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Engineering

Sauk Creek Greenway

November 21, 2024 Update

Join the City for the fourth public meeting to learn about what is proposed in the Draft Final Sauk Creek Corridor Plan! The virtual public meeting on December 4 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Registration prior to the meeting is required. 

Dec. 4, 2024 Public Information Meeting Registration

We will share the draft improvements for the channel and maintenance access, ecological restoration improvements, and explain how volunteer conservation work is organized on stormwater land. In addition to attending the meeting, you will be able to share input via: 

  • A survey posted to the project page 12/4 - 12/15
  • Sign-ups for field walk thrus in early December (details to be provided on this webpage once finalized)
    • It should be noted that because the corridor plan is showing conceptual improvements there are not design details available to share at on-site meetings. Typically on-site meetings occur during the design phase when there are specific design elements and clear impacts to discuss. Right now, the City does not have that level of detail.
View past project updates »

Project Details

  • Location

    • 7425 Farmington Way
      Madison, WI 53717

  • Project Type

  • Status

    Planning

  • Estimated Schedule

    –

  • Alder District

    District 9

Project Information

Overview

Sauk Creek Greenway corridor shown from Tree Lane at Haen Family Park to Old Sauk Road and High Point road. A channel winds through the greenway. An existing sanitary access path goes from Tree Lane and Randolf north to Plover Cir, and around the pond off N High Point Rd. There are access points from Walnut Grove Park, Tree Lane and Randolf, and N High Point, and sidewalk access from Farmington Way, Brule Cir, and Gray Fox Trl.

This project began based on the need to stabilize the stormwater channel, and create maintenance access. This is still the primary goal of any future construction project. However, due to the size and complexity of this greenway and adjacent ponds, including additional considerations for trees, vegetation, public use, mobility and accessibility on public land, and based on the feedback that we received so far, we plan to re-start engagement with a broader approach. We are calling this broader approach a "Corridor Plan" because we are looking at the entire stormwater corridor. This includes the entire greenway (including the east-west section near Haen Family Park that wasn't in the original 2018 discussion), and the 2 adjacent, existing stormwater treatment ponds. Our first objective is to obtain community feedback on the greenway corridor as a whole, instead of as individual construction projects. Through this engagement process, we want to learn more about the community’s values and develop a conceptual plan for the corridor.  There is currently no design for any element of the corridor, and there will be multiple public meetings and opportunities to provide input on the corridor plan as it develops. The final corridor plan will serve as a framework for future planning and construction phases of the greenway. Each construction phase will have a separate public engagement process to discuss more detailed design elements. 

The corridor plan development will consist of a 7-step process where we plan to share information, and obtain input on specific aspects of the corridor. 

  1. Conditions Assessment

    Tree inventory (complete)

    Topographic survey (complete) 

    Pheasant Branch Watershed Study (complete) 

    Wetland Delineations (complete)

    Ecological and Channel Assessment (2023)

    West Area Plan (2023-2024)

  2. Issues and Opportunities

    Kick-off Meeting

    Focus Groups

  3. Concept Refinement

    Public Meeting

     

  4. Draft Preliminary Corridor Plan

    Internal advisory group generates corridor concepts

    Public Meeting & Focus Groups to gather feedback

  5. Draft Final Corridor Plan

    Internal advisory group refines corridor concept

    Public Meeting to gather feedback

  6. Final Corridor Plan and Implementation

    Internal advisory group finalizes corridor plan

    Public Meeting to gather feedback

  7. Approval Process

    Ultimate Decision Makers 

    Board of Public Works—Entire Corridor Plan

    Common Council – Entire Corridor Plan

     

Corridor Plan Development & Engagement

The components of the plan can be aggregated into 3 main areas—water, land and people and they are described below. There will be engagement opportunities within each step of the corridor plan.  

