Your letters: Does Yawkey Park have a future?

What in Wausau these past weeks reads like a mystery novel, minus it’s usual heroes and villains? Legislation has recently passed so that a pivotal green space, Yawkey Park will change dramatically. How did this happen? The Woodson YMCA has initiated plans for The Landing expansion, where there’s to be a Third Street skywalk coming through to the park’s adjacent 1920’s pergola. There will also be the construction of a long row of angled cement parking stalls before the park, on Fourth Street.

Yawkey Park was given to our city and its residents on Nov. 9, 1920, by Cyrus and Alice Yawkey, and has a history of vulnerability. “When the YMCA announced an expansion proposal in 1972 that would cut into Yawkey Park, a strong public response arose in opposition. The proposal was put to a vote and was defeated via referendum in April 1973 with a majority of Wausau residents voting to keep Yawkey Park in tact. (Downtown History Minute -Yawkey Park [Video] 1:08 )

City Hall needs our help. Once again we need a public forum to ask questions and get honest facts on what the Y’s expansion will do to Yawkey Park. This green space is the only true downtown park in Wausau; cities need green spaces to be habitable and humane, and this park is pivotal to two historic districts.

As the YMCA begins its expansion, we need meetings and a referendum on how to best preserve Yawkey Park and the 80-plus-year-old trees. Additional parking is important to the Y and preserving the park is important to the city of Wausau. Questions that need answers:

1. How many mature trees will be cut down? With the removal of the current green boulevard, a 6′ foot width of sidewalk, plus a 3′ cut into Yawkey Park itself, it appears that five full grown trees with their extensive canopies, plus one tree for the skywalk, will be removed.

2. Is the gain of seven parking spots worth the removal of nearly half the park’s mature trees? This calculation is based on the fact that there are currently nine parallel parking spots, and angled parking would create 16.

3. What’s to happen with the historical 1920’s era pergola? The green space directly behind the pergola was recently sold to the YMCA for the proposed skywalk. Will the pergola be removed and relocated? If it remains, how will this historical structure be integrated into The Landing expansion?

4. Our city forester says there’s one tree that is diseased, the sugar maple. Why is it said there are more trees in poor health?

5. How many decades will it take for the newly planted replacement trees to become sizable? Trees grow on average 1′ to 2′ a year.

6. If angled parking is the answer, can two or three angled spaces be eliminated to save two or three of the mature boulevard trees? Is it possible to put parallel parking on both sides of Fourth Street before Yawkey Park to save all of the boulevard trees?

7. If YMCA parking is unmonitored, how will creating additional parking remedy a situation where everyone (member or not) know they can park for free at the YMCA? If parking’s unmonitored, won’t the YMCA forever be seeking more parking, and thus more green spaces ?

The future may necessitate the creation of a Friends of Yawkey Park who will rehabilitate, nurture and protect the park. In my archaeology class, I sometimes quoted a well known and seasoned archaeologist who said to his students before the dig began: “When excavating this site you get one and only one shot at doing it right. Otherwise, it is lost forever.”

If you believe the fate of Yawkey Park is an important issue, reach out to your Wausau City Council representatives and tell them your thoughts and concerns.

R. Dennis O’Flyng of Wausau

Editor’s note: Wausau Pilot & Review gladly publishes commentary from readers, residents and candidates for local offices. The views of readers and columnists are independent of this newspaper and do not necessarily reflect the views of Wausau Pilot & Review. To submit, email [email protected] or mail to 500 N. Third St., Suite 208-8, Wausau, Wis. 54403.