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Meetings and Updates Week of June 10th

posted 
  • City Meetings: 
    • Finance Committee 6/10
    • Plan Commission 6/10
    • Public Safety Review Committee 6/12
    • Transportation Commission 6/13
  • 205 South Stoughton Rezone Proposal on Monday’s Plan Commission Agenda
  • Water Main Flushing in D3 Neighborhoods Begins Soon
  • Events & Announcements

City Meetings

Note: This is not a complete list of meetings for this upcoming week. All meetings and their details can be found at the Meeting Schedule page.

Finance Committee

The Finance Committee meeting will take place on Monday, June 10, in virtual format at 4:30 p.m. The most important item on the agenda will be a presentation from the Finance Department staff on updated 2025 Operating Budget cost-to-continue estimates, which help us to better understand next year’s financial situation. I will share more of my own comments and understanding of budget challenges and the City’s options and next steps in an upcoming blog post, stay tuned.

In the spirit of next year’s fiscal challenges, I’m cosponsoring two other items that will be covered in this Finance Committee meeting:

  • A resolution authorizing the purchase of renewable diesel to begin a pilot program for “renewable diesel” for an amount not to exceed $100,000 in 2024. Renewable diesel is a relatively new product on the market and does not require the expensive equipment upgrades that are required for “biodiesel”, a different sustainable fuel product that the City has been planning to incorporate into City Fleet operations to meet the City’s carbon emissions goals. Pending the outcome of the initial phase of the pilot, Fleet Service will initiate the second phase of the pilot and purchased renewable diesel in an amount not to exceed $1.5 million. Funding for the 2024 pilot ($100,000) is available in the 2024 Adopted Fleet Service Operating Budget. If the pilot is expanded, funding for the $1.5 million in renewable diesel will be available in future operating budgets, rather than using biodiesel, which would require those costly equipment upgrades.
  • A resolution changing large item pick-up and electronic waste ordinances and an accompanying resolution with a policy change to large item pick-up and electronic waste. These resolutions would limit the City’s free large item pick-up service to those properties that pay the Resource Recovery Special Charge (RRSC) on the monthly municipal services bill. Currently, residential buildings above 8 units don’t pay that special charge but they can use the City’s free large item pick-up service. I understand from Streets Division staff that most of those buildings in Madison have their own private provider for large item pick-up, but some don’t. There are a small number of large complexes that end up putting their large items and electronic waste on the City terrace while they wait for the City to come collect the waste. Their neighbors don’t tend to appreciate the large piles of trash while they wait for the property to submit a large item pick-up order, and then wait for the City to collect it. Those properties who do this regularly consume significant City resources from the Street Division while not paying the Resource Recovery Special Charge that smaller properties pay. We’re taking a hard look this year at services this year to determine what the City can and can’t afford to provide. If the proposal passes, Streets Division staff will spend a few months communicating the changes to affected properties and letting them know they’ll need to arrange private pick-up.

Here’s the Finance Committee info:

Plan Commission

The Plan Commission meeting will take place on Monday, June 10, in virtual format at 5:30 p.m. Agenda items include Tax Incremental District amendments in Districts 4, 8, 12, and 13, and development-related requests in Districts 3, 6, 11, 13, 15, and 19. The development-related request in District 3 is Occupy Madison’s proposal to rezone 205 South Stoughton Road to the Tiny Home Village zoning district. See more on this item in the next section of this blog post. This meeting also includes the Starkweather plat at the old Voit farm here on the east side, proposed by Stonehouse Development.

Public Safety Review Committee

The Public Safety Review Committee meeting will take place on Wednesday, June 12, in virtual format at 5:00 p.m. Agenda items include a report from the Madison Fire Department including a report on CAREs, an update from the Madison Police Department on the Strategic Plan, and authorizing an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Milwaukee to provide support to City of Milwaukee law enforcement from July 13, 2024 through July 20, 2024 (I’m a cosponsor).

