Parks commission approves Highfield Reserve park concepts after debate over prairie maintenance and ADA access
July 10, 2026 | Fitchburg, Dane County, Wisconsin
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Dan Dade of D'Onofrio Kocki & Associates, representing Viridian Homes, presented concept plans for two neighborhood parks in Highfield Reserve — Out Lot 10 (Fahey Park) and Out Lot 6 (Tipperary Park) — and asked the commission to approve the concepts so the developer can proceed to implementation and an amendment to the subdivision improvement agreement (SIA).
The plans show small, green-fronting parks with multipurpose paths, bench pads, shade trees selected for fire resistance, and a mix of mowed lawn and native prairie plantings. Landscape architect Matt Salisbury described Tipperary as a long, sloped parcel with a central path and backless benches; Fahey was presented as a triangular lawn with cut-through access and bench pads.
Why it matters: commissioners and residents framed the vote around durability and long-term staff capacity. Commissioner Sue Easterday warned that native prairies and prairie “mode paths” can be maintenance-intensive in small parcels and suggested full turf as an alternative, noting mower issues and seed spread. Developers and staff countered that they would hire an ecological restoration contractor for the 2–3 year establishment period and would return a minimum of six inches of topsoil across the parkland before restoration to improve chances of success.
Residents who live adjacent to the parcels spoke during public comment. Megan Tabith urged the commission to support native plantings for pollinators and neighborhood character: “I just wanna say I'm in support of this plan and very much the native part of the park.” Christine Fry pressed for an ADA-compliant path from the street cutout on Notre Dame Drive to the multipurpose trail, saying residents need guaranteed accessible connections to their front doors.
Commission discussion focused on keeping the parks small and manageable while advancing larger park-system goals in the parks-and-open-space plan. Commissioners and staff said the developer-implemented approach has worked elsewhere but emphasized that maintenance responsibilities, budgeted contracted support, and soil restoration would be clarified during the SIA amendment and construction plan stages.
The commission moved to approve the concepts as presented. Staff said next steps include preparing an amendment to the SIA, producing formal construction plans and bidding documents, and returning with implementation schedules.
What happens next: The developer will proceed with design refinements and the city will process the required SIA amendment and construction documents. The commission requested clearer maintenance and contract timelines during the handoff and noted residents' ADA-access requests would be considered in final layouts.
The plans show small, green-fronting parks with multipurpose paths, bench pads, shade trees selected for fire resistance, and a mix of mowed lawn and native prairie plantings. Landscape architect Matt Salisbury described Tipperary as a long, sloped parcel with a central path and backless benches; Fahey was presented as a triangular lawn with cut-through access and bench pads.
Why it matters: commissioners and residents framed the vote around durability and long-term staff capacity. Commissioner Sue Easterday warned that native prairies and prairie “mode paths” can be maintenance-intensive in small parcels and suggested full turf as an alternative, noting mower issues and seed spread. Developers and staff countered that they would hire an ecological restoration contractor for the 2–3 year establishment period and would return a minimum of six inches of topsoil across the parkland before restoration to improve chances of success.
Residents who live adjacent to the parcels spoke during public comment. Megan Tabith urged the commission to support native plantings for pollinators and neighborhood character: “I just wanna say I'm in support of this plan and very much the native part of the park.” Christine Fry pressed for an ADA-compliant path from the street cutout on Notre Dame Drive to the multipurpose trail, saying residents need guaranteed accessible connections to their front doors.
Commission discussion focused on keeping the parks small and manageable while advancing larger park-system goals in the parks-and-open-space plan. Commissioners and staff said the developer-implemented approach has worked elsewhere but emphasized that maintenance responsibilities, budgeted contracted support, and soil restoration would be clarified during the SIA amendment and construction plan stages.
The commission moved to approve the concepts as presented. Staff said next steps include preparing an amendment to the SIA, producing formal construction plans and bidding documents, and returning with implementation schedules.
What happens next: The developer will proceed with design refinements and the city will process the required SIA amendment and construction documents. The commission requested clearer maintenance and contract timelines during the handoff and noted residents' ADA-access requests would be considered in final layouts.
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