Third Ward Noise ‘Getting Really Bad’

Is this a city street? Photo taken May 1, 2025 by Jeramey Jannene.

Even if you tried, you couldn’t draw up a more legally complicated nuisance noise situation to solve than what’s happening at the southeast corner of the Historic Third Ward.

At the eastern end of E. Erie Street, a roadway curves behind the American Family Insurance Amphitheater and provides access to Lakeshore State Park.

“Of late, there has been considerable loitering and gathering at that location. It’s very secluded, it’s very dark, there are no street lights that I’m aware of. We’ve received neighborhood complaints and for good reason,” said area Alderman Robert Bauman in trying to summarize the issue to the Public Works Committee on April 30.

“The noise is unbelievable, tricked-out cars, dirt bikes,” said Historic Third Ward Association Executive Director Jim Plaisted. “It’s a quality of life and noise issue and we really need some [Milwaukee Police Department] attention to that.”

Depending on which way the wind blows, the noise can sometimes be heard from Downtown to Bay View. It’s accented by vehicles racing over the Hoan Bridge.

“It’s accelerating. It’s getting really bad,” said Carolyn Maduza, who lives in the nearby Harbor Front condominiums. “It’s not livable right now. At least it hasn’t been in the past week… there’s liquor stuff, there’s drugs, there’s condoms… not to mention even defacing the lighthouse. It’s disgusting.”

“We need your help. Within the last week, 13 cars have been broken into,” said condo association president Julie Anding. “The street was littered with car parts Sunday morning.”

The solution seems simple: find who is responsible and build a gate. “It turns out it was a fairly complicated answer. It’s not a city street,” said Bauman.

When the roadway goes under the Hoan Bridge, it stops being a city street and is then on property owned by the city-controlled Harbor Commission and leased to Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. “It looks like it’s a street, but it’s not a city street,” said Bauman, who clarified the city’s limited legal ability to issue parking tickets or other parking controls. But that’s only the start.

MWF provided an easement to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) as part of creating Lakeshore State Park. Adding another agency to the mix, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers also controls the dockwall, which provides access to the inner harbor and includes infrastructure that extends under the roadway.

The DNR has conceptual plans to rebuild the entire stretch at a cost of $6 million to $10 million. “As a state agency, they can only spend state money on land the state owns,” said Bauman. “However, they are willing to undertake a smaller project.”

Sometime this fall, the DNR is expected to install a $30,000 gate approximately 200 feet east of the Hoan Bridge on the roadway.

“The gate will disrupt the whole purpose of coming down there, let alone hiding behind the amphitheater,” said Plaisted.

The DNR and MWF will both be able to remotely open and close the gate using “different technology components,” said MWF vice president Jason Stuewe. But MWF is expected to only operate the gate if it has an “operational need.” The DNR is to maintain the gate.

But it might not solve the dirt bike problem. The pedestrian walkway along the water will remain open as part of the Hank Aaron State Trail and to provide waterfront access to those fishing.

The park is officially closed at 10 p.m., but those who are fishing can use the lake walk around the clock.

“I don’t know that it’s solvable, to be honest with you,” said Bauman of the challenge of arresting dozens of individuals on dirt bikes. He said it could take upwards of 50 police officers. “They will literally say they have better things to do… I have no discretion over how they deploy their resources.”

MWF has already attempted to control the issue by placing barricades on a private street it owns off of E. Erie Street. But Stuewe said the barricades would need to be removed by May 25 as festivals begin.

“It’s encouraging that we do have a plan. It’s discouraging it’s going to take so long,” said Maduza.

Photos

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