By Zack Moncrieff
Feb. 28, 2021
The Vilas Neighborhood Association gave a thumbs down to the Vilas Park Master Plan for procedural reasons, a move that could slow down changes to the most visited park on the West Side.
Edgewood community members frequent the park for outdoor meetings, stress relief, exercise, and other forms of recreation, activities that have increased during the pandemic. Changes to the area could negatively impact traffic to the park. There are significant changes such as a new shelter, the permanent partial closure of traffic on Vilas Park Drive, and parking lot expansions.
The park, founded in 1905, offers walking paths, ice skating rinks and playgrounds. It has been a popular place for residents during the COVID pandemic. It is a hub for outdoor recreation and borders the Vilas Neighborhood, the Henry Vilas Zoo, Edgewood College, and Lake Wingra. The park sees more than 100,000 visitors per year.
“We wanted to highlight that there are significant decisions being made in these master plans without evidence to back them up,” said Ann Rivlin, who is a Vilas Neighborhood resident.
Rivlin said there was not enough research on the way hundreds of thousands of people enter the park. It is planned to partially close vehicle traffic Vilas Park Drive and change the location of park entrances.
The Master Plan has been in development since late 2019. It is now in the final phase, with all community input meetings concluded. The next step is the review and adoption of the plan by the Board of Parks Commission March 10.
The changes to the park will take place over 15-20 years after commission approval. The plan seeks to maintain adequate parking, which will total 389 stalls. Eastbound traffic on the most of Vilas Park Drive will be eliminated permanently to make the area more pedestrian and biker friendly. These pedestrian improvements also include new walking paths and boardwalks.
The Vilas NA is not the only area neighborhood scrutinizing the city for the master plan process. Representatives from Vilas, Greenbush and the Dudgeon-Monroe Neighborhoods released a joint statement saying there is a process flaw in the way Madison produces master plans.
“We can’t really feel too secure about things that are in the plan,” said Wendy Fearnside, a Vilas Neighborhood Representative.
The next step is the approval by the Board of Parks Commission. Vilas NA representatives are planning to voice their opinions at the March 10 meeting to make last minute changes. If there is controversy at this review meeting it may delay the commissions adoption of the master plan.
Post your comments