysthebills?
Howdoyougetinvolvedinthisprocess?Ifyouhavereadtheprecedingpagesyoumayhaveconcludedthatyouconcurinourphilosophyandsupporttheseconcepts.Youcanbecomepartofthe“We” thatproposestheseideasofaMilwaukeeCentralPark.Hereiswhatisproposed.Joiningintheprocessinfluencestheoutcome.
Public InputWeneedpublicinputonbestusage,policies
andstructureforthisland.Howdowegetinputfrompeoplewholiveandworkneartherivervalley,andfrompeoplewhowanttouseit?
We proposeaseriesofpublicmeetingsandplanningworkshops,opentoanyonewithaninterestintheriverandland.Thesewillbepublicizedthrougharticlesinthelocalpressandnewsstoriesonelectronicmedia.WewillalsoengagetheoutreacheffortsofcommunityorganizersfromgroupslikeCommunityPartnersandtheYMCA-CommunityDevelopmentCenter.
FriendsofMilwaukee’sRiversonbehalfoftheMilwaukeeRiverWorkGroup(MRWG)hasrecentlyreceivedagrantfromWisconsinCoastalManagementProgram,toholdaseriesofplanningsessionstobegintheprocess.ThesepublicplanningsessionscanhelpgatherinputfromthepeoplewhoareinterestedinthefutureoftheMilwaukeeRiverValley.
TherearemanyquestionstobeansweredabouthowtosetupourCentralParkarea.Itwilltaketimeandefforttoreachameaningfulconsensusthatmakesthislandusefulforasmanypeopleandinterestsaspossible.
A Gathering of StakeholdersNextwecometothequestionofwhoshould
administerthemanagementandprotectionofthelandonanongoingbasis.Thisissomethingthatnooneorganizationorgovernmentalunitcantakeonbyitself.
ThemajorityofthelandisdesignatedparkandownedbyMilwaukeeCounty.Determiningtheuseofthefewremainingparcelsthatwillmakethisareaacentralparkisthegoalofthepublicinputprocessaswemovefromavisiontoreality.
We proposeaconsortiumofstakeholders:individualneighbors,representativesfromareaorganizations,businessesandbusinessorganizations,neighborhoodassociations,governmentalagencies,citydepartments,schools,MilwaukeeCountyParksDepartment,andotherswhohaveastakeandinterestinhowthelandandwaterismanaged.Thisgroupwouldserveonavoluntarybasis,andbegrantedauthoritytomakedecisionsthroughanagreementwithnecessarypublicandprivateagencies.
Whoshouldbeatthattable?TheMRWGhasastartinbringingstakeholderstogether,andthatlistisgrowing.Thepublicprocesswillhelpdeterminethestructureofthegoverningbody.
Pleasecheckthebackpageforinformation
onhowtocontactthedifferentgroupsandpublicofficialsinvolved.
Guardianship: How to Handle Enforcement?
ManyofthepresentusersseetheRiverValleyasaplacetowalkthedog,rideamountainbike,takeahike,dropafishingline.Birdwatchersandnatureloversarecommonusers.Schoolkidsandadultslearnabouttheenvironmentinthisurbanecosystem.
Notalloftheseactivitiesaremutuallycompatible.Onequestionthatkeepscomingupis,“WhatcanIdoandwherecanIdoit?”Answeringthisquestionrequireslandandwaterusepolicies,andameansofcommunicatingthesepoliciestolandusers.
Oncepoliciesareinplace,theywillneedtobeenforced.
Itistoocostlytoemploycityorcountypolicetopatrolthevalley–andprobablynotthebestsolution.Afterall,naturalareasareusuallyplaceswherepeoplewanttorelaxandhavefun.
However,thereneedtobepoliciesandrules,tokeeptheareasafeandprotected.
We proposethatthosewhoregularlyusethelandcometogethertodecidepolicies.Thiskindofconsensusagreementwillcreate“unofficialofficials.”Inotherwords,peoplewhohavehelpedtodecidepolicywillhelptoenforcepolicy.
Giventhat,wealsoacknowledgethatthereneedstobesomeofficialoversightofthearea.Whilewemaybeabletorelytosomedegreeonlocallawenforcementofficersandcityandcountyparksemployees,weneedtobeabletofundalevelofruleenforcement.Somesignagewillbeneededandatsomepointemployeestoeducateusersoftherivervalleyaboutpoliciesandhelpmaintainthearea.Thiswillprovideguidanceonruleenforcement.
