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Maps The Otter Creek Neighborhood Association is a local non-profit organization with the following boundaries: East of Gateway, South of Hamilton, West of Otter Creek and North of Golf Road. View Larger Map The following issues and proposals are being communicated with our county and city representatives by OCNA President Duane Berglund:   Traffic congestion on Gateway Ave & at intersections of Gateway/Prill and Gateway/Hamilton.  This is not only a convenience issue for the limited exits from our community but more importantly a matter of safety of our residents to/from their homes, children on their way to school, and handicapped from the special care homes on Gateway north of Hamilton.     a. Proposal A - improved traffic lanes and light mgmt at Gateway & Golf   b. Proposal B - add traffic lights at Gateway & Hamilton   c. Proposal C - add traffic light at Robbins school interaction        There is nothing inherently bad or wrong with high density housing in Eau Claire but such developments need to emphasize sustainable living qualities – like greenways, parks, playgrounds, walking/biking paths, and more.  Developers want to pack as many rentable units into an acre as possible for maximum ROI but the city needs to ensure that these developments provide quality living and won’t turn into future slums!  Surrounding private homes will suffer home value depreciation if these high density developments are not done right.   No playgrounds or park set-asides – this is a serious need in our neighborhood.    a. Review possible set-asides within the neighborhood.  There are several sites but liability for the owners is a big issue.  How can the city or county help with the liability issue.  Could they acquire the properties?    b. Ask for enforcement of defined city planning regs - a park or playground within 1/2 mile of every resident!!? See the Google map for several small lots within our neighborhood that could be developed into small playlots. Liability for the owner is apparently a big issue.    No walking or biking paths to Mall or to Kohls, Walmart/Sam’s Club, only to Target/Menards.  Planning staff say that the goal is to put high density housing around the major retail centers but then don't provide non-auto access:     a. Proposal D - Add wide sidewalk over I-53 bridge along Golf Road, and/or     b. Proposal E - Build walk-over bridge to Mall area - expensive but would be a great addition,   Retention Pond – on the Southeast corner of Gateway and Glenbrooke there is a large drainage catch basin that often is a very ugly and distractive introduction to our neighborhood.  The city crew recently cleaned up the litter on the sides and bottom but it still leaves a lot to be desired.  As we tour the city we see catch basins in other neighborhoods that are maintained like parks and would like to know how we can achieve this result here. A few years ago Todd from the city forester department walked our perimeter trees on the smaller stand-alone condo community on East Meadows. As we completed that advisory tour I asked him for input on the catch basin.  He commented that his department would be willing to plant trees to improve the basin scene as one city resource.  The alternatives that I see are:    a. Proposal F - Cleanup, landscape and provide park-like environment - like other retention ponds in the city, or    b. Proposal F' - Build a platform over the retention pond to hold a playlot for neighborhood children. My civil engineer neighbor says that this retention pond was built large & deep because they thought the area might be an industrial park. With most of the area covered by lawns, the runoff is small and the retention pond seldom contains much rain water.   Community Mulch Center – proposal G - provide a location where residents can bring sod, leaves, grass clippings, organic garbage.  Determine which city or county departments are involved and how citizen groups could monitor and maintain these sites.   Biking & Walking Path Continuation - North to Altoona would be a desirable long-term project.  This would allow our neighborhood to be connected to the major paths in the Eau Claire area.