Aug. 21, 2026
By Tim Hundt
VIROQUA Wis. – The Viroqua Common Council voted Tuesday, Aug. 18 to send a proposed public green space design for the old City Hall site back to the Public Safety Committee for a thorough review after council members and residents raised pedestrian safety concerns.
The decision to pause the project came during a lengthy debate on the park concept, which is slated for the busy intersection of Main and Decker streets. The corner property became vacant in 2024 when the city demolished the 88-year-old old City Hall building. That decision followed the construction of a new $3.2 million City Hall on Decker Street, which staff occupied in May 2022. City officials initially rejected bids to buy and renovate the old property, voting instead to clear the prominent corner to improve traffic safety and visibility at the tight highway intersection. After the demolition, the Viroqua Historic Preservation Commission proposed turning the lot into a local historic park.
Historic Preservation Commission Chair Cyndy Hubbard provided a detailed historical summary during the meeting, explaining that the prominent corner holds immense cultural significance. Hubbard explained that the corner sits directly along an ancient Indigenous trade route and was the location of Viroqua’s very first boarding house.
“Moses Decker built right beside that trail in 1846,” said Hubbard. “And later his friend Rufus Dunlap built on what is the old City Hall site.”
Hubbard noted that the Common Council recently designated the corner as a local historic site. This designation allows the city to place historic markers and safely return the Moses Decker monument currently held in storage by Public Works.
To establish the park, the city first worked with Garrett Perry, a designer provided by the state in late 2024, but his early plans carried an estimated construction cost of $150,000. Viroqua officials tabled the project to focus on comprehensive planning before applying for a $50,000 Vibrant Spaces grant through the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. In May 2026, the city finalized a $20,400 contract with the Middleton based consulting firm Parkitecture to deliver a refined concept that would satisfy state grant requirements. A public information meeting was held on August 13 to gather resident input on the layout.
Landscape architect Blake Theisen of Parkitecture explained that his design aims to create a highly visual gateway that naturally invites travelers to stop and gather.
“My job is very easy when I get good, clear direction,” said Theisen. “It’s all about finding ways to get people together and socialize.”
Theisen’s layout features a Great Lawn on the north end to host public art, craft shows, and small musical performances. The south side of the park will feature an elevated three foot rolling berm planted with native aspens and regional limestone outcroppings. The design also incorporates low level 30 to 40 inch bollard safety lights, a stone seat wall with blue picnic tables, and a dedicated space for food truck parking. The Viroqua Lions Club has pledged to plant and maintain a permanent holiday tree on the central berm, which will be visible from Main Street throughout the year.
At the public sessions and design workshops for the old City Hall site (now conceptually named “Viroqua Green”), Middleton-based landscape architect Blake Theisen introduced a distinctive design philosophy to transform the empty corner at Decker and Main streets into a functional community hub.
Here is a detailed breakdown of the elements included in the design, how Theisen decided to place them, and how his “rooms of a house” concept shaped the entire layout.
Blake Theisen’s “Rooms of a House” Concept
When designing public parks, Theisen approaches the physical layout similarly to how an architect plans a residential home.
“When I think about park design, I view it much like the rooms of a house. A park has different rooms of activities, you know, with corridors connecting those spaces, and to me, trying to figure out how people move throughout those spaces and congregate in those rooms of activity within a park is really exciting.”
Under this philosophy:
- The “Corridors” (Walkways): The 6-foot-wide concrete walkways serve as the hallways. They intercept incoming foot traffic from the high-traffic crosswalks at the southeast and northeast corners, channeling visitors naturally through the park without forcing them into active play or performance spaces.
- The “Rooms” (Activity Zones): Instead of one big, undifferentiated lawn, the park is divided into distinct “rooms,” each walled off conceptually by landscaping, seating, or structures, and programmed for specific human behaviors.
How Theisen Decided on Elements and Placement
The design was not pulled from a generic template; it was heavily tailored to Viroqua’s specific geographic, economic, and safety constraints:
- Addressing Traffic Safety and Noise (The Main Constraint): The site sits at the intersection of two busy state highways heavily traversed by semis and dump trucks. To protect park-goers, Theisen placed all passive and active gathering spaces (the “rooms” where people sit, eat, or watch performances) as far back on the property and as far away from Main Street as possible.
- Using Soft and Hard Protective Barriers: Closer to the intersection, Theisen placed elements that act as visual and physical shields. He integrated three massive, heavy concrete planters (reused from another part of the city) to serve as a safety buffer in case a car jumps the curb. Directly behind those, shade trees and an elevated earthen berm provide a second and third tier of pedestrian security.
