YEAR 2034 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR THE

YEAR 2034 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR THE VILLAGE OF MERTON
Chapter 4
Utilities and Community Facilities
This chapter provides an inventory and
assessment of utilities and community facilities
in the Village of Merton. The inventory and
assessment play an important role in shaping
priorities of community growth and policies to
guide growth. In Merton, the absence of public
sanitary sewer and a public water supply has a
tremendous impact on how the Village has
historically developed and how it will grow in
the future.
The 2009 Comprehensive Development Plan for
Waukesha County presents information relative
to community facilities beneficial to the entire
County while pertinent to the Village. Please
refer to Chapter 4 of the County plan for
detailed
information
about
Telecommunications
and
Wireless
Communication Facilities, Recycling, Landfills
and the Lake Keesus Inland Lake Protection &
Management District located just north of the
Village.
There are several wireless
communication towers surrounding the Village.
Recycling in the Village is managed by the
Waukesha County Recycling Program.
VILLAGE UTILITIES
Water Supply
All residential, business, governmental and
institutional land uses in the Village receive
potable drinking water from private wells and
well systems. It is recommended that each
private well and well system is tested annually
in accordance with State of Wisconsin
standards, while public wells must be tested
annually.
The nearest municipality to Merton with public
water utility service is the Village of Hartland,
and depending upon its plans to provide a
public water source to its neighbors, Hartland
may have sufficient well capacity to provide
public water to the Village. However, there are
no plans for the Village to install its own public
water system or connect to Hartland or any
other nearby municipal system.
With the
typical single family lot size of one acre, the cost
would be tremendous to retrofit water mains in
existing low density subdivisions. In addition,
users of private wells in the Village have a
relatively good quality source of water in the
aquifer, the same source as Hartland.
The
County Comprehensive Development Plan did
not recommend any public water system for the
Village.
The high elevation of this land north of Ainsworth Road, to
be ultimately attached to the Village, will provide an
excellent location for a future water tower.
While there is currently no need to install a
public water system, in the long term should
there ever be a need, Village officials have
included a location for a potential water tower
site in the land use chapter. The potential site
is on Village owned property at a high elevation
within the southeast quadrant of the Village.
Sanitary Sewer/Waste Water Treatment
The 2002 Comprehensive Plan recommended
the Village commence implementation and
construction of a public sanitary sewer system.
Obstacles to providing sanitary sewers are the
extreme cost of retrofitting sewers in existing
neighborhoods and the diminishing demand for
sewer to serve new development as the Village
approaches a maximized build out condition.
These are the same obstacles to providing a
public water supply. Accordingly, this plan
recommends retaining the use of on-site
sewerage disposal (septic) systems and not
planning for construction of a municipal waste
water treatment plant and sewer mains.
Dependence on individual property on-site
septic fields, septic tanks, holding tanks and
mound systems will remain for the majority of
Village property owners within the surrounding
Village planning jurisdiction. Soils in the Village
(low water table and good depth to bed rock)
and surrounding areas are suitable for on-site
septic and mound disposal systems, with the
exception of the Bark River floodplain and the
area west of Lake Keesus, north of the Village.
Consequently, there are very few system
failures, but Chapter 2 addresses concerns
about Village residents’ proper maintenance of
the systems. Starting in 2013 new state rules
require Waukesha County to send notification
about proper maintenance to each property
owner with a system every three years.
Currently, the County sends notices on a
rotating basis to owners of newer systems.
Chapter 2 recommends policies for the Village
to assist with notification of property owners
regarding system maintenance.
This direction of Village policy conflicts with
recommendations in the 2009 Comprehensive
Development Plan for Waukesha County as
stated in the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional
Planning Commission’s 2035 Regional Land Use
Plan, and the Amendment to the Regional
Water
Quality
Management
Plan—
Northwestern Waukesha County, published by
the Commission in March 2001. In the plans
both the Village of Merton and the Lake Keesus
area are identified as areas to be served with
public sanitary sewer facilities.
The 2001 plan studied 17 municipalities in
Waukesha County and the Town of Ixonia in
Jefferson County. The plan recommended
including the Village within the sewer service
area after 2010. However, the mapped sewer
service area of the Village in the plan did not
include portions within the current Village
borders to the south and southeast, lands that
were developed with single family subdivisions
since 2001. The recommendation of the 2009
County plan is due in part to the 2001 plan and
the Village’s 2002 plan policy to pursue
connection to public sanitary sewer.
Should the need arise to provide a public
sanitary system to Village property owners, the
2001 plan recommends connection to the
Delafield-Hartland Water Pollution Control
Commission’s (Del-Hart) sewage treatment
facility in Delafield, via the Village of Hartland
sewer system. Cost savings would result to the
Village in not constructing a separate
wastewater treatment facility. In 2002 the
sewer service area plan for Hartland was
amended to include lands north of CTH K
(Lisbon Road), near the southern boundary of
the Village. Another option would be to
connect to the Village of Oconomowoc system
that already serves parts of the Town of
Merton.
VILLAGE FUNCTIONS
The Village of Merton provides a full range of
cost-efficient services to protect persons and
properties. Costs are kept to a minimum with
part-time employees and contracting for other
services. There is only one fulltime employee.
Police Protection
The Village contracts with the Waukesha
County Sheriff’s Department for police
protection. The Sheriff’s Department assigns
Sheriff Deputies to patrol the Village for an
eight hour shift five days a week for speed
enforcement,
federal
and
state
law
enforcement, and enforcement of local
nuisance and public safety ordinances.
