Do you want the baseball stadium in Frame Park?

An amateur baseball team has gotten the city's approval to spend $1.2 million on upgrading a deteroriating diamond at Frame Park for use as its home field starting next summer. Some are concerned that the stadium will ruin the picturesque park known for its quiet walkways and gardens. What do you think?

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I think Baseball in Frame Park is a great idea. From what I have seen, the park will in no way "over power" Frame Park. All the walking trails and playgrounds will still be there. My only fear is parking, but I think they can work something out. There are only 35 or so games a year, so its not everyday. I am sure all the normal events that happen in Frame Park every year that bring 1000+ people will be abel to continue. I mean when we have those events, the park seems just fine. Frame Park is more than just a baseball stadium. I think people just need to think outside the box and realize that Waukesha needs a shot in the arm like this.

- Kyle A, Waukesha WI

Absolutely YES to baseball in Waukesha.

Absolutely NO to a baseball stadium in Frame Park.

1. What will be done about parking? No plans right now. The claim is people will park in downtown and walk to the stadium. That will never happen. Just look at the recent car show. My neighborhood street was lined with cars, some even blocking driveways, so heavy that if two cars met one had to back out to a corner to allow the other through. This happens whenever there is an event in Frame Park. I won't even mention the litter and vandalism of landscaping that go along with the parking troubles for those of us who live near Frame Park.

2. What will happen to the rest of Frame Park? This proposal is for seating for 1700 with permission immediately to increase to 3500. Has anyone taken a look at just how close the bike path, Rotary building, and amphitheater are to the baseball field? A stadium of even 1700 will overwhelm these venues and make them unusable 34 days each summer, if not all the time.

3. The city invested millions of dollars into revitalizing the area east of Frame Park and creating the Phoenix Heights neighborhood. With the crowd noise, lights, PA system, parking, and littering and vandalism, this will amount to throwing that investment away.

4. People will not park in downtown. People will not walk to downtown before or after games. It's close but too far away to expect those things to happen. Do these downtown business owners really believe this is going to help their business? If anything, the extra hassle of traffic will deter people who would normally want to go there.

5. I keep hearing how much money this is going to bring into the city. The most optimistic number I've seen is $400,000 over 10 years. Personally, I think this is a greatly overestimated number but let's assume that's the number. That works out to $40,000/year. So, for every resident in Waukesha, the city is going to bring in a little over 50 cents per year. Seriously? This is worth doing this to Frame Park? I'll gladly cover a few other families and throw in $10/year to keep from breaking up Frame Park.

6. The Frame family is strongly against this. What else needs to be said? The descendants of the man who donated the land to the city recognize how bad of an idea this is, their words should carry more meaning than some have been trying to give them credit for.

There are better places in Waukesha for a stadium of this type. Places that can handle the additional traffic, where parking can be added without destorying the city's signature park, where a stadium will not be so close to existing residential areas. These are the places where a stadium should be built.

- Dave, Waukesha, WI

The Northwood's baseball team, which is proposing to take over Frame Park, will end locally played high school baseball games. With Waukesha South, Waukesha North and Catholic Memorial each playing about 7 home games at Frame Park each season, the numbers don't match up.
The summer high school baseball season is about 5 weeks long. This means these 3 teams will need some 20 or so dates to schedule it's home games, not counting rainouts. If this Northwood's team plays 3 weekday home games a week. In fact the Classic 8 Conference (Which all 3 teams belong) is already making plans to move their games elsewhere if this is proposal goes forward. South and North would play it's home games at Waukesha West and Catholic Memorial's home games would be played at Kettle Moraine High School. This may mean some games will have to be played earlier in the day to accommodate all 3 teams. This would also prohibit working parents from watching their kids play.
I strongly object to this proposal. I've enjoyed many high school baseball games and watching the many talented local players at it's current setting. I hope it doesn't come to an end. Please vote against this and keep the current 5 nights a week of high school baseball.

- Tom Gotzler, Waukesha,WI

My thought is yes to a baseball team but not at Frame Park. Its for the Waukesha greater community not a few thousands baseball fans.