Show Me the MoneyHowdowefinancethecreationand
maintenanceofaMilwaukeeRiverCentralParkarea?
Inthepast,wehavecountedoncity,stateandcountytaxdollarstofundpublicrecreationareas.However,givengrowingdemandsonpublicfunds,thisnewvisionoflandusealongourriverseemstocallfornewapproachestofunding,andtoguaranteeingthatfundingintothefuture.
We proposethecreationofaMilwaukeeRiverCentralParkTrustFund.Thisfundcouldbesetupandmanagedsothatproceedsofthefundcouldbeusedtofinancelandandwatermaintenanceintothefuture.Therecouldbeaspecialentitysetup–apartfromanyofthestakeholdersormembersofagoverningboard–tomanagethefund.Therearemodelsforthiskindoffundingcurrentlyinplaceinotherareas.
Thefundwouldgrowthroughdonationsofconcernedcitizensandgroups.Thiswouldbeacommunityeffort.
Future Problem-SolvingAsweplanfortheorganization,
administrationandfundingforthevalley,weneedtocreateameanstocarrythateffortintothefuture.
We proposethattheearlyplanningprocessfocusonthecreationofaMilwaukeeRiverCentralParkPhilosophy–thinkofitasanecologicalconstitution–thatwillhelpplannersandpolicymakersofthefutureunderstandthatwewanttokeepourbeautifulrivercleanandgreenandaccessibletoeveryone.ThiskindofphilosophystatementwillmakeiteasierforustoguideallofourplanningasweworktodefineandcreateourMilwaukeeRiverCentralParkarea.Itwillhelpusmaintainitandsustainitinameaningfulwayintothefuture.
Planning ProposalsPublic Process• Hold a series of public meetings and planning workshops to create a meaningful consensus on best usage, policies and rules for the Milwaukee River Central Park area.
Participation• We propose that a group of people who regularly use the land come together to decide policies. Create a Milwaukee River Central Park Trust Fund to finance land and water maintenance into the future for this area.
Philosophy• Promote a Milwaukee River Central Park Philosophy that will create and strengthen the strategy needed to maintain the beauty of the river valley and keep it accessible to everyone. The Central Park area is a “third place,” that is, “a setting beyond home and work (the ‘first’ and ‘second’ places respectively), which people enjoy and connect with on a regular basis.” This area will provide a natural place in the city for people who need and want a setting beyond home and work where they can relax and connect with the natural world. It will remain available to our urban children so they can learn from and experience a natural setting.
10
The Milwaukee River Work Group includes: Friends of Milwaukee’s Rivers (FMR),
River Revitalization Foundation (RRF), Ur-ban Ecology Center (UEC), local residents and neighborhood groups that have a shared vision for the Milwau-kee River valley. We believe there is increased credibility given to our position statements by working together. We were concerned that state shoreland law does not protect natural areas in Milwaukee’s river valleys while the state does have a role in all the other counties in Wisconsin. It is up to city government to adopt rules to protect the land and water in Milwaukee County. The city has begun a multi year planning process for the North East side of Milwaukee. It seemed appropriate to get our views down on paper and hold community information sessions to involve the public in these decisions. We are promoting land
use concepts that promote preservation of natu-ral assets while improving public access to these same lands and the Milwaukee River. FMR leads in water quality protection as
the designated “Riverkeeper” for Milwaukee’s rivers. RRF is our urban land trust dedicated to assure protec-tion through land ownership and stewardship, public access and environmental protection easements. UEC is a leader locally, statewide, and nationally in environmental education. They provide an access point for all to experience our natural world right here on the banks of the Milwaukee River. Below are each groups perspectives on stewardship and access to natural lands and our rivers in an urban environ-ment. We encourage you to read them. Please join us. See back cover for contact information.
Partnering Organizations
When asked what they value mostabout the greater Milwaukee
region, people frequently refer to the closeproximity to Lake Michigan or one of thearea’s three rivers. This is reflected in thebuilding and redevelopment boom alongMilwaukee’s rivers, improved public accessto the waterways, and increasing numbersof anglers and paddlers using Milwaukee’sriversandthelakefront.