Deputies respond to emergency calls at all
times. The Sheriff Dispatch office handles all
emergency calls for service, especially via the 9-
1-1 emergency telephone number. A benefit of
using Sheriff’s Deputies is the support staff that
is available in emergencies, including back-up
officers and detectives. Back-up officers and
support are always available with the
neighboring Town of Lisbon and the Village of
Sussex using the same County service and with
Sheriff’s Deputies patrolling the County
Highways in and around Merton. Contracting
for the services since the 1990’s, the Village is
satisfied with the arrangement.
Fire and Rescue Services
The Merton Volunteer Fire Department
provides firefighting, rescue and emergency
medical services (EMS) to protect people and
property of the Village of Merton and portions
of the Town of Merton.
Fire and EMS
protection is provided to approximately 1,853
residents of the Town, while another
approximately 1,366 Town residents are
provide EMS response by the department.
Therefore, the department services a total
Village-Town population of about 6,600
residents.
The Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department
handles dispatch for firefighting and emergency
medical and rescue services. The department is
headquartered within the Village Hall building
on Sussex Road. Available equipment housed
within the Village Hall building includes two
ambulances, an engine, a pumper/tanker, a
tanker, a grass rig, a support vehicle, an allterrain vehicle, and an inflatable rescue boat.
In 2012, the 34 staff members were part-time
and paid per an on-call basis that includes a
Chief, two Assistant Chiefs, a Captain and a
Lieutenant.
Including officers, the
responsibilities of the 2012 staff were:
12 Firefighter/Emergency Medical Technicians
10 Firefighters
6 Emergency Medical Technicians
2 Firefighter/Paramedic
2 Drivers
1 Firefighter/Medical Director
1 Fire Inspector
The Merton Volunteer Fire Department maintains a full
fleet of firefighting and rescue vehicles.
Fire and Emergency Medical Services training is
held every week, with a business meeting held
once a month.
The department provides full Emergency
Medical Services including a tiered paramedic
level response with the Lake Country Fire
Department Paramedics, and is part of the
Lakes Area Mutual Aide Fire Departments
Chiefs
Association
with
surrounding
departments.
Through contract with the
Village, the City of Waukesha Fire Department
provides Technical Rescue Services including
confined entry, trench rescue, building
stabilization and high angle rescue. In 1990 the
Village, and then the Town of Merton in 1993,
adopted a requirement that every new
subdivision include a 10,000 gallon emergency
water reservoir or multiple reservoirs in
subdivisions over 40 lots.
Within the past few years there have been
several fire department consolidations within
the Lake Country Region of Waukesha County
for both efficiencies of cost and service delivery.
The Merton Volunteer Fire Department has
been involved in preliminary merger
considerations. A likely merger partner is the
North Lake department.
If merger talks
continue, both the Village Board and the Town
Board would determine if cost savings balance
with quality fire and rescue protection.
The Town of Lisbon Fire Station is located
within one-half mile of the southeast edge of
the Village, at the intersection of County Trunk
Highways KF and MD.
Public Works
The Village employs one full time person in the
Public Works Department to oversee
maintenance of Village streets and buildings,
parks, and storm water facilities, with a staff of
five to six part-time, mostly seasonal,
employees. Street signs are installed and
maintained by the department, but larger signs
are made and installed by a contractor. The
Village currently contracts with the Town of
Lisbon for street and Village facility snow
plowing and ice control services. Department
equipment is based within a building on Village
owned property adjacent to Fireman’s Park.
Maintenance of the Mill Pond Dam is one of the functions
of Public Works.
Refuse and Yard Waste Disposal
The Village contracts with Advanced Disposal
for residential pick-up and disposal of refuse.
Each residence is charged annually for the
service by the Village.
Non-residential
buildings contract individually for refuse pickup.
Viola also collects recyclable materials from
residences (paper, cardboard, glass bottles and
jars, and metal and aluminum cans).
The
materials are recycled through the Waukesha
County recycling program at three privately
owned sites throughout the county.
The Village contracts with the Town of Lisbon to
allow Village residents to place yard waste at
the Town’s compost site on Plainview Road.
Village residents currently pay $20 dollar for an
annual permit to use the facility. Leaves, grass
clippings, brush and branches are accepted.
The site also accepts small electronic devices for
recycling. Typical hours are Saturdays and
Monday evenings from April through late
November. The Town compost site makes
mulch and wood chips available to residents.
Storm Water Management/Water Quality and Erosion Control
Each new development is required to install
storm water management facilities to make
sure that post-development storm water runoff does not exceed pre-development run-off, in
addition to ensuring the run-off does not
pollute neighboring properties, the Bark River
and other downstream environments.
In
addition, each construction site is to conform to
proper soil erosion practices. The Village
contracts with Waukesha County to complete
storm water management and erosion control
inspections. In 2011, County staff inspected
204 construction sites and existing storm water
management facilities.
In some cases,
violations were noted and forwarded to the
responsible party, and follow-up inspections
were conducted.
Library Services
The Village contracts with the Waukesha
County Federated Library System to give its
residents full access to the system’s 16
independent member public libraries. The
Village pays a fee to the system for the service.
The nearest member libraries to Merton are the
Town Hall Library in the Town of Merton, and
libraries in the Villages of Hartland and Sussex.
The Village of Hartland recently completed an
expansion of their library next to Hartland’s
Village Hall, along the southern edge of
downtown.
Village Administration
A Village President and four trustees comprise
the Village Board that sets annual budgets and
property tax levies, and hires and directs staff
to fulfill the day-to-day duties to service the
residents and property owners of the Village of
Merton. The Village Board appoints members
to the Plan Commission and other advisory
boards and commissions to assist with its
duties.
A Zoning Board of Appeals is also
appointed to consider appeals and variances of
the Zoning Ordinance.
