The Milwaukee Post

14 • Milwaukee Post • September 20, 2013 Effort trying to restore Kinnickinnic River back to 'its old glory' after years of wear Homes being bought in area to widen waterway By RICH ROVITO Special to The Post MILWAUKEE – Before being channelized in the 1960s, the Kinnickinnic River had tree-lined banks, natural springs, fishing holes and abundant wildlife. Steps continue toward restoring the river to its natural state with the expectation that it will improve the South Side residential neighborhood through which it passes. The effort is aimed at "restoring the river to its old glory," said Iris Gonzalez, community engagement specialist at the Sixteenth Street Community Health Center. The Kinnickinnic, the smallest of the three main rivers that flow through Milwaukee, has been plagued by flooding and pollution problems for decades. The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District is leading a $60 million flood management project along the Kinnickinnic, which runs through some of the most densely populated neighborhoods in the city. The Sixteenth Street Community Health Center is acting as a liaison to the community for the project. Concrete placed into the river to form a channel is splitting and is in poor condition, creating myriad issues for property owners and residents of the area. In 2007, American Rivers, an environmental organization based in Washington, D.C., designated the Kinnickinnic as one of the 10 most endangered rivers in the United States due to contaminated sediments traced to years of industrial pollution. "This strong amenity, this beautiful jewel, this asset in the neighborhood has become a liability," said Gonzalez, who moderated a panel discussion about the river at the Great Lakes Restoration Conference held earlier this month at the Wisconsin Center in downtown Milwaukee. The MMSD and the city are in the process of buying up homes to widen the river in an effort to control flooding. More than 80 residential buildings are being acquired, requiring those who live in those homes to be relocated. To date, 59 properties have been purchased, Gonzalez said. "We're not the prettiest neighborhood and many people will avoid coming through our neighborhood, and hopefully creating the voice and the unity will heal us and create a better community for all of the Milwaukee area," neighborhood resident Esperanza Gutierrez said. Addressing flooding and pollution issues is vital to the long-term health of the neighborhood, said Milwaukee Alderman Jose Perez, who represents the area. "It's important that we are taking a liability and making an amenity," he said. The demolition of the houses that have been acquired has led to some nuisance activity, including Illegal parking and dumping, Gonzalez said. At the same time, it has provided an opportunity for redeveloping the vacant space with community "pocket parks" that feature garden beds and native plantings. "I see the south side of Milwaukee coming alive with this project," said David Fowler, project manager at the MMSD. "It's been gratifying to see this project start to come to fruition." Fowler acknowledged that there have been plenty of challenges along the way. "You don't go into a neighborhood and say we are going to destroy 83 of your properties," he said. "That took a little bit of convincing and a lot of public meetings." Clear communication with residents is important, said Mark Lindvall, another neighborhood resident. "The original perception had a lot to do with homes being taken away from people rather than being bought up for a purpose. As word got out, people become more and more comfortable," Lindvall said. Perez said the area also has been forced to deal with stereotypes that lowto moderate-income communities fail to recognize the importance of taking care of the environment. "One of the reasons for that perception is that if you give people a river that looks like a half-sewer they are going to treat it like a half-sewer," Fowler said. "The goals is that the river will become a sense of pride for all those of all economic strata to see it as something that should be protected and valued." MMSD identified homes targeted for acquisition before implementing the design phase of the project. "Because there was so much of an impact for this neighborhood and so much uncertainty by leaving those people living in limbo in their houses knowing at some point their houses may be purchased," Fowler said. Property owners were paid fair market value for their homes, he said. Nonetheless, some residents have resisted, including property owners who have struggled with their mortgages and don't see fair market value as a suitable solution, Fowler said. Restoring the KK to its natural state will have a wide range of advantages, those taking part in the project insisted. The KK River used to have considerable wetlands along it that would work to filter water before it flowed into Lake Michigan. "Part of our project will be restoring and putting wetlands on either side of the river," Fowler said. "It's not going to be completely pristine or look like a northern Wisconsin trout stream but it is going to restore some of the functionality ." Fowler is convinced that the investment in the project will be worth it over the long term. "If we don't invest in the neighborhood, we will continue to see a slow slide and deterioration of the neighborhood because of flooding," he said. "Houses that flood don't increase in value. Once the project is completed, we will see a return on that investment." About $1.5 million from the state flood control program and $5.9 million from the state budget has gone toward buying and demolishing properties, Fowler said. MPS shows improvement on DPI report card Post Staff MILWAUKEE – More schools in Milwaukee Public Schools are meeting or exceeding expectations on the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction's school report cards. In the secod year of DPI report cards, 34 MPS schools are rated to meet expectations or higher, up from 29 last year. Fernwood Montessori School was graded to significantly exceed expectations, and Academia de Lenguaje y Bellas Artes, Honey Creek Continuous Progress Charter School, Milwaukee German Immersion School, Golda Meir School and Walt Whitman Elementary School were graded to exceed expectations. MPS schools graded to meet expectations were: Academy of Accelerated Learning, Louisa May Alcott School, Luther Burbank School, A.E. Burdick School, Clement Avenue School, James Fennimore Cooper School, Craig Montessori School, Jeremiah Curtin Leadership Academy, Dover School, Escuela Fratney, Greenfield Bilingual School, Hawley Environmental School, Hmong American Peace Academy, Fairview School, Humboldt Park School, I.D.E.A.L. School, International Peace Academy, Rufus King High School, Lowell Elementary School, Maryland Avenue Montessori School, Milwaukee French Immersion School, Milwaukee Spanish Immersion School, Morgandale School, Parkview Elementary School, Ronald Reagan High School, Tippecanoe School for the Arts and Humanities, Escuela Vieau and Whittier Elementary School. There were 49 schools rated by the state as failing to meet expectations, which was down from 60 on last year's report card. As a district, MPS is rated as not meeting expectations. "We are committed to sharpening our focus on the work that remains, learning from our successes, continuing to implement innovative reforms and seeking additional opportunities to put all students on the path to college and career success," MPS Superintendent Gregory Thornton said in a press release.

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