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D6 Items of Interest Week of November 18, 2024

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Plan Commission takes up 306 S Brearly on Monday. The six-story height of the proposed mixed-use building exceeds adopted plans and is taller than other nearby buildings that were approved that also exceeded adopted plans (at five-stories). More details below. The Transportation Commission will take up the speed of E-bikes and speed policy on shared paths at their meeting Wednesday. Also Wednesday, the Board of Public Works will vote to establish the East Main Street and South Hancock Street Assessment District - 2025. Thanks to First Settlement neighbors who responded to my request for input on more street construction next year. Everyone who responded agreed we should move forward.

Council President Yannette Figueroa Cole issued a statement last week alerting the Council and the community about the recent investigation of charges of alleged sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct against Alder Charles Myadze. The investigation, completed by a Milwaukee law firm at the request of the city, reviewed the complaints by three women and found insufficient evidence to constitute a violation of the City of Madison APM 3-5 in all cases. The report states the complainants’ statements were credible but did not meet the criteria for unlawful harassment in the APM or state law.

In a heartbreaking blog, Alder Julianna Bennett shares that she was one of the complainants and recounts her experiences with Alder Myadze.  Madison 365 report on the investigation's findings. On Friday, Madison 365 reported on another allegation of domestic abuse against Alder Myadze by Gloria Reyes, long time community leader and 2023 candidate for Mayor. The Madison 365 exclusive interview with Gloria Reyes contains disturbing information. Earlier this year, allegations were raised against the alder by his ex-wife and a former partner that happened before he took office, and the Council did not take any action.

I share the deep concerns I have heard from residents. City of Madison residents entrust elected officials to carry out the will of the people and make difficult decisions on behalf of the entire community. We should be held to the highest standards of accountability, integrity, and honesty.

We are not “city employees” in the traditional sense and APM 3-5 only applies to Council members in a limited way. The default has always been to let the voters decide (which they will next April). For many years, the Council has grappled with how to add specific expectations about our conduct.  In July 2024, the Council adopted an update to the Council Code of Conduct to include examples of sexual harassment and defined a reporting process, there is a link to it in Alder Figueroa Cole’s statement.

To address the harm, the Common Council could pass a censure resolution against Alder Myadze. Censure would not result in Alder Myadze’s removal from the Council. State law offers a method to remove an elected official from office. Alders can be removed for cause after a hearing and a vote of three-fourths vote of the entire council. Cause is defined in the standards set out in sec.17.12(3m), Stats., as a showing of “inefficiency, neglect of duty, official misconduct, or malfeasance in office.”

I know my colleagues stand in solidarity with survivors of sexual and domestic violence and honor their courage when they share their stories of harm. I also believe that perpetrators can seek help to change their behaviors. But we need more than words. We have an obligation to act. I expect there will be more information to share soon.

Last week, after an unprecedented nine-month deep dive into the city’s finances and budget deficit, the Council adopted the 2025 Capital and Operating budget. I was the lead sponsor for two operating budget amendments, one to partially restore funding for the Office of the Independent Monitor which passed 15-5. The second amendment was adopted unanimously by the Finance Committee to establish a paid parking pilot in select city parks. When the final budget deliberations happened, the press took notice of this proposed pilot and people started to contact the Council with concerns. I wanted to share my rationale for the proposal.  I think the City should explore a paid-parking model and if it is feasible, the funds can be used to reinvest in our parks system. 

The goal of the budget amendment was NOT to start making residents who are utilizing our wonderful parks system pay for parking on daily basis throughout the entire system. I’m committed to Madison parks remaining gathering places that are free and accessible to the entire community. With the budget deficit I started to think about ways to increase revenues and I noticed the Parks Division included the idea in their budget materials submitted to Mayor Rhodes-Conway.

Now that the amendment has been adopted, the Parks Division will develop implementation concepts to present to the Board of Park Commissioners (BPC) in early 2025 and seek their guidance for a more specific plan. Upon receiving guidance from BPC, the Parks Division would complete a more detailed implementation plan, equity analysis, and public engagement throughout the first quarter of 2025. The pilot would likely begin in mid-summer 2025 and go through the end of the year. The Parks Division would evaluate the program in early 2026 and present recommendations to BPC based on the evaluation. The exact design of the program, including identification of potential parking lots, events, and parking rates, would be developed with input from BPC. The Parks Division anticipates it can meet the revenue target through a combination of permit parking, commuter parking, and event-based parking.

The example from Parks Superintendent Eric Knepp that caught my attention was sports fans parking their vehicles at Vilas Park while attending Badger games. This well-known practice is currently taking away parking from families visiting the Henry Vilas Zoo. 

