Council member supports losing park in her north side district

Trading in park land for new housing sounds good to one La Crosse city council member.

Andrea Richmond represents the area that includes Wittenberg Park on La Crosse’s north side.

The 8.5-acre park that’s on its way towards getting turned into new homes is a good deal to Richmond.

“It’s not utilized,” Richmond said. “It’s surplus property, and the city has maintained that for a long time — mowing the grass and keeping it up.”

The city’s park board has already stripped Wittenberg of its park status. A long process to turn the land into homes will have to involve getting the area out of the floodplain by adding fill.

The former park was part of a land swap with the city housing authority in 1978. Proceeds from the sale of the property will help support improvements to other north side parks.

“I think it’s a good thing to happen and I think the city really wants to get rid of some of this surplus property that they have to get it on the tax roll,” Richmond said.

Cost of maintaining the park was among the reasons given for getting rid of it.