A part-time Village Administrator-ClerkTreasurer oversees daily Village operations with
the assistance of a Deputy Clerk-Treasurer.
Consultants are hired to assist the Village when
needed. Village functions filled by consultants
are: Village Attorney, Building Inspection that
includes plumbing and electrical inspections,
Village Planner, Village Engineer and Village
Assessor.
The Village of Merton purchased and renovated a former
church building in the downtown. Public meetings and
other community activities are held in the facility.
VILLAGE FACILITIES AND PROPERTIES
The Village of Merton owns 140 acres of land
within its borders. Table 4-1 lists the Village
owned properties. Map 4-1 shows the Village
owned land.
Community Center
In 2011 the Village completed renovation of the
former First Baptist Church of Merton building
at W282 N6996 Main Street near the heart of
downtown as a Community Center facility. The
Village purchased the building when the church
relocated to a new and larger building along
Winkleman Road near the southern edge of the
Village.
Renovation included handicapped
accessibility, conversion of the former
sanctuary into public meeting room space and
creation of additional meeting space in the
lower level.
Village Board and Plan
Commission meetings are held in the
Community Center with the advantage of onstreet parking to handle large meeting
attendance and a location with sidewalks that is
within walking distance of many residential
neighborhoods. There is room to expand the
building and current on-site parking lot. Both
the larger meeting room and the lower level are
available for use to community groups.
Eventually Village officials desire to relocate
Village administrative offices within a
Community Center addition. No timetable has
been established for the addition or the move.
Village Hall
Village Hall has been located on 2.73 acres of
land at N67 W28343 Sussex Road, west of Main
Street since the 1970’s, on land dedicated to
the Village by the surrounding single family
subdivision. Village Hall is the headquarters for
the Merton Volunteer Fire Department and
daily activities of Village administration. Village
administration includes the offices of the
Administrator-Clerk-Treasurer and Deputy
Clerk-Treasurer, storage of Village records,
offices of the Building Inspector and assistant
and meeting space for Village consultants when
needed. Village residents and the public uses
Village Hall to vote, obtain building permits or
local licenses, ask questions or voice complaints
and meet with Village officials regarding their
property or general local matters. A meeting
room is shared with the Fire Department.
Until 2011, public meetings of the Village Board,
Plan Commission and other boards were held in
the meeting room. A potential move of Village
administrative offices to the Community Center
would create more space for fire department
functions.
Village Parks and Recreation
The Village provides two active park sites. The
33.2 acre Fireman’s Park is located just west of
Main Street on the edge of downtown. Village
ownership of 10.6 acres also extends southward
from the park into the Bark River environmental
corridor. Fireman’s Park has picnic tables,
updated playground equipment, restroom
facilities and two baseball/softball diamonds.
The Village’s portion of Waukesha County’s Bug
Line Trail passes through the park and the
adjacent environmental corridor. The Public
Works garage is located on park property.
Newer Pollworth Park is located west of
Fireman’s Park, but accessible through the Bark
River Crossing Subdivision.
About half of
Pollworth Park’s 31.1 acres is active space with
soccer fields, two baseball/softball diamonds,
and a pavilion with concessions and restrooms.
The non-active space abuts the Bark River with
continuation of the Bug Line Trail.
Opposite of Fireman’s Park on the east side of
Main Street is the Merton Mill Pond, a widening
of the Bark River via the Mill Pond Dam with a
water surface of about 34 acres. The Village
owns and maintains the Mill Pond Dam, 12
parking spaces for passenger vehicles, a public
access gravel boat launch and other properties
along the southern shore line of the pond
extending to the eastern Village boundary at
Lake Five Road. Through its Parks and Land Use
Department Waukesha County owns and
maintains property along the northern shore
line of the pond that is adjacent to the County’s
Bug Line Trail.
Two properties along the
northwest side of the pond are privately owned
comprising about 20% of the shoreline.
Merton Mill Pond has a maximum depth of
eight feet.
Panfish, Largemouth Bass and
Northern Pike are the primary pond occupants.
In 2012 the Merton Mill Pond Bank Stabilization
Project was funded and completed by the
Village. The project included stump and root
removal, installation of shoreline stabilization
measures and restoration.
Merton Firemans Park has been a recreational fixture in the Village, providing recreation and a central
meeting place for residents of all ages.
Table 4-1
Publicly Owned Land in the Village of Merton
Tax Key Number
MV 0384-990-001
MV 0381-118
MV 0381-119
MV 0381-093-001
MV 0340-041-001
MV 0380-007
MV 0340-008
MV 0391-096-001
MV 0381-091-003
MV 0339-152
MV 0382-027
MV 0340-054
MV 0381-180
MV 0215-999-008
MV 0340-995
MV 0340-017
MV 0381-002
MV 0382-006
MV 0377-053
MV 0218-027
MV 0219-086
MV 0219-143
MV 0261-085
MV 0386-069
MV 0381-093-001*
(See note below)
Size in Acres
Village Properties
2.73
0.50
0.42
31.09
1.50
0.50
0.11
9.03
Description
Village Hall
Community Center
Community Center
Fireman’s Park
Fireman’s Park
Fireman’s Park Entrance
Fireman’s Park Entrance
South of Fireman’s Park along
Bark River
1.56
South of Fireman’s Park along Bark River
9.78
Pollworth Park
21.36
South of Pollworth Park along
Bark River
0.80
Mill Pond Dam Parking & west side of Mill
Pond
12.30
South side Mill Pond
6.12
East side of Mill Pond
1.25
North side Mill Pond
0.29
West side Mill Pond
0.31
Trail between Main St. &
Steeple View Ct.
