Meetings and Updates Week of August 21st

Meetings and Updates Week of August 21st 

• City Meetings:
  • Board of Public Works 8/23
  • Transportation Commission 8/23
• Car Wash Proposal at 3909 Lien Rd
• Let’s Dig More Rain Gardens!
• Metro Transit Service Adjustments and Back-To-School Service Routes
• Events & Announcements

City Meetings

Board of Public Works

The Board of Public Works meeting will take place on Wednesday, August 23, 2023 in virtual format at 4:30 PM. Agenda items include an informational presentation on proposed changes to the Madison General Ordinances to create a “privilege in greenway” process and an informational presentation on the stormwater utility land management plan.

• Meeting Agenda
• Register for Public Comment
• Watch Online

Transportation Commission

The Transportation Commission meeting will take place on Wednesday, August 23, 2023 in virtual format at 5PM. Agenda items include the approval of Metro Transit Bus Stop Changes in the BRT Corridor and an informational presentation and request to hold a public hearing on 9/27 regarding Metro Transit Network Refinements.

• Meeting Agenda
• Register for Public Comment
• Watch Online

Car Wash Proposal at 3913 Lien Rd

Club Car Wash proposes to build a car wash building on the two out-lots along East Washington Avenue at 3913 Lien Road in District 3, zoned CC-T (commercial corridor – transitional). The site is in front of the former hotel at 3841 East Wash being converted into a residential building. The proposal conforms (minimally) to the story height and setback requirements of the TOD Overlay ordinance with office space proposed in the second floor above the car wash.

Here's the City’s project webpage for the car wash lot combination proposal and here is a link to their design plans (see images near the bottom of the file). This proposal involves combining the two existing outlots along East Wash into a single lot, which will be on the 9/5 Common Council agenda, plus the development itself which I believe will be on the 8/28 Plan Commission agenda. The Urban Design Commission reviewed the building design and materials on 8/14 and recommended approval with a few design change conditions related to the landscaping and roof profile. Legal counsel for the applicant mistakenly told the Commission on Monday that I have indicated support of the proposal as alder of the district, a point that I have corrected with that speaker.  I am not very excited about this one. I’m skeptical about the wisdom of adding yet another auto-oriented service in this area (half a mile from Triton Auto Spa), on the same block as a bus stop for the forthcoming, high-frequency Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service. This site is also within walking distance of two grocery stores, across the street from the future Reindahl Imagination Center at Reindahl Park, and many, many jobs – so I would much prefer to see a proposal that includes housing, “third-space” locations where neighbors can spend time, or community-oriented services that meet the needs of more than just drivers. BRT and other transit-oriented development in the TOD Overlay District will bring many more pedestrians and bicyclists into this area. Car washes need a lot of space and bring idling vehicles. My understanding is that the Plan Commission can’t really consider the hypothetical other uses of a site when considering the merits of an individual development proposal like this, but we can look at consistency with adopted neighborhood plans like the Greater East Towne Area Plan. That Plan calls for a Community Mixed-Use zoning category for this area, which a Comprehensive Plan supplemental document describes as: “Relatively high-intensity mix of residential, retail, office, institutional, and civic uses, generally located adjacent to a major transportation corridor”, with two to six stories. I’m discussing these standards of approval with City planning staff to make sure I fully understand the applicable approval standards as they relate to this proposal.

If neighbors or constituents have input on this proposal, please send that my way!

Let’s Dig More Rain Gardens!

Last week’s rainy weather and the Door Creek Watershed Study meeting about flood projections on Wednesday 8/16 have me thinking about stormwater lately. Here’s the recording for those interested – if you live in the Watershed Study area (most of Grandview Commons in District 3), it’s worth a watch. I learned that the Door Creek watershed spans 3,700 acres and includes 1.5 miles of drainage greenway, 13.5 miles of streams, 21.8 miles of storm pipes, 14 retention ponds, and is 16% impervious (surfaces that don’t allow rainwater to infiltrate into the ground). The recording shows maps that highlight areas of the watershed that are more likely, determined by a computer model, to flood under a 10% annual chance storm event (you can think of this as the most severe annual rain event over a decade) as well as for a 1% annual chance storm (the same over a century).

We know that the climate is changing, that the Dane County area receives more annual precipitation on average than we used to, and that more of that rain falls in more intense events with more rainfall during a short period of time. Several graphics shown in the 8/16 presentation recording visualize Madison-area observed data that illustrates this point. Our stormwater infrastructure, beyond the Door Creek watershed, will be tested by these events and we all have an interest in limiting flood impacts in the community.One great individual action that homeowners with space (and the right conditions) can take is to install a rain garden to capture and retain runoff, allowing rainwater to infiltrate into the ground instead of running downstream. The City has a 1,000 Rain Garden Goal and needs residents’ help to reach that goal. If you already have a rain garden, and want it included on a future interactive map the City is working on, email the photo to engineer@cityofmadison.com with the location. A point representing each rain garden will be added to the map, but addresses and information will remain private.City Engineering also offers rain gardens in City terraces in conjunction with street reconstructions and resurfacing projects, where criteria are met. The goal of the Stormwater Terrace Program is to improve water quality by capturing and infiltrating stormwater runoff closer to where it falls and to help residents see stormwater treatment in action.

