Well, I’m attempting a live blog, because after 11 hours or so of meeting, which is what I am predicting, I suspect I won’t want to go back and read and tidy up at all, so, we’ll see how rocky it gets.
YOU HAD TO GET PAST THE COPS TO GET INTO THE MEETING
ROLL CALL
Meeting called to order at 6:37, all present but Sanborn and Maniaci out of room.
Clear says hello to people in overflow.
Rules are suspended.
FORENSICS TEAM
They honor Memorial High School for their state championship. Coach Hardin accepts award and there is a forensics presentation. She does the pros and cons of Edgewater Hotel plan. She got the topic a half hour ahead of time. She starts out by pointing out that the 666 is the sign of the devil. Says it is acting similar to the devil, causing controversy. I like her already . . .
Pros – taxes, jobs, make it a destination city
Cons – Landmarks says its too big, block view of state capital, memorial union for adult creating noise and traffic, shouldn’t get funding, Edgewater too far from Monona Terrace.
She did a really good job, noting the devil is in the details. That was extemporaneous. Solomon yells out she should run for alder.
CONSENT AGENDA
All item approved as on the agenda except for items
2 – 11 public hearing items
10 – editorial note on exclusion list
21 – rerefer to Board of Estimates
23 –
62 & 63 – rerefer to June 1st
Separated by alders
23 –
65 –
Speakers
22 –
55 –
64 –
17 – extramajority vote – 15 votes
Larry Palm asks to be a sponsor on 24.
They Pham-Remmele abstains on 10.
Marsha Rummel sponsor on 24, also Rhodes-Conway.
EARLY PUBLIC COMMENT
Mr. Burhardt – support of 3 & 6 – Supporter of Edgewater, Professor, surgeon, no investment or conflict with the issue, ordinary citizen, will be economic stimulus to city and surrounding area, will upgrade other structures, blighted neighborhood, look what happened after Monona Terrace. Hammes Company have involved neighborhood, been transparent, thinks negative innuendos have appeared in last few days to sway council. UW and others will use Edgewater for hosting meetings and recruiting, rooms are needed for Monona Terrace, has used the hotel, thinks the building is important. Respects history but shouldn’t impede progress.
Tom Link – opposition to 6 and 22. Doubt it million people support the project that is what previous speakers said. This mess is an ultimate failure of our local government. 1971 zoning ordinance being flauted, as is lakeffront setback laws and use of TIF funds, this is about power and money, how much money on lobbying has been spent on this. What is rationale for breaking the laws, jobs and businesses. How can environmental Mayor support this. This is the wrong place. Who cares how many laws we break for this project. Why do we need $16M, public space is a charade, there is not food and ambiance like Monona and Union Terrace, use TIF for grocery store in Allied Drive, that would be better use. This is about power and money and people of Allied have neither.
Don Sanford, lives in Wingra Park Historic District. Made changes to his house after talking to staff. Writing a book on social history of the lake, he’s a sailor, against the project, even tho the hotel needs help and would create temporary jobs for the union and he’s a union member. But this is a mistake, the decision to overturn Landmark’s is a mistake. Recent oil disaster is result of fast track decision. Says similar decision almost happened here in Madison. Don’t approve this project. Twice Landmarks voted against this, if overturn them its a slippery slope to the end of the shoreline of Lake Mendota, the shoreline is now a soft green shoreline, with small buildings and a residential scale. This is the beginning of a slippery slope for every developer that buys a run down building, they will look to the Edgewater as a precedence. Don’t micromanage the commissions who have done good work.
Kitty Rankin – Opposition to number 6. Thanks them for taking them out of order. Not repeating what said last December, look at the ordinance, it clearly worded and has specific language. The Edgewater would have some benefits but the language does not allow them to consider that in their decision. The was City Historic preservation officer, not a rabid preservationist, projects did get approved. She talks about changes to the ordinance to make ti fair and stronger and the appeals ordinance. If you want to revisit the law, that would be welcome, but that is not the what is happening, they are flippently ignoring the law and attacking it, many policies are being overlooked, including TIF, and the ink is hardly dry on them.
Neighborhood and staffers feel steam rolled, staff oppose the project but won’t say so in public. She doesn’t care if you disagree with her, but does care if they tell her what she thinks. With a mayor like this, you will not get advice from teh experts that you pay. She talks about the WSJ stories and says they don’t tell the whole story and if you want to hear the rest of the story contact here.
Gene Rankin, against over turn of landmarks, long history of working in historic preservation and land use law, wrote a book. Tells them about the ordinance. Appeal made to grant or appeal decisions of Landmarks, can’t appeal decision to appeal a variance, therefore won’t address variance decision. Then says council may reverse or modify decision based on standards in the ordinance. The council has to consider the criteria in the ordinance. Only the first is in dispute, that is the gross volume test, which he reads. City attorney’s consulted the dictionary to find out what volume needs, the amount of space occupied by 3 dimensional object in cubic feet. It’s 16 items the volume of the other buildings, that alone should be enough to convince you. Then you must balance interest in preservation and owners interest and problem with not being able to have any and all use of the property. He then talks about hardship, the only hardship here is self-created. If Edgewater is dilapidated, it is the fault of the owners, can’t claim hardship cuz spent alot of money to get the project approved. The hardship is self created, don’t be arbitrary and capircious, uphold the law, upohold landmarks and uphold the appeal.