5.16
Rock Ridge Estates Outlot
6.11
Norma Meadows Outlot
2.06
Woods Edge Estates Outlot
13.54
Woodland Ridge Outlot
11.52
Merton Oaks Outlot
0.51
Beaumont Ridge Outlot
1.24
Black Hawk Farms Outlot
Merton Community School District Properties
32.27
Elementary & Intermediate Schools
MV 0339-991
Waukesha County Properties
10.48
Along Bark River south of Bark River Crossing
MV 0215-999-006
MV 0215-058
MV 0215-995
MV 0340-995
MV 0339-091
4.11
5.86
16.41
3.55
2.95
Northeast side Mill Pond
North side Mill Pond
Bugline Trail
Bugline Trail
Bugline Trail East of Dorn Rd.
Village of Merton: 139.79 Acres
Waukesha County: 43.36 Acres
*School properties include a 2 acre parcel part of school grounds that does not have a listed Tax Key
Number. GIS does not provide size of the school property; therefore size listed above is approximate
from property line distances scaled from GIS map.
Compiled by Bruce Kaniewski, Village Planner from information on Waukesha County GIS; April 2012.
The Village does not provide any recreation
programing; however, the Merton Athletic
Association provides recreation activities for
youth and adults. Association information will
be presented later in this chapter.
Village Owned Open Space
There are seven properties within single family
residential subdivisions platted as outlots that
were dedicated to the Village, as presented in
Table 4-1 and shown on Map 4-1. A brief
description of each property is as follows:




Rock Ridge Estates Outlot: Adjacent to
northwest corner of the Merton
Community School District’s outdoor
play fields, this long and narrow 5.16
acre parcel is located between the rear
property lines of homes facing
Huntington Street and Beverly Lane.
This open field is accessible via a strip of
land extending to Beverly Lane and
through the school property.
Norma Meadows Outlot: This 6.11 acre
parcel is along the northern edge of
Norma Meadows Subdivision north of
Sussex Road and east of Dorn Road.
The parcel is part of the Bark River
environmental corridor and is adjacent
to other Village and County owned
properties of the river corridor.
Woods Edge Estates Outlot: Located in
the middle of the Woods Edge Estates
Subdivision in the northeast side of the
Village south of The Mill Pond, this 2.06
acre open field parcel has a narrow
access way to Glacier Pass that
connects to Village owned land
adjacent to Mill Pond.
Woodland Ridge Outlot:
This 13.54
acre parcel is at the eastern edge of the
Woodland Ridge Subdivision within the
southeast part of the Village. It is
mostly wooded with steep slopes, but
an open area flattens along a long
frontage with Forest Ridge Circle. It is
adjacent to the Merton Oaks Outlot and
unplatted wooded and steep sloped
land to the south that is the preferred



site for a water tower should the Village
ever construct a municipal water
system.
Merton Oaks Outlot: Fully wooded and
with steep slopes, this 11.52 acre parcel
is located along the west edge of the
Merton Oaks Subdivision.
It is
accessible by a narrow strip of land to
Maple Street and through the
Woodland Ridge Outlot.
Beaumont Ridge Outlot: This narrow,
0.51 acre piece of land provides access
for the Beaumont Ridge Subdivision to
the Merton Oaks Outlot from Trappers
Run.
Black Hawk Farms Outlot: Located at
the northwest corner of Ryback Road
and Black Hawk Drive in the southwest
part of the Village, this 1.24 acre parcel
is an open field located next to a storm
water management basin owned by the
subdivision.
The Village owned open spaces within
subdivisions serve a public purpose by
preserving land with sensitive environmental
features that would not otherwise be
developed, by providing open space for Village
residents to gather or play, or as part of a larger
plan to form corridors and connections
between subdivisions.
Many of the public
spaces within subdivisions were dedicated to
the Village as platted Outlots. Village officials
must continue the policy of developer
dedication of sensitive lands and lands that
provide recreational value.
Most residential neighborhoods in the Village
also have properties and open spaces owned
and maintained by a homeowners association.
In many cases, the properties are the locations
of storm water management basins or green
spaces between clusters of home sites. These
private open spaces further enhance the Village
policy of providing open space, while property
owners take pride in maintenance and upkeep
of the lands in their ownership. From the
Village perspective this is also an effective tool
to keep property on the property tax roll.
Village Trails
The Village of Merton has successfully
implemented a policy to construct trails
throughout the community when a subdivision
is constructed. This is a policy that is greatly
accepted and recognized inside and outside of
Village government as a major quality of life
benefit making the Village a very walkable
community.
Trails exist at the edges of
subdivisions within the County Trunk Highways
and through publicly and privately held open
spaces.
Through preparation of this
Comprehensive Plan Update, Village officials
have provided clear direction that they will
constantly seek opportunities to construct new
trails and complete trail connections.
side of Dorn Road, along the entire length of
the Village’s eastern boundary connecting to
the trail systems within subdivisions south of
the Village in the Town and the Village of
Hartland. The Village provided financial support
to complete the side path in conjunction with
planned resurfacing of Dorn Road. With the
Dorn Road side path completion, the Village
now has a priority to have a trail constructed
along Sussex Road between Village Hall and
Dorn Road. The Sussex Road trail will continue
the policy of trail connections with the major
benefit of providing a safe path to those living
in the west and southwest side of the Village to
walk to Merton Community Elementary and
Intermediate Schools.
For example, in 2012 the Town of Merton
constructed a four foot side path along the east
Planning for Village Parks and Open Spaces
The Village of Merton has been very proactive
when providing for the needs of its citizens
through parks and open spaces. In 1998 the
Village completed a Comprehensive Park and
Open Space Plan and a Bark River Parkway
Master Plan.