Look at all the noise and traffic when the Rotary Club had there big festival at Frame Park.

The city were I grew up had a club team playing in a historic stadium. A league type came in. Improvements were made to the stadium. But the club team that had been around for close to 30 years all of sudden became a second fiddle team for home games.

- Brad, Waukesha, WI

No, there shouldn't be an enlargement of the baseball field in Frame Park. As some of the other posters have said, it just isn't the right venue. Have the developer buy some of the vacant land over near Hwy 164 and East Main street. LOTS of land available and still near enough to draw big enough crowds to make the stadium profitable. With all the area available, I see no reason for messing with Frame Park and disrupting the neighborhood with all the attendant noise and parking problems. Also, please can someone tell me why we're being asked (at least I HOPE so!) to spend $300,000 for baseball lights when next year we'll be closing either Blair Elementary or Saratoga Elementary School? Seems pretty stupid to me when we choose recreation over education. To date, no one will answer this for me. Anyone?

- Jeff Smith, Waukesha, WI

I think people are overreacting at this point in time. I personally like the idea of a Northwoods League team in Waukesha.

I think that everyone needs to realize that this isn't going to close down all of Frame Park, they would be using the current baseball field, with improvements in the immediate vicinity of the field. The path will still be there, the Formal Gardens will still be there, the volleyball courts will still be there... and so on...

They won't be building any more parking lots on park land. If the city doesn't want people to park on the street they should post no parking signs during Waukesha (Insert Nickname Here) games. Let people park at the Courthouse and walk down or shuttle them down. They could use the small parking lot already there as accessible parking.

The area as is won't allow for a huge seating area, we're probably looking at small rows of bleachers running down the lines with a maybe a small "party" area. We aren't looking at 5000-6000 people coming to these games like in Madison, the Mallards are the exception when it comes to attendence in the league.

There probably are better areas in Waukesha for a baseball stadium if you were going to try to bring in crowds in the 5000-6000 range, but, once again, that's highly unlikely, and if it gets to that I'm sure we can argue about moving the team to a new stadium.

As far as eating and drinking only at the stadium, has anyone ever been to a baseball game in a downtown setting? Not everyone does EVERYTHING at the game. People will tailgate, people will go downtown, people will eat inside the park... not just in one spot...

It's not just the NWL team that will use the field, high school and youth teams will be able to use the improved field as well.

As far as ruining downtown... It can't get much worse people... I've lived along the river in downtown for over a year and I think I've spent $20 on Main Street, all on gelato... Enact a smoking ban and invest some money on getting people down there...

- Chris, Waukesha, WI

NO, NO, NO

FRAME PARK WILL BE RUINED.

NO BASEBALL STADIUM

- Kathy, Waukesha

no it is a small park and was improved as part of the river front walk as a tax payer i like to use that park for its intended purpose for once it would be nice if the city planner or officals would realize the inner city is not something you shut off something done far to much dont beleive me try holding a gas budget driving around the poor planning around ellis and pearl street put it somewhere less traveled wow thats to easy and being a public park the dnr need to be more concerned i lived next to the shultzie building and bird of prey come to mind hawks i say if the wealthy want this let them find a place that doesnt hurt the common folk for once our voice needs to be heard instead of the do good voices in there head

- jefff jurgella, waukesha wisconsin

No, I do NOT support a stadium at Frame Park. It would be an eyesore, would not reflect the original purpose of the park, would create a lot of drunks who leave litter lying around, would create too much traffic - especially with a playground just a short distance away, would create too much stress on the park, and would create way too much noise in the neighborhood. If the guy wants to invest so much money to get a minor league in Waukesha, why doesn't he build a new stadium outside the city limits? He'd have more land for a bigger stadium, less problem with the neighbors, and more parking area. Tell me again just WHY he has to disrupt an entire neighborhood so that HE can satisfy some childhood fantasy? Here's the great city of Waukesha that is facing a $300,000 shortfall in their school budget and who is quite serious on closing one of it's schools next year because it can't afford to keep it open. Here's the SAME city of Waukesha planning on spending OVER $300,000 dollars on a summer pastime for a guy who just wants to make money and doesn't care about the city. Does he even live here? Hell no, he doesn't! I can't believe this city will close a school yet still find the money to spend on baseball lights. Come on Mayor Nelson, get your head out of your ass and wake up. EDUCATION

