Originally posted by The Freeman…
VILLAGE OF WAUKESHA – During the Joint Plan Commission and Village Board meeting on Thursday, the Village of Waukesha unanimously approved Catholic Memorial High School’s revised plans for its Sullivan Campus, W234-S3555 Les Paul Parkway.
The Sullivan Campus is the former home of Infinity Fields, and before that, 5 Diamonds. In 2022, Catholic Memorial received a $1 million donation from alumnus Tim Sullivan, the former CEO of REV Group, to assist in the property’s acquisition.
There are currently six baseball diamonds on the property, but Catholic Memorial plans to expand its offerings to include spaces for softball and a multipurpose soccer field. The high school will also be incorporating turf into the property’s upgrades.
As part of the approved plans, Catholic Memorial will also be building a new concession stand with rooms for teams and referees.
The village’s approval came with a few conditions. For one, if the school wants to host an event that serves alcohol, they’ll have to apply for a special event permit.
Additionally, since noise levels and lighting have been the subject of extensive public comment at recent village meetings, Catholic Memorial has to take measures to mitigate disruptions to neighbors.
As the school’s Athletics General Manager Dan DeMerit explains, there’s a 75-decibel restriction on noise in the village. So, Catholic Memorial’s amplification system will have to abide by that. And, although the campus’s hours are from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., they can only use their amplification system between the hours of 8 a.m. and 9:30 p.m.
“We’re considering the early mornings and the late nights and have no intention of being disruptive,” DeMerit said. “We’re just trying to abide by what the village is asking of us and we want to be respectful neighbors.”
Catholic Memorial President Donna Bembenek clarified that the level of amplification at Sullivan Campus is not comparable to that of the high school’s football games, which are played at Carroll University’s Schneider Stadium.
“This is not the same type of thing,” Bembenek said. “With a soccer game or baseball game, those aren’t announced in the same way.”
As far as lighting goes, Catholic Memorial is working toward a certification with the DarkSky Approved program. This means that the school will have to comply with fixture and installation specifications, and lighting will be projected directly onto the field. Neighbors should not experience spillover.
“When it comes to the lighting, it’s really kept to the playing surfaces of the field,” DeMerit noted. “So, it’s a full cut off and there’s no impact on the neighbors when it comes to lighting.”
Bembenek said Catholic Memorial wants “to be good neighbors and we want to be good citizens.” The president said evidence of their willingness to work with neighbors can be seen at their main campus. She claims that the school has an “excellent relationship” with the residents surrounding the school and that both she and DeMerit are willing to lend an ear should Sullivan Campus’s neighbors express concerns.
“I think, over time, they’re going to see that our intent is to be a good neighbor. We are a good neighbor in the city of Waukesha and we expect fully to be a good neighbor in the village,” Bembenek said.
The president also mentioned that Catholic Memorial was glad to abide by the village’s conditions – which she didn’t see as “significant” or asking too much – because the school is eager to provide a new home for many of their athletics programs and further explore the property’s educational functions.
She said that as part of the school’s strategic plan, they are focusing on “the importance of the overall student experience.” Right now, Catholic Memorial rents facilities across the area for their athletes to practice and play. With the Sullivan Campus, varsity, JV, and Junior Crusader programs in sports like baseball, softball, and soccer, will have a home field.
The Sullivan Campus is also used for educational purposes. Students have already been exploring the property’s wetlands as part of the science program and Catholic Memorial has received a couple grants to continue with this usage.
Moreover, through the school’s internship program, Catholic Memorial seniors interning with local engineering firms are able to gain hands-on experience while working alongside professionals contracted to make upgrades to the Sullivan Campus.
Bembenek also mentioned that Catholic Memorial intends to continue partnering with local athletic teams who rent out the facility for practices and games, as well as working with NX Level to improve their building (which is located on the Sullivan Campus) and expand their training services for young athletes.
In order to make all of the desired upgrades to the Sullivan Campus, Bembenek says Catholic Memorial is looking to raise $3 million more. Construction is set to begin in August – after the baseball season concludes. The project is expected to wrap up by the start of the 2025 baseball season.