The major takeaways of the proposed engagement plan include: 

  • We will work together to develop a Corridor Plan 
    • The Corridor Plan will serve as a conceptual plan (not a design for construction) 
  • The Corridor Planning process will take more than 1 year 
  • This is a special engagement process developed based on what we heard from the community
  • The kick-off meeting is focused on understanding community values and goals, and sharing baseline information. Detailed conversations will occur once more information is available

In late September, 2023, the City presented the engagement plan to presidents of adjacent neighborhood associations, as well as, to leaders of the Friends of Sauk Creek to obtain feedback on the proposed plan. The engagement plan, explained in detail in the presentation below, explains the aspects of the corridor vision the community can shape, and the timeline for the development of the plan. You can view the presentation below and the notes from the Feedback and Q&A following the presentation.

Water

Water Flow Lines Sauk Creek
Sauk Creek should be designed to be a part of a flood-resilient watershed

Sauk Creek should be designed to be a part of a flood-resilient watershed.

Designing in access will allow for maintenance and repairs of public infrastructure

Designing in access will allow for maintenance and repairs of public infrastructure.

State and Federal regulations mandate the City maintain non-erosive channels

State and Federal regulations mandate the City maintain non-erosive channels.

Existing stormwater treatment ponds are no longer effectively removing sediment and nutrients

Existing stormwater treatment ponds are no longer effectively removing sediment and nutrients.

Stabilizing the channel will improve water quality in downstream ponds and lakes

Stabilizing the channel will improve water quality in downstream ponds and lakes.

For more information please see the Water subpage. 

Land

A tree inventory completed by certified arborists in 2017 and 2021 shows an estimated 4,740 trees in the corridor. 

Land Map Sauk Creek Lines
Land photo 1

Trees and vegetation have essential stormwater functions:

  • Infiltration 
  • Slope stabilization 
  • Erosion control 
Sauk Creek Land 4 photo

Trees and vegetation provide other ecosystem services including:

  • Pollinator habitat 
  • Carbon storage 
  • Heath of residents 
  • Biodiversity 
  • Wildlife habitat
  • Urban canopy 
Sauk Creek Land 2 photo

Ecological assessment is underway.

Wildlife

The City works to mitigate impacts to wildlife through the design and construction process including: consulting with wildlife experts, prioritizing tree preservation, altering construction practices, and relocating wildlife in advance of construction where appropriate. 

The City works to improve wildlife habitat by considering ecological restoration in conjunction with stormwater construction projects. 

Caption: Rusty Patch Bumble Bee, a federally endangered species, found on a City of Madison reconstructed stormwater pond

Rusty Patch Bumble Bee, a federally endangered species, found on a City of Madison reconstructed stormwater pond.

For more information please visit the Land subpage. 

People

The primary function of the corridor is for stormwater conveyance and treatment. However, as it is public land, we want to create as many co-benefits for people to access and utilize the corridor as well.  

Use

  • How is the corridor used? 
  • What does the community value? 
  • What goals should the corridor plan address?

Accessibility

  • How is the corridor an accessible public space for everyone to enjoy? 
  • Are there existing barriers that can be addressed with the corridor plan?

Mobility

The West Area Plan looked at bicycle and pedestrian transportation connections, including potential connections in and across the Sauk Creek Greenway.

The West Area Plan ultimately was adopted without a North-South multi-use path through the greenway, but did include the recommendation for an East-West connection across the greenway. You can learn more on the West Area Plan project webpage.    

Following the adoption of the plan, the City investigated the potential locations for an East-West path connection through the greenway, and found it did not overlap enough with the stormwater improvements to be included in the corridor plan. You can learn more in the October 22, 2024 Public Information Meeting Presentation with Polling Results presentation slides 54-63. The findings will be documented for consideration in the future.

For more information, please visit the People subpage.

Project Schedule 

The Corridor Plan process is anticipated to last through 2024. In early 2025, the City will begin identifying the design phasing for this section (the phasing will be determined later in the corridor planning process) and develop a preliminary design based on the corridor plan. The detailed engineering design, as well as public engagement and final permitting, will last at least 6-9 months. Therefore construction will not begin in the corridor until fall 2025 at the earliest. 

Public Involvement

There are a number of points of contact during this project where the public is encouraged to give feedback as part of public information meetings and City board and committee meetings. Dates and times are indicated below:

Public Information Meetings

Dec. 4, 2024 Public Information Meeting Registration

  • Final Corridor Plan & Implementation, Public Meeting, Winter 2024-2025
    Meeting information will be posted when available

City Meetings, Process 

Board of Public Works: New information will be posted when available.
Common Council: New information will be posted when available.