This change in perception has beenbrought on in part largely through improvedwaterqualityandriverconditions, suchas theremoval of North Avenue Dam. As a result,residentsandvisitorsincreasinglyuseourriversforrecreationalboatingandtoenjoythenatu-ral,cultural,andhistoricalattractionsthatcanbediscoveredfromthewater.
Milwaukee Urban Water Trail Paddle the rivers in your own back yardHowever, a grow-
ing gap existedbetween interest inriverfront recreationand informationabout public accessto our rivers. The
lackofinformationonlegitimate public access pointslead people to use makeshift,andattimes illegalandunsafe,access points. In addition, in-creasingriverfrontdevelopmenthasmadeitharderforpaddlersto find access points from thelandanddistinguishbetweenathrongofunsignedprivateandpublicpiersfromthewater.
Duetothesereasons,Friendsof Milwaukee’s Rivers (FMR) developed theMilwaukeeUrbanWaterTrail in2005,incol-laboration with a variety of government, non-profit,andprivatestakeholders.TheMilwaukeeUrbanWaterTrail isa canoeandkayakroutethroughtheurbanportionsof theMilwaukee,MenomoneeandKinnickinnicRivers contain-
ingmorethan25milesofpaddlingopportuni-ties.Thetrailincludes33accesssites(includingportages),passesthroughportionsoffivecitiesand two coastal counties, and connects thethreeriverstopaddlingopportunitiesonLakeMichigan. The map can be obtained at theMilwaukeeEnvironmentalConsortium,UrbanEcologyCenter,LaackeandJoys,theDNR,andmanyotherlocations.ItisalsoavailableontheFMR website at: http://www.mkeriverkeeper.org/watertrail/map.htm. Most of the WaterTrailsiteshavepostedsignsidentifyingthemasofficialpublicsitestominimizeconfusionaboutwhichsitesarepublicandprivate.
In 2006, the Milwaukee Urban Water Trailwas designated as a National RecreationTrailbytheU.S.DepartmentoftheInterior,aswellas an American Canoe Association Recom-mendedTrail.AstheMilwaukeeUrbanWaterTrailbecomesmorepopular,residentsincreas-inglyrealizethattheydonotneedtotravellongdistancestogocanoeingorkayaking. Instead,they can enjoy the rivers right in their ownbackyards.
See back cover for contact information.
The Good Earth Open land is a vanishing resource
The Milwaukee River valley is under pres-sure from development moving up the
river from downtown. By purchasing some landin thevalley,RRFhasprotecteda sectionof theenvironmental corridor. By working to preservetheexistingforestedandundevelopedlandintheMilwaukeeRivervalley,RRFplanstoleavealegacyofconnectedpubliclandsthatareaccessible.Thisisavitalurbanconnectiontothenaturalworld.
Theweboflifeonearthextendsintoourgreatcities.Naturalareasareimportantnotonlyforoursurvivalbutthesurvivalofallthosespecies,largeand small that rely upon the complex nature ofwildspacetosurvive.
The preservation of natural habitat along theriver isgoodfortheeconomy,ourwaterandourfuture.Itisnotatechniquetopreventdevelopmentbutitdoesallowthebeautyoftheriverandbluffsystemtoremainandco-existwithinthedevelop-ment. Just like Manhattan, a Milwaukee CentralParkwillbeadestinationsoughtbymany.
Weneedtoprovideforwildspaceswithinoururban boundaries while the opportunities existorwerisklosingthem.Notallurbandwellersareabletoleavethecitytoexperiencethewondersofthenaturalworld.Theycannotvaluewhattheydonotknow.Bypreservingandprovidingopportuni-ties for city dwellers, young and old, to walk inthe green valley of the Milwaukee River, we arecreatingacitizenshipwithanunderstandingand
appreciationforthenaturalworld.Timeiscritical.Ifresidentsandcityandcounty
governmentdonotactnowtoprotecttheseriverlands,theopportunitytodosowillpass.Thecostoflandalloverourstateisrising.Thecostoflandin the city along the river hasskyrocketed. With the help oforganizations like RRF, Friendsof Milwaukee’s Rivers and theUrban Ecology center, it can besaved.
