Fight for The Milwaukee County Grounds "Sanctuary Woods"

Don't let the last remaining piece of high quality natural area in the County Grounds be destroyed! Show up on Tuesday to let the City of Wauwatosa know you do not support the 'Emerald Parkway'.

When:

Tuesday, January 17, 2017 at 6:30 pm CST

Where:

City of Wauwatosa City Hall
Common Council Chambers
7725 West North Avenue   
Wauwatosa, WI 53213

Why:

The City of Wauwatosa is holding a Committee of the Whole meeting to discuss a conceptual master plan for the southeast part of the County Grounds, which includes a new thoroughfare connecting UWM's Innovation Park with the Village of Wauwatosa, which is north of and parallel to Watertown Plank Road.

The roadway would bisect what is currently the last remaining high quality parcel of natural area in the County Grounds, known locally as "Sanctuary Woods," which currently provides important habitat for wildlife and recreational opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts. While the plan is still in its conceptual stage of development, if it is approved, it will be incorporated into the City's comprehensive plan and move on to design, engineering, and construction planning, which can be implemented. The area to the south between the new road and Watertown Plank Road would also be slated for development.

Milwaukee Riverkeeper has been working to protect the County Grounds for more than 20 years and we know how important this piece of land is to our Milwaukee River Basin residents. We attended an open house in May 2016 to oppose the construction of what is being called the "Emerald Parkway" and to ask the city to rezone the land to Parks to ensure future protection.

We encourage our supporters to attend the meeting on Tuesday to do the same. 
Graef, the city's engineering consultant, will be giving a presentation on the Master Pan. It's unclear what kind of public input the Wauwatosa Common Council will be accepting on Tuesday. 

The City has said there will be another open house on February 7, 2017.