Happy Mother's Day! Lot division proposed on Ely Pl; Movie at The Glen and more!

Hello neighbors,

Wishing a happy Mother's Day to all who mother. Whether your mothering is of people, pets, plants, or ideas, you are appreciated and celebrated!

You may have heard that the Landmarks Commission responded negatively to the proposed ADU at 1722 Regent Street. The direction from Landmarks was for the owner to scale back the dwelling so that it appears truly accessory to the original home. I will forward additional information as it becomes available.

Next on the docket for our District at Landmarks Commission on June 8 is a proposed lot division at 113 Ely Place. This land division would take advantage of the city's new zoning updates allowing “flag lots". Again, the Landmarks Commission will only review this proposal based on its conformity with the historic preservation ordinances (see 41.18(4), in particular); the Plan Commission would have to review the proposed new lot under their standards (see 16.23(3)), which would include considerations for feasibility to construct a residence on the site, including street access.

Updates and Notices

• John Nolen Drive Project: Get current information about road closures and construction updates for John Nolen Drive.

Public Information Meetings (PIMs)

• Virtual Open House | District 16 Parks, Tuesday, May 12, 2026 (This event occurs on multiple dates):Madison Parks is holding a series of virtual public input sessions for the Southeast Park Development Plan process coinciding with the City Planning Division's Southeast Area Plan and mapping area.

Announcements and News Releases

• Temporary Pedestrian Access Closure Along Broom Street: Starting Tuesday, May 12, work will begin on the Broom Street railroad crossing as part of the John Nolen Drive reconstruction project.
• Path Closure for Garver Feed Mill Parking Lot Resurfacing: The Garver Path will be detoured, between Starkweather Drive and the Capital City Trail, starting the morning of Monday, May 11th and reopening Thursday, May 14th.
• Southwest and Southeast Area Plans Submitted for Final Review and Adoption: The Southwest and Southeast Area Plan project teams have submitted a Final Draft Plan for review and adoption. Both plans were introduced to the Common Council during its Tuesday, May 5, 2026, meeting. 
• Your Final Spring Yard waste Collection Begins Soon; Get Your Final Spring Set-out Date Online: Every neighborhood has just one more spring yard waste set out date. This will be the final spring yard waste collection by the Streets Division for 2026. Curbside collection will return in the fall.
• Concerts on the Rooftop Returns to Monona Terrace: Monona Terrace invites the community to celebrate summer with the return of its popular Concerts on the Rooftop series. Guests can enjoy live music against the stunning backdrop of Lake Monona and downtown Madison. The rooftop and Lake Vista Café open at 5:30 p.m., with performances from 7 to 9 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public. 
• All Madison Public Library Locations Closed May 14 for Staff Day; Other May Hour Changes and Closures: There are multiple closures and hours changes taking place during the month of May at Madison Public Library.

Please visit the City news webpage to find additional news and announcements and to subscribe to receive notification of news releases as they are posted.