After the pilot program is completed, there will be a review and any further action would be brought to the Board of Park Commissioners for consideration and require approval from the Council. 

Parks Division blog on parking in parks

Winter Parking Rules: Winter is coming! Alternate side parking is in effect until March 15, 2025. But if you live in District 6, you are in the  Snow Emergency Zone, and you only need to follow the alternate side parking during a Declared Snow Emergency. The Snow Emergency Zone is the downtown isthmus area and the Regent, Dudgeon-Monroe, South Campus, Vilas, Greenbush, Bay Creek, Sherman Terrace, Tenney-Lapham, Marquette, Darbo-Worthington, and Atwood neighborhoods.

Boards, Commissions, and Committee Meetings

  • Finance Committee: The Finance Committee meeting will take place on Monday, November 18, at 4:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include supporting four affordable housing development projects and implementing neighborhood improvement projects identified in the Hawthorne-Truax Neighborhood plan.

    4. 85778 Authorizing a loan to Little Tibet Market & Café or its assigns in the amount of $125,000 for real estate improvements to the commercial property at 1113 North Sherman Avenue through the TID 54 Small Cap TIF loan program using TID #54 incremental revenue as authorized in an amendment to the TID #54 Project Plan (RES-23-00507) adopted by the Common Council on July 25, 2023. (District 12)

    From MDC credit request: Tendrel Foods will make improvements to a building located at 1113 N Sherman Ave (in the Northgate Mall). After project completion, Little Tibet Market & Cafe will operate as a specialty ethnic grocery store, a production house for wholesale frozen dumplings, and restaurant.

    6. 85784 Authorizing the City’s execution of a Purchase and Sale Agreement and Lease between the City of Madison and The Salvation Army or their successors and assigns, for the purchase of the property located at 3030 Darbo Drive in the City of Madison, and leaseback period subsequent to closing. (District 15)

    Fiscal Note: The proposed resolution authorizes the purchase of the property located at 3030 Darbo Dr. Acquisition costs are estimated at $3.0 million. Funding for the proposed acquisition and associated expenses are available in two capital programs. The Community Development Division's 2022 Adopted Capital Budget included $2.5 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for the Salvation Army Darbo Site (Munis project 13775). The Economic Development Division's Land Banking capital program will fund the remaining $500,000 (Munis project 12640). The proposed resolution further authorizes the execution of a lease agreement for the property after closing of the sale to The Salvation Army for $1 a year through December 31, 2026 with two successive 1-year extension options. No additional City appropriation is required.

    7. 85798 Approving the City of Madison’s application to the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin Office of Energy Innovation (PSC-OEI) 2023 Energy Innovation Grant Program for the project “Monona Terrace Geothermal Feasibility Study”; authorizing the Mayor and City Clerk to execute the associated grant agreement with the PSC-OEI; amending the 2024 Adopted Capital Budget to accept the grant award of $50,000 in state funding; and approving the sole source contract with Hammel, Green and Abrahamson, Inc. (HGA) as a grant partner. (District 4)

    12. 85821 SUBSTITUTE-Awarding up to $9,850,000 from the Affordable Housing Fund to support four affordable housing development projects, selected through a City Request for Proposals (RFP) process, that will support construction of approximately 270 units of new rental housing in Madison, 167 of which will be affordable, and authorizing the Mayor and City Clerk to execute loan agreements with the developers of those projects (District 12, District 18 and District 19)

The CDD staff team formulated recommendations that seek to allocate $9,850,000 in City AHF funds to support four development proposals as follows:

•                   Up to $1,850,000 to Horizon Development Group, Inc., or an affiliate LLC, in partnership with Kaba-Baal, LLC, for CORE on Dryden Senior Apartments, a 51-unit rental housing development with 43 units affordable to households with incomes at or below 60% CMI for a period of no less than 40 years

•                     Up to $2,500,000 to Northpointe Development II Corporation, or an affiliate LLC, in partnership with Selassie Development, for Merchant Place Senior Apartments, a 60-unit rental housing development with 36 units permanently affordable to households with incomes at or below 60% CMI

•                     Up to $3,000,000 to Northpointe Development II Corporation, or an affiliate LLC, in partnership with Dream Lane Real Estate Group, LLC and DCHA United Residences - Madison, LLC for United Residences, an 80-unit rental housing development with 48 units permanently affordable to households with incomes at or below 60% CMI

•                     Up to $2,500,000 to Volker Development, or an affiliate LLC, in partnership with Cordon Development Group, Inc., for East Washington & 7th Ave, a 76-unit rental housing development with 40 units permanently affordable to households with incomes at or below 60% CMI

13. 86128 Discussion regarding negotiations with Mandel Group for possible investment of Tax Increment Finance (TIF) funds into an affordable housing project proposed to be located at 5546 Element Way. Noticed for Closed Session

Meeting Details

Note: Items 4-6 regarding consideration of demolition permit 85636, conditional use 85637, and certified survey map 85653 for 306 S Brearly are related and will be considered as one public hearing. Following the public hearing, the Plan Commission shall make separate findings and motions on each agenda item.

