Fiscal Note
No additional City appropriation is required with the adoption of the Oscar Mayer Special Area Plan. The recommendations and action steps presented in the plan do not include cost estimates. City costs associated with implementing recommendations within the plan will be included in future capital and operating budgets, subject to Common Council approval.
Title
ALTERNATE - Adopting the Oscar Mayer Special Area Plan as a Supplement to the City of Madison Comprehensive Plan.
Body
WHEREAS, in 2017 Oscar Mayer shut down operations, ending a 100-year presence that included a peak employment of approximately 4,000 which greatly contributed to the development of and economic vibrancy of the north and east sides of Madison; and
WHEREAS, the more than 15,000 participants in the Imagine Madison process overwhelmingly preferred a future growth pattern that maximized infill and redevelopment and minimized outward expansion as a more sustainable way of accommodating anticipated growth; and
WHEREAS, the City of Madison’s Comprehensive Plan (2018) includes a growth framework to accommodate the projected growth of 70,000 new residents and 37,000 new jobs anticipated by 2040; and
WHEREAS, the Comprehensive Plan provides policy direction framework for more detailed subarea plans and recommends concentrating the highest intensity development along transit corridors including near current transfer points and future Bus Rapid Transit corridors; and
WHEREAS, Madison in Motion, the City’s Sustainable Transportation Master Plan (2014) found residents in central areas with high quality transit and bike facilities, including Oscar Mayer, drive at significantly lower rates, and as a result targeting growth towards these areas can reduce the carbon footprint of future residents; and
WHEREAS, the Parks and Open Space Plan (2018) identified the Oscar Mayer area to be well served by existing community parks but deficient in smaller neighborhood parks; and
WHEREAS, the Equitable Development Report (2019) found the neighborhoods surrounding Oscar Mayer had populations vulnerable to displacement and relatively high rates of housing cost increases, while also finding areas across the City with high rates of new housing construction effectively maintained affordability of existing units; and,
WHEREAS, in 2017, the City initiated a two phase planning process to chart a future for the Oscar Mayer Site; and
WHEREAS, the Oscar Mayer Strategic Assessment was adopted by the Common Council in February 2019 after an extensive public outreach effort, and includes a redevelopment vision and objectives with primary themes of economic development, transit, equity, housing, and sustainability; and
WHEREAS, the Oscar Mayer Special Area Plan process included a significant public engagement opportunities, including the Key Constituency Advisory Group aimed at understanding perspectives of under-represented populations and more than 20 meetings, events and presentations with more than 600 total participants; and
WHEREAS, the Oscar Mayer Special Area Plan (the Plan) establishes a framework to achieve the visions and objectives found in the Oscar Mayer Strategic Assessment, Comprehensive Plan and Parks and Open Space Plan; and
WHEREAS, the Plan allows for and supports a diverse range of employment uses, housing types and open space types to create an authentic and welcoming district where all of Madison’s residents and visitors feel comfortable; and
WHEREAS, the Plan leverages and supports current and future transit investments and bicycle network planning to reduce dependency on personal vehicles; and
WHEREAS, the Plan envisions a more interconnected and walkable district, with smaller block sizes, improved linkages to surrounding neighborhoods and a focus on creating streets for people; and
WHEREAS, the Plan protects sensitive natural areas and encourages sustainable develop and innovative stormwater management strategies; and
WHEREAS, the Plan includes recommendations for sustained investment in the area.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Common Council does hereby adopt the Oscar Mayer Special Area Plan and recommendations contained therein as a supplement to the City’s Comprehensive Plan, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Common Council directs the Planning Division to prepare and forward to the Common Council for consideration recommended zoning map amendments in the study area that will support implementation of the goals and objectives contained within the Oscar Mayer Special Area Plan.