History of Green Bay's Parks

Badger Park

In 1974, the Green Bay Plan Commission directed that its staff evaluate the use of a public parcel located generally between Badger and Shawano Avenue and between Perkins and Taylor Street consisting of about 5.4 acres. … Alderman [Gerald] Last has inquired of its usefulness as a neighborhood park. 1 Orignally the property was purchased as a possible site for an elementary school; however, this north side school is now located on Bond Street … known as the Helen Keller School. 2 The Park Areas Committee was concerned with the small size and the proximity to Murphy and Fireman's Parks, but they were more impressed by the fact that the immediate neighborhood is landlocked by the railroad tracks on the south and a very busy Shawano Avenue to the north. Because of its landlocked nature and the fact that the Committee feels that those residents should have a park area accessible to them, the Committee recomments that all 5.4 acres be dedicated for park purposes even though this does not meet with the usual standard of 15 to 25 acres for normal neighborhood parks. 2 This position was twice affirmed by the Park Board. 3

The park was named and dedicated in 1976. 4 Playground equipment was installed in 1977 5 and an upgraded playground was built in 1995. 6

In 1990, a group of doctors sent the city a request for the purchase of a small piece of city land … a portion of which is zoned city park. The doctors argued that they had already explored all options on adjacent privately owned properties and relocation of our business and that the sale would not infringe upon the park that is currently developed since the developed portion of the park would still have a buffer of approximately 50 feet of undeveloped and heavily wooded land. 7 The city sold a 75-foot by 148-foot section of Badger Park and Christiana Street right of way for $11,000. 8 9 The portion of Christiana Street which would have extended across the back of Badger Park 10 had never been built, and in 2001, the rest of the unused right of way was divided between the park and property owners along Shawano Avenue. 11

A request was later received to sell about ½ acre to another commercial neighbor of the park. 12 While promising to evaluate any proposal that comes our way, the park department pointedly noted that we work to protect parkland, especially in underserved areas. 13 This proposed sale was not accepted.

Notes

1 Letter from B.F. Paruleski, AIP, Executive Director, Green Bay Brown County Planning Commision, to Chet Miller, Director, Green Bay Park & Recreation Department, dated October 23, 1974. PRF file, Park Areas: Badger Park.
2 Copy of minutes, Park Areas Committee, Green Bay Board of Park Commissioners, November 18, 1974. PRF file, Park Areas: Badger Park.
3 Copy of letter from Chet Miller replying to B.F. Paruleski, dated December 9, 1974, enclosing the minutes of the committee which were approved at the regular meeting of the Park Board on December 4th. Copy of memo from Chet Miller to B.F. Paruleski, dated March 10, 1975, describing the Park Board meeting of March 5, 1975. PRF file, Park Areas: Badger Park.
4 [missing]
5 PRF blueprint titled Play Equipment Layout Plan, dated April 1977; manufacturer's plans for equipment, Landscape Structures Inc., of Delano, Minnesota. This file also includes a plan with handwritten notes of an inspection of playground equipement dated 8/17/88. PRF file, Badger Play Eq.
Manufacturer's plans and specifications for play equipment, 1977. PRF file, Badger Park.
6 Site plan revised August 95 with hand notation As built; PRF plan Badger Park Playground dated April 95; site plan by Burke Company Inc, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. PRF file, Badger 95.
7 Copy of letter from John C. Gallagher, M.D., Medical Center Ob-Gyn Associates, S.C., to City Planning Committee, dated May 24, 1990, with map and photos. PRF file, Badger Prop. Dispute.
8 Copy warranty deed, City of Green Bay to John C. Gallagher, Thomas J. Halloin, and Michael Kinchloe, as joint tenants, dated August 7, 1990. PRF file, Park Areas: Badger Park.
9 Copy of letter from John C. Gallagher, M.D., dated August 1, 1990, agreeing to the $11,000 price; copy of appraisal letter from James De Waal to Jack Hodek, Purchasing Agent, dated July 30, 1990, setting the $11,000 value based on anticipated future benefits to a particular … property owner; copy of appraisal letter from James De Waal to Jack Hodek, Purchasing Agent, dated July 13, 1990, setting a $2,000 value. PRF file, Park Areas: Badger Park.
10 Blueprint, Area Development Plan, dated December 1970. PRF file, Park Areas: Badger Park.
Copy of deed for 60 foot street right of way. PRF file, Badger Park.
11 Copy of Agency Comment Form, Street, Alley, or Walkway Vacation Request, dated February 14, 2001, with map; 4/20/01 Plan Com Approved March 12 hand-written on sticky note on the map; also additional notes pertaining to vacating the right of way. PRF file, Badger Prop. Dispute.
12 Copy of letter from Der-Hau Lin to Bill Land[v]atter, dated August 27, 2008, on behalf of Davita, my tenant which is a dialysis medical facility. PRF file, Badger Park.
12 Copy of reply letter from Bill Landvatter to Der-Lin Hua, dated September 10, 2008. PRF file, Badger Park.
Only annotated statements have been verified. Any other historical statements are unverified and based on personal knowledge or informal notes kept by the Green Bay Parks, Recreation & Forestry Department.
Last update: May, 2011
Email: webmaster