De Pere revamps policy on naming city parks

DE PERE —The city of De Pere is in the process of revamping its policy regarding naming city parks.

Up till this point, the city has just sort of winged it when it came to giving parks a moniker.

“(We) did not have a naming policy before this,” Marty Kosobucki, Director of Parks, Recreation, and Forestry, said.

Under the new policy, names of parks may be inspired by geological features of areas nearby, street names, names of upstanding people in the community (especially those who have done noteworthy work in the area of parks and recreation), historic people, events, or things of local significance to the area (some examples given included battles, events, veterans, or discoveries).

People who donate large amounts of money or property can also be namesakes.

Donors must give either the land for the park or half the money it will take to develop it, according to the new policy.

They will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

“Generalized Good Causes”(examples given included friendship, independence, peace, etc.) also can serve as name inspirations.

The city is also looking at the policy for renaming parks.

They want to avoid it at all costs, if they can.

“Renaming of a park is a discouraged and only considered under the most critical examination as to not diminish the original justification,” reads the new policy.

It says renaming of a park shall only be allowed under the following conditions:

a. A review of donor contingencies or outstanding agreements has been conducted.

b. A comprehensive explanation of why the existing name shall be changed.

c. Approval by the park board and Common Council

The board originally made unanimous approval a requirement but revised that to a simple majority.

There are currently about two dozen parks in the city:

• Bicentennial Memorial Park, 615 Main Ave. at S. Sixth Street, was acquired in 1975 and opened in 1976, according to the parks department.

• Carney Park, 1286 Outward Ave., corner of Monterrey Terrace and Outward Ave., is just over an acre and was dedicated in 1994, according to the parks department.

• De Pere Fairgrounds, 1500 Fort Howard Ave., is a 36.18-acre special use park with boat launch, ice arena, and numerous historic oak trees.

• East Side Nature Park, located at Merrill and South Washington, is a 0.85-acre special use park adjacent to Dickinson Elementary School.

• Jim Martin Park, 255 Libal St., is 17 acres and was created in 1991, finished in 1993. Jim Martin was active in De Pere youth recreational activities and helped organize the De Pere Legion baseball team, according to the parks department.

• James Street Parkway, between James Street and the Fox River, is a 0.23-acre special use park created in 1999.

• Kiwanis Park, 2362 Old Ivy Park, is 10.48 acres and has a soccer field and sledding hill. It was created in 2001.

• Kelly Danen Park, 932 Cedar Street, got its start in 1960 when a group of parents got permission to build a little league field at Cedar and Tenth streets on the city’s west side. The parents added a backstop and fenced in the field, and the park opened in JUne of 1961 as Little League Park. Eight years later, it was renamed Kelly Danen Park in honor of one of the organizers of Little League in De Pere. He was also involved in youth baseball and served as an alderperson for eight years in the 1960s (west side, District 4), according to the parks department.

• G.E. Braisher Park, 630 N. Winnebago, is a 3.13-acre park named after Gerald E. Braisher, a local championship coach and member of several state sports halls of fame. He served as equipment manager of the Green Bay Packers under Vince Lombardi. The park has an urban orchard, basketball courts, playground, and soccer field. It was developed in 1961 and opened in 1964.

• Lions Trailside Park, 863 Killarny Trail, south of Mommaerts Auto, is a 4.24-acre neighborhood park with a sledding hill, created in 2006.

• Legion Park, 1212 Charles Street at Webster Avenue, is a 16.24-acre community park. Before its designation in 1922, it was known as the pine grove park area, according to the parks department. It is home to an outdoor community swimming pool.

• Lawton Park, 201 N. Sixth Street, at Fort Howard and N. Sixth Street, is a 0.19-acre mini park. Created in 1996, it has a playground and picnic area.

• Optimist Park, 801 Cook Street, an 11.72-acre community park created in 1989, according to the parks department.

• Patriot Park, 1101 Colleen Lane, a 5.67-acre neighborhood park established in 1985.

• Rusk Park, 100 N. Webster Ave., is a 0.75-acre mini park with a picnic area.

• Rotary Park, 1843 Saddlebrook Lane, a 0.54-acre minipark with a gazebo, established in 2003.1

• Rainbow Park, 1511 Flicker Trail, a 0.97-acre mini park created in 1998. The Common Council recently approved new playground equipment at the park for kids ages 5 to 12, according to the City of De Pere.

• Samantha Park, 2245 Samantha Street, is a three-acre park created in 2006.

• Southwest Park, 2474-2508 Lawrence Drive near I-41, is a 95.55-acre urban park created in 2006, finished in 2008. The city installed a playground there in 2018.

• Voyageur Park, 100 William Street, a 21.74-acre park on the west end of Cass Street. It was formally named in 1979, according to Definitely De Pere.

• VFW Park, located on the corner of Allard and Grant streets, was dedicated in 1962, according to the National War Memorial Registry, nationalwarmemorialregistry.org

• Wilson Park, 335 College Ave., a 1.03-acre mini park, dedicated in 1924;

• Willems Park, 1214 S. Seventh Street, 0.47-acre mini park created in 1995;

• Wilcox Park, 421 Wilcox Court, a 1.910-acre mini park on the east side of the city. In the late 1930s, Willis Saul donated the land, according to the parks department.

• Wells Park, 230 S. Broadway between S. Broadway and S. Front streets on the east side of the Fox River.