Fiscal Note
Local costs associated with urban development in this area will be included in future operating and capital budgets subject to Common Council approval. No appropriation is required at this time.
Title
Approving the City of Verona's North Neighborhood Plan.
Body
PREAMBLE
The City of Verona North Neighborhood Plan has been introduced to the City of Madison Common Council as required by the City of Madison and City of Verona Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement (hereinafter, "Agreement"). The Agreement between the two cities took effect on July 22, 1996. The purpose of the agreement is to identify and recognize the long-term urban growth areas of the cities of Madison and Verona and recognize the objective of maintaining a permanent open space separation and open space buffers between the two communities in order to implement a variety of local planning goals and objectives.
Key provisions of the Agreement are the preservation of open space in the Ice Age Trail Junction area; Joint Planning in the Five Points Planning area focused around the intersection of CTH M and CTH PD; 300 foot landscaped buffer; and establishment of an ultimate jurisdictional line. The agreement extends for 20 years from the date of its adoption in 1996, with automatic renewal for an additional 20 years unless either city gives notice one year prior to expiration of the agreement stating its intent to not renew one year the Agreement.
Recently, the City of Verona began the process of preparing and adopting its North Neighborhood Plan ("Plan"). This Plan encompasses approximately 1,600 acres north and west of the City of Verona. The Plan is generally bounded by CTH PD (McKee Road) on the north, the Ice Age Trail on the east, Country View Road on the west and the City of Verona Boundary on the south. The majority of the land in the Neighborhood Plan study areas is located within the Town of Verona, with the exception of lands located around the corporate campus of Epic Systems Corporation and parcels located immediately north of the city's north water tower.
Part of the Plan is located within the Five Points Planning Area within which the Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement requires the Plan to be mutually approved by the City of Madison and the City of Verona. City of Madison Planning Division staff reviewed the draft North Neighborhood Plan and found it to be generally consistent with the Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement.
One area of note is that the City of Verona seeks an amendment to the 300-foot wide buffer requirement along parts of CTH M and CTH PD. While this amendment has been discussed, no agreement has been reached between the two cities on this potential change to the Agreement. As allowed by the Agreement, the 300-foot buffer has been modified by mutual consent of both communities in the past for development along Cross Country Road and for the Meriter McKee clinic project on CTH PD.
It should also be noted that the City of Verona recently expressed its interest in amending the Agreement or perhaps not renewing the Agreement when it comes up for renewal in 2015. Discussions between the City of Madison and the City of Verona are ongoing. The exact terms of such an amendment are unknown at this time.
WHEREAS on July 22, 1996 the City of Madison and City of Verona entered into an Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement as a means to maintaining permanent open space separation between the communities and establishing ultimate jurisdictional boundaries; and
WHEREAS the Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement identifies the Five Points Planning area, comprising the south ½ of Section 3 (T6N, R8E) and the north ½ of Section 10 (T6N, R8E), as an area where the two communities will cooperate in the preparation of detailed plans to designate and protect important open space areas and designate and guide the eventual urban development of future development areas on these lands; and
WHEREAS these plans will, at a minimum incorporate and recommend a permanent open space corridor and landscaped buffer; and
WHEREAS that within those portions of the Five Points Planning Area recommended for eventual urban development, the development plans will recommend specific locations, uses, intensities, and siting and design guidelines which will seek to ensure that future development is compatible with and, to the extent feasible, protects and enhances the quality and enjoyment of designated open space areas; and
WHEREAS the development plans for lands within the Five Points Planning Area be prepared as needed at the initiative of the municipality anticipated to have eventual jurisdiction over urban development; and
WHEREAS the development plans shall be mutually approved by the City of Madison and by the City of Verona, and that amendments to these plans be similarly mutually approved; and
WHEREAS the City of Verona has prepared the North Neighborhood Plan, which includes recommendations for the Five Points Planning Area; and
WHEREAS the North Neighborhood Plan has been reviewed by City of Madison staff and was found to be generally consistent with the provisions of City of Madison and City of Verona Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED the City of Madison hereby approves the City of Verona North Neighborhood Plan.