Letters to the Editor
New City Park on Roth Street, Let’s Keep it Natural
Since 2017, the Friends of Hartmeyer Natural Area (FHNA) group has been advocating for a natural area park to be a part of the Northside park system at the location on Roth Street behind Kavanaugh’s Esquire Club. The city has given it the name of Hartmeyer-Roth Park for now. The FHNA group is comprised of area neighbors and local leaders who have supported the rezoning to be for a conservation natural area park, or CN. (Now this CN designation is called Conservatory District.)
The community has been expecting that this new park land acquisition would be for a natural area park. It would be maintained to support passive recreation as well as the many native plants, birds (over 120 species nest in the area), reptiles and wildlife to which it offers refuge. We would like to see the current interim name to be changed to better reflect the natural setting and perhaps the ancient Indigenous use of the area as evidenced by a large burial mound found within the park boundary. Right now, there is no mention of the Indigenous importance of this site and our need to steward this area carefully and with respect.
In the coming months, Madison city park staff will be considering the uses and design of this wetland park. It may also reconsider the zoning to allow for active recreation on more of the property. The first of these meetings is scheduled for April 14 at 6 pm via Zoom. Information for registration is below.
The Friends of Hartmeyer Natural Area group members are offering these suggestions for the park use options that would best protect the natural and cultural aspects of this parcel of land:
1. Keep CN Zoning to create a natural area park that will complement the playground activity areas that will be installed near the new apartment buildings, as well as activity opportunities that are offered in Demetral Park. According to zoning code, a Conservancy District (CN) is “established to recognize and protect the natural functions of certain natural and non-intensive recreational areas.”
2. Conduct a thorough Indigenous site investigation. An Indigenous mound was identified on the property and a ground penetrating radar survey’s preliminary findings indicate that the mound is genuine and the site should be further assessed. We require that a full cultural survey of this site be conducted, like the one being completed at Vilas Park, to determine all cultural features on this site so that we do not desecrate any features yet identified. There are funds available ($500,000 in TIF money for Lincoln Avenue Capitol) to put towards this effort before any soil is disturbed. Please give as much care to the preservation of this Indigenous site as we are giving to other parks in our system. Now is the perfect time before any major disturbances occur. This aspect of the process needs to be front and center.
3. Sustainable Biodiversity should be a key aspect of this future park. A wetland requires adjacent oak opening, woodland and upland prairie areas to support rich wildlife biodiversity. Funding should be allocated to preserve and restore all of these important ecological areas to support a healthy biodiverse ecosystem.
4. Public Access and Enjoyment is key for this future park without impeding on the natural setting of this special wetland remnant park. Non-invading paths and an accessible observation deck would provide an accessible viewing station for birders and a place of respite for area neighbors.
5. Public Engagement Partnerships would occur with activity opportunities offered by the FHNA members, City of Madison FUN program and other organizations to engage area residents and children in passive nature recreation and nature education.
6. No Playground as playgrounds for resident kids are already provided in the large adjacent apartment development. Destroying natural space for a public playground within less than a block would be redundant.
7. No Dogs Allowed designation for this park will be necessary as dogs can negatively impact birds and wildlife in natural areas. Two dog relief areas are already provided in the apartment development immediately adjacent to the park. An off-leash dog park is already provided at Demetral Park only a couple of blocks away. A new bike and pedestrian path by the new apartments will provide space for walking a dog on a leash.
8. No Active Sports in a wetland. The long-abandoned baseball fields (historically, it was lovingly called “The Swamp” by little league and softball teams) and most of the park open space, flood in spring and during rain events and they will flood more frequently due to climate change causing increased rain events and volumes. This wetland natural area should be preserved and restored to continue to add to the native plant species that are already present and provide habitat for pollinators.
9. Preserve Wildlife Corridor Connections by keeping the upland prairie and wooded border along the Canadian Pacific railroad right-of-way which provides a wildlife corridor that is critical to preserving connections with other Madison parks and natural areas for wildlife and birds.
10. Limit Light and Sound Disturbance. Outdoor lighting and noise adjacent to the park should be kept at a minimum. Lighting should not be directed into the natural area and outdoor sound limited to avoid affecting birds and wildlife. Putting lights and active sports with noise and high human activity would disrupt and degrade this quiet natural area and important wildlife refuge. In addition, we recommend preserving all mature trees and adding more native Wisconsin trees and native understory plants with wildlife value to provide a natural noise and light barrier. Trees will also provide pedestrians with shade in a part of the city that historically has been a heat island.
We invite you to attend the first public information meeting via Zoom on April 14, 6 pm. If you can’t attend the meeting, consider sending a message or your questions to the Project Manager at the email address below, and please copy your alder.
Thank you, The Board Members of the Friends of Hartmeyer Natural Area
Letters to the Editor
Dear Northside News Editorial Team,
I am a Black resident of Madison’s North Side (ZIP code 53704), and I am writing to request your consideration for coverage of an issue affecting my family and, I believe, many Black residents in our community.
Madison is often described as progressive, yet it continues to rank among the most racially unequal cities in the country. On the North Side, these disparities are not theoretical — they show up in housing instability, poverty, health outcomes, lack of representation, and how Black residents are treated when they speak up.
Recently, Madison police have come to my home multiple times following complaints I believe to be retaliatory in nature. These visits frightened my children and caused significant stress in my household. During one encounter, officers threatened to arrest me. My family is disabled and living at or near the poverty line, and these experiences have created fear rather than safety.
I am not writing to attack law enforcement or any individual. I am writing because when Black residents raise concerns, the response is often silence — or escalation. In my case, when I attempted to raise concerns with media outlets about discrimination and retaliation, I was ignored. In one instance, a local television station called the police on me instead of listening to my concerns. I was not violent or threatening; I was asking to be heard.
Madison does not have a single Black-owned radio station. Media and cultural power remain overwhelmingly controlled by white-owned institutions, while Black voices — especially those that challenge power — are marginalized or dismissed. This creates an environment where fear replaces dialogue.
I want to be clear that this outreach is not an attempt to contact or engage with any individual with whom I have had prior legal matters. I am now seeking advocacy and accountability within my current district and community, and I am asking for a fair opportunity to tell my story.
As the city honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and speaks publicly about equity, I believe it is important to examine how Black residents on Madison’s North Side are actually experiencing life here — especially when police and media responses are involved.
I am available to speak further, provide documentation, and answer questions. I believe this story matters to the North Side and deserves attention rooted in fairness and community care.
Peacefully, Derrick D. McCann