Information Archive from Pre-Corridor Plan 

A public information meeting was held for the original, proposed project March 13, 2018. 
March 13, 2018 Public Information Meeting PowerPoint Presentation
Public Comments Received Through March 30, 2018

Separate, yet related public information meetings were held for the Pheasant Branch Watershed Study, which contains the Sauk Creek Greenway. Three public information meetings for the Madison Pheasant Branch Watershed Study were held May 4, 2019, June 18, 2020 and February 10, 2022. The February 10, 2022 meeting was followed by a break-out group per proposed solution.

For more detailed information about the 2017 tree inventory, and the ability to view tree locations and ratings, please view the Sauk Creek Greenway Restoration Tree Survey Story Map .This map was created in 2018 and will be updated with the ecological assessment information in early 2024.

The Ecological Summary, authored by Tree Health Management after completing the 2017 tree inventory, can be found here: Sauk Creek Ecological Summary Each tree greater than 3” in diameter was surveyed and given a condition rating. This occurred from November-December of 2017. The collected Tree Data in Excel spreadsheet format can be found here: Tree Data

Engineering created a document that responds to frequently asked questions about the Sauk Creek Greenway Restoration Project in October 2022 to address the common questions at that time.  The FAQ can be accessed here: Sauk Creek Greenway Restoration Frequently Asked Questions_October, 2022.

Sauk Creek Greenway Restoration Full Webpage Archive_10-13-23.

Project Updates

November 21, 2024 Update

Join the City for the fourth public meeting to learn about what is proposed in the Draft Final Sauk Creek Corridor Plan! The virtual public meeting on December 4 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Registration prior to the meeting is required. 

Dec. 4, 2024 Public Information Meeting Registration

We will share the draft improvements for the channel and maintenance access, ecological restoration improvements, and explain how volunteer conservation work is organized on stormwater land. In addition to attending the meeting, you will be able to share input via: 

  • A survey posted to the project page 12/4 - 12/15
  • Sign-ups for field walk thrus in early December (details to be provided on this webpage once finalized)
    • It should be noted that because the corridor plan is showing conceptual improvements there are not design details available to share at on-site meetings. Typically on-site meetings occur during the design phase when there are specific design elements and clear impacts to discuss. Right now, the City does not have that level of detail.
October 23, 2024 Update

Thank you to everyone who attended the October 22, 2024 Virtual Public Information Meeting! The meeting recording is now available: Oct. 22, 2024 Public Information Meeting Recording

The presentation slides with polling results are now available: October 22, 2024 Public Information Meeting Presentation with Polling Results

Also, please be aware that there is scheduled sanitary sewer cleaning for the sewer mains that run through the greenway that will be beginning shortly. The standard sanitary vactor truck will be cleaning the sanitary sewer and will be followed by a truck that will televise the pipes to assess their condition. In order to get the trucks safely over the crossing near Tree Lane, swamp mats will be temporarily placed in the crossing. This work will last approximately 2.5 weeks. Any encroachments in the greenway near the access path should be removed in advance of the maintenance so equipment can use the access path as needed. Please provide space to, and be respectful of City staff and equipment completing this important preventative maintenance.

October 7, 2024 Update

Join the City for the third public meeting about the Sauk Creek Corridor Plan at 6:30 p.m., Oct. 22, 2024, via Zoom. Registration prior is required.

Oct. 22, 2024 Public Information Meeting Registration

We will share draft improvements for the channel, maintenance access, and restoration. We will be seeking additional input from the community on the draft improvements, and there will be an opportunity to attend breakout groups at the end of the meeting to share area-specific vegetation input.  

Staff will provide some initial ideas on the West Area Plan's East-West multi-use path connection. Preliminary review of concepts show construction of a path would not align enough with the stormwater improvements to be built together and path plans are not being developed further at this time. 

