Neighbors Wary of Imperial Park Development

Concerned about a plan to develop a neighborhood park near the Imperial Estates subdivision, Nancy Bengtson started going door to door with a petition to oppose it.

"Every single house that I went to signed the petition," she told the city's Park and Recreation Commission Monday night.

"It's so obvious people don't want it," said Bengtson, who added she was "shocked" the plans were continuing to move forward.

She and other neighbors told commissioners Monday they were concerned about increased traffic, flooding and crime if five acres of the vacant 13-acre site were developed with a parking lot, youth-sized ball diamond and possible play equipment.

But not everyone was opposed to the plan. Some neighbors who attended a June 28 open house held by the city penned comments favoring the park development. More than 800 residents were invited to the meeting and about 40 attended.

"This is an exceptionally good use of this space," Thomas Malin wrote. "We like the entire concept. This is a big win for the community.... Those who have young families will find the park a delight."

Some said they wouldn't mind seeing a small sledding hill created for very young children. Others said they just didn't want to see lights at the diamond.

The Imperial Park site is owned by the Elmbrook School District. In 2008, Elmbrook agreed to lease it to the city for 10 years effective on the first day the city begins development or use of the park.

The city since at least 1990 has eyed that site for a neighborhood park, which would serve residents in about a one-mile radius. The city also has district and community parks, which serve larger swaths of the city.

The Imperial Park site is located east of Brookfield Road and north of Capitol Drive roughly bordered by Lincrest Drive, Arden Avenue and Old Orchard Road.

Plans were accelerated after the city lost part of Fairview North Park when a new fire station was built there, northwest of the intersection of Capitol Drive and Calhoun Road. Aldermen argued that additional parkland at the Imperial site be developed to make up for land lost at Fairview, Kolstad said.

Development of the Imperial site could cost as much as $380,000, according to the city's plan and open space plans. The Common Council authorized funding for Imperial Park in the city's 2011 capital improvement plan, said Bill Kolstad, city director of parks, recreation and forestry.

The northern eight acres of the site would not be touched and a 40- to 50-foot buffer of trees would remain around the developed lower end, Kolstad said. The city would plant additional native trees and evergreens to buffer neighboring homes on Cherokee Drive and Imperial Drive.

Bengtson said she moved into a home closest to the park site on Arden Avenue in November, not knowing about the plans.

"What you are creating, in my opinion, is a haven for teenage drinking, pedophiles, people who want privacy," she said.

Jean Laubenstein, who lives on Old Church Road, feared a planned dry detention basin to soak up and control the release of water in rain events would increase mosquitoes. 

Don Hoppe, who lives on Cherokee Drive across from the proposed park, said traffic and noise might increase.

Greg Hipenbecker, who has lived on Arden Avenue for 19 years, said the area already floods.

"I've seen... Arden Avenue literally looking like a whitewater river," he said. "You're going to have a drowning hazard for kids."

But R.A. Smith National representatives said a planned dry detention basin would not worsen existing conditions during huge rain falls. The basin actually will reduce runoff into the yards of homes on Cherokee and Imperial to the southeast and southwest of the park site, they said.

The commission directed city engineering staff to review the storm water management plans and ask the Imperial Park planning committee to meet to weigh in on the park development plans.