There's Still Time to Save the County Grounds

October 16, 2009

UWM master planners are re-thinking the placement of their new engineering campus.  It was originally slated to go on the County Grounds in Wauwatosa, an area Milwaukee Riverkeeper has fought to protect before.  To read its past history click here.

Due to the uproar from the community about its placement, UWM Chancellor Santiago is urging people to share their opinion about the future expansion of its campus online.

"Thank you for your strong turnout at last week’s UWM Campus Master Plan presentations. More than 350 people attended the two sessions.

It is now very important for you to provide feedback about the current status of the plan. Your insights can be shared with the consultants and planning team online at the Campus Master Plan website:

http://www.masterplan.uwm.edu/feedback/

The draft master plan has been placed on that site, along with a feedback form.

We need as many comments as possible to ensure excellence in the final product. Please share your thoughts with us by the deadline of 11:59 p.m. on NOVEMBER 9.

Thank you for your continuing involvement as we collectively plan for the future of UWM in this important initiative.

Sincerely,

Carlos E. Santiago
Chancellor"

Tell UWM's master planners that there are plenty of places to expand their campus that don't involve encroaching on our precious remaining natural areas by submitting your comments online.

Share with them that:

  1. It is imperitive that the County Grounds be wholly preserved.
  2. If the development must happen, the natural areas, not part of the original development, have to remain untouched.
  3. There needs to be a binding resolution stating that the development will not expand onto the rest of the grounds.

MORE INFORMATION:

A recent Journal-Sentinel Op-Ed by UWM Urban Studies Professor Marc Levine lays out some of the problems with the campus' expansion.

More about the development and its possible merging with UWM's Freshwater Sciences building can be found on Jim Rowen's blog.

This issue is also supported by Milwaukee County First.