Events

• Animal Cruelty Investigations and Response Workshop, Tuesday, May 12, 2026 (This event occurs on multiple dates): This free, two-day hands-on workshop is open to law enforcement, prosecutors, veterinarians and rescue and sheltering organizations. It aims to raise awareness about animal cruelty, forge key partnerships and empower participants to mitigate and prevent cruelty within their communities. Join us!
• FOOT Madison Tango, Wednesday, May 13: Change of tune! Looks like we'll have a little more time to enjoy the wonderful dance floor in historic Normal Hall (the building we've incorrectly been calling the Olin Park Pavilion). Madison's Parks Division has delayed its renovations projects for a while, so we now can have a spring FOOT-Loose Dance Series.
• Frank Lloyd Wright Trail Welcome Weekend, Friday, May 15- Sunday, May 17 (This event occurs on multiple dates): Monona Terrace is delighted to be part of the Frank Lloyd Wright Trail's Welcome Weekend, and we're offering additional tours as part of this special occasion.  Join us to learn more about Wright's controversial "dream civic center" and his indelible imprint upon the project.
• Bird & Nature Adventures | Starkweather Creek Area, Saturday, May 16: Bike the Creek ~ Join Tara Dary and Friends of Starkweather Creek for a guided bike tour along the greenways, parks and yards beside Starkweather Creek.  Bring your bike or rent a B-Cycle at a nearby station at Goodman, Blue Plate Diner or Garver Feed Mill.
• Learn to Play Ultimate, Saturday, May 16: Learn the basics of Ultimate - rules, scoring, movement, throwing, catching, strategies and more. This event is free to attend. Advanced registration is required. 
• Sketch at The Glen & Forest Hill Cemetery, Saturday, May 16: Join Urban Sketchers Madison for a lovely day of creativity and artful expression.  Urban Sketchers - Madison is a group of local folk who enjoy drawing with a focus on sketching our city from life and sharing those sketches with others.
• Bird & Nature Adventures | Warner Park, Sunday, May 17: Nature Writing ~ Join Naturalist Lynn Persson for a free guided walk to enjoy the natural areas at Warner Park.  Bring pen and paper.  We will take time to stop along the way to contemplate things.  Write down a few notes of draw a simple picture about what you see, how you feel, and the beauty around you.
• Movie at The Glen | Goonies, Sunday, May 17: Help us kick off the summer season with The Glen's first movie night of 2026! Goonies is a classic movie from 1985 about a group of teenagers who find a map leading to a hidden treasure. They must overcome concealed traps, natural obstructions, and a gang of desperate thieves in their race for the loot. Join us for yard games, crafts, and socialization at 4pm.  The movie will begin promptly at 5pm.
• Regent Neighborhood Association Member Meeting, May 19, 7pm: The Regent Neighborhood Association member meeting will be held at the InnTowner from 7-8:30pm, featuring Susan Carpenter, Native Plant Garden Curator and Gardener, UW-Madison.
• Sunset Village Neighborhood Association Meeting, May 20, 6:45pm: The Sunset Village Neighborhood Association will meet at the Mid-town Police Station community room, 4020 Mineral Point Rod. A Zoom link will be shared to the google group in advance of the meeting.
• MPD West District Town Hall, May 20, 6:30pm, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 5701 Raymond Rd. Join Madison Police Chief John Patterson and West District officers for this town hall discussion. Additional town halls will be held June 1 at Bayview Foundation, 103 La Mariposa Ln, and June 3 at Northport Apartments, 1740 Northport Drive.
• Madison Public Schools Foundation Legacy Circle Celebration, May 21, 5:30pm, West High School: After a decade of service to the Foundation, Melinda Heinritz is retiring as President. Please join this celebration of Melinda and help champion our schools.
• Madison Trust for Historic Preservation Walking Tours (multiple dates): Tours run May-September and cover several areas of the city. Learn about Madison's history on one of these fascinating walks!
• Save the date: Public Information Meeting on Data Center Moratorium, June 3, 5:30-7pm. This meeting is being held to provide an update on the authority and tools the City has to regulate data centers, the research being done by City staff, the potential impacts of data centers the City is considering in its analysis, and a timeline for a draft policy proposal. City officials will take questions and seek input from the public after an informational presentation. 
• Save the date: The Frank Lloyd Wright Unitarian Meeting House is turning 75 this year. There will be a series of events June 5-7 at this historic structure. Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn more about the history and challenges of this architectural masterpiece.

Additional upcoming events can also be found on the City events calendar.

Boards, Commissions, and Committee Meetings

Note: This is not a complete list of meetings for this upcoming week. All meetings and their details can be found at the Meeting Schedule page.

• Finance Committee: The Finance Committee meeting will take place on Monday, May 11, at 4:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include recognizing up to $1,148,000 from Dane County for operations at the permanent men's shelter. 
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Register for Public Comment
  • Watch Online
• Plan Commission: The Plan Commission meeting will take place on Monday, May 11, at 5:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include development-related requests in Districts 2, 3, 12, and 16.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agendas
  • Register for Public Comment
  • Watch Online
• Board of Parks Commissioners: The Board of Park Commissioners meeting will take place on Wednesday, May 13, at 6:30 p.m. in the boardroom of the Parks Lakeside Offices at 330 E Lakeside St. Agenda items include adopting the Southeast Area Plan and adopting the Southwest Area Plan.
  • Meeting Details
  • Meeting Agendas

If you would like more information about becoming a member of a City board, commission, or committee, please visit the page linked here.

Take care,

Regina Vidaver