Parks and Public Spaces Committee Agenda 7.14.26

Parks and Public Spaces Committee 3930 N. Murray Avenue, Committee Room July 14, 2026 - 6:00 p.m. AGENDA 1. Call to Order 2. Consider approval of June 9, 2026, meeting minutes 3. Citizens to be Heard – this item is for matters not on the agenda. Discussion may follow comments o n non -agenda items or discussion, and action may come at future meetings. 4. 2026 Initiative - Consider updates to Village Code Ch. 207 – no progress to date 5. 2026 Initiative - Vision triangle regulations review – no progress to date 6. Greenways Project Report 7. Nature Park Discussion 8. Safer School Zones Initiative Discussion 9. No Turn on Red Signage 10. Future Items for Consideration 11. Subcommittee Chair Reports 12. Staff Liaison Report 13. Adjournment DATED at Shorewood, Wisconsin this 9th day of July 2026. VILLAGE OF SHOREWOOD, Toya Harrell, Village Clerk Members of the public are encouraged to participate by submitting questions to Nicole Berzin, Assistant Village Manager at nberzin@shorewoodwi.gov or 414-847-2705 by noon of the meeting date. It is possible that members of and possibly a quorum of members of other governmental bodies of the municipality may be in attendance at the above stated meeting to gather information; no action will be taken by any governmental body at the above stated meeting other than the governmental body specifically referred to above in this notice. Upon reasonable notice, efforts will be made to accommodate the needs of all individuals. VILLAGE OF SHOREWOOD REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS TO PARKS AND PUBLIC SPACES COMMITTEE Meeting date: July 14, 2026 Staff Liaison: Nicole Berzin, Assistant Village Manager Agenda Item Discussion – Please provide a summary of the agenda item along with bullet points highlighting the main items and key issues to be discussed. Below, please find a summary of the meeting agenda items for June 9, 2026. 2. Consider approval of June 9, 2026, meeting minutes. Please see attached. 3. Citizens to be Heard. 4. 2026 Initiative – Consider updates to Village Code Ch. 207 (continuation of 2025 initiative) This item was submitted by PPS but assigned to the Police Department. No further update to date. 5. 2026 Initiative – Vision Triangle Review Plan Commission met in June to discuss this item. There were outstanding questions that the Planning and Development Director is now gathering answers to. This item will be going back to the Plan Commission for recommendation, which will be in late summer. Following a recommendation, it will come back to Parks and Public Spaces. 6. Greenways Project Report This item was voted on by the committee at the June 9, 2026, meeting to be on this agenda. The Planning and Development Director cannot be in attendance but will share a written update on Monday, July 13, 2026, following Greenways Days. 7. Nature Park Discussion This item was voted on by the committee at the June 9, 2026, meeting to be on this agenda after being presented during Citizens to be Heard. Please see attached for documents from the last meeting. 8. Safer School Zones Initiative Discussion This item was voted on by the committee at the June 9, 2026, meeting to be on this agenda following a vote to deny the initiative at the Board level. The committee will discuss next steps. 9. No Turn on Red Signage At the July 6, 2026, Public Works Committee Meeting, the committee voted to have the Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Subcommittee review this item and determine if it would be a priority for the Village. A copy of the redlined Chapter 500 is attached. 10. Future Items for Consideration Future Items of Consideration are items not listed on the agenda that members would like to discuss or consider at a future meeting date. The members are requested to vote on whether an item should be discussed at a future meeting. Wis Stat require the public have notice on the agenda of the topics to be Parks and Public Spaces Committee February 10, 2026 2 discussed and considered. If an item is voted to be listed on a future agenda, discussion on the item shall occur after being listed to provide proper notice. 10. Subcommittee Chair Reports 11. Staff Liaison Report Attachments – Please list the following attachments and supporting documents for this agenda item. Some attachments may be hyperlinked. Include Fiscal notes, if applicable, as the first attachment following this memorandum. Attachments may include agreements/contracts, presentation materials, letters, service proposals, etc. 1. June 9, 2026, minutes 2. Natural Playgrounds 3. Chapter 500 materials Village of Shorewood Parks and Public Spaces Committee June 9, 2026 Members Present: Chair Mansfield, Members Avallone, Jorgensen, Kaczmarek, Santeler, Berry, Hammond, Greenman, and Pendelton Excused: Pero and Mason Others Present: Assistant Village Manager Berzin and Trustee Stokebrand 1. Call to Order Chair Mansfield called the meeting to order at 6:03pm 2. Consider approval of May 12, 2026, meeting minutes • Greenman approves with amendments. Hammond seconds. Motion passes 9-0. o Hammond suggests wording change relating to Parks and Art. o Mason was not present and Greenman was o Remove number 5 item b o Item 12 replace to say “to avoid additional staff time requirements” 3. Citizens to be Heard – this item is for matters not on the agenda. Discussion may follow comments on non- agenda items or discussion, and action may come at future meetings. • Yuliia Skliarova – Nature Playground • Gary Brunk – Farewell statement after resigning from the committee o Pendleton motions to Thank Gary on behalf of the committee for all of his work and years of service. Hammond seconds. Motion carries 9-0. 4. 2026 Initiative - Consider updates to Village Code Ch. 207 a. Report progress to date • Chief Wurth explains edits she made and approved by Attorney Bayer o Avallone questioned e-bike requirements and definitions. Chief Wurth explained it is located in state statute. o Pendelton asks for a timing update. Chief Wurth explains we have some time and we should wait and see how other ordinance changes go. She expects to have it to the Village Board in August or September. • Pendelton suggests getting the subcommittee together in June and bringing their decision back to the committee in July. b. Action items • Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Sub Committee will meet toward the end of June to go over edits and bring comments back to the committee for approval to go to Chief Wurth. 5. 2026 Initiative - Vision triangle regulations review – no progress to date 6. 