Ifanythingisafiniteresourceit is our land and water. Ourwiseuseoflandandwaterhelpsus sustain life. As for the land,we have scoured it and dumpedon it but the bedrock sits mostly quietly below,popping up to the surface at some points. As isourtraditionandourlaw,mostlyinvisiblelinesofownershipmarktheland.
Inthequesttoprotect landinitsnaturalformand provide the public access to our land andwater resources,RiverRevitalizationFoundation(RRF)wasformed.RRFisourRiverLandTrust.TheFoundationowns land inthepublic trust intheMilwaukeeRiverValleyandislookingatotherparcelstopurchase.
AnotheroptionforRRFbesidesoutrightpur-chase, is toacquireeasements fromprivate land-ownersforaccessorconservation.Aneasementis
avoluntarylegalagreementbetweenalandownerandaqualifiedlandtrusttopermanentlyprotectthe lands conservation values. The landownerretains ownership and use of the property. Thispreservation method allows non-profits, such asRRF,toprotectmorelandbecauseitislessexpen-
sivethanbuyinglandoutright.Placing a land preservation
agreementalongaportionof theriverbankisaeffectiveprotectionmethod. Unless we protect theseareas now, there will be little re-mainingforfuturegenerationstoenjoy.
The East BankTrail was con-structedlastyearandnowlegally
allows public access onto private lands. We canthankthemanypropertyownerswhosharedourvisionforthevalleyforthisaccomplishment.
Wisconsin Coastal Management provided agranttobuildthetrail.VolunteersworkedwithalandscaperandMilwaukeeCountyParkemployeestogetthetrailbuilt.Constructionfirmsdonatedmaterials.Donorsgavethematchingfundsneededforthegrant.
Theresultisimprovedaccessforalltoareasoftheriverthatwerelargelyinaccessiblebefore.
Protectthegoodearth.Pleasejoinus.See back cover for contact information.
...residents and visitors increasingly use our rivers for recreational boat-ing and to enjoy the natural, cultural, and historical attractions that can be discovered from the water.
11
This is Ken from UEC. For years I havehad this crazy dream of one day going
canoeing and fishing in Riverside Park withmygoodfriend,CarijeanBuhk.CarijeanandIhavedonealotofoutdoorthingsovertheyears.We have been sledding together, we’ve gonecalling for owls in deep snow with sub-zerotemperaturesandoncewewentsailingonLakeMichigan. These may not sound so crazy tomost people, but Carijean has ArthrogryposisMultiplexCongenita,whichmeansshecannotwalk,herarmsandhandshavelimitedmobilityandsheusesawheelchairtogetaround.
CarijeanisthelongestlastingemployeeattheUrban Ecology Center. She has been a hugeassetovertheyears inthedevelopmentofournewsletter, website and PR materials. Yet Isometimes wonder how she feels as she hearsustalkofthegrowingnumberofspeciesoffishin the river, sees us run out to investigate the
newly found beaver trees alongthe river’s bank and watches theweekly canoe trips take off fromthe Center during the summer.Sheseesandhearsofallof this,placespicturesof theseactivitiesinourbrochures,but isnotableto experience these things forherself.Thebanksintheparkaretoosteepandthetrailstoorough.Thereisnoplacealongtheentirefivemilestretchofnaturalurban
corridor thathasawheelchairaccessible routetoeasyfishingontheriver.
Itisforthisreason,notjustforCarijeanbutforallpersonswithdisabilities,thatasmallbutdedicatedgroupofvolunteersandprofessionalshas spent the past year ironing out a compli-catedmasterplanforpathwaysandaccessibilityin Riverside Park. This was done thanks to aplanninggrantfromthestate’sCoastalManage-mentFund.
It isa trickybusiness. Wewant tokeepthenaturalwildcharacterofthepark,yetasmorepeoplevisittheareaitbecomescriticaltoimprovethetrails,stairwaysandriveraccess.Withalotofcitizeninvolvement--aswellasthesupportoflandscapearchitects,civilengineers,CountyParks and Department of Natural Resourcespersonnel, with representatives from Indepen-denceFirst,FriendsofMilwaukee’sRivers,theRiver Revitalization Foundation and our localelected officials -- I am absolutely thrilled to
4-Wheeling in the Park: Opening the urban outdoors to persons with disabilities
Stewardship • Access • Stewardship • Accesssharewithyouourendresult!
