DNR-led plan for gate at Lakeshore State Park access road draws questions on enforcement and timeline

The Public Works Committee discussed a multi-agency effort to address loitering, noise and illegal activity on the vehicle access road linking Erie Street to Lakeshore State Park. The committee heard that the underlying ownership and maintenance responsibilities are divided among the Board of Harbor Commissioners, the Summerfest leaseholder, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) under a conservation easement.

A committee memo and a project timeline in the file say DNR intends to install a vehicular gate east of the Hoan Bridge and to pay for the roughly $30,000 installation, with a preliminary schedule that includes stakeholder review in May, signing of an addendum to the conservation easement in June or July, bid advertisement in August, award in September and a contractor notice to proceed in October with construction targeting completion by November.

Committee members and agency staff flagged enforcement questions. The city’s parking enforcement and street-lighting jurisdiction ends at the point where Erie Street stops being a city street and the access road curves onto land subject to the harbor commission and the DNR conservation easement; therefore MPD and city parking enforcement lack routine authority to issue citations on that segment. DNR officials told the committee the agency has very limited law-enforcement capacity in southeast Wisconsin — about four wardens for the entire region — and that Milwaukee Police Department resources are prioritized for violent crime and other calls for service.

Port and festival officials, who have an operational interest in the area, and Milwaukee World Festival Inc. said the gate will be operated by DNR and that festival operators will have technical means to open or close it when operational needs make that necessary. Summerfest and Port representatives also said they would coordinate on lighting and access; DNR is exploring whether new lighting could be included in the gate or follow-on work through coordination with the Department of Transportation.

Residents from the Historic Third Ward and Harborfront neighborhoods described repeated nights of loud vehicles, dirt bikes and break-ins. “The noise is unbelievable,” said one resident who lives near Erie Street, describing weekend nights that have kept neighbors awake and leaving debris after cruising and loitering. Others noted car break-ins and property damage and urged quicker interim enforcement while the gate project moves through multiple agency approvals.

Alderman Baumann moved to hold the file to the call of the chair so the committee can continue oversight and secure follow-up information; the motion was adopted with no objections. Committee members asked staff to continue working with DNR, Port Milwaukee, Milwaukee World Festival and MPD and to report back on interim enforcement options, lighting possibilities and a more detailed schedule for the gate and any barriers or boulders that would prevent vehicles from bypassing a gate.