Committee approves temporary parking agreement at Cherokee Marsh for AmFam Championship after debate over access and ecological impact

The Finance Committee on April 28 authorized the mayor and city clerk to execute a parking lot and driveway use agreement with the Steve Stricker American Family Insurance Foundation to use parking areas at Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park North Unit during the American Family Insurance Championship.

Public comment included objections from nearby residents and conservation advocates who said the temporary agreement limits equitable vehicular access to the park, carries a risk of ecological disturbance and lacked adequate public process. "This is the request to put conservation park land that is protected to make an exception to use it for commercial purposes," said Marsha Cannon. Cannon objected to what she described as a last-minute request and questioned the value of a short-term fee relative to the scale of the tournament.

Nicholas Davies, a registrant, urged allowing some portion of parking to remain available for park visitors with mobility or transit constraints and suggested limiting the length of full closure rather than closing the lot for an entire week. "The agreement says walk in and bike in access will be maintained. That will work for some visitors, but not others," Davies said.

Representatives of the tournament and the Steve Stricker American Family Insurance Foundation described outreach and site protections. "We've reached out to roughly 20 neighborhood associations," said Katie Johnson, an event organizer. She said the organizers have met with Cherokee Park neighborhood leaders and planned additional community meetings with council offices. Nate Pokrass, executive director of the foundation, said vendor activity would be restricted to gravel areas, signage and barriers would be used, generators would be solar/battery units and the foundation would follow park ordinances. "We will follow all park ordinances," Pokrass said, adding that the tournament has historically raised money for local nonprofits and that proceeds have supported several Madison-area organizations.

Committee members asked parks staff and applicants about traffic control, hours of use and noise. Staff said Sherman Avenue would be closed for the event under the street-use permitting process, with pedestrian and bicycle access maintained. Organizers said public viewing on-site is limited to the weekend rounds, and most operational activity involves daytime setup; they said they will not hold fireworks or large concerts and that on-course noise at golf tournaments is typically low.

Several speakers and neighbors requested additional restrictions and a shorter closure period; speakers also asked that subcontractors be required to follow park rules and that the usage fee reflect the scale and duration of disruption. Park staff and the event organizers said they would continue engagement and host a neighborhood meeting in May. The committee recorded a unanimous vote in favor of authorizing the agreement.