Thefullplanisquiteambitiousandincludesimproved staircases, erosion control, a fishingpier, a canoe launchandanelegantpedestriansuspension bridge across the Oak Leaf Recre-ationalTrail.WealsoplantoextendParkPlaceacross the trail to a 50 to 60 car parking area(notinthepark).Fromthisparkingarea,afullyaccessiblepathwill leadboth to theOakLeafTrailandtheriver.
Thanks to the incredible generosity of ourneighbor,PieterGodfrey,muchofthedifficultstretch of the wheelchair accessible path hasalready been created … a beautiful windingpathdowntheembankmenttothefloodplainoftheriver.Thispathwillnotonlyconnecttoourfishingandcanoearea,butwill leadsouthto North Avenue via the new East Bank trailconstructedbyour colleagues, theRiverRevi-talizationFoundation.
We have divided the park into three trailtypes:
•Naturaltrailsthatwillremainessentiallyasthey are as meandering narrow dirt pathwaysthroughtheforest
•Improvedtrailswhichwillconvertsomeoftheoldasphalttrailsintomorenaturalbutstillwiderpathwaysand
• Accessible trails graded and surfaced withcrushed limestonethatallowswheelchairsandwalkerstomaneuver,butnotrollerblades
See www.UrbanEcologyCenter.org for amapthatshowsthefulldetailsoftheplan.
The plan is not going to happen overnight,butastheeternaloptimist,comenextfallImaybeabletopulloffadatewithCarijeantofulfilladreamI’vehadforalongtime.
See back cover for contact information.
Glossary of TermsGreenway Task Force AgroupproposedbytheMilwaukeeRiverWorkGroup.Thisdiversegroupofpropertyowners,businessrepresentatives,riverprotectionadvocatesandrepresentativesofgovernmentagencieswouldworktogethertodelineateaMilwaukeeRiverGreenway,preparedesignanddevelopmentguidelines,andrecommendasiteplanreviewprocess.
Milwaukee River Central Park AreaAnameproposedbytheMilwaukeeRiverWorkGroupfortheapproximately800acreareaintheenvironmentalcorridoralongtheMilwaukeeRiverfromtheNorthAvenuedamtothecitylimitsatSilverSpringDrive.ThisareaisroughlythesameacreageasCentralParkinNewYorkCity.TheMilwaukeeRiverWorkGroupisproposingthattheCityofMilwaukeeadoptzoningtoprotectthisareaasagreenspace,andalsoprotectthe“viewshed”ofthisareafromtheimpositionofurbanviewstopreservethenaturalexperienceofpeopleusingtheriver.
Milwaukee River Central Park Trust Fund AfundproposedbytheMilwaukeeRiverWorkGrouptobesetupandmanagedsothatproceedsofthefundcouldbeusedtofinancelandandwatermaintenanceintothefuture.Therecouldbeaspecialcompanysetup–apartfromanyofthestakeholdersormembersofagoverningboard–tomanagethefund.Therearemodelsforthiskindoffundingcurrentlyinplaceinotherareas.Thefundwouldgrowthroughdonationsofconcernedcitizensandgroups.Thiswouldbeacommunityeffort.
Milwaukee River GreenwayMilwaukeeRiverprimaryenvironmentalcorridor,floodplains,andriverbluffsbetweenNorthAvenueandSilverSpringDrive.ThisVisionPapersuggeststhatthisGreenwaybepreservedbyestablishingguidelinesfornewdevelopmentprojectsalongtherivervalley,thatwouldprotectwaterquality,preservemigratorypathwaysforwildlife,andminimizeflooding.
Milwaukee River Work Group AcoalitionoforganizationsconcernedwiththeMilwaukeeRiver,includingrepresentativesfromtheUrbanEcologyCenter,FriendsofMilwaukee’sRivers,andRiverRevitalizationFoundation,alongwithotherinterestedagencies,businessesandindividuals.
ViewshedTheconceptthattheviewfromtheriverandthegreenwaycorridorshouldincludenaturalelementsasmuchaspossible,andimpositionofurbanviewswouldbekepttoaminimumforpeopleusingtherivervalley,sopersonsenjoyingtheriverorengaginginactivitiessuchascanoeing,kayaking,fishing,orhikingalongtheriver’sedgewillhaveanaturalexperience.
