Oshkosh Council action clears way athletic track

OSHKOSH, WI – (WISS) – The Oshkosh Common Council cleared the way for an athletic field to be built at the current site of the closed and shuttered Merrill Middle School. The Council voted 5 to 1 Tuesday to approve a zoning change. Oshkosh Area School District (OASD) can now tear down the building and create a track and field area at Vel Phillips Middle School.

The Common Council originally voted to deny the zoning change earlier this month. Council Member Joe Stephenson asked the council to reconsider the change after the school district added more landscaping to the plan.

“My ultimate goal was for this facility to be both a boon for the kids and for the neighborhood,” said Stephenson. “We do need green space in the central city. I want to make sure and be very clear that this is going to be more of a public space.”

The vote to change the zoning was not unanimous. Council member Paul Esslinger has been against tearing down the Merrill Middle School Building from the beginning. 

“There is just too much to lose here. We’ve gone over this, about housing,” said Esslinger. “Hopefully if this is voted “No” the school district will maybe re-look at this. I know there are developers that wanted to redevelop this into housing, which we desperately need.”

Merrill Middle School and OASD

Jim Fochs is the Director of Facilities and Project Manager with OASD. He said students at Vel Phillips Middle School will use the site for track and athletic sports.

“This is a site where we expect to see them all throughout the day for phy-ed classes. This is a site that they can utilize at lunchtime,” said Fochs. “And this is, certainly, a site that we can utilize after school for track. And we may be able to host other middle schools who don’t have that particular land amenity to be able to practice track.”

OASD owns the Merrill Middle School property. The Common Council’s vote to allow the zoning change for the parcel now clears the way for OASD to tear down Merrill Middle School to make way for the athletic field and track.