- Satisfying the Vibrant Spaces Grant: To qualify for the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s (WEDC) \($50,000\) Vibrant Spaces grant, the park could not be a purely passive green space; it had to feature active, programmed community uses. Theisen thus included spaces for local business pop-ups, musicians, and food trucks.
- Reflecting Local Ecology: To honor the geographic identity of the Driftless Area, Theisen designed a miniature “coulee” on the south side of the park.
The Elements of the “Rooms”
1. The Great Lawn (The Living Room / Event Space)
Located on the northern half of the lot, this open lawn area is designed for flexible, multi-use programming.
- Purpose: It is built to host small musical performances, craft fairs, farmers’ markets, or casual picnicking.
- Elements: The lawn is flanked by the main pathways, which are spaced specifically to allow pop-up tents to line both sides during market events. At the west end of the lawn sits a small, triangular open-air shelter that provides shade and serves as a backdrop for solo musicians or local business demonstrations.
2. The Mural Room (The Contemplative Library)
Tucked into the quietest northwest corner of the park, adjacent to City Hall, is a room designed for quiet reflection.
- Purpose: A place for individuals to read a book, enjoy a quiet coffee, or reflect on local art.
- Elements: This room features four benches and is bordered on the north by two custom artistic mural panels, which are intended to connect the park to the city’s broader Mural Walk. Theisen aligned the mural walls with the front facade of City Hall to maintain clean architectural lines.
3. The Seating and Food Truck Node (The Dining Room)
Located in the southwest corner of the site near the existing gravel parking area.
- Purpose: Formally establishing a space where locals can buy food from mobile vendors and eat together.
- Elements: It features a dedicated pavement extension designed to serve as a safe, ADA-accessible parking stall for a visiting food truck. Next to the parking stall is a casual seating area framed by a curved stone seat wall, containing three picnic tables (which local leaders hope to paint in collaboration with high school art students).
4. The Micro-Coulee (The Natural Room)
Occupying the south end of the park to block out the sights and sounds of Decker Street traffic.
- Purpose: A nod to the Driftless Area’s topography that doubles as a natural traffic barrier.
- Elements: A 3-to-3.5-foot-tall gently rolling earth berm is planted with native, quick-growing aspen or birch trees. Theisen chose aspens because they naturally grow in tightly-knit groves, serving as a symbolic representation of community. Large limestone outcropping rocks are nestled into the berm to provide natural, informal climbing and seating spots for visitors.
- The Holiday Tree: Set on the north edge of this berm is a living evergreen holiday tree. The Viroqua Lions Club has pledged to plant and maintain this tree, which will be lit year-round and remain highly visible from Main Street.
5. Corridor Accents (Walkways, Lights, and History)
Tying all these rooms together are the low-maintenance, high-function details:
- Low-Level Bollard Lights: Rather than installing tall, harsh overhead streetlights, the design utilizes 30-to-40-inch tall bollard light posts along the walkways. These provide soft, warm ambient lighting that keeps the park safe at night without contributing to light pollution.
- Interpretive Signage: Seven distinct, angled historical signs are placed along the paths. Equipped with rotating Lexan panels, these markers will feature historical stories curated by the Vernon County Historical Society, showcasing the indigenous trade trails, Viroqua’s first boarding house, and the old City Hall building that occupied the spot for nearly nine decades.
Safety Concerns
During public comments on August 18, architect and Historic Preservation Commission member Aaron Parker expressed major safety concerns about the park’s location, pointing out that the property lies at the intersection of two high traffic state highways.
Council members echoed these safety concerns. Alderperson Kyle Bartelt, who represents a ward with many young families, warned that children would be naturally drawn to play on the proposed earth berm, putting them dangerously close to heavy semi truck traffic turning the corner.
“I do feel like I represent, because of the ward that I’m in, I represent a ward where people move to, maybe in part because, I moved there because it’s a place that has sidewalks so you can be a pedestrian in a safe way,” said Bartelt. “And the berm (included in the design) just feels like, oh, that’s exactly where my three year olds would want to play while the parent is trying to wait for food at the food truck, and now they’ve disappeared behind the berm and they’re five feet away from a semi that’s going through, going through the light that’s turned green or whatever, and now I’m racing over there.”