2026 Initiative - Rational Recreational Rules – Village Code Ch. 466-30 • Berzin explains that the initiative was denied at the Village Board level and will be removed from future agendas. 7. Reckless Driving Signage TAPR • Berzin explains that the initiative was denied at the Village Board level and will be removed from future agendas. 8. Consider Separating Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety from Parks and Public Spaces • Pendelton motions to recommend to Village Board that there are two committees: parks and public spaces and pedestrian and bicycle safety similar to the prior committee structure. Hammond seconds. Motion carries 9-0. 9. Future Items for Consideration • Greenways Project Report with the request that Bart is in attendance o Pendleton motions. Berry seconds. Motion carries 9-0. • Nature Park discussion. o Avallone motions. Pendelton seconds. Motion carries 9-0. • Safer school zones initiative o Pendleton motions. Hammond seconds. Motion carries 9-0. 10. Subcommittee Chair Reports Nothing to report. 11. Staff Liaison Report a. Policy 49 Workplans, Village Initiatives, and Task Assignments • December – Annual Report Due • March – Proposed initiatives to be submitted by March 1 o All submissions must be approved by committee prior to submission b. 2027 Initiatives c. Greenways Project update – still in the gathering information phase. The web map and survey are available to give feedback on. d. Atwater Beach Mural e. July meeting date 12. Adjournment Pendleton motions to adjourn. Santeler seconds. Motions carried 9-0. Meeting adjourns at 8:08am. Respectfully submitted, Nicole Berzin, Assistant Village Manager Nature loose-parts playground in Shorewood Purpose Engage children of all ages (and adults) to play, create and build at the unstructured playground. Our family lives on the southwest side of the village and there are no playgrounds that are not associated with schools nearby. Moreover, there are no nature playgrounds in Shorewood. Loose parts, nature playgrounds are a place where loose materials are used by children of various ages to build, move and create structures. Encouraging children and teens to play outside away from the screens. We often come to t he Urban ecology park and there is nature playground at the river level. We noticed that kids of all ages and some adults enjoy spending time building, destroying, sorting, moving branches, wood, sticks. This is a perfect space for children to practice building skills, work in teams while spending time outdoors any time of the year . Nature play improves physical and social skills, promotes creativity and lets children find out more about environment. Our son, who is 4 years old and his friends (3,5 and 10 years old) all enjoy playing with branches, trees, rocks and can spend hours outside doing it. This playground would be a great place not only for young children but also for preteens, who are often pulled into the digital world too early. It would give them another option for spending time with their friends outdoors. Benefits for children Loose Parts Play (LPP) focuses on utilizing materials that offer multiple possibilities, enabling children to engage in diverse play experiences and develop cognitive capacities like executive function and cognitive self-regulation. LPP provides flexibility and adaptability, allowing children to manipulate, combine, and transform loose parts in countless ways, thereby facilitating open- ended play experiences [1]. Loose parts play benefits: • enables children to take risks. • sparks creativity and imagination. • contributes to determination and resilience. • cultivates independence and confidence. • builds relationships and leadership [2]. Materials Wood (fallen trees, branches, logs cut up and uncut), rocks. Budget and maintenance This project requires a small budget. The village needs to bring some trees, stomps, branches, and sticks to transform the area into lean -tos, teepees and other structures for kids to have fun with. DPW can update the play area yearly with regular tree trimmings that occur throughout Shorewood. Alternatively, wood can be purchased. Location River Park, which has baseball and soccer fields, also has a space in southwest corner right next to bike trail that used to be a small playground. This area could be converted into nature playground similar to the space at Urban Ecology Center Riverside Park. The playground would be behind table tennis and covered picnic area. View of River Park from Google Maps (Location marked with red square) Examples Below are photos of the Urban Ecology Center set up. We came to the park in all seasons, and you can tell it was used by other people, because every time the branches are rearranged in different structures. Urban Ecology Center Riverside Park. Andy and our son Danylo playing at the park in winter Thank you for considering this idea and for taking care of all our parks in Shorewood. Please contact us at yuliiaskliarova@gmail.com or call 414-797-1035. References 1. Preschool Children’s Loose Parts Play and the Relationship to Cognitive Development: A Review of the Literature. NIH. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10456023/ 2. Educator perceptions on the benefits and challenges of loose parts play in the outdoor environments of childcare centres. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6940583/ Chapter 500. Vehicles and Traffic Article X. Traffic Control § 500-36. Right turns prohibited on red signals. [Amended 8-11-1992 by Ord. No. 1638; 9-2-2003 by Ord. No. 1859; 10-24-2005 by Ord. No. 1896; 2-25-2008 by Ord. No. 1935; 3-21-2011 by Ord. No. 1985; 1-8-2018 by Ord. No. 2090] In accordance with the provisions of § 346.37(1)(c)3, Wis. Stats., vehicular traffic facing a red signal at the following intersections may not make right turns, subject to the limitations set forth herein: A. North Maryland Avenue at East Capitol Drive, when pedestrians are present. B. North Downer Avenue at East Capitol Drive, when pedestrians are present. C. East Edgewood Avenue at North Oakland Avenue when pedestrians are present. D. East Capitol Drive at North Oakland Avenue when pedestrians are present. E. North Murray Avenue at East Capitol Drive when pedestrians are present. F. Westbound on East Capitol Drive at North Morris Boulevard when pedestrians are present. G. Northbound and southbound on North Morris Boulevard at East Capitol Drive when pedestrians are present. H. Eastbound on East Capitol Drive at North Morris Boulevard when red. I. Eastbound on East Menlo Boulevard at Oakland Avenue when red.