By Dave Fidlin
Village of Waterford officials plan to reach out to leaders of the Racine Youth Football League in an effort to alleviate parking and traffic concerns in a neighborhood near Woodfield Elementary School.
In recent weeks, some residents along Brookstone Drive in the Ivy Glen subdivision have expressed concerns about football team families parking and otherwise using the grounds in the neighborhood outside the school.
Resident Matt Nelson, who is among one of about 10 Brookstone Drive residents impacted by the football/baseball practices and games, said congestion could become a way of life if the village and Waterford Graded School District do not intervene.
With team practices being held Monday through Friday, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Brookstone has turned into a parking lot and pick-up point for parents, Nelson said.
“My neighbors and I find this to be a nuisance, and the increased traffic and parked cars are a concern for the safety of the smaller children,” he added.
With football season just starting, “we worry that this is just the beginning of a constant and growing flow of traffic on our street,” he added.
But not all Brookstone Drive residents expressed opposition to the increased activity from youth sports held at Woodfield.
“The baseball fields behind Woodfield are a wonderful addition to our school district,” Brookstone Drive resident Colleen Bergeron said. “To try and hinder the use of these fields by limiting where people can park would be a shame.”
During youth sporting events, or big community-wide events like the annual Waterford Balloon Fest, Bergeron said she has never observed any problems with people parking in the area.
The contentious issue was discussed Monday during a meeting of the Village Board’s Public Works Committee. It began a week earlier, when Brookstone residents pled their case during the public input session of a Village Board meeting.
Options examined Monday night by the committee include the possibility of adding fencing to the school grounds to provide further screening for the nearby neighborhood.
But Director of Public Works Jeff Dolezal said that could create a problem. “That is in a storm water management area,” Dolezal explained. “Fencing it off likely would hinder the flow of water in that area.”
The committee also weighed the merits of erecting signs to prohibit drivers from picking up and dropping off children along Brookstone Drive, although that idea also did not gain much support.
“I think there’s an easier way to work this out, rather than just throw up signs,” said Village Trustee Don Houston, who also serves on the Public Works Committee.
For its part, the committee agreed to write a letter to team leadership in the hope of finding resolve to the matter.
“You hit a bump in the road, and we’re going to try and help you out,” assured Karen Koeller, chairwoman of the Public Works Committee.
-
-
-
-
-
These People are CRAZY. It is a city street in the village of Waterford that I pay taxes for (high taxes at that). I should be able to park where ever I want on any neighborhood street with valid parking.
Mark is spot on!
A responsible parent keeps his kids away from the street.
Did they not see the PUBLIC school grounds when they bought the house? Did they not know they live in the middle of the village, on a public road? I look forward to parking there on random nights just for the heck of it. If the Village Board bows on this, they are weak.
this is a great comment.
Everyone is spot on here! A friend of mine has boys in that program and said that they are being harassed by residents every time they park there. I hope the village finally shows that they have a backbone & explains the definition of public, and educates them on what taxes do for everyone. HOLD STRONG!