Common Council

Common Council Decision on Oscar Mayer Special Area Plan

Hello Neighbors,

I want to give you a quick update on last night's Common Council meeting which ended this morning at 2:20 am so you may not have been able to stay for the end. Thank you to everyone who has participated in this process over the past four years and to those of you who have written emails and came to the meeting(s). Thanks to all the alders and staff for staying late and hearing the community's concerns.

Over the course of last night's Council meeting, I proposed several amendments to the Oscar Mayer Special Area Plan (OMSAP) and brought your voices to the table. 

Hartmeyer Wetlands: 

First, I attempted to protect and save all 30 acres of Hartmeyer Wetlands. Unfortunately, the motion was voted down by the Council. Next, I attempted to save 17.6 acres of Hartmeyer Wetlands. That was also voted down by the Council. Finally, I made a motion to protect 2 acres on the south end of Hartmeyer, in addition to the 14 acres protected per the last planning document (16 total acres). This motion passed; we were able to save 16 acres out of 30. Although I believe it was a mistake not to save all 30 acres, I still see this as a win. If you all remember, the City's initial plan only proposed saving three acres. We came a long way from 3 acres to 16 acres. These 16 acres were saved because of your dedication to protecting wetlands. Thank you for your hard work and effort. We did this together.

Coolidge Street:

I proposed a motion to only open Coolidge for bicycle and pedestrian entry and prohibit any vehicle entrance. Good news! As per the residents' desire, this motion was approved. 

Racial Justice and Social Equity:

Due to high contamination at the Oscar Mayer site, I proposed a motion to address racial justice and social equity during the OMSAP redevelopment process which must include assessing and preventing human exposure to toxic chemicals at the site and/or released from the site among all people, particularly people who are at-risk, low income, and people of color. That motion was also approved. I promise you all my priority will be to address contamination and keep protecting my constituents' health.   

Goal 3:

The last motion which I proposed to enter was to add an additional goal on page 53 of OMSAP. Goal 3: Prioritize the use of green building strategies and certifications in development and redevelopment projects to achieve holistic, integrated sustainability outcomes including water resource protection, waste reduction, climate resilience, and community health promotion. The purpose of that motion was to bring environmental sustainability from the building stand of point into our planning process. 

Overall, I want to say thank you everyone. I am humbled to see so many emails of appreciation from you this morning. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me.

Stay well!

Syed