04/24/2026
Please take the time to write to the common council, the Board of Park Commissioners and Izzy Wilde, Park Planner and Landscape Architect.
PLEASE SUPPORT THESE PLANNING GOALS FOR MADISON’S NEW HARTMEYER ROTH PARK
Please support Friends of Hartmeyer Natural Area planning goals for Madison’s new Hartmeyer Roth Park between North Sherman Avenue and the old Oscar Mayer plant, and please ask other individuals and groups for support. To support, send an email with a note in your own words to:
City Council [email protected]
Izzy Wild, Parks Department, Project Manager [email protected]
Madison Parks Commission [email protected]
1. Make Madison’s new Hartmeyer Roth Park a Conservation Park, it is zoned Conservation District
Preserve and restore the entire remaining 15-acre half of the 30-acre historical wetland natural area as a Conservation Park, similar to the small ecologically and historically important 8 acre Kettle Pond Conservation Park on Madison's near west side. The nearest existing Conservation Park is 3 miles away adjacent to wealthier suburban neighborhoods. Give lower income near east and north side neighborhood residents, schools and kids their own nearby small Conservation Park with beautiful nature, birds and wildlife to enjoy within easy safe walking and biking distance. Present a Park Planning Option #3 with a Conservation Park map vision for public and alder review and committee consideration.
2. Indigenous Heritage Site
There is a confirmed burial mound site that demands appropriate quiet respect, signage and usage of the park. The entire 15-acres for the park should be investigated to ensure we fully understand the historic use of this parcel of land pre-settlement. We want the site protected with due diligence to respecting, preserving and documenting Native American occupancy and the cultural history. Collaborate with the Ho-Chunk Nation and area residents to help rename the park with an Indigenous focused name.
3. Sustainable Biodiversity
Wetland wildlife spend major parts of their lives in adjacent upland prairies and woodland areas. They cannot survive in just a wetland boundary. All upland and woodland areas need to be preserved and restored to support healthy biodiverse sustainable existing wildlife including Sandhill Cranes, Red-tailed Hawks, Wood Ducks, Bluebirds, Fox, Snakes, Frogs, Turtles, Butterflies, Bees, and Dragonflies.
4. Public Access and Enjoyment
Provide accessible paths along the north and west park street borders in addition to the city bike path along the east border, and small mowed areas and observation decks along the border paths with benches and interpretive signage for enjoyment of nature and quiet relaxation for mental and physical health and stress reduction. No paths should intrude into the wetland and upland natural areas.
5. Public Engagement
Support Friends of Hartmeyer Natural Area, Madison Parks and partner organization activities to help engage area residents and kids in passive nature recreation, natural health, and nature education including school outings, bird watching, nature bathing, yoga, bluebird monitoring, bat counts and other citizen science, and volunteer activities including invasives removal, litter removal and native plantings that help build community connections and a sense of public ownership to help create a positive and welcoming Hartmeyer Roth Park neighborhood identity.
6. Pair Hartmeyer Roth with Demetral
Like other Madison parks that pair a passive recreation park with a nearby active recreation park, pair Hartmeyer Roth for passive recreation with nearby Demetral Park for active recreation sports. Demetral is only a couple of blocks from Hartmeyer Roth and current crossing safety is the same as at Warner Park. Further improve pedestrian and bicycle safety at all crossings to accommodate new development. The apartments nearby have a playground, a pool and several dog release areas.
7. Put Playground in Other Area Development Plans
A playground and a pool are already provided in the large adjacent development. Taking park space for a public playground within less than a block would be redundant and lose precious upland needed to sustain a healthy wetland ecosystem. A new neighborhood playground should be planned and located in another neighborhood development nearby, not by reducing the restorable natural area.
8. No Dogs Within the Park
This park should be designated as a No Dogs park. The frequent presence of dogs even on leash and on paths, negatively impacts nesting birds and wildlife in adjacent natural areas many feet away. Three dog relief areas are already provided in the development away from the park. An off-leash dog park is already provided at Demetral Park only a couple blocks away. There are sidewalks for walking dogs on leash.
9. No Active Sports
The long abandoned ball fields created when Oscar Mayer high capacity groundwater wells artificially lowered water levels, and most of the park open space, flood often in spring and rain events. They will flood more frequently due to climate change. All of the small remaining open areas in the 15-acre park should be preserved and restored to help replace large stands of high quality milkweed species for Monarch Butterflies and native wildflowers for bees including native orchids that the development destroyed.
10. Preserve Wildlife Corridor Connections
Keeping the upland prairie and wooded border along the west railroad wildlife corridor is critical to preserve this quiet nature refugia and wildlife corridor connections with other Madison parks and natural areas. Putting basketball hoops or other active sports with noise and high human activity would disrupt and degrade this quiet natural area refugia and important wildlife corridor connection.
11. Limit Light and Sound Disturbance
Development, sports, street lighting and sound adjacent to the park should be kept at a minimum. Lighting should be downcast and outdoor sound limited to avoid affecting birds and wildlife. We recommend preserving all mature trees and adding more native Wisconsin trees and native under story plants with wildlife value for ecological benefits to also provide sound and light barriers along the park borders and especially on the east and south sides of the park. This will serve both to help protect ecosystem biodiversity and to preserve the quiet nature park sanctuary feel and value for community members looking to get away from noisy and hectic urban areas and activities.