Both plans recommended
expansion and major upgrades to the park and
open space system, as referenced in the 2002
Village Comprehensive Plan. The Village has
completed most of the recommendations in the
plans, so Village officials have stated the intent
to complete a new Comprehensive Park and
Open Space Plan as part of this Comprehensive
Plan Update. A park and open space plan
document separate from this comprehensive
planning process is necessary to remain eligible
for State of Wisconsin Stewardship Funding to
assist
with
park
expansion
and/or
improvements, as required by administrative
rules of the Wisconsin Department of Natural
Resources. Therefore, this section of “Planning
for Village Parks and Open Spaces” combined
with previously discussed park and open space
inventory will lay the foundation for completion
of a new Comprehensive Park and Open Space
Plan.
A starting point is to consider the proper
amount of park land to serve the 3,400 citizens
living in the Village. The National Recreation
and Park Association (NRPA) is a national, nonprofit service organization dedicated to
advancing parks, recreation and environmental
efforts that enhance the quality of life for all
people.
Historically, NRPA established a
standard of 5.5 acres of active park space per
every 1,000 people in a community. For the
Village, that standard roughly translates into
18.4 acres. The four parcels of Fireman’s Park
totaling 33.2 acres, the two parcels of Pollworth
Park totaling 31.14 acres, and the school fields
which provide active recreation space far
exceed the standard.
However, NRPA and communities found the 5.5
standard did not address the needs of residents
for different scale and usage of parks. NRPA
created a hierarchy of park types, as well as a
set of acreage standards for different park
types. The newer standards appear in Table 42.
Fireman’s Park serves both the surrounding
neighborhoods and community.
Pollworth
Park can be considered a community or even a
sub-regional park. School grounds function as
a neighborhood, community and sub-regional
park. The Village provides a special use area
with the Bugline Trail traversing through Village
owned parcels.
Pursuant to the new NRPA standards of Table 42 the deficiency appears to be an active
recreational neighborhood park or parks within
the south side of the Village. At the same time,
the above standards are a guide to community
decision making. There may be park needs and
desires that are specific to Merton.
For
example, multiple 5 to 15 acre neighborhood
parks are too large for many communities to
support. Some communities place playground
equipment and a backstop, or a few picnic
tables on 1 to 2 acres. These are called pocket
parks. Sometimes the best park space is simply
open space that youth of the community use to
make-up their own games and playing fields, as
evidenced by the Village owned subdivision
Outlots that are well utilized without any formal
recreation equipment.
Table 4-2
National Recreation and Park Association Classifications and Standards
Type
Service Area
Desirable Size
Neighborhood
¼ to ½ Mile
5 to 15 Acres
Acres per
1,000
Residents
1 to 2 Acres
Community
1 to 2 Miles
25+ Acres
5 to 8 Acres
Regional
Several
Communities
No Applicable
Standards
200+ Acres
5 to 10 Acres
Special Use
Areas
Variable
Depending on
use
Source: National Recreation and Park Association
Variable
Desirable Site Characteristics and
Facilities
Serve surrounding neighborhoods
with open space and facilities such
as basketball courts, children’s play
equipment and picnic tables.
May include areas suited for intense
recreation facilities such as athletic
complexes and large swimming
pools. Easily accessible to nearby
neighborhoods and other
neighborhoods.
Contiguous with or encompassing
natural resources.
Area for specialize or single purpose
recreation activities such as
campgrounds, golf courses, etc.
There is no right or wrong answer of adequate
park space. The bottom line is that Village
officials will provide direction with community
input to determine what is needed in the
Village.




This pavilion in Pollworth Park is one of the newer
additions to the Village Park System. This plan
recommends additional study of expanding recreational
needs in the Village.

Based on the inventory and discussion of this
Chapter 4, at a minimum the new
Comprehensive Park and Open Space Plan
should address the following:
 Determine on a case-by-case basis if
Village
owned
Outlots
within
subdivisions should be improved with
formal recreation equipment, or if
maintaining the sites as open space

best
serves
the
surrounding
neighborhoods
as
passive
recreational/open space.
Determine a timeframe to purchase
landlocked property along the west end
of the Merton Mill Pond to incorporate
the property with neighboring Village
owned open space within the Bark River
ecosystem.
The property has an
address of W282 N7242 Main Street.
Determine the long term design and
use of currently unimproved space
within Pollworth Park.
Determine the short term and long
term maintenance needs of the Village
parks for continued use and safety.
Determine the use of additional open
space to be acquired by the Village
when new subdivisions are platted and
if the Village should require developer
installation of recreational equipment
during subdivision construction
Determine if another park similar to
Pollworth Park is needed within the
southern sections of the Village.
Determine the locations and routes for
new trails to complete a full Village trail
system.
SCHOOLS
Merton Community School District
The Merton Community School District
educates the youth of the Village and
surrounding area, and creates activity adjacent
to downtown with many after school functions
on its 32 acre campus. Students from 4-year
old kindergarten through third grade attend the
Merton Primary School and then attend the
Merton Intermediate School through eighth
grade. The district is one of seven local districts
that send its students to attend Arrowhead
Union School District High School after eighth
grade.
During the 2011-2012 school year the official
enrollment count decreased to 1,004 from
1,062 the previous year, and for the 2013-2014
school year the official enrollment count was
968. District enrollment growth mirrored the
residential growth of the Village with
enrollment increasing from 926 in the 20022003 school year to 1,030 in the 2007-2008
school year, and then decrease in recent years.
Village students consistently comprise more
than 90% of total enrollment.
north of the Village. The property was acquired
to meet possible long term needs.
