Parks

Vision Statement

Our parks will be a source of pride and identity for neighborhood residents. They will provide a wide variety of recreational opportunities and will be focal points for community activities throughout the year. The historic character and uses of the parks will be maintained, while creatively integrating current recreational activities compatible with neighborhood needs and resource capabilities.

Neighborhood Goals

Goal 1	Design and construct pedestrian and bicycle paths along the Yahara River Parkway.
Goal 2	Purchase additional lands adjacent to the Parkway for park and recreational use, when available.
Goal 3	Enhance the Yahara River Parkway by identifying improvements to existing parks, buildings, and structures and promoting future uses adjacent to the parkway that will complement the area.
Goal 4	Improve and enhance the landscaping along the Yahara River Parkway, including Burr Jones Field.
Goal 5	During any redevelopment and enhancement efforts, be sure to sympathetically preserve the most significant aspects of the Parkway's historic character.
Goal 6	Fully implement James Madison Park Master Plan, and improve public and handicapped access and awareness of the eastern portion of the park, while preserving its passive-use character.
Goal 7	Continue implementation of the Tenney Park Master Plan as proposed, with an emphasis on the river parkway and proposed bike/pedestrian path.
Goal 8	Maintain and enhance the playground equipment, tennis courts, and recreational experience at Reynolds Park.
Goal 9	Maintain and enhance the quiet, passive uses of Giddings Park.
Goal 10	Preserve the historic character of Breese Stevens Field, and increase its accessibility for recreational activities by the neighborhood.
Goal 11	Enhance the public use of street-end open spaces.

Top Recommendations

1.	Develop a plan for the Yahara River Parkway that includes pedestrian and bicycle paths providing cross-Isthmus routes between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona. Separate bicyclists from pedestrians when feasible.
2.	Implement James Madison Master Plan, recognizing that some of the facilities should not be built until there is greater demand.
3.	Implement Tenney Park Master Plan recognizing the need for increased vegetation management.

GOAL	RECOMMENDATION	IMPLEMENTATION
James Madison Park Issue: James Madison Park provides a unique variety of active and passive uses in a park-deficient area of the Old Market Place Neighborhood. The Isthmus has very few passive-use areas offering a peaceful setting and quiet lake views. The sensitive implementation of the Master Plan to preserve and enhance the unique characteristics of the park is imperative. Balancing increased public awareness, handicapped accessibility, and passive uses will require open and frequent discussions with users, neighbors, and Parks staff. Building additional structures should only be undertaken if a significant demand exists and adequate resources are available for proper maintenance.
Goal 6: Fully implement James Madison Park Master Plan, and improve public and handicapped access and awareness of the eastern portion of the park, while preserving its passive character.	Implement the James Madison Master Plan, recognizing that some of the facilities should not be built until there is greater demand.	Parks Division
	Route the pedestrian/bike path to minimize loss of greenspace or intrusion on quiet areas. A path closer to the waterfront would bisect less park space and provide beautiful lake front vistas. The bike path and service drive should follow the curve to the drive leading from the Lincoln School apartments.	Parks Division
	Additional landscape plantings and weed species removal should be undertaken to accent the meadow-like characteristics of the level area between the lake and the hill. Plantings could increase the possibilities of creating small niches and visual/noise barriers to enhance solitude.	Parks Division
	The formal garden, staircase and gazebo proposals should not be considered for immediate implementation because of concerns about the need, maintenance, and costs for such facilities. The proposed upper path behind the Collins homes should also be deferred until warranted. These proposed facilities could be expensive to construct and maintain. Deferring any construction will not preclude future development of such facilities if the need arises.	Parks Division
	Install an attractive sign at the proposed formal garden site that would inform residents that this area is park space.	Parks Division
	The proposed playground and shelter should also be given a lower priority or should be considered for the existing play area near the beach where youth activities are most prominent.	Parks Division

GOAL	RECOMMENDATION	IMPLEMENTATION
Tenney Park Issue: Tenney Park is one of the City of Madison's first parks and provides a wide variety of active and passive recreation for neighbors and residents of Madison and Dane County through all four seasons of the year. This park has the potential to be "loved to death" if not properly maintained. The poor water quality in the Lake and lagoon are a concern to the neighborhood. The number of potentially competing users is increasing. The Master Plan needs to balance open space and passive use with more active use areas. Eliminating the loss of any additional greenspace to paving and parking is essential.
Goal 7: Continue implementation of the Tenney Park Master Plan as proposed, with an emphasis on the Yahara River Parkway and proposed bike/pedestrian paths.	Implement Tenney Park Master Plan recognizing the need for increased vegetation management.	Parks Division
	Continue with current master plan activities including the maintenance of buildings and grounds, landscape plantings, and winter ice management.	Parks Division
	Increase the maintenance of Tenney Park. One of the primary concerns is vegetation management in the park. Park users recognize City staff resources are limited, but encourage the City to explore options for improved maintenance of park vegetation and landscaping.	Parks Division
	Conduct an inventory of existing vegetation species and provide recommendations on weed species removal, enhanced plantings with desirable species (sympathetic to historic park plan), vegetation maintenance, and suiTABLE cellpadding=10 modern improvements.	Parks Division
	Nominate Tenney Park and Yahara River Parkway to the National Register of Historic Places and as local landmarks.	Historic Preservation Section
	Evaluate traffic patterns and road uses in or adjacent to Tenney Park. Increase greenspace by removing N. Thornton Avenue exit to E. Johnson Street; deny or severely constrain any future loss of greenspace for parking areas.	Parks Division, Traffic Engineering Division
	Minimize beach conflicts that arise between swimmers and boaters. One of the improvements in the management of the beach area would be a diving raft near the beach.	Parks Division
	Install handicapped-accessible TABLE cellpadding=10s and benches in the park.	Parks Division
	Improve the trails at the water inlet structure for the lagoon.	Parks Division
	Update the Tenney Park Master Plan after the majority of proposals identified in the current master plan are implemented.	Parks Division

