Legislation Details

File #: 92879    Version: 1 Name: Southwest Area Plan Amendment
Type: Ordinance Status: Council New Business
File created: 4/27/2026 In control: COMMON COUNCIL
On agenda: 5/5/2026 Final action:
Enactment date: Enactment #:
Title: Adopting the Southwest Area Plan and the related Amendment to the Comprehensive Plan. (District 1, District 7, District 10, District 19, District 20)
Sponsors: John W. Duncan, Yannette Figueroa Cole, John P. Guequierre, Badri Lankella
Attachments: 1. Southwest Area Plan Final Draft

Fiscal Note

No City appropriation required with the adoption of this plan and amendment to the Comprehensive Plan.

Title

Adopting the Southwest Area Plan and the related Amendment to the Comprehensive Plan. (District 1, District 7, District 10, District 19, District 20)

Body

DRAFTER’S ANALYSIS:    This ordinance adopts the Southwest Area Plan and the related amendment to the Comprehensive Plan.

 

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The Common Council of the City of Madison do hereby ordain as follows:

 

 

WHEREAS, on August 2, 2022 the City of Madison Common Council authorized the Planning Division’s shift to a planning framework with twelve (12) Area Plans that cover the entire city and are updated every ten (10) years (RES-22-00577); and

 

WHEREAS, the planning framework indicates that the Generalized Future Land Use Map developed through each area plan process will directly update the Comprehensive Plan’s Generalized Future Land Use Map; and

 

WHEREAS, on October 8, 2024 the City of Madison Common Council authorized the Planning Division to prepare the Southwest Area Plan and adopted a public participation plan, as required by Wis. Stat. § 66.1001(4) to amend the Comprehensive Plan, which described how the City intended to make the process accessible to all (RES-24-00614); and

 

WHEREAS, consistent with RES-22-00577, archiving of previously adopted plans within the Southwest Area Plan boundary was considered as part of the development of the Southwest Area Plan and the adopted plans were reviewed to identify the recommendations from each adopted plan that should be incorporated into the Southwest Area Plan before being archived; and

 

WHEREAS, the public participation process included engagement through a project website, an interactive mapping exercise, virtual meetings, in-person meetings, emailed project updates to interested parties, distribution of informational materials, focus groups, neighborhood association visits, social media posts, and board/committee/commission progress updates throughout the process; and

 

WHEREAS, the public participation process also included contracting with several Community Partners and coordinating with the City’s Neighborhood Navigators to engage traditionally underrepresented residents through focus groups and participation in community events and activities; and

 

WHEREAS, the Southwest Area Plan’s Actions (primarily led by the City) and Partnerships (primarily led by entities other than the City) are based on citywide policies including the Comprehensive Plan, recommendations in underlying plans, and feedback received from the community; and

 

WHEREAS, the Plan focuses 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, as part of the planning process, the City evaluated updates to the Generalized Future Land Use Map to address concerns about implementation of the Low-Medium Residential land use category; and

 

WHEREAS, the Community Action Strategy includes actions for physical improvements and capacity building in the Allied, Park Edge/Park Ridge, and Meadowood areas; and

 

WHEREAS, notice was provided pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 66.1001(4)(d) and the Plan Commission held a public hearing on the proposed amendment to the Comprehensive Plan on June 15, 2026; and

 

WHEREAS, the Plan Commission, by a majority vote of the entire Commission recorded in its official minutes, adopted a resolution recommending the Common Council adopt an amendment to the City of Madison Comprehensive Plan to include a new Generalized Future Land Use Map category of Medium Residential 1, update the Residential Future Land Use Categories chart, the Generalized Future Land Use Map, Bicycle Facilities Map, and maps and text to reflect adoption of the Southwest Area Plan and archiving previously adopted plans.

 

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED the Common Council of the City of Madison, pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 66.1001(4)(c). does, by the enactment of this ordinance,

 

UPDATE portions of the Comprehensive Plan’s Generalized Future Land Use Map and Bicycle Facilities Map that overlap the Southwest Area to reflect the Southwest Area Plan; and

 

ADD a new Generalized Future Land Use Map category of Medium Residential 1, which is used in the Southwest Area, to the Comprehensive Plan; and

 

INCORPORATE adjustments to the Residential Future Land Use Categories chart to add the Medium Residential 1 category and make updates to the chart’s select conditions clauses in the Comprehensive Plan; and

 

ARCHIVE the Cross Country Neighborhood Development Plan, Allied-Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Plan, Allied-Dunn’s Marsh-Belmar Neighborhoods Physical Improvement Plan, Southwest Neighborhood Plan, and the portion of the High Point-Raymond Neighborhood Development Plan that overlaps the Southwest Area Plan boundary, which means these previously adopted plans no longer guide the City’s planning and decision-making processes; and

 

UPDATE relevant maps and text in the Comprehensive Plan to reflect adoption of the Southwest Area Plan and archiving of the above-listed plans; and 

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the Southwest Area Plan is adopted.

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED staff is directed to implement the Southwest Area Plan, including Community Development Block Grant-funded projects in the Community Action Strategy areas.