5. 85637 306 S Brearly Street (District 6): Consideration of a conditional use in the Traditional Shopping Street (TSS) District for dwelling units in a mixed-use building with greater than 60 units; consideration of a conditional use in the TSS District and Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Overlay for a mixed-use building with less than 50% of non-residential ground-floor frontage facing the primary street; and consideration of a conditional use in the TSS District and TOD Overlay for a building exceeding four stories and 60 feet of height, all to allow construction of a mixed-use building containing 1,500 square feet of commercial space and 120 apartments.

Project Plans   

Staff Report

“Upon demolition, the applicant intends to build a six-story building with 1,500 square feet of first-floor commercial space at the northernmost corner of the building, with a door toward the Capital City Trail. The commercial space is anticipated to be split for two tenants. A five-story U-shaped tower of dwelling units stands atop the single-story parking podium, which also houses the commercial space and resident lobby and associated circulation spaces. The opening of the “U” contains a second story structured resident amenity courtyard facing toward the adjacent Capital City Trail.

The residential unit mix is 26 studios, 82 one-bedroom units, and 12 two-bedroom units, for a total of 132 bedrooms. The two uppermost floors are stepped back approximately 6’-4” from South Brearly Street. There is also a narrow (approximately four feet) stepback above the first-floor parking deck on the southeast façade (facing Williamson Street). Most units, including those fifth-floor units at the Brearly Street stepback, have accessible balconies, while a small number of units have juliet balconies, and some units do not have balconies. Resident amenities include a bicycle maintenance space in the lower level; lobby, mail room, parcel room, and pet washing station on the first floor; community room, fitness room, and rooftop terrace on the second floor; and a coworking space on the sixth floor.

The submitted plans account for 122 vehicle parking stalls in a structured first-floor parking podium and one below-grade parking deck, plus four surface stalls under the second floor but outside the access-controlled parking area. Parking access comes directly off South Brearly Street and through the small surface lot. Additionally, the proposal includes 120 indoor long-term bicycle parking stalls and 12 outdoor short-term bicycle parking stalls.

... Staff’s primary concern on this request is plan consistency related to the additional height. Standard 11 states that, "When applying the above standards to an application for height in excess of that allowed in the district, the Plan Commission shall consider recommendations in adopted plans; the impact on surrounding properties, including height, mass, orientation, shadows and view; architectural quality and amenities; the relationship of the proposed building(s) with adjoining streets, alleys, and public rights of ways; and the public interest in exceeding the district height limits." The proposal is for a six-story building height, while the TSS zoning district within the TOD overlay district allows four stories as a permitted height, with greater heights allowed as conditional uses.

Staff notes that the Comprehensive Plan NMU land use recommendation includes heights up to four stories, and the Williamson Street BUILD II Plan recommends that the maximum height for new construction in this area is four stories for projects with affordable housing, preservation, or structured parking. Staff does note that proposal exceeds the stepback from Williamson Street as recommended in the Design Guidelines and Criteria for Preservation plan. In considering the extra height, staff acknowledges the inconsistency with the BUILD II plan. This inconsistency does not preclude this standard from being found met, though careful consideration should be given to the surrounding context and resulting impacts.

Staff notes that there is nearby precedence for buildings taller than four stories constructed or being constructed along the Capital City Path and railroad corridor, including 302 S Livingston Street, 722 Williamson Street, and 302 S Paterson St, all of which are five stories tall and within three blocks of the subject site. Further staff believe that the stepbacks above the first floor facing Williamson Street and above the fourth floor facing South Brearly Street minimize the visual impact of the additional height. Given the location of the building with reference to the South Brearly Street, the Capital City Path, the railroad corridor, and any nearby residential development, the proposed building would have some shadow impacts on the path but have minimal (if any) impacts on any nearby residences.

Staff also draws the Commission’s attention to conditional use standard of approval 8, which requires, in part, that “the Plan Commission shall find that the project creates an environment of sustained aesthetic desirability compatible with existing or intended character of the area.”

You can send comments to pccomments@cityofmadison.com. Comments received after 3:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting may not be added to the public record until after the meeting.

Note: Items 7-9 regarding consideration of demolition permit 85410, conditional use 85411, and certified survey map 85625, for 423/425/427 W Mifflin St are related and will be considered as one public hearing. Following the public hearing, the Plan Commission shall make separate findings and motions on each agenda item.