- Waukesha Resident for 15 Years, Waukesha, WI

Hey, you want a stadium in YOUR back yard? No? Didn't think so. Well neither do we! Put the stadium outside of town and let the noise and parking and littering and police problems happen out there. The taxpayers should absolutely NOT be footing the bill for a private company. When will all the 'baseball' nuts wake up. You want a stadium, then YOU pay for it with high ticket prices, high concession stand prices, and high parking fees. I DON'T want it and I DON'T want to pay for it. Didn't anyone learn their lesson from Thommy Thompson and his 'stick it to em' crap with the Brewers stadium? Yep, we'll ALL be paying for that boondoggle for years to come. Especially the vast majority of people who never even attend one game. Yep, they still have to pay for a white elephant - for a private company. As for all the morons who think that downtown is going to get a big boost from the increased noice and traffic, dream on! Any small increase will be more than offset by the decline in property values of the houses around the park once the stadium goes in. Who wants to live near a baseball stadium? NO ONE! Travel to any stadium anywhere and take a look at the neighborhood. Declining property values, trash and litter everywhere, bars on the windows. Yep, that's a 'good deal' for Waukesha. And all paid for with taxpayer dollars. The members who voted for this boondoggle should be run out of town on a rail - and fast. I certainly hope the mayor and common council set aside money to compensate the homeowners and to cover the cost of the lawsuits sure to result. Absolutely NO to baseball in Frame Park!!!!!

- NO to baseball!, Waukesha

if a new frame park is respectful of area residents then why not do it ? any business taht has half a brain wont bite the hand that could feed it

- c adams, belleville mi

An amateur baseball team in Waukesha area would be fine, but by all means NOT in Frame Park! It would would be a noisy disruption to the many pleasures and activities the park now offers.
Why would we want to GIVE AWAY our beautiful park to a company who would take over and use it for their own profit??? Are we crazy?!! Northwoods is a FOR PROFIT organization and they see our park as a great way for them to bring their business into Waukesha with out having to purchase any land and also getting the city to put up over 1/4 of the cost of the upgrading. For that our teams that now play there get to use the field only when Northwoods isn't using it. People trying to use the park for other activities and the people in the adjoining neighborhoods would have lights and noise, parking and traffic to contend with on every night the team had a game. Our lovely Frame Park as we know it would become a commercial venture. The "huge" savings to the city on grounds keeping that has been talked about would be easily spent on extra police presence and security.
Baseball in Waukesha area...YES if in an outlying area such as the County grounds, but please, NO, NOT IN FRAME PARK!!

Would you let someone take over your house, help by giving them money so they could remodel it into a lovely big place that they then could rent out rooms, sell food and drink, have parties?????All the money taken in they keep. They would let you stay there, but ONLY when the room were't rented! You however, would not be able to bring in your own food and beverage, but must purchase theirs. You could also use the back yard--------if you could find a place to park your car! I DON'T THINK SO!
And, the only way you could ever get your house back is if they decided they no longer wanted it!
IT'S THE SAME DEAL!!!

- Mary Boie, Waukesha, WI

Amateur baseball in Waukesha?? Before a decision is made everyone involved in that decision and everyone enthusiastic about having baseball in Frame Park needs to attend a number of Mallards games in Madison. Over the past 4 or 5 years we have attended a number of Mallard games. The Mallards draw between 5,000 and 6,000 people to a game. Where would that many fans park in downtown Waukesha? I'm sure the people living in the neighborhoods around Frame Park would not be happy with cars lining their streets. While we cannot deny that this league is wonderful family entertainment at an affordable price, the noise level at the games is tremendous; the announcers scream, the fans cheer, the music blares. It lasts a lot longer than a few blasts of a train horn. The Mallards have had to remodel their stadium to accomodate more fans. They also enlarged their beer garden area. The ballplayers are college students who are not being paid to play. The community must come forward and offer accomodations in private homes. We really think a lot more consideration should be given as to where a team from the Northwoods League should play their games in Waukesha.