Maggie Lee – Small girl maybe 5 or 6, will be good for Madison, more jobs, taxes, public park area, nice place to bring visitors to visit Madison, replace building in bad shape, will be good for her future. Sarah form Hammes Company brought her up to the podium.
OTHER PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS
Item 2 – no registrants, move to place on file, they vote to place on file.
Item 7 – no registrants, report of public works, move adoption, vote approval.
Item 8 – no registrants
Item 9 – 1 speaker Alan Fish, speaks in support, workign on the project for 3 years, will eliminate coal burning in 2011, will be burning natural gas and biomass. This will jump start renewable fuels industry and reduce air emission footprint. Combination of moving away from coal at MG&E Blount St and here will help us not hit the non-attainment issues. He says this is about more than just a plant. They are rebuilding area around the plant, adding boilers and electric generators, the fuel storage silos will be there too. to keep the fuel off the streets it will all come in on rail, will use rail roads behind Kohl Center and other areas as staging areas, they are adding rail yard and they are all elevated so won’t interrupt streets and will have enough rail for High Speed Rail and Commuter Rail if it happens, talks about reducing particulates, reducing carbon footprint and improving air quality, says it will help economic development, shouldn’t bother the neighbors, most activity will be during the day and inside, not banging around with train cars during the night. Says more approvals to come.
Gary Brown also registered.
Marsha Rummel asks about how the freight will work with High speed rail,
Fish says they will have one rail line open, they are told that it is easy to do by the railroad, and by having two extra sitings, if we needed two through tracks they could add it using a storage track. At plan commission agreed that once commuter rail is improved, we will go back and do a comprehensive rail management plan with RTA and city.
Rummel asks until then, how will it get to the plant, from south or east.
Fish says that they are doing RFPs, could come from any direction, depending upon the type of fuel.
Rummel says it is very exciting
Kerr says that as someone can see the Charter St smoke stack from house, she thanks them, neighbors are appreciative.
Clear moves motion on item 8, adoption. Cnare has substitute on item 9. Item 8 passes. Item 9 changes to list of conditions. She reads number Number 2 which I think she should is adding. She adds two other conditions which I didn’t catch, sorry, its friendly.
No discussion or questions, passes.
Clear places #4 on file. Passes.
NON-EDGEWATER ITEMS
#23 – Move adoption.
Jed Sanborn’s mic doesn’t work. Sanborn says briefly that this is a huge amount of money for an energy grant where we have tax credits and subsidies in general. Irresponsible on part of federal government, should say no.
Thuy Pham-Remmele would like to be recorded as voting no. As well as Sanborn.
#55 – CDBG Framework
Rhodes-Conway has an amendment to the executive summary, community development staff will consider goals and objectives of the comprehensive plans. Language is from Clingan, just codifying it. It’s friendly.
#65 – Office of Community Service Priorities
I testified on this item, but didn’t have time to type it. Basically, this is important, but they are blowing it off cuz of the Edgewater.
Bidar-Sielaff says no time to discuss certainly one of the most important decisions we make all year, saddened can’t debate it more, thanks the committees for their work, told them her reservations about the goals and priorities. She feels that goasl and priorities should be a goal statement and equally ranked priorities. The higher and lower priorities, senior jobs services should not be lower than case management. The priorities inhibit non-profit creativity. She says the goals and priorities, in United Way there is a goal and a number of priorities that are not ranked, wanted to be on record about the reservations she has. Thanks staff too, but has concerns. Raises concern about how going to meet all priorities when adding priorities and not funding.
Cnare says that often in past the Community Services Commission have been challenged about how they make decisions, this document before you is a response to that, it is difficult, hard to rank one over another but fact of life with limited funds. Agencies were involved, some comments were included, this will provide better guidance for the commission, will help them to have this. They should have them come and do a presentation, this is a dramatic change but it can be changed.
Both pass unanimously.
#23 Rhodes-Conway discloses that COWS did work with the state and three studies to help get the grant and she and others will be working on it, but not a financial conflict.
ANOTHER EARLY REGISTRATION
Mark St. Francis in support of 3, was in opposition, now in favor. When he was a kid, only image of Madison was the hotel, now have a convention center but this is a place to be photographed. In November Stuart Levitan talked about whether they could offer approval with conditions, he had 4 months to elucidate, the committee never said the conditions which they could approve it, it was their right and duty to let us all know precisely what they thought about this and they never did, they simply voted no. This is not unique, this site is not unique. He talks about deed restrictions. In 30 years of doing this, he has never been in the situation with this commission in that they would not work with you to offer ideas, this is obstructionism, they are just worried about their power position. There is a science behind this, the law of unintended consequences, he talks about San Fransico and the pride they have in their property. He compares Edgewater to Wisconsin Dells 30 years ago.
[WHAT THE HELL WAS HE TALKING ABOUT . . . THE DEVELOPER HAD TO REQUEST THE RECONSIDERATION BY THE LANDMARKS COMMISSION. IT WASN’T UP TO LANDMARKS, IT WAS UP TO THE DEVELOPER – SORRY FOR THE ALL CAPS, DON’T HAVE TIME TO PUT IN THE CODE FOR THE COLOR, SO MY COMMENTS WILL BE IN ALL CAPS]
They move a two minute recess to organize the slips up front. It passes.