8. 85411 423-427 W Mifflin Street (District 4): Consideration of a conditional use in the Downtown Residential 2 (DR2) District for a multi-family dwelling with greater than eight (8) units to allow construction of a four-story, 40-unit apartment building.

Revised Project Plans

Staff Report

Note: Items 11-13 regarding consideration of demolition permit 85416, conditional use 85418, and certified survey map 85420 for 416-446 W Washington Avenue and 413-417 W Mifflin St should be referred to December 2, 2024 to allow the project to be re-noticed.

12. 85418 416-446 W Washington Avenue and 413-417 W Mifflin Street (District 4): Consideration of a conditional use in the Downtown Residential 2 (DR2) District for a multi-family dwelling with greater than eight (8) units to allow construction of a six-story, 162-unit apartment building.

Street Tree Report

Project Plans Updated 10.25.24

Upcoming Matters – December 2, 2024 - ID 82973 - Urban Design Commission Code Update Project, Phase 1 Amendment (To be referred to a future meeting)

  • Meeting Details

  • Board of Public Works: the meeting will take place on Wednesday, November 20 at 4:30p in virtual format. Agenda items include

    14.* 86067 Declaring the City of Madison's intention to exercise its police powers establishing the East Main Street and South Hancock Street Assessment District - 2025. (District 4, District 6) Sponsors: Marsha A. Rummel And Michael E. Verveer RECOMMEND TO ADOPT

    16.* 86056 Approving plans and specifications and authorizing the Board of Public Works to advertise and receive bids for Monona Terrace Tunnel Lighting (District 4) Sponsors: Michael E. Verveer

    The Monona Terrace Tunnel Lighting project proposes to replace the tunnel lighting systems with LED fixtures. The project will also install the infrastructure for future aesthetic tunnel entrance lighting, mural lighting, and traffic & pedestrian life safety cameras. The total estimated cost of the project is $1,854,097.00.

  • Transportation Commission: the meeting will take place on Wednesday, November 20, at 5p in virtual format. Agenda includes

    3. 86122 East Madison Bikeways - East Washington at Commercial Map and options

    5. 86124 E-Bike Speeds and Speed Policy on Shared Use Paths

  • Economic Development Committee: The Economic Development Committee meeting will take place on Wednesday, November 20, at 5:00 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include an update on the Economic Development Plan, a presentation of the Economic Development Division Report from 2021-2023, and a discussion regarding means testing financial assistance programs.
  • Alcohol License Review Committee: the meeting will take place on Wednesday, November 20, at 5:30p in hybrid format. Agenda includes

4. 86112 Request to extend license issuance beyond the 180 day limit under MGO 38.05 Tacos & Tequila LLC • dba Atico Lounge 823 E Washington Ave • Agent: Ann Corcoran Estimated Capacity (in/out): 180/56 Class B Combination Liquor & Beer • 40% alcohol, 60% food Police Sector 408 (District 6)

15. 85809 Public Hearing - New License The Le Le Group LLC • dba Ha Long Bay 1353 Williamson St • Agent: Jacqueline Le Estimated Capacity (in/out): 100 Class B Combination Liquor & Beer • 15% alcohol, 85% food Police Sector 410 (District 6)

If you would like more information about becoming a member of a City board, commission, or committee, please visit the page linked here.

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.

Public Information Meeting (PIMs)

  • Metro Transit Public Meeting - Northport/Kennedy Charging Location, Monday, November 18: Attend a public meeting on Monday, November 18 to learn more about a new on-route charging station proposed to be built at the intersection of Northport Dr. and Kennedy Rd.
  • Evergreen, Ohio, Sommers Reconstruction, Tuesday, November 19: A public information meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Nov. 19, 2024, via Zoom. Registration prior is required. A postcard will also be mailed out to residents in the neighborhood informing them about the meeting and directing them to the website to register. Meeting topics include project limits, street design, utility installation, construction timeline, and street assessments. Residents will have the opportunity to ask questions.
  • In-Person Open House: Southwest Area Plan kickoff event, Tuesday, November 19: Join Planning, Engineering, Transportation, Parks, and others at an open house on November 19, 2024, from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at Akira Toki Middle School, 5606 Russett Road. There will be a brief presentation at the start, but feel free to drop in a stay for a few minutes or the entire time.  Learn about the Southwest Area Plan and other upcoming projects in the Southwest Area.

Upcoming Alder Events

Announcements and News Releases

Events

For the full list of upcoming events, please visit the City events calendar.

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District 6 - Alder Rummel

Alder Marsha Rummel

Alder Marsha A. Rummel

District 6
Contact Alder Rummel