GOAL	RECOMMENDATION	IMPLEMENTATION
Reynolds Park Issue: Reynolds Park is a tremendous asset to the neighborhood. This park serves the neighborhood between E. Johnson Street and E. Washington Avenue. It provides a variety of recreational activities for residents of all ages.
Goal 8: Maintain and enhance the playground equipment, tennis courts, and recreational experience at Reynolds Park.	Purchase and install additional playground equipment that will complement the existing playground structures and provide a wider range of activities for children. The TLOMP neighborhood will help in fund-raising activities.	Parks Division
	Ban alcoholic beverages from the park. Reynolds Parks is located in close proximity to Lapham Elementary School. Neighborhood residents are concerned about broken glass in the park area and the hazards it poses for young children.	Parks Division
	Maintain and enhance the tennis courts over the reservoir. The tennis courts are used by neighborhood residents. Proper maintenance of the nets and court surface will improve this facility.	Parks Division

GOAL	RECOMMENDATION	IMPLEMENTATION
Giddings Park Issue: Giddings Park is located along Lake Mendota at the street end of N. Brearly Street. It is a small, quiet park that offers beautiful lake vistas. The most active recreational uses are sledding. It also serves as an access point to the lake for swimming, canoeing, and ice fishing. Maintaining the quiet, passive use of Giddings Park is a high priority.
Goal 9: Maintain and enhance the quiet, passive uses of Giddings Park.	Maintain the quiet, passive uses of Giddings Park. Neighborhood residents support the current management objectives of passive recreational uses in the park.	Parks Division
	With the input from neighborhood residents, develop a vegetation plan for Giddings Park. The vegetation plan should include recommendations on the removal of weedy shrubs and trees, future plantings to enhance the area, and future vegetation management strategies .	Parks Division
	Enhance Giddings Park with minor physical improvements that are tailored to passive uses. Such improvements to consider are the installation of benches and picnic TABLE cellpadding=10s and the extension of an accessible paved path along the lakeshore. Protection of the lake shore from erosion is also essential.	Parks Division
	Evaluate the vacation of Brearly Street (north of Sherman Avenue intersection) to expand the park.	Transportation Dept., Parks Division

GOAL	RECOMMENDATION	IMPLEMENTATION
Breese Stevens Field Issue: Breese Stevens Field is currently used only for organized sporting events. It is not open to neighborhood use and is underutilized. Its structural character and past use give it a historic status in the city.
Goal 10: Preserve the historic character of Breese Stevens Field, and increase its accessibility for recreational uses by the neighborhood.	Support the nomination of Breese Stevens Field to the National and State Registers of Historic Places and as a local landmark. Breese Stevens Field is an excellent example of a Mediterranean Revival style grandstand.	Historic Preservation Section, Parks Division
	Pursue funding (such as ISTEA/STEP funds) for the restoration of Breese Stevens Field and for other appropriate improvement projects.	Parks Division
	Explore the availability of Breese Stevens Field to neighborhood users. Neighborhood residents would like to have the types of uses and times of use expanded.	Parks Division

Lake Front Street Ends

Issue: The City has worked with other neighborhoods to improve their publicly-owned street-end properties along the lakeshore. The Tenney-Lapham/Old Market Place Neighborhood has a strong interest in pursuing similar improvement projects.

GOAL

RECOMMENDATION

IMPLEMENTATION

Goal 11:

Enhance the public use of street end open spaces.

Enhance lakefront street-ends at N. Livingston and N. Paterson Streets. Inventory vegetation, and improve lighting, benches, signage and aesthetics. Maintain public ownership and access to street ends by prohibiting leasing the street ends to private owners.

Parks Division, Streets Division

Introduction
Summary of Neighborhood Issues
Summary of Recommendations
Neighborhood Boundaries
Neighborhood Profile
Relationship to the Isthmus Neighborhoods / Census Information
Community Services Recommendations
East Johnson Business District Recommendations
Housing Recommendations
Parks and Open Space Recommendations
Redevelopment Recommendations
Sidewalks, Streets, Terrace and Other Public Infrastructure Recommendations
Transportation Recommendations

Maps

Original Plat for Tenney Park
Neighborhood Asset Map
East Johnson Business District
Historic Districts and Landmarks
Tenney-Lapham / Old Market Place Neighborhood Zoning Map
Residential Structures Map