- Sandy and Pete, Waukesha, WI

Baseball in Waukesha, sure why not. Baseball taking over Frame Park, NO WAY! My wife and I (as do others) like to use the Riverwalk and enjoy the serenity, peace and quiet that the park provides and then stop at a downtown business to have a drink or grab a sandwich. To allow this baseball proposal to happen will only increase littering and mar an otherwise beautiful place to come and relax. The only thing that downtown merchants will notice is parking spaces in front of their stores will be filled with people going to the game, eating and drinking at the stadium, then going to their vehicles and leaving. I think there are better suited tracts of land that could handle this idea. How about the county fairgrounds, the open area near the recycling center on Prairie Ave? Instead of building more empty storefronts on the old Fleming land, how about there? Please think this out first!

- Michael Fitzlaff, Waukesha, Wi.

My family and I are baseball fans and would love to attend an affordable night out at the ballpark. We have attended Beloit Snapper and Kenosha Mammoth games. The drive to Beloit is a little too long for us to regularly attend. Kenosha was a little closer, unfortunetly the Mammoths folded. We hope a team will be placed in Waukesha so we can attend and make new baseball memories. My oldest son was chosen to be the bat boy for the Mammoths one game. I won the dirtiest car in the parking lot contest! My sons collected many foul balls and we saw pretty good baseball by some rising stars or guys playing because they love the game. We love the Brewers but there is something special about minor league baseball.

- John Zbikowski, South Milwaukee

Everyone is worried about parking. More parking does not need to be created. People can just park on the streets nearby. They have a stadium like this in Wausau and people just park on the street. Also so many of you are worried how this is going to ruin the park. 30 games a year is very small sample and the Park will not be anywhere as big as Miller Park. Did any of you ever think that it will bring more people to the downtown area? The reality is that this is a great idea and the people of Wisconsin are so cheap that they don't realize this is a good thing for Waukesha and the Downtown. I bet all of you commenting on this have never been to a minor league game?

- Chris, Waukesha

Baseball in Waukesha is a great idea.

A baseball stadium in Frame Park is, however, a bad idea. The structures, parking, traffic, noise, alcohol consumption and commerce that would be part of a successful ballpark would forever change and intensify the character of the park. This was the rationale that led the City planning staff, Council and citizens to recommend against the previous proposal.

Frame park is a community jewel precisely because of its relative serenity. People seek out the green park and riverfront as a respite to the otherwise urbanized surroundings. The park is precious for the opportunity to wander along the river or through the formal gardens or to play volleyball on the sand courts or picnic or watch your children or granchildren on the playground. These activities are important for this community and are intrinsic to the setting. It is a rejection of the current character of the park to develop it in the manner proposed and to dominate the use of this area with thousands of people and vehicles associated with a successful baseball stadium.

It came to light during the discussion of the previous proposal that the development of a stadium ran against the wishes of Andrew Frame in his generous gift to the City of Waukesha. I think the City government would be a bad actor to dismiss this and the recommendation of members of the Riverwalk committee, some of whom worked for a decade on the revitalization of Frame park and the Riverwalk. Those inputs should be honored and the stadium developed elsewhere.

- David L R Smart, Waukesha

I am a very enthusiastic supporter of Waukesha generally and downtown Waukesha specifically. I have been thrilled to see the significant investment and improvements in the central business district, Riverwalk, and soon to be condominum living options--Frame Park being one of the shining stars of the revitalization efforts. I am more than willing to encourage progess and development in this area. However, it needs to be consistent with the character of the community we are trying to create. While I would not mind at all having an amateur or minor league baseball team in Waukesha (Heck, that would be great!) Frame Park is not the place. There is plenty of under/undeveloped land elsewhere in the city. There has to be a more appropriate location. Perhaps the old Flemming site (rather than building another shopping mall) or the current sports complex, or the soccer field on Prairie.