1� Opportunities For InvolvementGive us a call Send an emailCheck out our websitesDrop us a lineGo fishingGet in a canoeTake a hikeRide a bikeWalk your dogPlant a treeHelp remove invasivesOffer financial helpTake a tourGo bird watchingVolunteerGo skiingJogShare this with a neighborAttend a meetingParticipate in a clean upThink about it
Mayor Tom BarrettOffice of the Mayor, 200 E. Wells StreetCity Hall Rm.201, Milwaukee, WI ��202Phone (414) 286.2200, FAX: (414) 286.�1�1 [email protected]
Northeast Side Area PlanContact Janet Grau,Dept. of City Development414- 286-��24 Email [email protected]
Friends of Milwaukee’s Rivers184� N. Farwell Ave. Suite 100Milwaukee, WI ��202Phone: 414.28�.020�Fax: 414.2��.�2��www.mkeriverkeeper.org
River Revitalization Foundation184� N. Farwell, Suite 100 Milwaukee, WI ��202Phone: 414.2�1.8000 Fax: 414.2��.�2��www.riverrevitalizationfoundation.org
Urban Ecology CenterRiverside Park 1�00 E. Park PlaceMilwaukee, WI ��211Phone:414.�64.8�0�www.urbanecologycenter.orgEmail [email protected]
Contact City of Milwaukee Officials
Alderman Michael D’Amato3rd Aldermanic DistrictCity Hall, Room 20� 200 East Wells St.Milwaukee, WI ��202 E-Mail:[email protected]
Alderman Michael McGee, Jr.6th Aldermanic DistrictCity Hall, Room 20� 200 East Wells St.Milwaukee, WI ��202E-Mail: [email protected]
Alderman Ashanti Hamilton1st Aldermanic DistrictCity Hall, Room 20� 200 East Wells St.Milwaukee, WI ��202E-Mail: [email protected]
Phone contact information for all Alderman:Phone: (Office) 414 286-2221, (TDD) 414 286-2025, (After hours) 414 286-2150, FAX: (O) 414 286-3456
TheCityofMilwaukee,throughtheDepartmentofCityDevelopment,isaskingresidentsofthenortheastsidetoparticipateinaplanningprocessforfuturedevelopment.TheheartofthisareaistheMilwaukeeRivervalley.
Additionally,attherequestoftheMilwaukeeRiverWorkGroup,thereisaproposalforainterimstudydistrictbeforetheCityCommonCouncilthatfocusesontheMilwaukeeRiverValley.Thepurposeofthestudydistrictistoconsiderdesigncriteriafornewdevelopmentinornearthevalleyonthecity’snortheastside.Theadoptionoftheguidelinesproposedinthestudydistrictwouldprovideprotectionfortherivervalleyasoutlinedinthisvisionpaper.PleaseconsidercontactingtheMayorandthethreealdermanlistedbelowwhosedistrictsincludetherivervalley.YoumayalsocontactJanetGrauoftheDepartmentofCityDevelopment,whoiscoordinatingtheNortheastSideAreaplanandiscompilingstakeholderinput.
TellthemyousupporttheideaofaMilwaukeeRiverCentralPark,andtheadoptionofguidelinestoprotectthisvaluablepublicresource.
ThisisnotataskfortheCityofMilwaukeealone.AllthecommunitiesthatborderourriversinMilwaukeeCounty should be addressing river edge development and conservation measures. Shorewood has adopted ashorelandordinanceandothercommunitiesareconsideringactionaswell.Theworkdoneherecanbeamodelofhowtobegoodstewardsofourriverlandsandwaters.
Thank you to all who participated in the preparation of this vision paper. In particular:• The staff of the Friends of Milwaukee’s Rivers, River Revitalization Foundation, and the Urban Ecology Center.• The volunteers who coordinated and participated in the process to develop a vision and who will continue to work to implement the goals.• Our editor.• And the donor who made the publication of this paper possible.We purposely tried not to associate most of the content with any one group or individual. The goal was to present a unified vision. We thank you for any support you may be able to provide.
Please check our websites for updates and meetings on Milwaukee River Central Park.
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