Fiscal Note
The Planning Division’s 2025 adopted Operating Budget includes $50,000 for area plan processes within the Purchased Services major esxpenditure category, and additional funding for area planning in 2026 will be included in the Division’s 2026 Operating Budget request. Beyond staff time, costs associated with plan development, including public participation activities, are included in the Planning Division and other agencies’ operating budgets. City costs associated with eventual implementation of Plan recommendations will be included in future operating and capital budgets subject to Common Council approval. No additional City appropriation required in 2025.
Title
Authorizing the Planning Division to lead the preparation of the Downtown Area Plan and Adopting a Public Participation Plan
Body
WHEREAS, a planning framework with 12 area plans was approved by the Common Council on August 2, 2022 (RES-22-00577, File #71147); and
WHEREAS, on August 5, 2025, the Common Council approved a resolution (File #89107) revising the Area Plan sequence, which identifies the Downtown Area as the fifth area plan to be undertaken; and
WHEREAS, the Downtown Area Plan is generally bounded by Lake Mendota on the north, Blair Street on the east, Lake Monona on the south, and Park Street on the west, (see Exhibit A); and
WHEREAS, the current Downtown Plan was adopted by the Common Council in 2012, and has guided hundreds of millions of dollars of public and private investment, including the construction of over 5,000 new housing units, and prioritizing the concept of the Madison Lakeway; and
WHEREAS, in addition to the 2012 Downtown Plan, there are nine adopted City plans that cover portions of the Downtown Area, including: Triangle Monona Bay Neighborhood Plan (2019), Mifflandia Neighborhood Plan (2019), Downtown Retail Assessment (2016), Report of the Lamp House Block Ad Hoc Committee (2014, amended 2025), Regent Street South Campus Neighborhood Plan (2008), Park Street Urban Design Guidelines (2004), Bassett Neighborhood Master Plan (1997), First Settlement Neighborhood Master Plan (1995), Brittingham Vilas Neighborhood Plan (1989); and
WHEREAS, the Downtown Area planning process will include a review of the recommendations of the aforementioned plans for consistency with the scope/level of detail established for area plans, current stakeholder priorities, and adopted citywide plans and policies such as the Comprehensive Plan; and
WHEREAS, recommendations in underlying plans that are found to be consistent as described above, will generally be incorporated into the Downtown Area Plan, and then underlying plans will be considered for archiving; and
WHEREAS, the Downtown Area Plan will be an interagency effort, with collaboration and contributions from many City of Madison agencies, including but not limited to Parks, Engineering, Community Development, Economic Development, Transportation, Traffic Engineering, Streets, Forestry, Water Utility, Public Health, Fire, and Police; and
WHEREAS, the planning process includes coordination with the Economic Development Division and Downtown Madison, Inc. (DMI) as DMI prepares the Greater Downtown Economic Investment Strategy, which will consider a larger geography than the Downtown Area Plan and address related topics; and
WHEREAS, plan recommendations will focus on guiding changes to the physical aspects of the Downtown Area that occur incrementally over decades, such as development initiated by the private sector and infrastructure improvements typically carried out by the public sector as well as policies that have an impact on the Downtown; and
WHEREAS, Wisconsin Comprehensive Planning Law (Sec. 66.1001 Wis. Stats.) requires adoption of written procedures fostering public participation since eventual Area Plan recommendations will update the City’s Comprehensive Plan; and
WHEREAS, the attached public participation plan (Exhibit B) provides a generalized approach to reach stakeholders, including more extensive public participation efforts to ensure engagement by people who are typically underrepresented, and is consistent with Wisconsin Comprehensive Planning Law (Sec. 66.1001 Wis. Stats.); and
WHEREAS, the four blocks bounded by West Washington Avenue, West Shore Drive, Haywood Drive and South Park Street will be removed from the Downtown Area Plan boundary as it was adopted in the 2022 planning framework, and incorporated into the Near West Area Plan.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Madison Planning Division is authorized to lead the preparation of the Downtown Area Plan to guide land use, housing, urban design, transportation, parks and open space, historic and cultural resources, community facilities, utilities and other potential improvements within the area shown on the attached Downtown Area Plan Boundary Map; and
THEREFORE, BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the attached public participation plan (Exhibit B) is adopted as a guide that proactively and equitably engages and informs residents, businesses, property owners, and other stakeholders within the Downtown Area Plan and complies with statutory requirements for amending the City’s Comprehensive Plan.