Alderperson Tanja Birke also expressed strong hesitation, noting her own close call with a vehicle at that exact intersection.
“I hate this corner with a passion because I was almost hit by a car on this corner,” said Birke. “And I had to run to get out of the way.”
Alderperson Birke also questioned how the food truck utility costs would be managed, and asked if the city could install a general winter light display instead of a holiday tree.
“I really, really, really love the landscaping and the sidewalk and the public art,” said Birke. “I think that’s fantastic.”
In response, Cyndy Hubbard and designer Blake Theisen defended the safety of the park. Theisen pointed out that the corner has been peeled back significantly to improve sightlines, and his design uses natural barriers like trees, concrete planters, and limestone outcroppings to protect pedestrians.
Additionally, city police officer Robert Raasch expressed confidence in the design’s physical safety barriers.
“As far as a traffic or as far as a safety concern, I don’t see anything that stands out,” said Raasch. “And I would back Blake in saying that the concrete structures and those trees would certainly make a barrier in the most dangerous spot. With that said, I guess, you know, the people that would use it would just have to be conscious of whether or not it’s a place that they want to take their families or their small children.”
Why Not Develop The Site?
Alderperson Todd Spaeth addressed feedback from public commenters by clarifying that the city’s first priority for the old City Hall lot was commercial development, rather than a public park. Spaeth explained that when the corner of Decker and Main streets first became vacant, the city actively tried to find a commercial buyer by issuing a formal Request for Proposals (RFP). However, the solicitation did not yield any interest from the development community.
“When this land first became vacant, our first option was to put it out for RFPs, which we did for a considerable amount of time, and there were no responses,” said Spaeth. “And we had no responses. Nobody submitted a proposal whatsoever.”
Because of the lack of bids, Spaeth noted that turning the vacant lot into a public green space was the city’s alternative plan to ensure the prominent downtown corner did not remain an empty space.
“And so this was our second choice,” said Spaeth. “I just want people to know that we did try to put this out for development. You know, that was our first option, and I think we landed in a good spot. I just, I don’t want people thinking we didn’t try to sell this and develop it. I just wanted them to know that this was put out for RFPs at one time.”
While acknowledging the city’s prior RFP efforts, local architect Parker suggested during public comment that the city should not give up on a commercial anchor just because no one responded during that initial window. Parker cautioned that making a permanent six-figure municipal investment into a park would essentially guarantee the prime corner remains vacant of commercial tax revenue for the next 50 to 100 years.
“The usable size of the lot is too small, and yet all of the acreage has to be improved based on this design,” said Parker. “If we invest some six figure sum building this history vacant lot, this important parcel at the north entrance to our central business district will remain a vacant lot for at least the next 50 to 100 years because we’ve made that investment.”
Mayor Krista Browne spoke to the balance between environmental design and community programming, praising the council’s thorough and open debate.
“I respect what we’re hearing from the public and everybody’s I just really feel proud of the discourse in this room and over this process and the open critique of a project that we’re all like sharing our concerns and talking about the what ifs and the opportunities for how we could solve it and being mindful of what we’re investing,” said Browne. “The a lot of the questions come to addressing how we program this space.”
What Is The Cost?
The debate also touched on the project’s finances. Public commenter Monica Matos asked about a rumor that the city was spending $100,000 on the design.
“What is the 100k number that I keep hearing,” said Matos. “Does that just go to Parkitecture?”
Bartelt noted that he originally shared the same misunderstanding about the project’s cost.
City records and council discussion clarified that the $100,000 figure is a public misperception. The actual contract with Middleton based Parkitecture for the design phase is only $20,400. This design contract also includes a $2,000 topographic survey and $2,500 for electrical engineering. The city’s total investment to complete the base construction of the park is projected to be around $75,000 to $85,000, which will be heavily offset by the $50,000 Vibrant Spaces grant from the state.
“That’s really helpful to hear, because I figured this was, you know, it’s 100K, we sign the contract with Parkitecture and they make it happen,” said Bartelt. “Sounds like that is not the case.”
Back To Committee
Some on the council questioned if the council should consult the city’s emergency personnel before voting on the park design.
“I mean, having our police chief and fire chief look it over isn’t going to hurt,” said Alderperson AJ Bergum. “I’ll make a motion that we send this design on to Public Safety.”
Browne confirmed that the Public Safety Committee meets next week ahead of the next council session and can review the design alongside police and fire chiefs, with Theisen’s conceptual presentation shared with them. The motion to refer passed unanimously.
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