CHANGES MADE TO CONCEPT PLAN FOR PLEASANT PRAIRIE PARK
CHANGES APPROVED
On February 2, the Village Board approved changes to the Concept Plan for Pleasant Prairie Park, which is located at the intersection of Bain Station Road and 104th Avenue. A public hearing regarding the proposed changes was held during a meeting of the Plan Commission on January 26, while the Park Commission considered the revisions on December 2.
WHY CHANGES WERE CONSIDERED
Two main reasons for proposing changes to the Concept Plan for the park were to convert two existing softball fields into a football field to meet increasing interest in youth football programs (an area will also be lined for a soccer field) and to dedicate space in an interior portion of the park for a cellular tower site. The area of the proposed changes are shown with the white circles on the image to the right.
Village Administrator Mike Pollocoff explained, “We’ve seen an increased demand in youth football programs that we’ll be able to respond to with a relatively small amount of expense.” Regarding locating a cell tower site within the park, Pollocoff added, “By accommodating requests from cellular service providers looking to improve cell service in this area, we’ll end up with both a means of improving communication infrastructure in the community and a mechanism that could fund improvements to the park without using tax dollars.” Cellular service providers would lease space for the cellular tower from the Village generating revenue that could be used towards future improvements.
PARK PLANNING BACKGROUND/HISTORY
The original concept plan for Pleasant Prairie Park was created in 2006 as part of the first Village Park and Open Space Plan. Every five years, Village staff updates and refines this plan based on changes in the community. This enables the Village to remain qualified for certification from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and therefore maintain eligibility to qualify for matching grant funding through the Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund and the Wisconsin Stewardship Fund.
In 2011, the Village’s park planning consultants began gathering data to be used to assist the community in identifying the Village’s future park and recreational needs. A series of open meetings and visioning sessions were held, and consultants surveyed Village residents, RecPlex members, and Village representatives. To learn more about the public participation and planning process, please see Chapter 5 of the Master Park Plan posted at PleasantPrairieOnline.com under the Parks & Rec tab.
In May of 2013, Pleasant Prairie’s Park Commission, Plan Commission and Village Board considered and approved the 2013-2018 Park and Open Space Plan. The plan document includes general background information and demographics about the community to establish the context surrounding the plan. The document also inventories existing park and recreational facilities in the area, then addresses the public input received about parks and open spaces. It proceeds to analyze the data gathered and make policy and conceptual recommendations to guide future work within the park system as funds become available.
Major recommendations made in the Plan that will help guide future projects as funds become available include: continue to identify, acquire and provide land for quality public outdoor recreation; prepare information and educate the community about park and recreational opportunities currently available; preserve the Village’s natural, cultural and archeological resources for current and future residents; provide interconnected bike and walking trails related to public open space areas; and continue to maintain and upgrade existing park facilities. A copy of the Park and Open Space Plan is available by clicking here.