Sup. Jason Haas
Press Release

Supervisor Jason Haas to Join Ald. Witkowski to Showcase and Dedicate New Sustainable Urban Orchard

News Conference to Be Held at 9 a.m. Friday at Garden District Farmers’ Market

By - Jun 18th, 2015 10:36 am

Milwaukee County Supervisor Jason Haas will join Milwaukee Ald. Terry L. Witkowski and others to help dedicate the Urban Orchard project at 9 a.m. Friday, June 19, at the Garden District Farmers’ Market, S. 6th St. and W. Norwich Ave., also known as the Garden District, to showcase Milwaukee’s first sustainable urban orchard.

Haas and Ald. Witkowski will be joined by Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District Executive Director Kevin Shafer, Green Corridor Chairman Bryan Simon, officials from Energy Exchange, Inc., members of the Garden District Neighborhood Association and representatives from Gateway to Milwaukee.

The fruit tree orchard at the farmers’ market site is located in the Green Corridor, a portion of S. 6th Street, which was designated by the city as a fully-sustainable living laboratory for environmentally friendly practices. Rainwater from permeable pavement at the farmers’ market parking lots drains into holding tanks and is then used to provide regular watering for the orchard, according to Ald. Witkowski.

“Sustainability is an environmental key to any new development in an urban area, and this orchard will be one of the first sustainable orchards in Milwaukee,” Haas said. “This is a partnership between the city and the county, along with MMSD and others who donated their time and labor, to create a new environmentally friendly amenity for the entire community to enjoy.”

The Green Corridor was created through legislation authored by Ald. Witkowski. Ald. Witkowski said that in addition to the successfully installed permeable parking lots and the farmers’ market, the Green Corridor is also home to community gardens, bio-swales, bike lanes, green roofs, solar-powered bus shelters and signs, beekeeping, worm-casting operations, composting, solar flowers and other storm water management technologies.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.

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