Archives for February 2016

Police to Give Tips on Crime Prevention March 2

Milwaukee Police Department Community Liaison Officer Jose Alba will give residents important tips on how to keep their homes from being broken into and other crime prevention advice at Historic Water Tower Neighborhood’s next monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday March 2.

CCpwOehXIAA462JAlba was invited to speak to residents because of concerns about an increase in crime in the neighborhood, including a wave of carjackings.

Officer Alba’s talk follows a presentation earlier in February to the group by District Attorney John Chisholm and from Police District 1 Capt. Eric Moore in January.

Alba is expected to recommend ways to improve home security and and prevent crimes, including home burglaries and crimes involving automobiles. Other topics Alba has been asked to address include ways to situate home security cameras toward streets to deter carjacking, gathering usable video evidence for the investigation of carjackings, ways to set up cell phone devices for tracking stolen phones/computers and how to make automobiles easy to track in cases of car theft.

The talk will be part of HWTN’s monthly business meeting. The meeting is free and open to the public. It takes place in the Marcia Coles Community Room of the Lake Park Pavilion, under Lake Park Bistro. Cookies and coffee, courtesy of Lake Park Bistro, will be available starting at 6:45 p.m.

Milwaukee County Parks Seeking Historic Designs For Replacement of Iconic Pedestrian Bridge Over Ravine Road in Lake Park

Milwaukee County Parks has issued a request for proposals (RFP) seeking a firm to design an historically appropriate bridge to replace the crumbling 1905-’06 concrete pedestrian bridge over Ravine Road in Lake Park.

LakeParkBridgeHorse1-e1444930990468According to a story in BizTimes, “the RFP is asking a consultant to prepare three alternative bridge replacement schematic designs and cost estimates for each. A work group, which will include members of Lake Park Friends, the historic preservation community and Milwaukee County staff, will be established to review each design.”

Representatives of Historic Water Tower Neighborhood and Lake Park Friends recently met with County Parks Director John Dargle, his staff and Ald. Nik Kovac about future of the iconic bridge. Lake Park Friends and HWTN representatives will serve on the work group reviewing three designs for the bridge replacement.

According to the county’s RFP, the selected firm will develop three alternate designs:

“One alternative will replace the bridge in-kind to replicate the original design and appearance of the bridge. The other two alternatives will be new bridge designs that are substantial replications compatible with the historic nature of the Fredrick Law Olmsted designed Lake Park. The consultant shall work closely with the work group in developing these two alternatives.”

The consultant will also be required to hold two public meetings on the designs and work with the City of Milwaukee Historic Preservation Commission and State Historical Society to coordinate reviews and obtain required permits.

HWTN unanimously passed a resolution in October to oppose removal of the 1905-’06 historic concrete bridge with anything but an appropriately historic replacement. In the board’s resolution, it noted that one of the park’s signature pedestrian bridges is:

  • “Of significant historic importance, having been designed by the prominent Milwaukee architecture firm of Ferry & Clas, which also designed Milwaukee’s Central Library, the Pabst Mansion and the Lake Park Pavilion.”
  • “An integral part of Lake Park, designed by renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed New York City’s famed Central Park.”

Consultant proposals to do the design work are due Feb. 5. The selected consultant is expected to begin work on April 1, with a design slated to be chosen by June 30.