Updates & Week of March 21 Meetings of Interest for District 2
postedDistrict 2 Updates and Meetings of Interest
City meetings remain online only with details listed in City Meetings of Interest below; all have virtual public participation options.
Stay in touch with your neighbors through either Capitol Neighborhoods, Inc. or Campus Area Neighborhood Assoc.
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There are three sections to this week's update:
- COVID-19 Resources & Information
- Other District 2 Updates
- City Meetings of Interest to District 2
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1. COVID-19 RESOURCES & INFORMATION
From Public Health Madison & Dane County:
- Where We Are in the COVID Pandemic
- Thank You Tour: Moving Forward Together
- COVID-19 vaccine webpage
- Learn about the many testing sites in Dane County (in Spanish)
- COVID-19 Data Dashboard
- The latest Data Notes
From the Mayor: Financial Assistance to Homeowners Impacted by the Coronavirus Pandemic Now Available via Wisconsin Help for Homeowners Program
Dane CORE - for rental and utility assistance. If you are a renter or landlord in need of financial assistance as a result of the pandemic, you can still access financial assistance.
Visit the City's Coronavirus Website for Madison's COVID responses and resources.
Dane County Food Pantry Network from Community Action Coalition.
State of Wisconsin COVID-19 resources and information from state agencies, including the State Dept. Public Health
Info on UW-Madison's response to the pandemic.
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2. OTHER DISTRICT 2 UPDATES
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City of Madison Absentee Ballots in the Mail (for April 5 Spring Election)
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Set-Out Dates for Spring Yard Waste Collection Now Available: Collection scheduled to begin the week of April 3
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Police & Fire Commission Announces Selection of Next Fire Chief
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Volunteers Needed: Earth Day Challenge - April 23rd - volunteers needed for James Madison Park and other nearby parks
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Masks Still Required on Metro Buses - The federal order remains in effect until April 18, 2022.
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Over the next few months, staff will be analyzing feedback on Metro's Network Redesign Draft Plan and making adjustments. Survey (online here and in Spanish here) will be available until the end of April. You can also provide feedback by emailing MetroRedesign@cityofmadison.com.
District 2 Voting Locations for April 5 Spring Election
On Tuesday, April 5, the Spring Election will be held. Redistricting changed some ward boundaries and many ward numbers. Earlier this month, polling place change postcards were sent to voters in wards where the polling place changed. Every voter is encouraged to double-check their polling place before heading out to vote in April, but you can also see District 2 polling places in the map above. For a higher resolution version of the map above, click here. District 2 voting locations -
- Ward 46 - Gates of Heaven, 302 E Gorham St
- Ward 47 - Bethel Lutheran, 312 Wisconsin Ave
- Ward 48 - Lowell Center, 610 Langdon St
- Ward 49 - Hillel at the University of Wisconsin, 611 Langdon St
- Ward 50 - Chazen Museum of Art, 750 University Ave
You can check your polling place on the MyVote Wisconsin website or at www.cityofmadison.com/WhereDoIVote.
For those curious about why previous voting locations in Madison public schools have moved, when polling locations were chosen the COVID-19 pandemic was still in full swing. At that time, MMSD preferred that the general public not be invited inside of the schools, so asked that those polling places move. It may be that school polling locations will return, but that is to be determined.
Voting Reminders from the City Clerk
As you prepare for the Spring Election on April 5, the City of Madison Clerk's Office has a few reminders for you:
- Click here to learn about what types of photo ID you can use for voting in Wisconsin.
- A recent court decision has a significant impact on how an absentee voter can return their completed absentee ballot. As a result of the decision, the use of absentee ballot drop boxes is prohibited and no one but the absentee voter is able to return their completed ballot. Find more information here.
- Voters can view a sample ballot for their address on the MyVote Wisconsin website. More details can be found here.
In-Person Absentee Voting
In-person absentee voting for the April 5 Spring Election will begin on Tuesday, March 22. The locations and schedule are listed on the City Clerk's website.
Voters who need to register for the first time or who need to update their registration because they've moved or changed their name can register at an in-person absentee voting site until Friday, April 1. No in-person absentee voting may occur on the day before the election.
