Jursik votes to develop County Grounds

By Zach W On May 22, 2009 · 4 Comments · In News

In her Spring 2009 Report, Milwaukee County Supervisor Patricia Jursik touts her strong support for Milwaukee County’s parks, which leaves me to wonder why she voted in favor of allowing the sale of 89 acres of the Milwaukee County grounds in Wauwatosa to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for construction of an engineering campus. The County Grounds are an irreplaceable natural preserve for various wildlife, and the Grounds are also one of the few migratory stops for the Monarch butterfly. Thanks to the 15 members of the County Board of Supervisors who voted in favor of selling that land for private development, this migratory stop for Monarch butterflies will likely be destroyed.

It’s disappointing Supervisor Jursik, who so often touts her support of the County’s parks, choose to vote against preserving some of Milwaukee County’s natural wonder in this case. While I certainly understand this vote was strongly motivated by money, the Milwaukee County Grounds were worth saving.

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4 Responses to Jursik votes to develop County Grounds

capper says:

May 22, 2009 at 9:54 pm

Hear, hear.

It is time that we get some elected leaders that are willing to put the interests of Milwaukee County first, instead of just taking the easy way out.
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Zach W says:

May 23, 2009 at 8:37 am

capper, I agree 100%.
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Patricia Jursik says:

May 23, 2009 at 3:44 pm

Here are the reasons:
1. This is not a park, is designated as a development zone by the county and much of it has been a land fill when the utilities were developed for the great needs of the hospital complex.
2. We demanded and got a zone for the butterflies which UWM will not be able to use for development.
3. We demanded and got the promise to preserve the Eschweiller buildings which are designated historical buildings; also UWM must develop only with buildings that are sensitive to the design of these buildings.
4. We required double the green zones around the campus including a park.
5. We received appraised value and would likely have not gotten such a value from private developers with all of the conditions.
6. Finally, I voted to agree to this sale to preserve real parks and parkways; the county will be in DIRE straights in developing the 2010 budget and likely will need to sell assets; this one makes more sense than our real parks.
7. It is good for the county; UWM has been trying to get development money for decades but Madison usually keeps it for their Madison campus; The county already has the Research Park and the medical complex will provide a unique opportunity for the engineering campus.
Thanks for your interest in the topic. Pat Jursik
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capper says:

May 24, 2009 at 2:14 am

Supervisor Jursik-

With all due respect, may I point out some things as well:

1) Both the County Board and the County Executive had promised that the land would only be developed to be a state forest.

2)Just by the act of the construction, the habitat and ecological balance will be thrown away.

3)Unless I am mistaken, the legal language in the deal was lacking.

4) Studies have shown that the land will at least triple in value after the zoo interchange has been redone.

5) The UW Board of Regents had stated that they have no affiliation with or influence over the private developers that actually are buying the land.

6 & 7) While what you say about the 2010 budget is unfortunately very true, it would have made even more sense to preserve the parks and the county grounds by selling the land either in the Park East Corridor or, if one was absolutely bent on it being in Tosa, the land right next to the Medical College would have been even better for the school.
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