Common Council

Upcoming Traffic & Parking Disruption From The Continental Construction

• At the corner of E. Mifflin Street and N. Franklin Street, MG&E will occupy the intersection for approximately one week.
• The first block of N. Franklin will be shut down to through traffic and turned into a temporary two-way street to allow resident/tenant access for approximately four weeks once the work in Mifflin Street is completed. 
• It is anticipated that N. Franklin will be a temporary two-way street until the first part of November. 
• This two-way conversion will remove all parking on the first block of N. Franklin Street.

If you have any questions or concerns, please email mhaack@cdsmith.com or call 920-517-3613.

Dark Horse Art Bar Informational Meeting on Oct. 3

At 2:30pm on Sunday, Oct. 3, Dark Horse Art Bar will host an informational meeting for neighbors to learn about their new business and their applications for a Class B Beer & Liquor application and an 18+ Center for Visual & Performing Arts License application. The location for the new business and Sunday's informational meeting is the former Star Bar at 756 E. Washington on the ground floor of the Constellation.

Dark Horse Art Bar is owned by Patrick DePula, who also owns Salvatore's Tomato Pies next door. The liquor license application indicates hours of operation from 4pm to 2am Tuesday through Sunday although Mr. DePula indicates that Dark Horse Art Bar will generally close at 10pm on Sundays, midnight Tuesdays through Thursdays, and 2am on Friday and Saturday nights. He indicates that wants the flexibility to stay open later than those expected hours during the week, particularly when there are events at Breese Stevens or The Sylvee.

The 18+ Center for Visual & Performing Arts License application indicates that the entertainment offered will be performance art, spoken word, and live independent music. They estimate 60% of their revenue from alcohol sales, 15% from food, and 25% from sales of art.

Both of the requested licenses were recommended for approval at the Sept. 29 Alcohol License Review Committee meeting. The last step in the approval process will be at the Oct. 5 Common Council meeting. If residents have any input, questions or concerns, please attend the informational meeting or contact me asap (district2@cityofmadison.com). 

Dane County Fire Truck Parade: Sunday, Oct. 3

The annual Dane County Fire Truck Parade is on Sunday, October 3! The parade starts on State Street at 1pm and ends at Capitol Square. The parade is sponsored by the Dane County Fire Chiefs Association and the Madison Fire Department.

Streets Division Updates

• Brush collection is over. Do not set brush out to the curb for pickup. Collection will return in 2022.  Take brush to a drop-off site.
• Drop-off site hours are different this year. Be sure you know what the hours are before loading your vehicle. Learn the hours and more at www.cityofmadison.com/DropOffSites.
• Collection of fall yard waste (includes leaf collection) begins in October. Learn when to set out your yard waste for pickup by going to www.cityofmadison.com/yardwaste.
• Remember: large item collection is different! You need to schedule your large item pickup before you place items on the curb at www.cityofmadison.com/LargeItemWorkOrder
• Winter is coming. Get the information you need about winter parking, snow plowing operations, correct salt usage, and more at www.cityofmadison.com/Winter.

Update on Redistricting Process for Alder Districts

At their last meeting, the Ad Hoc Redistricting Committee expressed a strong preference for a new map called Concept 7a. In all concepts that have been explored, the boundaries of each and every alder district would change due to population growth that has varied since the previous census and redistricting. In addition, the impending absorption of the Town of Madison into the City in October of 2022 has influenced districts' proposed boundary changes. Each alder district is expected to have a resident population of approximately 13,700 with some small variations allowed.

