Fiscal Note
The adoption of the resolution requires no expenditure of funds.
Title
SUBSTITUTE - Establishing a setback along the Broom Street corridor and directing staff to prepare the necessary documents to officially map the corridor.
Body
Preamble
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the City prepared an Isthmus Area Traffic Redirection Study which evaluated alternatives to more efficiently move traffic into and out of downtown Madison. To minimize traffic on Bassett Street, Broom Street was identified for possible expansion and conversion to a four lane, two-way arterial street. The expansion of Broom Street would allow Bassett Street to be converted back to a two lane, two-way street. Since the early 1970s, the City has been requiring redevelopment projects to provide an approximately 30-foot setback along the northeast side of Broom Street to accommodate a possible roadway expansion.
The first Bassett Neighborhood Plan approved by the Common Council in 1976 suggested that Broom Street traffic be converted to a two-way street. The 1997 Bassett Neighborhood Master Plan had among its transportation recommendations the recommendation to evaluate the potential to convert Broom Street to a two-way traffic flow, and to consider eliminating the 30-foot setback.
Along the nine block Broom Street corridor, the right-of-way varies from 66-feet for seven of the blocks to between 72-feet and 82-feet for the blocks between Doty Street and John Nolen Drive. The 30-foot setback, or right-of-way reservation, would result in the potential for a 96-foot wide right-of-way. While almost all of the new redevelopment that has occurred since the 1970s has setback 30-feet from the Broom Street right-of-way, several buildings along the corridor are currently within the 30-foot setback.
The future of the Broom Street setback has been discussed as part of the review of the Alexander Company's General Development Plan for Block 51 (the Meriter properties). City Traffic Engineering staff have presented alternative right-of-way cross-sections showing the potential use of a right-of-way ranging from 66-feet to 96-feet in width. The Bassett Neighborhood, which has discussed this issue on several occasions, is continuing to work on this issue and has indicated a strong desire to address the setback for the entire Broom Street corridor rather than allowing the decision on the rezoning for one block to dictate the setback along the remaining eight blocks.
WHEREAS the current right-of-way for most of Broom Street is 66-feet in width and the City has historically attempted to preserve a 30-foot setback along the northeast side adjacent to the right-of-way as part of redevelopment projects; and
WHEREAS the Alexander Company has submitted plans to develop a portion of this setback area for 22 loft units to be located approximately 12 or 13-feet from the existing right-of-way; and
WHEREAS the City Traffic Engineer has evaluated the potential use of the existing 66-foot right-of-way and alternative 81-foot, 88-foot and 96-foot rights-of-way to meet future transportation needs along the corridor; and
WHEREAS there are currently no transportation plans which call for the expansion of Broom Street or for the use of the 30-foot setback area, nor is there a current projected need to use the entire 30-foot setback for right-of-way purposes; and
WHEREAS the primary interest in maintaining some or all of the existing 30-foot setback appears to relate more to preserving opportunities to enhance the existing streetscape, provide landscaping, and provide adequate space for alternative modes of transportation, rather than to expand the street to accommodate four lanes of vehicular traffic moving in both directions; and
WHEREAS based on the alternatives presented by the Traffic Engineer for the development of an 81-foot wide Broom Street corridor, it appears that the aesthetic objectives for the corridor and future transportation needs can be accomplished in a right-of-way of approximately 80-feet; and
WHEREAS the Broom Street setback and the number of units the Alexander Company is able to achieve along Broom Street is directly related to the financial feasibility of the redevelopment project for this entire city block, the applicant's request for Tax Incremental Financing assistance, and the ability to comply with the City's Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance; and
WHEREAS a right-of-way of approximately 80-feet (a 13 to 15-foot setback), would also allow the block-wide redevelopment plans for the Meriter properties (Block 51) to move forward.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Common Council hereby establishes as official City policy, the need to provide a 13 to 15-foot setback along the northeast side of Broom Street from West Wilson Street through State Street to accommodate streetscape, landscaping and future transportation needs.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Common Council directs City Engineering to prepare an official map ordinance to map the future Broom Street right-of-way between Wilson Street and State Street at 79 to 81-feet.