July 12, 2024 Update

Thank you to everyone who attend the July 9, 2024 Virtual Public Information Meeting! The meeting recording is now available: July 9, 2024 Public Information Meeting Recording.

The presentation slides with polling results are now available: July 9, 2024 Public Information Meeting Presentation with Polling Results

You can also view the full Ecological Assessment completed by Heartland Ecological Group: Sauk Creek Greenway Ecological Assessment  Report – May 16, 2024.

June 27, 2024 Update

You are invited to join the City for the second public meeting about the Sauk Creek Corridor Plan on Tuesday, July 9 from 6:30-8:30 p.m., via Zoom. The City will share the results of the ecological assessment and channel assessment. The City will also provide information about maintenance access. We will be asking the community to provide input on ecological concerns, channel design, and future maintenance.

May 20, 2024 Update

The West Area Plan is hosting additional public meetings from May 20 through June 6 as posted on the project webpage. Following the additional public meetings and review of additional comments and feedback, Planning staff will develop a Final DRAFT for further review and comment by City boards, committees, and commissions, which may propose further edits.

The Sauk Creek Corridor Plan’s next meeting will occur in late June or early July, with a date to be determined. We will post an update on this webpage when we finalize the date. 

February 12, 2024 Update

The West Area Plan has scheduled upcoming public meetings. Please see the West Area Plan webpage for details. 

January 30, 2024 Update

For those interested in an opportunity to provide input on citywide vegetation management on stormwater utility lands, please visit the City Engineering Stormwater Utility Vegetation Management Plan webpage. 

January 18, 2024 Update

Thank you to all who attended the kick-off meetings in November. The City has consolidated and summarized the questions and comments we received during those meetings, as well as a response to some commonly asked questions. We look forward to answering the rest of your questions during upcoming meetings.

Summary of comments received during kick-off meetings

Responses to common questions from kick-off meetings

List of questions and comments received during kick-off meetings

If you did not have the opportunity to share your values and goals for the project during the meetings, or via the online survey, we would appreciate you responding to the questions in the Sauk Creek Greenway Corridor Plan - Share Your Values & Goals Survey. Please only respond to these questions once. The City will aggregate the responses and share the results following at the end of the "Issues and Opportunities" phase of the corridor plan.

November 10, 2023 Update

Thank you to everyone who attended the Nov. 9, 2023 Virtual Public Information Meeting. The meeting recording is now available: 
Nov. 9, 2023 Public Information Meeting Recording

November 7, 2023 Update

Thank you to everyone who attended the in-person kick-off meeting on Nov. 6, 2023! The meeting slides are now available: Nov. 6, 2023 In-Person Kick-off Meeting PowerPoint Presentation

If you did not have the opportunity to respond to the 6 questions posted around the meeting room, you may respond to the questions in the Sauk Creek Greenway Corridor Plan - Share Your Values & Goals Survey. Please only respond to these questions once. The City will aggregate the responses and share the results following at the end of the "Issues and Opportunities" phase of the corridor plan.

October 16, 2023 Update

Kick-off Meeting:

We are excited to announce the dates for the kick-off meetings of the Sauk Creek Corridor Plan. Due to the immense interest in the corridor, and to accommodate as many people as possible, the kick-off meeting will be held in both in-person and virtual formats on separate dates. The meetings will cover the same information, so you only need to attend one, but are welcome to attend both meetings.

The meetings will provide an overview of the three main aspects impacting the corridor—water, land and people, and will explain the corridor plan process so you know what to expect over the coming year. During this first meeting, we want to hear about your values, how you use the corridor, and your goals for the corridor plan. There will be an opportunity to share your input, as well as tell us what questions you’d like answered during the corridor plan process.

In-person: Monday, November 6 from 6:30-8:30pm at Vel Phillips Memorial High School, Wisconsin Neighborhood Center, Room 1210, 201 S Gammon Rd, Madison, WI 53717. Please enter at south entrance through the main doors, take a left, and room 1210 will be on your left. Please register for this meeting at this link on Eventbrite so we can make sure we have enough chairs and tables. There is no fee or ticket required to attend.

A virtual Public Information Meeting was held on Thursday, November 9 from 6:30-8:30pm via Zoom.

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