FAQs

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT COMMUNITY IMPACT 

Why are you not partnering with the school district? 

We value our relationship with the school district, but as stated with the CORP plan, our mission is to grow our current park system and have this new development within a park. Also, the sale of alcohol would not be allowed on district property but would be allowed for special events, weddings and adult tournaments within the park. This additional revenue source would help contribute to the long-term viability of the park.

What is the plan for the current Sauk Prairie School District facilities and field space project? Will these projects have overlapping facilities that are not needed? 

The current Sauk Prairie School District project anticipates providing improvements to facilities and green space on the High School and Middle School campus. We are working with district representatives to eliminate duplication. Within our usage studies, the data is derived from school fields and park field usage. When large scale tournaments are hosted in our community, we will use both village parks and school district fields. The current demand is beyond our current capacity for outdoor field space. 

Will this project conflict with Sauk City Riverfront Park? 

No, our project will feature different recreational amenities and is separate from the Sauk City Riverfront Park. Both parks will compliment each other by providing different opportunities and are considered within the overall Sauk Prairie master recreation plan. 

If I am a local business in Sauk Prairie, how will this park benefit me? 

Having a community park like this within Sauk Prairie will increase tourism and tax revenues. When outside visitors come to the park they often spend time to visit other attractions within a community to experience the people, culture, and history. Parks will provide benefits to existing staff members and entice potential staff to join your team. Park spaces allow for team building exercises, company picnics, and meeting spaces. 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROJECT

What is the “Creating Memories for a Lifetime” Community Park Capital Campaign? 

The Creating Memories for a Lifetime capital campaign seeks to raise $12 million to construct a community park in the Village of Prairie du Sac. The park will include the following: 

• 2 Event buildings              
• Dream Inclusive Playscape 
• 4 Softball/baseball diamonds
• Dog Exercise Area 
• Skate park and bike pump track
• Sledding Hill        
• 5 multipurpose fields (Lacrosse, Football, Soccer)
• Walking trails
• Pickleball (12), Tennis Courts (2), Basketball (2)  and Sand Volleyball (4) Courts

Where did the idea and planning for a community park begin? 

The idea for a large scale community park began in 2010 when a group of individuals came together with a dream to bring a community park and recreation center to Sauk Prairie. In 2015, the Recreation Commission completed a Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (CORP) which sets forth a vision for future growth and development of outdoor recreational parks and facilities. The CORP highlighted a need for a new community park in Sauk Prairie through parkland classification analysis. Within the CORP assessment, it was noted that the community did not have sufficient athletic fields and current field conditions were insufficient to standards. CORP also shows we are 42 acres short of community park space based on our forecasted population growth. 

Who are the Friends of Sauk Prairie Parks and Recreation? 

The campaign is being led by the Friends of Sauk Prairie Parks and Recreation which was founded in 2017. Their mission is to bring additional parks and recreation areas to Sauk Prairie, as well as help, maintain the current parks and field space that we already have. The group’s goal is to build a community park that adds value to the lives of people here and serves as a destination landmark that will have a dream playground and provide reception, meeting and field space for outdoor weddings, reunions, corporate events, athletic tournaments, as well as recreational amenities for all ages.

How does this fit within the current Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (CORP) adopted by both villages? 

The new Community Park would further the goals of the approved CORP in several ways:

• Enhancement of our current park system which is measured through national standards through the National Park and Recreation Association. 
• The park will ensure the amount of parks and recreational facilities is reflective of community population needs and projected demand. 
• Improved field and green spaces which creates safer fields and more opportunities to host tournaments and events. 
• Efficient and effective recreational services by cooperatively working with surrounding municipalities, communities and the school district to provide recreational services. 
• The importance of dynamic, multi-purpose parks and recreational facilities as a component of Sauk Prairie’s regional draw and economic development potential through tourism. 

What is wrong with our current parks and why is this Community Park needed? 

Our current parks within Sauk Prairie continue to be developed and renovated to provide greater recreational opportunities, but there are significant areas of concern for our parks: 

• We are 42 acres short of park acreage based on population growth 
• Many of our current athletic fields are overused and are in poor condition. Our fields receive almost 2.5 times the amount of use per field than recommended by experts. Most fields are expected to have 70 events per field, where our current fields exceed this usage amount on a yearly basis. This overuse and compacted soil lead to more injuries. 
• The proposed park will create and provide recreational opportunities for all ages. Added amenities and facilities will continue to grow our thriving park system.

Will alcohol be served within the park?

Yes, but only in designated areas. Example, the beer garden might have an event at the same time a soccer tournament is hosted on the north end of the property. 

What is the Village of Prairie du Sac’s role with this project? 

The Village of Prairie du Sac will be the owner of the property/park. An agreement between the Village and Recreation Commission will define operations and maintenance roles within the community park.  The Recreation Commission will oversee maintenance and provide all recreational programming within the park.

How will this Community Park be sustained once built? 

Our goal is to strategically plan, construct and maintain a first-class park facility. The fiscal stewardship of this project includes, but not limited to, the following:

• Revenues -  Concessions sales, field and shelter rentals, tournament hosting, sponsorships, special events, recreation programming, parking, etc.
• Expenses - General maintenance, contracted services for maintenance and operations of field space, staff payroll,  green space and shelters, concessions supplies, permitting, licensing, improvement repairs, landscaping, etc. 

I am a senior in Sauk Prairie, how will this park benefit me? 

The park will incorporate both active and passive recreation opportunities. For someone who is active, we will have senior programmings such as pickleball or other organized activities. For passive users, we will have accessible walking trails, natural prairies, dog park, and event spaces. Parks provide many health benefits for seniors such as increased physical activity, reduce stress levels, increased eye health and promotion of better sleep hygiene. 

Is there an indoor facilities plan for this Community Park?

Yes, the future plan is to build a large scale recreation center and other indoor recreational space on this site.  The need for this will be assessed at a future time. The addition of indoor recreation space would enhance the attractiveness of year-round recreation within our community.

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