D6 Items of Interest Week of December 18, 2023

There are two city neighborhood meetings this week. On Monday, Engineering is hosting a public information meeting on the reconstruction of Rutledge St. On Wednesday, I am hosting the second neighborhood meeting on the Wilson + Blair project. More details below.

Sup Heidi Wegleitner posted on the TLNA list that Monday is also the County’s Personnel & Finance Committee meeting where the “problematic Airport Joint Use Agreement (AJUA) [was] postponed last month but it is coming back to the Personnel & Finance Committee and (potentially) the County Board” this week. She has been working closely with D6 Supervisor Yogesh Chawla to get questions answered by County staff and the military. Heidi reports that “Last week we met with Senator Baldwin's office to ask for the Senator's help in negotiating a more reasonable agreement for Dane County, one which requires the use of fluorine free foam (instead of the PFAS foam), requires the military to recognize its responsibility for cleaning up existing and future PFAS contamination and more reasonably limits Dane County's exposure under the proposed release and indemnification section, and has a fair termination clause for all parties. We received a bunch of records that we are also going through.”

Here's a link to the letter several County Board members sent to staff earlier this month. https://dane.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=12499092&GUID=ACDB3EF5-CB57-40F0-96CE-288F69A18A30  Here's a link to the resolution https://dane.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6360153&GUID=CED5BB1A-D87D-4E88-B6B5-A58528C65EB2.

The meeting will be held in hybrid format and if folks want to participate virtually, they will need to register no later than 5 pm on Monday. Here is the agenda. You can also email the County Board at county_board_recipients@ countyofdane.com .  Zoom link to meeting and registration

Also, there's a new coalition that's formed and there is a sign on letter circulating.  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScy9wDdHxH9e5VvLbd9DwO5raVnrpbTZwlwma29TCk1nMYV1w/viewform 

I signed on, will you? We don’t want the military adding more PFAS to our groundwater. Thanks to Heidi, Yogesh, and the other Supervisors raising concerns and community members who launched the petition.  

On Friday, Alder Kristi Slack, District 19, announced she is resigning from the Common Council effective January 10, 2024. Unfortunately, a major health impact has affected her family. She was a strong environmental advocate. She used her blog to inform residents and address their concerns during the comp plan interim update. I will miss her collaborative style, thoughtful questions, and environmental leadership. Thank you, Kristi for stepping up.  The Council Executive Committee will appoint someone to the position and then there will be a special election during the April 2024 elections to elect someone to finish the remainder of the term. If you live in District 19 or know someone who might be interested, applications are due 1/9/23, more details about the process.

You probably saw the press announcement that the City of Madison was awarded 6.3 million dollars in federal funding from the US Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant to fund Forward to Vision Zero: Safe System for Vulnerable Roadway Users projects.

District 6 includes one of the four areas that will see new safety studies to help determine future improvements – Winnebago (Thornton to 2nd St)/Atwood Ave (1st St to 2nd St). 

In addition, neighbors will eventually see improvements at E Washington and N Hancock (flashing beacon crossing light, ped/bike island, high visibility crosswalk), Atwood and Corscot Ct (lighting), E Washington and N 2nd St (flashing beacon crossing light, high visibility crosswalk, signage), and Eastwood and Division at the Capital City Path (raised crossing). USDOT gives grant recipients one year to finish the agreement process and five years to implement funded activities. Traffic Engineering plans to get started ASAP.

This is the last week of city meetings before the holiday. I will be taking a two week break from publishing my blog since there will not be any meetings to report on. If there is any breaking news, I will definitely let you know. 

I hope you enjoy the holidays with friends, family and loved ones. Let’s work for peace. 

Monday December 18 – Sustainable Madison Committee – 4:30p SMC agenda 12.18.23

2 81259 Deputy Mayor Christie Baumel Update (PFAS & COP28)

5 71680 Sustainability Plan Update Sustainability Plan Timeline and update from Jessica Price

6 81262 Alder Update on Sustainability Topics Update from Alder Govindarajan on the roundtable he hosted with the Dep Sec of US Commerce and UW Students.

Monday December 18 – Public Info Meeting on Rutledge St reconstruction – 5p

Rutledge Street Reconstruction, Monday, December 18 (VIRTUAL): The project will include replacement of the asphalt pavement, gravel base, curb & gutter, and spot replacement for sidewalk and driveway aprons as well as pedestrian crossing improvements. The project also includes replacement of sanitary sewer, storm sewer, and water main, street signs, and pavement markings. The boundary is from Riverside to Division St. The Project website includes a survey for Rutledge St residents.

