Only 6 or 7 alders were present at 5:30 when they it was supposed to start (Clear, Kerr, Palm, King, Skidmore, Bidar-Sielaff and Schmidt) and a few more drifted in (Rummel, Maniaci) and a few more even later (Compton) and after 6:10 (Clausius).
If you’re trying to figure out how to get caught up, they have a very comprehensive website that will help you, if you have the time to read the documents!
There are a ton of meetings next week as well, if you’d like to find out more:
Monday, June 22, 2009 – 5:30p.m.
Zoning Code Rewrite Community Summit
Overture Center – Promenade Hall and TerraceTuesday, June 23, 2009 – 5:30p.m.
Zoning Code Rewrite Advisory Committee
Central Library
201 West Mifflin StreetWednesday, June 24, 2009 – 5:30p.m.
Warner Park Community and Recreation Center
1625 Northport DriveWednesday, June 24, 2009 – 5:30p.m.
Sequoya Library
4340 Tokay Boulevard
They introduced Carole Schaeffer of Smart Growth Madison and Brian Munson of Vandewalle and Associates that represents many developers. Rick Roll, the Project Manager, reviewed some history starting with the comprehensive plan, the project timeline and some other basics. There were some handouts for the alders, but I didn’t see them.
Kerr asked what was being done to publicize the meetings next month. They said they sent the information out today and that the Mayor will be doing a press release in the next day or two. [I think she was trying to point out that one week notice was not enough, but that wasn’t really addressed.]
Matt Tucker, the Zoning Administrator explained the old zoning districts and the direction that they were moving in (more specific districts in some residential neighborhoods) and explained the new terminology. Generally speaking the ordinance will be more charts with easily identifiable information, instead of long paragraphs of text. The showed examples of the graphics that will be in the ordinance, that also were more demonstrative of information they are trying to convey. He showed the Neighborhood Mixed-Use and Traditional Shopping Street that should replace some of the need for PUDs (Planned Unit Developments – that require more approval process). He showed an example of standards and guidelines that would be considered by committees and a chart that showed why types of building materials should be used. Overall, it was just much easier to read.
Maniaci asked about granny flats (accessory dwelling units) and cooperative housing as well as fraternities and sororities. I missed some of the answer, but I think he said accessory dwelling units will be determined neighborhood by neighborhood, cooperative housing will be talked about next Tuesday at the Zoning Code Rewrite Advisory Committee (ZCRAC) and the lodging houses (fraternities/sororities) will be talked about more at a later point with the Downtown portion.
Rummel asked how we ended up with more zoning districts instead of fewer. He said that yes they ended up with more districts, because it was easier to put the current conditions into more districts instead of fewer. Rummel also asked about losing the PUD process. Tucker says PUD is a last resort as drafted and if we do it right, some districts should be “enabling the development that should be built”. He said that the neighborhood plans have a more firm position in the ordinance. He also said that you will still see rezonings, because they will be between zoning districts instead of to PUDs.
Compton asked about letter from Jeff Rosenberg (Veridian Homes), which staff just saw tonight. I don’t know what the issues were, staff said they were still working on the issues. Compton asked about correspondence from other developers, he said there was quite a bit. He said that they did reach out to larger land holders to bring them to the table and see how it might impact them to avoid “hurt feelings” in the future.
Maniaci asked how the existing neighborhood plans would be updated. Tucker says neighborhood plans are just guidelines. Kerr clarifies question for Maniaci. Tucker says that the documents may have to be revisited, and they will know more when they get to the mapping of the zoning code. He says there is going to have to be alot of communication with the people who live in the areas being zoned.
Clear asked about waterfront properties. Tucker said that they tried to address issues that have come up with tearing down smaller houses and building bigger houses and they are trying to address this by relating size of house to the size of the lot. He said they would use a median of the area and they would be restricted to no more than 1.5 the median to recognize that that houses are getting bigger. He says its a good start, but made it clear it is a start. He also pointed out that most waterfront development is residential and they have a hard time when there is commercial development and they tried to address that as well.
Kerr said glad taking on waterfront development. She also praised Matt Tucker, Rick Roll and Brad Murphy for their hard and thoughtful work on this. She also asked about student rental housing and how they would promote family living in near downtown neighborhoods and how to preserve the “signature” neighborhoods. Tucker said the “unrelated” people who can live in a certain zoning category is being carried over from the old code. Tucker says there are more units being converted to single family homes instead of cut up apartments buildings. He says they are open to suggestions on how to work more on that. He is looking for ideas.
Clear invited Schaeffer and Munson to comment. Schaeffer, representing real estate develop and associated industries, said that they get bogged down in the minutia and they haven’t really been able to address some things because of the shear volume of people on the community and had a list of issues that she felt haven’t been addressed. She said she is concerned about what entity will address some of the details.
Munson said he isn’t a member of ZCRAC, but he has attended representing Veridian Homes and mentioned the letter from Jeff Rosenberg again and tried to summarize the concerns including that the traditional neighborhood zoning has some hurdles in it that will make development difficult. He says that some of it is very complex and detailed and that they have some very specific and technical concerns. He wants to encourage more urban forms and says that there are many areas of the city that don’t fit into the proposed zoning code.
Discussion ended around 6:20.
[I didn’t proofread, so I hope this all makes sense as I hit publish.]