Transportation Commission

The Transportation Commission meeting will take place on Wednesday, June 12, in virtual format at 5:00 p.m. Agenda items include a presentation about the City’s new Sustainability Plan (I’m a cosponsor of the resolution adopting the Plan), a presentation about the Crossing Guard program and discussion of its policy, and a presentation about bikeway improvements coming to the near east side (near the isthmus).

205 South Stoughton Rezone Proposal on Monday’s Plan Commission Agenda

Recall that I wrote a separate blog post last weekend about this rezoning proposal and explaining what I’ve learned about how Occupy Madison’s villages work. The main points from that post are as follows (please see the blog post for details):

  • Occupy Madison intends to set up their third tiny home village of 22 units at 205 South Stoughton Road, which is not an allowed use under current zoning so they request that the property be rezoned to the City’s Tiny Home Village zoning district
  • From what I’ve learned about how Occupy Madison’s villages work, from what I’ve heard from Emerson East neighborhood residents (near Occupy's other villages), and from meeting several Occupy residents myself, I believe that Occupy’s residents are good people and would be good neighbors
  • The 205 South Stoughton site has physical challenges stemming from its location near Stoughton Road and in a business park; some of those challenges can be improved by the City (extending sidewalks, street lighting)

In my post last week, I mentioned that I would share the staff report (click to view) for this proposal. Here are some key points from the staff report:

On the purpose of the City’s Tiny Home Village zoning district: “The District’s statement of purpose reads, “The Common Council finds that a core component of the public health, safety, and welfare is ensuring that all residents have access to safe, stable, affordable, and legal places to sleep. The Common Council also finds that meeting this need in today's economy requires creativity and flexibility with respect to the type of housing allowed in the City's Zoning Code. The Tiny House Village (THV) District recognizes the success of previous tiny house village communities in meeting this critical need for Madison's residents and therefore establishes a regulatory framework for the establishment of Tiny House Villages within the City.””

Staff comments about the location being near industrial uses: “During initial pre-application meetings with the applicant staff expressed concerns about the location of the site due primarily to noise and traffic associated with the industrial uses and South Stoughton Road/US Highway 51. However, the subject site is located at the edge of the industrial area, which transitions to low-density residential uses that continue north to Milwaukee Street. Staff notes that on the IL-zoned properties, any permitted use could be legally established without further Plan Commission review and therefore, properties in the area could be subject to different impacts. As it relates to proximity, other residential uses are located a short distance to north and east and many also directly abut industrial zoned properties. Staff believes that the subject property could be subject to similar impacts related to industrial development impacts. As this neighborhood shows, there are areas throughout the city where industrial and residential uses are located in close proximity to one another. In some cases, this land use relationship occurred over time, but it has also happened on a site-by-site basis in recent years. For reference, the Plan Commission has approved residential and mixed-use project located next to industrial uses, including a 161-unit mixed-use building at 130 South Fair Oaks Street in 2017 and a 303-unit building at 905 Huxley Street in 2022.”

Staff comments about specific physical features of the location and how the City can improve them to support some residential uses: “While there are services and amenities near the site, South Stoughton Road (Service Road) has limited sidewalks heading north towards Milwaukee Street: there are no public sidewalks next to the site, there is a public sidewalk next to the adjacent property, the sidewalk ends next to the nursing home and begins again at the intersection of Portland Parkway and the S Stoughton Road frontage road. A sidewalk next to the nursing home property was approved as a City project through the Safe Streets Madison program (Legistar ID 83043). This would provide a sidewalk connection from the site to the pedestrian bridge. Construction is planned for late 2024 or summer 2025. To reach Milwaukee Street via sidewalk residents would have to cross the pedestrian bridge or go east on Portland Parkway and north on South Walbridge Avenue. A refuge island and other pedestrian crossing improvements at Milwaukee Street and South Walbridge Avenue were also approved as a part of the Safe Streets Madison program and should be constructed by 2025 (Legistar ID 81860). The area also has limited street lighting with the nearest streetlights located at Portland Parkway and Atlas Avenue. As it relates to pedestrian and traffic safety, Traffic Engineering staff have reviewed the location of the proposed driveway on Robertson Road and determined that the location is acceptable.”