March 22 Preconstruction Meeting for S. Blair & E. Washington Reconstruction
WisDOT has awarded the contract for this reconstruction project to Integrity Grading and Excavating, Inc. Work on this project will be completed in 2022 and 2023, with the work in 2022 being focused on S. Blair St., and the work in 2023 focused on E. Washington Ave. Construction is expected to begin during the week of March 21, but some prep work will likely be starting during the week of March 14.
A public meeting will be held on March 22 at 4:30 p.m. at the Essen Haus (514 E. Wilson St.) to discuss the construction schedule and impacts. While the vast majority of the reconstruction will take place in Alder District 6, represented by Alder Brian Benford, there are expected to be substantial impacts on motor vehicles, pedestrians, and bicylists, who may be traveling to/from/through District 2.
Visit the project page here where you can also sign up for email updates on road construction.
Construction Impacts Start Monday, March 21
On Monday, March 21, Integrity Grading & Excavating will begin work at the John Nolen Drive, S Blair Street, & E Wilson Street intersection. Northbound Blair Street will be reduced to one traffic lane, which will result in travel delays during peak travel times.
Starting approximately Friday, April 1, major excavation will begin. During this time, Blair Street will be fully closed to traffic between East Washington Avenue and East Wilson Street. Westbound E Washington Avenue traffic will not be allowed to turn left onto Blair Street and eastbound John Nolen Drive traffic will be forced to turn right onto Williamson Street. However, one southbound traffic lane will be maintained during the morning rush hour each weekday--7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
March 30 Downtown Focused Transit Network Redesign Public Meeting
From Metro Transit
Please join us, Wednesday March 30th, for a public meeting regarding the Transit Network Redesign. This meeting is one of many occurring throughout neighborhoods & communities and will focus on plans that serve Downtown Area Residents of Alder Districts 2, 4 and 8. The meeting will be held virtually via Zoom and begins at 6pm. Register for the meeting here.
Existing Buildings
Proposed Building
March 28 Meeting of Steering Committee for 400 Block of State Redevelopment Proposal
The steering committee of the Mansion Hill District of Capitol Neighborhoods, Inc. (CNI), that is evaluating the redevelopment proposal put forth by JD McCormick Properties for 428 to 444 State Street is scheduled to meet again virtually on Monday, March 28 at 5:30pm. The Zoom link for the upcoming meeting was unavailable as of publication, but if you'd like to attend, join the steering committee's email list, or give input on the proposal, please email me at district2@cityofmadison.com.
The developer proposes to demolish the existing three mixed-use buildings and construct a new six-story, mixed-use building with 26 dwelling units and a first-floor commercial space. The developer will be seeking Demolition Permits and will need formal approvals from the Urban Design Commission and Plan Commission. You can find the project plans and land use application here. Note that the building front facade is expected to change from the image above with a reduction in the number of windows in the middle of the front facade and some color/material changes in the corner sections.
At the Mansion Hill steering committee meetings, attendees have expressed a mixture of opinions about the proposed building and the proposed demolitions of the three existing buildings. Some have found that the proposed building's increase in housing units and its design are appropriate for State Street and that the existing buildings have outlived their useful lives. Other attendees have raised concerns about the lack of affordable rents for the apartments, the displacement of the ground floor local businesses, the loss of history and character associated with the existing buildings, and the proposed height of the front facade (4 stories) being too tall.
On Jan. 31, the Landmarks Commission considered the requested demolitions of the three buildings. The city staff report on these buildings is here. As with all proposed demolitions in the city, Landmarks provided an advisory finding to Plan Commission who makes the decisions on demolitions. For the building at 440-444 State Street Landmarks found that (paraphrased) it has historic value related to the vernacular context of Madison's built environment, but the building itself is not historically, architecturally or culturally significant. For 432-436 and 428-430 State Street (2 buildings) the Commission found that (paraphrased) the buildings have historic value based on architectural significance, cultural significance, historic significance, and/or its status as a contributing structure in a National Register Historic District. For these buildings, it seemed that the Commission's finding was based primarily on the buildings being contributing structures in an eligible, but not approved, State Street National Historic District and perhaps on their architectural significance and cultural significance, as well as being examples of a certain architectural style. Decades ago an effort to designate a State Street National Historic District failed due to many property owners rejecting the concept.
