A number of neighborhood residents raised concerns against preliminary renovation plans that would drastically redefine the Bassett neighborhood if the project proposal is approved through the city process in the coming months.
At a Bassett Neighborhood Association meeting Monday night, community members weighed the possibility of expanding upon the Olin-Turville Park on Madison’s John Nolen Drive, a park the project’s proposers said has much potential to create a thriving area.
Local grocery store owner and the project’s proposer Tim Metcalfe said the proposal would help Madison evolve into a model city.
“I’ve lived here almost all of my life and up until this summer, I never even knew that this was a park,” Metcalfe said. “I [would] drive up to work on John Nolen Drive and I would just say to myself: What is the potential of this, what should it be”?
The plan for the park focuses on creating a connection to the downtown area and the lake through components such as a lakeside trail, informational boards about each particular area of the park and a boat ramp.
Metcalfe said the proposal also aims to create a park that would bring the community together through various cultural destinations such as a lake educational center, a Capitol View amphitheater and promotions placed throughout the park advertising what is currently going on in the city.
Metcalfe also addressed how to connect the downtown area with the Alliant Energy Center, the Coliseum and various other venues – drawing a focus of the project to the city’s connectivity through the possibility of a large land bridge.
“I started asking the question, what if we started to think of these places as one big gathering area instead of separate entities”? Metcalfe said.
Despite the association’s approval of the aesthetic appeal of the Nolen Centennial Project, Basset Neighborhood Association member Ken Gordon questioned the plan because of the additional expenses it might add for Madisonians.
“In my experience, [these types of projects] always turn out to be three or four times more expensive than the original cost,” Gordon said. “Could we itemize the costs of each individual piece of glitter in there and keep that going in parallel as your designs and ideas increase”?
Metcalfe said the project’s planners have been taking cost expenses into consideration, emphasizing the project is only in its beginning planning phase.
Bassett Neighborhood Association member Judy Karofsky said Metcalfe also had to consider Madison’s typical weather cycle, suggesting the plans should take into account winter activities to accommodate for the cold weather.
Board members also raised concerns that include making the park more accessible for all community members and preserving the historic elements of the area.
Madison Police Department officials also briefed neighborhood members about the area’s historic Mifflin Street Block Party, providing residents with preliminary details for the event’s preparation.
MPD officer Christina Hill said the department is focusing on monitoring alcohol consumption by minors, lowering the noise level of houses on Mifflin Street and limiting the amount of students who will be allowed on the house porches at once.
Hill said MPD officers canvassed the area and handed out fliers to residents that advertised the city’s expectations and provided guidelines for creating a safer atmosphere April 30.