- Robert Best, Waukesha, Wisconsin

Don't do it!!! Who thinks these things up? Who exactly is paying for this wild idea? Just like Miller Park, there was a way to "fund it". That should be an example enough - once the gov't gets a tax in place, it's never removed. Not everybody wants to spend money on stuff like that. So you say the team would foot the bill totally?
Better include cost for extra law enforcment, grounds, road improvement, etc etc. Most of all - everything does not have to be about sports. Leave that park . . . a park!!!!

- M. Whampler, Waukesha, WI

As a new resident to Waukesha, living in the proximity of Frame Park, and a lifelong baseball fan, part of me is excited by the proposal. I disagree with Dona's assertion that this would take away from the number of people eating and drinking downtown, it may even increase that number pre and postgame. After all, there will only be 30-some games the entire summer. What concerns me is how, exactly, the plan will be executed. Will this stadium take place of the current one? If so, how much bigger would it be? If not, I can hardly see the necessity of two stadiums in Frame Park. Would the stadium be multi-functional? Could concerts and other community events take place there for an affordable cost? Could the high schools host games there sans fees? This stadium may revitalize the area immediately surrounding the area, and particularly right around the stadium, this could be a very good thing for Waukesha. Furthermore, what kind of agreement would the team have with the city, the last thing we'd need is a giant $1 million stadium that is unoccupied in the middle of this beautiful park. Furthermore, will parking spaces be constructed as part of the plan, or will people just need to find spots around the park? I would hope they wouldn't choose to waste the park with parking spaces. More careful consideration needs to be taken before any plan is set into place. However, it does paint a pretty picture, a humid summer night, the stadium lights shining brightly off the river, the smell of brats in the air, the crack of the bat and the sound of cheering in the stands, baseball!

- Nicholas L. Honeck, Waukesha, WI

As long as the park could be funded properly and have ample parking, I would love to see a Baseball team in Waukesha. As a former coach for a youth team in the Waukesha area, we are seeing an explosion of growth in young baseball players and teams right here in Waukesha. This would be a fantastic opportunity to show the young players what they need to strive for. It would also provide an economical night out for a family.

- J. Smith, Waukesha, WI

Yes Yes Yes.
The people that would say no to this would say no to anything involving change from the status quo.

This would be a wonderful addition to Frame Park and ad to the overall revitalization of the Waukesha inner city.

- Keith Best, Waukesha, WI.

I DO NOT want a $1 million baseball stadium built in Frame Park.
Reasons:
1. A stadium of that size will overpower Frame Park.
2. Parking spaces will take up good park land.
3. A large ballpark will change the focus from a family oriented park to a commericial area.
4. There must be better areas in Waukesha for this baseball facility.
5. People who attend the baseball game will eat and drink at the ballpark not in downtown Waukesha.
6. Frame Park as added to the beauty of the river, so don't spoil it with permanent loud and conjested activities.

Thank you for reading my message.
Dona Lundin

- Dona Lundin, Waukesha, WI

Please NO!!! TO DESTROYING LOVELY FRAME PARK WITH BIG STADIUM

NO! PLEASE


Joan and Peter Haupert

- Peter and Joan Haupert, waukesha wi

Stay out of Waukesha In the long run tax payers will be stuck big time.

Frane Park is FREE for all people to enjoy, not a select few

OUR TAXES ARE TOOO HIGH

- Milt., Spring City

PLEASE, we don't need to mess up a beautiful park. Spend the money on something useful, OUR SCHOOLS!

- Willy Wilson, hartland,wis.

Baseball in Waukesha - YES!

Baseball stadium in Frame Park - NO!!!

There are several other locations that can accomodate the stadium, the fans, the noise, the cars and the traffic.

Please don't ruin Frame Park and the surrounding neighborhood!

- Halford, Waukesha, WI