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Residents urge protection of Drew Forest and raise downtown parking concerns
Summary
During public comment, Friends of the Drew Forest liaison Colette Kreskis described health and ecological benefits of preserving Drew Forest; another resident, Pete DeRose, criticized downtown businesses' long-term use of public parking for outdoor dining and asked about enforcement and community benefit.
Two members of the public used the comment period to press council on conservation and downtown parking.
Colette Kreskis, a member of the Friends of the Drew Forest board, the Madison Environmental Commission liaison to the Shade Tree Management Board and a registered nurse, asked the council to continue efforts to preserve the Drew Forest. Kreskis summarized research connecting time in forests with lower cortisol and improved immune response, outlined forests’ roles in filtering air and water pollutants and reducing heat-island effects, and urged residents to use and protect the forest for community health benefits.
Later, Pete DeRose of 37 Pine Avenue raised recurring concerns about downtown parking enforcement and said local restaurants and the Firehouse occupy full-time parking and portions of sidewalks to expand outdoor dining. He asked whether those businesses ‘give anything back to the town’ for using public parking and sought clarity on overnight-parking exemptions and enforcement. The mayor responded that outdoor-dining permits require an annual fee instituted during the pandemic to support downtown businesses and explained the overnight parking ban is intended to aid patrols and emergency access during the early-morning hours.
Council members acknowledged the comments and said the downtown dining-permit fee exists to compensate use of public space; the mayor added that reconstruction efforts on Waverly Place will include consideration of future street-dining layouts. No formal action was taken; both items were recorded for follow-up and future ordinance or enforcement review.