Currently, it is expected that the Urban Design Commission will formally consider the proposal at their April 13 meeting. UDC's purview is limited mostly to the exterior design of the proposed building and its conformity to the Downtown Urban Design Guidelines. Plan Commission's consideration of the Demolition Permit Application and requested Conditional Uses is now expected on April 25.
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3. CITY MEETINGS OF INTEREST TO DISTRICT 2
Below are some pertinent agenda items from city committees that are meeting this week. If you click on meeting "Details" below, you will find participation and viewing options, and a link to the full meeting agenda. If you click on an item from within an agenda, you will see all documents that relate to that item.
I appreciate hearing from you on any agenda items on which you have a particular interest or concern.
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Finance Committee: Details
4:30pm, Monday, March 21, 2022
ITEMS TO BE CONSIDERED
Agenda Item 15
Amending the 2022 Operating Budget and Setting the 2022 Rates for the Sewer and Stormwater. (Citywide)
Agenda Item 16
Amending the Police Department's 2022 operating budget, and authorizing the Mayor and Chief of Police or designee to accept a Juvenile Justice Title II grant award from the State of Wisconsin Department of Justice in the amount of $33,600 in pass-through funding to RISE Wisconsin, Inc. for youth mentoring in the Community Violence Intervention: Breaking the Cycle wraparound services pilot program
CLOSED SESSION
When the Finance Committee considers the following matter, it may go into closed session pursuant to sec. 19.85(1)(e), Wis. Stats., which reads as follows:
Deliberating or negotiating the purchasing of public properties, the investing of public funds, or conducting other specified public business, whenever competitive or bargaining reasons require a closed session.
If the Finance Committee does go into closed session, notice is hereby given pursuant to sec. 19.85(2), Wis. Stats., that it may reconvene in open session without waiting 12 hours as specified in the statute
Agenda Item 17
Discussion of State Street Campus Garage Mixed-Use Project
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Plan Commission: Details
5:30pm, Monday, March 21, 2022
PUBLIC HEARINGS
Zoning Text Amendment
Agenda Item 3
Amending Sections 28.071 and 28.151 to allow for residential uses on the ground floor of buildings within the lesser of forty percent (40%) or forty (40) feet in Mixed-Use and Multi-Family buildings on specified downtown streets.
Sponsors: Michael E. Verveer, Patrick W. Heck, Brian Benford
Partial Staff Memo:
This amendment modifies ordinance requirements for mixed-use developments in some Downtown and Urban Zoning Districts. In the Supplemental Regulations for "Dwelling Units in Mixed-Use Buildings (MGO 28.151), the code currently prohibits residential use on the ground floor of buildings on specific downtown street frontages. The purpose of this prohibition is to ensure active, destination commercial streets in the downtown. The proposed code change allows some first floor residential use toward the rear of lots, while preserving commercial storefronts along key street frontages.
Full Staff Memo is here.
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Street Use Staff Commission: Details
10:00am, Wednesday, March 23, 2022
STREET USE PERMITS FOR CONSIDERATION AND VOTE
Agenda Item 3
CRAZYLEGS CLASSIC
Friday, April 29, 2022 - setup 2:00pm Saturday, April 30, 2022, course setup 6:00am / run 9:50am - 2:00pm / take down 5:00pm
Start: Confluence at Library Mall (700-800 State Street)
Finish: Camp Randall Stadium
Run/Walk
See map/application for closures
Discuss route, schedule, and setup
UW Athletic Department / Shane Burgess
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Transportation Commission: Details
5:00pm, Wednesday, March 23, 2022
ITEMS TO BE CONSIDERED
Agenda Item 2
Safe Streets Madison Program
60 mins
Agenda Item 4
BCycle Update
20 mins
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Housing Strategy Committee: Details
5:00pm, Thursday, March 24, 2022
DISCUSSION ITEMS
Agenda Item 2
Housing Forward- Homeownership Strategies 2022 and Beyond
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Plan Commission: Details
5:00pm, Thursday, March 24, 2022
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE PLAN COMMISSION
SPECIAL ITEM OF BUSINESS
Agenda Item 2
Overview of Metro Transit Network Redesign
Agenda Item 3
Update and Discussion: Transit-Oriented Development Overlay Zoning
Agenda Item 4
Update and Discussion: Proposed Planning Framework
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Alder Juliana Bennett
District 2
Contact Alder Bennett
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