Fiscal Note
The proposed resolution authorizes an update to the Area Plan sequence. Public engagement activities for area plans and implementation of those plans will require the inclusion of expenditures in future budgets subject to Common Council approval.
Title
Revising the Area Plan Sequence
Body
WHEREAS, on August 2, 2022, the Common Council adopted RES-22-00577 (File #71147) establishing the planning framework, which included a sequence for undertaking 12 area plans that will cover the entire city; and
WHEREAS, the Northeast and West Area Plans were adopted in September 2024 and the Southeast and Southwest Area Plans are currently underway; and
WHEREAS, the next Area Plans in the sequence were originally proposed to be the North, Downtown, South, and Near West; and
WHEREAS, Downtown Madison Inc. will be preparing a Greater Downtown Economic Investment Strategy process, for which funding was included in the 2024 Economic Development Division Capital Budget for TID #50, in coordination with the City of Madison and other project partners; and
WHEREAS, since the proposed boundary of the Greater Downtown Economic Development Strategy will include the entire geography of the Downtown Area Plan, there are numerous benefits and efficiencies in coordinating the two efforts, beginning in the Fall 2025; and
WHEREAS, the UW-Madison will soon be initiating a Campus Framework planning process, to update the 2019 Campus Master Plan approved by the City pursuant to MGO 28.097, which largely falls within the Downtown and Near West Area Plan boundaries; and
WHEREAS, there are benefits to coordinating the City’s Near West Area planning process with this campus planning process; and
WHEREAS, the Near West Area Plan could occur during the same time frame as the City’s North Area Plan, to continue the City’s process of preparing two plans simultaneously to provide efficiencies for City community engagement efforts, coordination with agency partners, and plan review by City policymakers; and
WHEREAS, the Near West and North Area Plans processes would generally occur between Fall 2026 and Spring 2028; and
WHEREAS, the South Area Plan, a large portion of which is covered by the South Madison Plan which was adopted in 2022, could occur during the same time frame as the Near East Area Plan, generally occurring in 2028-2029; and
WHEREAS, on August 7, 2018, the Common Council adopted ORD-18-00085 (File #51349) adopting the City of Madison Comprehensive Plan and on December 5, 2023, adopted RES-23-00799 (File #80367) adopting an Interim Update to the plan; and
WHEREAS, the 12 area plans utilize the Comprehensive Plan Generalized Future Land Use (GFLU) categories as the basis for recommendations related to GFLU map updates; and
WHEREAS, completing these 12 area plans utilizing the current Comprehensive Plan will provide a consistent policy foundation for plans’ recommendations; and
WHEREAS, another interim update to the Comprehensive Plan, generally occurring in 2028, would enable necessary updates to the Comprehensive Plan while supporting the Planning Division staffing to complete all 12 area plans within the 10-year horizon anticipated in the 2022 Planning Framework; and
WHEREAS, it is anticipated that a full update to the City’s Comprehensive Plan will occur after the adoption of the 12 area plans.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Common Council hereby authorizes a revised area plan sequence as described herein.