Staff report’s conclusion: “Staff acknowledge that the tiny house villages have been established in the City and the existing tiny house villages helped to inform the creation of the Tiny House Village District regulations in the Zoning Code, which this site would be subject to if the zoning map amendment is approved. The Comprehensive Plan (2023) and SRRPP (2008, Amended 2023) recommend Industrial development for the site. The 2023 amendment to the SRRPP [this is the Stoughton Road Revitalization Project Plan] recommends that limited Medium Residential and Institutional uses may also be considered given the proximity to existing commercial and residential uses. Staff believe the proposed development could be found to be generally consistent with the adopted land use recommendations for this site. While the proposed development may be generally consistent with the adopted land use recommendations, staff have raised concerns about the proximity to S Stoughton Road/US Highway 51 and the industrial uses that surround the site. At the same time, it should be acknowledged that there are many areas in the city where industrial and residential/mixed-use uses are located in close proximity to one another, and that this is a result of both past and current land use policy. Staff ask the Plan Commission to carefully consider whether the standards for map amendment are met as it relates to public health, safety, and welfare.”

After Monday’s Plan Commission meeting, the proposal will go to Common Council on 6/18 with the Plan Commission’s recommendation either to approve, deny, or “place on file” (which means take no action, sort of a soft denial).

If you want to share your comments on this item with the Plan Commission for consideration in Monday’s meeting, you have two options:

If you are a resident of District 3 and want to share your comments with me, please feel free to do so: district3@cityofmadison.com.

I have heard from several constituents about this proposal – including several in support of this proposal as part of a solution to provide more housing options to get qualifying folks off the streets for a chance to stabilize their lives, and several in opposition raising concerns about the appropriateness and safety of housing at this site and about safety and crime activity. One important point that I'm considering from my experience knocking doors last spring and talking to District 3 residents is that District 3 includes a few areas where residents can see the impacts of unsheltered homelessness, reminding us of the need for more smaller-scale housing options that are attainable for this population. Thank you to all District 3 constituents who have reached out with your thoughts.

Water Main Flushing in D3 Neighborhoods Begins Soon

The Madison Water Utility will begin water main flushing on Monday June 10th and continue through the summer. Here is the Water Utility’s map of main flushing areas by month. Among District 3 neighborhoods, Rolling Meadows and the western half of Hiestand Park residents may notice water main flushing in June. Heritage Heights, eastern Hiestand Park, and Mayfair Park residents may notice water main flushing in July.

How could this affect my water?

Lower Water Pressure: When flushing crews are working in your area, you may have a temporary drop in water pressure or a brief water outage. Water outages are rare, and we try to notify in advance if we expect them. If you have a water outage and weren’t notified, please call us at (608) 266-4661.

Discolored (yellow, brown, or reddish) water: Water main flushing stirs up mineral sediment that can temporarily cause discolored water in that area.
If you have discolored water:

  1. Go to a faucet in the lowest level of your home or business, like a basement utility sink or first-floor bathtub.
  2. Remove the screen or aerator from the faucet (if applicable) and temporarily bypass whole home water softeners or filters if you have them.
  3. Run the cold water only at full force for a few minutes until the water clears. Once water is clear, replace the faucet screen/ aerator and put any bypassed filters or softeners back in service (if applicable).
  4. If your water doesn’t clear after a few minutes, call our Water Quality Section at (608) 266-4654.
  5. If you have lower pressure than usual at a faucet, remove the screen or aerator to check if it's clogged. If it's clogged and doesn't rinse easily, soak it in vinegar for at least 15 minutes and scrub it with an old toothbrush.

Events & Announcements

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District 3 - Alder Field

Alder Derek Field

Alder Derek Field

District 3
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