Blame WEAL

Laurel Walker in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes that the battle over building a baseball stadium at Frame Park may have been lost long ago, and it's WEAL's fault.

Back when the Fox River Development Board was trying to raise money and improve Frame Park and the Fox River parkway step by step, it started with the showy Barstow Plaza adjoining Frame Park. In 1992, the Waukesha County Environmental Action League challenged the city's right to put a dragonfly sculpture and a fountain in the navigable river, which the group believed should remain natural and unimpeded.

The case went to a state administrative law judge who, more than a year later, sided with the city. The art is a popular attraction.

But the fight took something out of the Fox River Development Board, one former member recently told me. The Frame Park development plan called for eliminating the baseball field used by local high schools, colleges and community leagues - but its removal was a big bone of contention in the community. The board, which still had a big chore ahead, couldn't stomach another fight and delay, the member said.

Technorati Tags: Frame Park, Northwoods Baseball, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Laurel Walker, Waukesha County Environmental Action League

Now you know it's a bad idea

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial knitting team has come out in favor of the proposed stadium at Frame Park.

First, they get their facts wrong:
The proposed stadium is 1700 seats, not 1100 as the editorial indicates, with an expansion to 3500 seats if the team is successful.

The $310,000 is not just for the lights, but for all improvements to the park. The lights are only $205,000, the amount the city is still kicking in, so there is no savings.

Other issues:
The $400,000 is only if certain assumptions are met, and are over ten years. Again, the city loses when you consider what $40,000 will be worth in ten years. In addition, the land underneath the stadium is invaluable, as is the loss of the ability to use the park for much of the 10 weeks of the Northwoods Baseball League schedule. Add in the loss of revenue from the Rotary Building and the Schuetze Center if the team is successful. The loss of the quality of life. The parking and congestion issues. Future costs resulting from those issues. Police costs. Maintenance of a larger stadium if the team folds.

The J/S editorial writers completely ignore the parking and traffic issues and the impact on the surrounding community if the league is successful.

The J/S editorial writers completely ignore that the speed of this proposal has prevented any further exploration of the idea of building the stadium elsewhere. If the stadium was built elsewhere the coaches that are the concern of the J/S editorial writers could just as easily have the teams play in the new stadium regardless of where it is built.

By the way, why aren't Carroll University and the Land O' Lakes team paying for the improvements?

I know there is a wall of separation between the editorial team and the local writers, but how can they seriously ignore what their own staff columnist has written twice and the questions raised by their supposed expert on Waukesha?

We should all remember this editorial when someone proposes to build condos and a hotel on Bradford Beach.