A five member School Board elected at-large
governs the district. Board members serve
three years. In addition to core academics,
students
participate
in
accelerated
mathematics, band, drama, technology, foreign
language and co-curricular activities.
The
district provides special education, at-risk
education, counseling and gifted and talented
services.
The Merton Intermediate School is often the center of
constant activity during and after school hours.
Enrollment is expected to remain stable as the
number of building permits for new single
family homes increase. Presently there is not a
need to expand or improve the buildings or the
campus. The district owns 37.2 acres in the
Town of Merton along Center Oak Road just
The district assists with the active recreational
needs of the community with several areas of
playground apparatus, and open areas and ball
fields for physical education classes. The
outside space is frequently used after school
hours for informal youth recreation and formal
youth activities, such as a practice site for youth
football teams, girls’ softball teams, and so on.
The campus is readily accessible via sidewalks
and trails except from the west/southwest
direction, as previously discussed.
Arrowhead Union School District
Students from seven local school districts
attend ninth through twelfth grade in the
Arrowhead Union School District. The 157 acre
campus is located one mile from the southwest
corner of the Village. Arrowhead High School is
well known within the Milwaukee Metropolitan
area for its successful academic and athletic
programs.
In the 2013-2014 school year, the official
enrollment count was 2,266 students, generally
the same as previous school years. A total of
2,312 students attended the high school in the
2007-2008 school year. The district does not
maintain records of the number of students
from the Village of Merton.
The district annually completes an extensive
enrollment project data base per enrollment
data of the seven feeder school districts.
Pursuant to four different enrollment scenarios,
projected enrollment in 2018-2019 ranges from
1,986 to 2,508 students. The district does not
project the need for any facility within the
Village of Merton.
Higher Education
High School graduates and adults of all ages
living in the Village of Merton have many
options to continue their education and gain
advanced degrees.
Just a few miles southwest of the Village in the
City of Pewaukee, easily accessible via Highway
16, Waukesha County Technical College has a
steady annual enrollment of between 20,000
and 25,000 students. The college offers fulltime equivalency college enrollment that
transfers to four-year universities, an
associate’s degree in applied science, technical
diploma courses and apprentice-related
training. In addition, around 5,000 high school
students take courses through partnership
agreements with local high schools, and many
are enrolled in personal improvement courses.
University of Wisconsin-Waukesha is a
freshman/sophomore campus in the City of
Waukesha near I-94 offering two-year associate
degrees or a local alternative for students to
earn college credits before transfer to another
college or university for a bachelor degree. The
curriculum covers three broad areas of
humanities, natural and mathematical science
and social sciences. Enrollment has been stable
with approximately 2,200 students.
are exercise science, nursing,
education, psychology and biology.
business,
Many Merton residents attend the flagships of
the Wisconsin University System at the
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (over
30,000 students) and the University of
Wisconsin-Madison (over 40,000 students).
Several private institutions of higher learning
are located in the metropolitan area within a
reasonable driving distance of the Village.
Those institutions are:
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Carroll University is a private institution located
in a historic neighborhood south of downtown
Waukesha. Around 3,500 students pursue
undergraduate and graduate degrees.
The
largest undergraduate curriculum attendances
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Alverno College in Milwaukee
Cardinal Stritch University in Glendale
Concordia University-Wisconsin in
Mequon
Marquette University in Milwaukee
Medical College of Wisconsin in
Milwaukee
Milwaukee Institute of Art
Milwaukee School of Engineering
Wisconsin Lutheran College in
Milwaukee
WAUKESHA COUNTY PARK LAND
Waukesha County owns 43 acres of land in the
Village comprising about 75 percent of the
northern shore line of the Merton Mill Pond,
the Bugline Trail right-of-way adjacent to the
Mill Pond and a small part of the trail east of
Dorn Road, and portions of the Bark River
corridor on the west side of the Village. The
county owns and maintains an extensive system
of parks and trails administered by the
Department of Parks and Land Use.
Information regarding the county system and
expansion plans are available in the 2009
Comprehensive
Development
Plan
for
Waukesha County and other county park
planning documents.
REGIONAL TRAILS
Bugline Trail
The Bugline Trail on the right-of-way of a
former rail line extends 14 miles between the
Village of Menomonee Falls east of the Village
to the Town of Merton about two miles west of
the Village.
As part of its planned park
improvements, the Village has connected the
east and west legs of the trail via a paved route
through Fireman’s and Pollworth Parks, through
Village owned land along the Bark River
environmental corridor and through the Bark
River Crossing Subdivision via easements
obtained during the Village approval of the
subdivision. A sidewalk on the west side of
Main Street connects the east leg of the County
trail to the trail through Fireman’s Park. The
approximately one-mile portion of the trail in
Village ownership is in addition to the 14 miles
of the trail maintained by the County.
Waukesha County owned east and west legs of
the trail are or were gravel. County officials
have designed improvements to the trail. The
paving of the trail involves sloping and drainage
improvements with the objective of increasing
usage and year-round use.
Phase I
improvement to a 3.6 mile portion from Main
Street in the Village to State Trunk Highway 164
in the Village of Sussex occurred in 2014. In
2015 Phase II improvement is planned for the
far eastern eight mile leg from Sussex to
Menomonee Falls. Paving and improvements
to the 2.4 mile portion of the trail west of the
Village has not been scheduled. West of Dorn
Road the former railroad right-of-way is owned
by the State of Wisconsin as part of the Ice Age
Trail. Village officials should encourage the
County to schedule paving of the trail between
the Village section of the trail and Dorn Road.
This portion of the Bug Line Trail extends through the south
end of Pollworth Park.
Ice Age Trail
The Ice Age Trail is a 1,000 mile footpath
winding through Wisconsin maintained by the
State. Parts of the trail are in place while other
portions remain to be acquired.