Many alders, including me, and members of the public have advocated for keeping together various communities of interest, neighborhoods, neighborhood associations, etc., or to make them intact. Doing so, while equalizing population is a tough task and it is impossible to create or preserve all communities of interest, but the Ad Hoc Committee has been working hard to accommodate as many as possible. That said, there are many alternate concepts that have been evaluated and there could be more to come as the committee wraps up it works and the final redistricting map is agreed upon by Common Council, likely at our Nov. 2 meeting,

As you can see from the image above, there are substantial changes proposed for the center of Madison where population growth has been particularly high. In Concept 7a, the Tenney-Lapham Neighborhood would remain intact, but would move to District 6 across E. Washington. The Sherman Terrace area and the many apartments along Fordem Ave. would move to District 12. UW-Madison dorms would all be in District 8, but student-dominated areas in the Langdon Street area and more of the lower end of the State Street area would move to District 2. Note that the City Attorney has advised alders that at some point in 2021 (likely between Nov. 2 and Dec. 31, but TBD), alders will represent constituents in their new district boundaries even if they no longer live in their current district. As a result, if Tenney-Lapham moves to District 6 and if Sherman Terrace and Fordem Avenue areas move to District 12, I would no longer represent those neighborhoods as of the TBD effective date. For the April 2023 city elections, all incumbent alders and candidates will need to live in the district in which they may be elected.

As part of the redistricting process, wards and polling places will also be adjusted to align with the redrawn boundaries. The timeline for this entire process is compressed due to COVID 19, but if you'd like to follow the process and give input, the Ad Hoc Redistricting Committee will meet Oct. 4 to discuss any final changes to the district maps and again on Oct. 7 to make their final recommendation. See "City Meetings of Interest" below for agendas and input options.

Oct. 12 James Madison District Steering Committee Meeting on St. John's Redevelopment

The James Madison District Steering Committee that is evaluating the proposal to redevelop the St. John's Lutheran Church property at 322 E. Washington Ave. is scheduled to meet again on Tuesday, Oct. 12 at 6pm. The meeting's Zoom link for this virtual meeting is not yet available, but I'll be sure to publicize it in next weekend's Alder Update.

St. John's is working with Urban Land Interests and proposes to demolish their current building; construct worship space and social services on the first floor of a new building with as many as 9 stories of mostly affordable apartments above, and underground parking below. Earlier this month, the development team reported that they do not plan to break ground until 2023, but that they will be seeking city approvals this fall and winter. If you'd like to participate in future steering committee meetings or simply join their email list, please email mariahrenz@gmail.com or bob.klebba@gmail.com.

Save the Date: Oct. 20 Neighborhood Meeting on Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra Proposal

On Wednesday, Oct. 20, at 6:30pm, there will be a second virtual neighborhood meeting to discuss the proposal to redevelop the current Avenue Club parcels in the 1100 block of E. Washington Avenue. The Zoom link is not yet available, but I'll be sure to publicize it before the Oct. 20 meeting.

Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra (WYSO) proposes to demolish the Avenue Club and construct a building that would house rehearsal spaces and offices with surface parking provided. The proposed demolition of the Avenue Club building will be considered by the Landmarks Commission at their Monday, Oct. 4 meeting (see that meeting's agenda in "City Meetings of Interest" below), although the Commission typically only weighs in on any historical value they can attribute to buildings proposed for demolitions rather than the demolition application itself. Plan Commission will later fully consider the demolition application.

Upcoming Bus Rapid Transit Informational Meetings

City staff will be discussing the East-West BRT line and station locations at three upcoming public information meetings. Each meeting will focus on a specific section of the line – east, west and downtown.

• October 7 – Eastside Line, Route & Stations
• October 14 – Westside Line, Route & Stations
• October 21 – Downtown Line, Route & Stations

Find Zoom links, meeting details and project materials at MadisonBRT.com or their Community Engagement Site.

Salvation Army Awarded WHEDA Innovation Housing Tax Credit

This week the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) announced 9% federal housing tax awards for its 2021 Innovation Housing Tax Credit program. Included was the Shield, a 44-unit supportive housing development planned for the corner of E. Mifflin and N. Blount Streets, that was awarded a tax credit of $800,000. Already approved by the City, The Shield will be adjacent to the Salvation Army's planned redevelopment of their shelter for women and families without homes and will consist of 44 studio and 1-bedroom units. Most of the units are designed for residents with special needs including 11 units for individuals experiencing homelessness and 22 units for survivors of domestic violence and others with special needs.