A virtual public information meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m., Dec. 18, 2023, via Zoom. Registration prior is required: Dec. 18, 2023 Public Information Meeting Registration

Monday December 18 – Lake Monona Waterfront Ad Hoc Committee – 6p LMWAHC agenda 12.18.23

In person @ Parks Division Lakeside Offices 330 E Lakeside St

5 81277 Review and Discussion of final draft master plan report DISCUSSION  81277 draft master plan

6 81278 Review and Discussion of master plan submission process and workplan DISCUSSION 

7 81279 Master Plan approval and authorization for Parks submission to the Common Council DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION

Wednesday December 20 – Alcohol License Review Committee – 5:30p ALRC Agenda 12.20.23

15. 81123 Public Hearing - New License North Central Management Inc • dba Moxy by Marriott Madison Downtown 823 E Washington Ave • Agent: Sheri Straka Estimated Capacity (in/out): 836/0 Class B Combination Liquor & Beer • 3% alcohol, 1% food, 96% other Police Sector 408 (District 6)

16. 81148 21+ Entertainment License North Central Management Inc • dba Moxy by Marriott Madison Downtown Capacity (in/out): 836/0 823 E Washington Ave • Agent: Sheri Straka Class B Combination Liquor & Beer • 3% alcohol, 1% food, 96% other Police Sector 408 (District 6) 

The 8 story, 151 room Moxy hotel is now under construction and scheduled to open in March 2024. The Moxy bar will be on the first and second floors. There will be a restaurant on the 8th floor, but it will be a separate licensed premise.

17. 81124 Public Hearing - New License Wedge O Cheddar LLC • dba The Wedge 2001 Atwood Ave • Agent: Jacob Guyette Estimated Capacity (in/out): 60/0 Class B Combination Liquor & Beer • 60% alcohol, 40% food Police Sector 401 (District 6)

Menu and business plan

Wednesday December 20 – Neighborhood Meeting Wilson + Blair – 6:30p

Please join me at a virtual neighborhood meeting on Wednesday, December 20, 2023, at 6:30pm to learn more about JCAP Real Estate’s proposal to redevelop the properties at Wilson + Blair (the Essen Haus site).  The design now reflects feedback from the neighborhood, City staff, and commissions and includes the integration of 506 and 518 E Wilson as contributing façades, advancement of the living street design, and refinement of the Blair Street townhomes. 

The design team would like to gather additional feedback prior to submitting plans which they intend to do on January 8, 2024. After submittal, they will start the formal review process. You can join the virtual meeting using your computer, smartphone, or tablet, or you can listen in via telephone. You will receive login information after registering at https://cityofmadison.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYrfuyqqj4qHtNArJmtAEJFymbuWDE8WrZg.

The applicant previously made informational presentations at the Urban Design Commission 79707 new residential building and hotel 09.05.23 and the Landmarks Commission 79566 land combo and new construction 9.18.23.  Links contain plans, staff memos, and public comment.

JCAP has not submitted formal plans of the latest iteration so there is nothing in legistar yet. The meeting will be recorded if you can't attend. I will post a link or check Watch neighborhood meetings on Thursday.

If you tried to search the city website for the latest plans (134, 140, 148, 150 S. Blair Street and 506, 510, 514, 516, 518 E. Wilson Street), you might have noticed that concurrent to the land use application process unfolding above, Bob Worm/JDJ Import Company LLC is applying for ‘Consideration of an alteration to an approved Planned Development District-Specific Implementation Plan (PD-SIP) to allow outdoor recreation, weekly outdoor events, and special seasonal events in the parking lot for the adjacent restaurant-taverns’ 81267.

The alteration to the Planned Development will be at Plan Commission on 1/22/24. Earlier this year a request to amend the Planned Development to establish weekly outdoor events etc. was reviewed and approved with conditions by the Plan Commission. I have not compared the Letter of Intent in 81267 to what was previously approved 77018 on 5/22/23. Bob Worm indicated, when I stated that he was already approved by the PC for outdoor events but never went to ALRC, that the PC approval was for 2023 dates only and he is required to submit a new alteration request for 2024. I believe that Bob and his family are not certain that even if the land use application is approved, whether the developer will be able to get financing and move the project forward in 2024 given the inflationary construction market. I will share more information about the alteration early next year.

Happy New Year!