Digging a rain garden takes some work but is very rewarding. Above are two pictures of the rain garden my partner and I dug in our backyard last year to capture runoff from downspouts on our house, planted with native pollinator-friendly plants. We used this DNR Rain Garden Manual to determine its best location and to design its size, shape, and plants. Our rain garden plants are from the Plant Dane Native Plant Sale (2024 sale orders open in Feb 2024!).

Metro Transit Service Adjustments and Back-To-School Metro Routes

Following the rollout of the new Transit network map and schedules in June, Metro Transit is making some adjustments to select service routes and times (mostly downtown and on the west side) in response to driver and rider feedback. You can read more about those at this webpage listing the routes with changes.

Families with high school-age kids should also be aware that Metro Transit posted the high school service routes on this PDF. Perhaps a better way to find these routes/schedules is to use Google Maps (but know that you need to select a date during the school year). My colleague Alder Yannette Figueroa-Cole shared a helpful guide to this process in a recent blog post.

Events & Announcements 

• East Side Farmers' Market, Tuesday, August 22, 2023: The Eastside Farmers' Market is Madison Wisconsin’s finest weekday farmers' market. Our goal is to bring the freshest Wisconsin grown food direct to the heart of the East side. Our vendor members are agricultural producers and food artisans who make value added products from Wisconsin's agricultural bounty.
• The Capitol View Farmers’ Market, Wednesday, August 23, 2023: The Capitol View Farmers Market is returning to the North Star Neighborhood! Join us each Wednesday (May 31-October 11, 2023) from 3:00-7:00pm to support local farmers and vendors, enjoy live music and food carts, and make the most of summer in Madison!
• Cyclocross Practice Ride | Door Creek Park, Wednesday, August 23, 2023: We've partnered with Capital Off-Road Pathfinders in offering a free, temporary cyclocross course to practice your biking skills. Each event is open from 5-7pm at the designated location. You will need a bike with knobby tires, such as a mountain bike style and a good-fitting helmet. Some parks do not have restrooms, please plan accordingly. Cyclocross is a form of bicycle racing similar to cross country running but on a bicycle. Courses feature wooded trails, grass, pavement, steep hills, and obstacles.

• HUD-Approved Homebuyer Education "Your Path to Homeownership" (Two Part Hybrid Class) 2 of 2 (August 19 & 26th), Saturday, August 26, 2023: Your Path to Homeownership is provided by La Casa de Esperanza, a Non-Profit HUD Approved Housing Counseling Agency dedicated to assisting individuals and families to increase income, build savings and gain assets. Our focus on financial wellness is supported by the Center’s programs and services which include; home buyer education and counseling, free tax services, employment coaching, financial coaching and access to financial workshops. Our people-centered approach supports our belief that everyone deserves an opportunity to work on their financial wellness.

• Bird & Nature Adventures | Edna Taylor, Saturday, August 26, 2023: Birds, Bugs & Bees with Doug Davis and Paul Noeldner ~ Join Naturalists Doug Davis and Paul Noeldner for a free fun family-friendly guided outing to enjoy the birds on the branches, bugs in the bushes, and bees buzzing in the blossoms! Bring binoculars or a camera if you have one. Learn how to use Merlin and Seek to help you identify and learn about birds and plants you see.

• Join us at Pinney Library on September 16, 2023 from 9:30AM-2PM for a Spanish Language Book Fair featuring books for children, teens and adults sourced from the Feria Internacional del Libro de Guadalajara and from the library's growing collection! This is your opportunity to learn about all Madison Public LIbrary has to offer Spanish-speakers + weigh in on future programs at the library. Save the date!

• ¡Únase a nosotros en la Biblioteca Pinney el 16 de septiembre 2023 de 9:30AM hasta 2PM para una feria del libro en español que presenta libros para niños, adolescentes y adultos provenientes de la Feria internacional del libro de Guadalajara y de la creciente colección de la biblioteca! Esta es su oportunidad de conocer todo lo que la Biblioteca Pública de Madison tiene para ofrecer a los hispanohablantes y opinar sobre los programas futuros de la biblioteca. ¡Aparta la fecha!

• The Madison Black Chamber of Commerce launched the MBCC Means Business Program, which offers a 4-week Incubator and an invitation to participate in an 11-week Accelerator Program. Each program is different but have similarities. Topics include Sales, Marketing, Money Operations and Financing, eCommerce and more. Program benefits include joining and receiving support for the MBCC Program Alumni, Mentorship, and access to over $5,000 in MBCC Shared Services Benefits. And…. Speaking of the MBCC Shared Services. We have over $400,000 in our MBCC Shared Services Program to invest in Black and BIPOC entrepreneurs. Our goal is to enroll MBCC Program Participants into the Shared Services Program as Vendors to provide services to the MBCC Program’s portfolio companies. Learn more about the MBCC Program here !

• Get Rooted in Nature this September with the Naturalist-in-Residence Program at Madison Public Library: MADISON, WI – Madison Public Library’s popular Naturalist-in-Residence program returns for its second year this September!