Southeast Area Plan Updates: Resident Feedback So Far and Next Steps

Image credit: City Planning

Overview

In their in-person special topics meeting on Monday, June 2nd, the Plan Commission will receive an update from Planning staff on both the Southwest and Southeast Area Plans. These plans have been in the information-gathering and public engagement phase (Phase 1) since late 2024. Thank you to all residents who have engaged in this process so far!

Here are some comments from southeast area residents that are highlighted in the staff presentation:

• "To me, as I think about health and safety, it's that you don't have to worry about those shots in the middle of the night and whatever the case may be, but being able to walk down your sidewalk - if you're lucky enough to have a sidewalk - is to be able to walk any time of day to that extent and not have to worry about looking over your shoulder."
• "So they have this whole bus system now, and they have no bus shelters. So we need shelters and we need more convenient bus stops."
• "The highway corridors in particular are a real barrier to getting to other parts of the city unless you can drive."
• "Even with a decent-paying job, I had to resort to food pantries and seek assistance for basic needs due to high rent, which underscores the inadequacy of what is often labeled as 'affordable housing.'"

The staff presentation slides are available online at this link. 

Key Feedback Themes

Staff have helpfully organized the key themes in residents’ feedback by the topics that are likely going to be covered by dedicated chapters in the area plans:

• Land Use: more mixed-use and walkable destinations, including redeveloping underutilized parking and vacant lots, redeveloping Karmenta and the Walbridge American Family site into housing, encourage mixed-use development that integrates housing with essential amenities
• Transportation: Hwy 51 is unsafe and hard to cross, more traffic calming measures, safer/more visible sidewalks, better bike/ped safety needed along many roads, more bus shelters/benches
• Neighborhoods and Housing: affordable housing needed at all income levels – including more affordable ownership levels, like diversity of housing options
• Economy and Opportunity: Love existing small businesses, would like more nodes of business activity, support job creation through local business incentives and inclusive hiring strategies, more business density on Atlas Ave
• Culture and Character: Lack of “third spaces” and community gathering options, more youth programming and activities 
• 

  Image credit: City Planning - SEAP Planning Team

  Green and Resilient: Lack of park space in the Glendale neighborhood; would like more and revitalized park amenities like bathrooms, shelters, seating, splash pads; stormwater and flooding issues in the Hiestand neighborhood

• Health and Safety: Speeding issues and lack of sidewalks make walking challenging, gun shots/drug use in and around Hiestand Park, supporting neighborhood patrols, invest in environmental safety measures like lighting and traffic control, implement culturally sensitive and preventative community safety strategies
• Effective Government: School capacity and overcrowding, work with Monona to connect bike paths and bus routes

Next Steps

Phase 2, taking place this summer, is when Planning staff will use all of this input to develop draft recommendations for consideration in the eventual plan. They will continue outreach to businesses, focused workshops and focus group meetings, pop-up outreach at events like resource fairs and park events, and will check in with City committees whose purview is included in the Plans.

I’m looking forward to Phase 3 this fall, which is when we will see the release of the draft Area Plans for public review and feedback. Stay tuned for updates and more engagement opportunities as this process continues!

Image credit: City Planning