•
The final design should provide a description of the setback and design requirements for impervious surfaces and buildings.
•
Preservation of lakefront greenspace is important.
•
There is concern the plan is devoting significant effort to developing parking lots that appear to primarily serve the zoo.
•
Shelter location in Option A (near existing tennis courts) is too close to the Vilas Ave. residences.
•
Playground space is lacking in all three concepts. They appear to be smaller than the current sizes and the locations don’t work well for residents and zoo users. A playground near the existing shoe playground should be retained in the final design.
•
Concepts provide many good options for improvements to the park.
•
Future engagement should provide mix and match opportunities to select preferences rather than three defined concepts.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the participants were encouraged to discuss the concepts further with their organizations. The Vilas Neighborhood Association, The Friends of Lake Wingra, South Randall Ave. Neighbors and Clean Lakes Alliance all provided statements regarding the concepts and ongoing design development. Those statements are summarized below. Vilas Neighborhood Association (VNA) Below is an excerpt from the VNA statement, which was submitted on May 3, 2020 by Wendy Fearnside on behalf of the Vilas Neighborhood Association. The full statement is available in Appendix B. Main themes •
Preference for some features but little support for any of the concepts in their entirety
•
Keeping the open space and feel of the park, with mature trees and a green buffer between the
park and neighborhood •
Strong support for retaining the tennis courts. Fewer than the current number would be OK.
•
Preference for current playgrounds locations. Keep the Shoe playground location for access to
open space, entrance to the Zoo, and easy school group use •
Keeping the Shoe
•
Opposition to consolidation of playgrounds and other activity spaces.
•
Support for a new playground near the beach
•
A central location for the shelter, as in the current site or in Concepts B or C. Opposition to shelter
VILAS PARK MASTER PLAN 2020
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