Your Voice Helped Save our Parkway! Now the next steps....

Milwaukee Riverkeeper would like to personally thank everyone who voiced their opposition to the proposed "Route B" high-voltage transmission lines slated to cut right through the Underwood Creek Parkway.

On Tuesday, the Milwaukee County Board’s Committee on Parks, Energy and Environment not only formally opposed "Route B," but passed a resolution opposing any current or future plans involving placement of high voltage electric transmission lines along "Milwaukee County Parkways, the Oak Leaf Trail, or wetlands and natural areas owned and managed by the County."  

Success!  But there's still more work to be done.

On Tuesday, January 31st at 8pm, the Wauwatosa Common Council will take up a similar resolution and we need your voice urging Wauwatosa to say NO to overhead power lines in our park lands, wetlands and green spaces.  If you can't make the meeting, please send your comments to the Wauwatosa Common Council. 

1) Ask our city aldermen and county supervisors to support the resolutions (see talking points below).  For Milwaukee County, refer to “American Transmission Lines Resolution sponsored by Supervisor Schmitt.”  NOTE: While it has passed Commitee, it still has to pass the Milwaukee County Board on February 2nd.

For the City of Wauwatosa, refer to “ATC Resolution.”  All comments are very important.  Please include your name and address on your message. 

Written comments can be mailed or emailed.  Addresses below:
 
Acting Mayor Eric Meaux   
Wauwatosa City Hall 
7725 W. North Avenue
Wauwatosa, WI 53213 
emeaux@wauwatosa.net

Chairman Lee Holloway
Milwaukee County Board
Milwaukee County Courthouse
901 North 9th Street, Room 201
Milwaukee, WI 53233
lee.holloway@milwcnty.com

2) Attend the Wauwatosa meeting in support of the resolution.  We need a show of strength and support with as many attendees as possible.  It worked before - it will work again!

Wauwatosa Common Council 
January 31, 2012
Approximately:  8:00 p.m.
Wauwatosa City Hall
Committee Room #1

PRESS:
Preserve our Parkway on WUWM's Lake Effect
Meeting & Resolution Feature on Wauwatosa Patch
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel - w/ a Milwaukee Riverkeeper quote.

MORE INFORMATION:

ATC’s Proposal: 
ATC has stated its desire to build overhead transmission lines rather than bury the lines underground based on relative cost, and prefers construction of an overhead electric transmission line either completely along Underwood Parkway (Route B) from the County grounds to 120th Street or potentially routing a portion of this line between120th and 115th Streets through a County-owned natural area (north of Underwood Creek and the railroad) containing a natural section of Underwood Creek, a functional floodplain and a wetland system.

Key Resolution Points
• The county and city support the effort to supply additional electricity.
• The county and city oppose Route B.
• The county and the city oppose any other current or future plans involving placement of high voltage electric transmission lines along Milwaukee County Parkways, the oak Leaf Trail, or wetlands and natural areas.
• The county and city request that ATC trench the transmission lines that will traverse the County grounds.

Construction of Route B would negatively impact:
• Primary environmental corridor.  Route B for its entire route west of Mayfair Road runs through over a mile of primary environmental corridor that the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (“SEWPRC”) identified for preservation. Construction of Route B would negatively affect this primary environmental corridor’s continuity and habitat value for wildlife.

• Negative precedent.  Construction of an electric transmission line along Underwood Parkway would set a negative precedent for the entire Milwaukee County Parkway and Oak Leaf Trail systems, which currently are not marred by high-voltage transmission lines.

• Monarch migration stopover.  The County grounds is one of Milwaukee County's last and largest remaining natural areas.   It is a significant monarch migration stopover; the migration is one of the top ten most threatened phenomena internationally.
 
• Parkway System.  Construction of Route B would negatively affect the aesthetic beauty and recreation quality of the award-winning Milwaukee County Parkway system, developed in the 1920’s to protect Milwaukee County’s rivers while integrating green space and individual parks.

• Oak Leaf Trail.  Construction of Route B would negatively affect the overall recreational experience along the 108-mile Oak Leaf Trail, which encircles Milwaukee County and connects woodland parks, nature reserves, and wildlife corridors along the lakefront and area river.

• Underwood Parkway Neighborhood.  Construction of Route B would devastate the aesthetics that make the Underwood Parkway neighborhood a pleasant place to live and visit on foot, on bike, or in a vehicle; remove trees that provide visual screening of the adjacent railroad; decrease quality of life for residents; and potentially decrease home values.

• Electro-Magnetic Fields.  Residents are concerned that construction of high voltage overhead transmission lines in public parks and along County parkways where people play, walk, ski, bike and sit will subject residents and visitors to unknown risks from high exposure to high levels of electro-magnetic fields.