Residents press village board over proposed police, fire and village-hall site in Hartbrook Park

Residents urged the Village of Hartland on July 14 to expand public outreach and reconsider placing a new police, fire and village-hall complex on part of Hartbrook Park, saying mailings and clearer notice were needed before the board advances the plan. Kelly Bridal, a Hartland resident, told the board, “We ask for transparency. We ask for engagement,” and said many neighbors learned of the proposal too late to comment. The board and city staff said the proposal has been under study for over a year and that design work is still at an early stage. Village staff said a needs analysis began about 14 months ago, and the police chief told the meeting the existing station’s offices are cramped and the building is aged. Village officials said open houses, tours and additional neighborhood communications are planned. Why this matters: The proposal would remove the park’s baseball diamond to make way for public safety and administrative facilities, a change residents said would reduce nearby green space and affect neighbors’ routine use of the park. Trustees…