The
Waukesha/Milwaukee Chapter of the Ice Age
Trail Alliance maintains a web site that provides
a map showing unofficial routes of local trails,
paths and road shoulders connecting to the
completed portions of the trail.
West of Dorn Road the planned route of the Ice
Age Trail follows the Bark River in the Town of
Merton. The planned route is identified by
Waukesha County on the Park and Open Space
map for the Town. The County Department of
Parks and Land Use assists with implementation
of the trail by obtaining easements for the
corridor during approvals of subdivision plats.
LAKE KEESUS
Lake Keesus is a groundwater feed lake covering
237 acres with about 5.3 miles of shoreline
located one-quarter mile north of the Village.
It has one public boat launch. Primarily Bass,
Northern Pike, Walleye and Panfish populate
the lake for fishing enthusiasts.
In 1930 the Lake Keesus Advancement
Association was formed with the purpose to
protect and promote the interests of lake
property owners.
The association sponsors
lake activities, such as youth fishing sessions
and Independence Day fireworks displays.
OTHER COMMUNITY FUNCTIONS, FACILITIES AND PROPERTIES
Local government functions and properties are
part of a larger community system creating the
quality life enjoyed by citizens. Many of those
activities are summarized below.
Post Office
The United States Post Office operates a branch
facility at N7105 Main Street. It is important
for Village businesses and residents to use the
facility to mail larger items to retain the
important traffic generator within downtown.
Churches
Two religious institutions have been part of the
Merton community for many years. They are
the First Baptist Church of Merton located in a
new facility along Winkleman Road and St.
John’s United Church of Christ located at the
corner of Sussex Road and Winkleman Road. A
third institution, Northpoint Community Church
recently purchased existing buildings on
property along Main Street north of the Merton
Mill Pond to hold religious services.
Merton Athletic Association
The volunteer, non-profit Merton Athletic
Association was started in the 1970’s to offer
adult athletic activities for residents of the
Village and surrounding area.
While adult
activities remain, the organization’s focus has
shifted toward youth sports activities using
school and community parks as game and
activity sites, including Fireman’s and Pollworth
Parks. Activities include baseball, girls fast pitch
softball, soccer, basketball, adult softball, adult
volleyball, dance and tumbling. Both recreation
and select youth teams are offered.
The
organization also sponsors and hosts
tournaments in many sports attracting visitors
to the Village.
Sockers FC Wisconsin
The Lake Country United Soccer Club recently
merged with the Kettle Moraine United and
Oconomowoc Soccer Clubs to form Soccers FC
Wisconsin. The new club offers a range of
programs to suit all player levels, desires, and
age groups, from a toddler’s introduction to
soccer
through
the
elite
soccer
leagues. Merton and the surrounding area are
part of the north region of the club.
The
organization uses many area fields and parks for
games, including Pollworth Park.
Lake Country Swim Team
The Lake Country Swim Team is based in
Hartland offering professional swimming
training to over 300 youth of the area in all age
groups. The organization uses Arrowhead High
School pool facilities during the winter months
and area outdoor pools during the summer for
training and competitions.
Lake Country Chiefs Youth Football
The Lake Country Chiefs Youth Football
organization offers tackle football to boys in 5th
through 8th grades, with multiple teams at each
grade level. The teams play in the All American
Youth
Football
League
communities
throughout
Wisconsin.
representing
southeastern
The local program extensively utilizes the
facilities of the Merton Community School
District for meetings, equipment hand-out and
practices. Games are held at Arrowhead High
School.
Land ‘O Lakes Baseball
The Land ‘O Lakes Baseball League was founded
by Village resident Martin C. Weber, Sr. in 1922.
The League provides an avenue for former high
school and college players to continue amateur
baseball competition. Games are played on
Sunday afternoons. The league annually fields
about 35 teams representing communities
across southeastern Wisconsin.
The Merton team plays its home games at
Fireman’s Park. The local teams are a source of
community pride within the Lake Country
Region.
Other Public and Private Facilities
There are many other public and private
recreational facilities surrounding the Village. A
listing of the facilities is as follows:
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Ausblick Ski Area on 44 acres, east of
the Village on Mary Hill Road in the
Town of Lisbon.
Bristle Cone Pines Golf Course, a 185
acre private membership course within
the Bristle Cone Pines Subdivision in the
Village of Hartland.
Camp Whitcomb/Mason, located north
of and having shoreline access to Lake
Keesus, on 189 acres owned by the
Milwaukee Boys Club.
Hartland Centennial Park, located in the
Village of Hartland near the southern
border of the Village on 15 acres.
Ironwood Golf Course, a 295 acre
privately owned course open to the
public located on County Trunk
Highway MD adjacent to the southeast
side of the Village. A banquet hall and
open air party barn are available.
Lake Country Polo Club, Inc., on 46
acres west of the Village along County
Truck Highway VV.
Merton residents have a strong history of enjoyment of
many active and passive recreational activities offered in
the Village and throughout the area, evidenced as the
founding location of the Land O’ Lakes amateur baseball
league.
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Lisbon Oaks Park, a 10 acre Town of
Lisbon active park site near the Village
east of Lake Five Road.
Merton Soccer Fields, on 18 acres west
of the polo club owned by the Town of
Merton.
Valley Rod & Gun Club, covering 51
acres along Camp Whitcomb Road west
of Lake Keesus.
Camp Whitcomb/Mason is a good
example of how all public and private
facilities within and outside of the
Village combine to create a vibrant,
well-rounded community. The camp
brings many visitors to the area by
hosting school groups and summer
music camps, for example.
GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES
The Village of Merton is a community
functioning within the greater Lake County
Region of Waukesha County that provides
resources for its citizens to live, learn and play
while understanding how regional cooperation
benefits its citizens. Beyond the bounds of
Village government, residents of the community
also understand how a well-rounded
community
functions
through
active
participation in organizations inside and outside
of the Village.
Goals are statements to provide a long term
end result desired by the Village. Objectives are
specific and sometime measurable statements
that mark progress to a goal, while policies are
principles creating a course of action, or a task,
to achieve a goal or objective. Goals, objectives
and policies must be addressed for each
Comprehensive Plan element, but must
coincide with the policy direction provided in all
elements for a cohesive planning document.
Village officials have prepared the following
goals, objectives and policies to guide policy
regarding utilities and community facilities.
Therefore, the goals, objectives and policies to
guide the planning for utilities and community
facilities recognize the uniqueness of the Village
as a vital part of a larger region.
Goal 1
Goal 1: Support and implement policies to
continue the efficient and cost effective use of
on-site sanitary waste disposal systems and
individual on-site wells for a potable water
supply, while ensuring on-site systems are
safely operated.
Goal 1 Objectives:
1. Within the land use element of this
plan, ensure that appropriate locations
for planned land use can be adequately
supported by individual on-site septic
and well systems, and at a lot size that
can safely support both septic and well.
2. Continue current policy of proper care
and maintenance of on-site septic and
wells.
3. Within the land use element of this
plan, designate a location for a
potential water tower site should a
need arise to construct a municipal
water system.
Goal 1 Policies:
1. Periodically review and update if
needed, the Village Land Division
Control Ordinance and the Zoning
Ordinance to make sure rules and
regulations are appropriate and
enforced for proper installation of
individual on-site septic systems and
individual on-site wells.
2. Implement a program of regular
notification to property owners of
proper care and maintenance of septic
systems, to augment the notification
system coordinated
County.
by
Waukesha
Goal 2
Goal 2: Continue to provide efficient and cost
effective Village services that meet the needs of
citizens and property owners, and implement
the goals, objectives and policies of this plan.
Goal 2 Objectives:
1. Continue the Village relationship with
the
Waukesha
County
Sheriff’s
Department,
Waukesha
County
Federated Library System, Waukesha
County Department of Parks and Land
Use for recycling and storm water
management /soil erosion control
assistance, and the Town of Lisbon for
snow plowing, while periodically
reviewing the efficiency and cost
effectiveness of those relationships of
shared and/or contracted services; and
continue to seek out other agreements
for shared services when warranted.
2. Communicate with officers of the
Merton Fire Department to maintain a
quality level of officer training,
equipment and facility to continue the
high level of protecting persons and
property, and continue to monitor the
potential of department consolidation
with the North Lake Fire Department.
3. Ensure
efficiencies
and
cost
effectiveness of refuse disposal with
each contract renewal.
4. Annually review Village staffing levels.
5. Periodically review the opportunity to
relocate Village administrative functions
to the Community Center which may
relate to the space needs of the Fire
Department, and review the need to
expand Community Center on-site
parking.
6. Periodically review the maintenance
needs of Village owned facilities and
properties.
7. Update the Comprehensive Park and
Open Space Plan.
8. Continue to support the construction
and expansion of the Village trail
system.
Goal 2 Policies:
1. During annual budget deliberations
Village officials should consider each of
the Goal 2 Objectives to implement
policy change and appropriately
budget, if needed, to achieve Goal 2.
2. Village officials should carefully
consider any proposal for Fire
Department consolidation to ensure the
protection of Village citizens and
property is not diminished.
3. Village officials should update the
Comprehensive Park and Open Space
Plan to address key points highlighted
in this Chapter 4 regarding Village parks
and other Village owned land, in
addition to other community park and
open space needs identified during
preparation of the plan.
4. The Comprehensive Park and Open
Space Plan should emphasize the
Village trail policy and the need to
complete a comprehensive trail system.
5. After
adoption
of
the
new
Comprehensive Park and Open Space
Plan, Village officials should review
provisions of the Land Division Control
Ordinance in regard to land dedications
and inclusion of trails with land
divisions.
6. Jointly work with Waukesha County
Department of Public Works to install a
trail along Sussex Road (CTH EF) west of
Village Hall.
Goal 3
Goal 3:
Continue to support the many
community
facilities,
functions
and
organizations, both within and outside of the
Village of Merton, which enhance a great
community.
Merton Community School District and
the Arrowhead Union School District to
discuss any matters to jointly improve
the educational and recreational
environment within the Village.
3. Village officials should continue to
encourage and cooperate with other
units of government to provide
connections between trails to form a
comprehensive regional trail system.
4. Village officials should continue to
encourage and cooperate with quasipublic and private groups and
organizations to utilize Village parks.
Goal 3 Objectives:
1. Within the land use element of this plan
identify the decision making process to
allow for land uses that add to
community vitality, for those land uses
that may not be identified within the
general categories of the land use plan
map.
2. Village officials should periodically
communicate with officials of the
Conclusion
It is with the three goals, the objectives of each
goal and the policies of Goals 1 and 2 that the
Village will continue to provide efficient and
cost effective community services to meet the
needs of all Village residents and property
owners. Especially, cooperation with other
units of government and other entities creates
a strong and viable community within the Lake
Country Region.
Cooperation between
governments to provide effective services will
be further addressed in the Intergovernmental
element of Chapter 8. Implementation of the
goals, objectives and policies will be further
addressed in the Implementation element of
Chapter 9.
As this plan looks toward Merton’s future, Village residents
respect the past efforts of many. This monument outside
of Village Hall recognizes residents whom served their
county during World War II.