Fiscal Note
The Planning Division's 2024 Adopted Operating Budget includes $50,000 for Area Plan processes, including the public participation activities undertaken as part of Area Plan development. $41,500 of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding is also available for public participation activities in specific Census Tracts that aim to shape recommendations based on community-identified issues and needs. No additional City appropriation required.
Title
Authorizing the Planning Division to lead the preparation of the Southwest 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, RES-22-00577 identifies the Southwest Area as the fourth area plan to be undertaken; and
WHEREAS, the Southwest Area Plan is generally bounded by the Beltline highway to the north, the City of Fitchburg to the east, Verona Road/Highway 18/151 and Cross Country Road to the south, and generally High Point Road to the west (see Exhibit A); and
WHEREAS, substantial portions of the Southwest Area lack a neighborhood, area, or corridor plan to help guide growth and investment in these areas; and
WHEREAS, consistent with the planning framework, areas that include higher percentages of residents from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities and those living with lower incomes than the remainder of the Southwest Area and city as a whole, will receive a special focus that includes more extensive public participation efforts; and
WHEREAS, there are five adopted City plans that cover portions of the Southwest Area: Allied-Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Plan (adopted in 1990), Cross Country Neighborhood Development Plan (1998), Allied-Dunn’s Marsh-Belmar Neighborhood Physical Improvement Plan (2005), Southwest Neighborhood Plan (2008), and High Point-Raymond Neighborhood Development Plan (2017); and
WHEREAS, the Southwest Area planning process will include a review of the recommendations in these underlying 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 Southwest Area Plan, and then underlying plans will be considered for archiving; and
WHEREAS, the Southwest 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, Plan recommendations will focus on guiding changes to the physical aspects of the Southwest Area that occur incrementally over decades, such as development initiated by the private sector and infrastructure improvements typically carried out by the public sector; and
WHEREAS, Block Groups 1 and 2 in Census Tract 4.07, Block Group 2 and portion of Block Group 1 in Census Tract 4.08, Block Groups 3 and 4 in Census Tract 5.01, and portions of Blocks Groups 2 and 3 in Census Tract 6 (Exhibit B), which include portions of the Greentree, Park Edge-Park Ridge, Prairie Hills, Meadowood, and Allied Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhoods, contain over 50% low- and moderate-income households, making them eligible for Community Development Block Grant funding, focused community engagement, and more detailed recommendations to address community identified issues in these areas; 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 C) includes tools and techniques to reach stakeholders, including people who are typically underrepresented, and is consistent with Wisconsin Comprehensive Planning Law (Sec. 66.1001 Wis. Stats.).
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Madison Planning Division is authorized to lead the preparation of the Southwest 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 Southwest Area Plan boundary map; and
THEREFORE, BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the attached public participation plan (Exhibit C) is adopted as a guide that proactively and equitably engages and informs residents, businesses, property owners, and other stakeholders within the Southwest Area and complies with statutory requirements for amending the City’s Comprehensive Plan.