Fiscal Note
City costs associated with urban development in this area will be included in future operating and capital budgets subject to Common Council approval. $50,000 for area plan processes is included in the 2023 Planning Division budget.
Title
Authorizing the City of Madison Planning Division to prepare the West Area Plan
Body
WHEREAS, the City’s 2018 Comprehensive Plan recommended creation of a process for reviewing existing sub-area plans, which led to a larger review of the City’s neighborhood/area planning and ultimately a planning framework that was approved by the Common Council on August 2, 2022 (RES-22-00577, File #71147); and
WHEREAS, the planning framework was informed by findings from a Racial Equity and Social Justice analysis to help ensure equitable and inclusive public participation, plan recommendations, and outcomes; and
WHEREAS, RES-22-00577 identifies the Northeast and West Areas as the first two area plans to be undertaken by the Planning Division; and
WHEREAS, the West Area Plan is bounded by the West Beltline Highway to the south and west, the City of Middleton boundary and Lake Mendota to the north, and Midvale Boulevard to the east, (see Exhibit A); and
WHEREAS, substantial portions of the West Area Plan boundary lack coverage by any neighborhood, area, or corridor plan, leaving those areas without the more detailed level of guidance provided by such plans that is often necessary to implement the broader goals, policies, and actions of the Comprehensive Plan and other adopted citywide plans and policies; and
WHEREAS, consistent with the City’s Racial Equity and Social Justice (RESJ) Initiative, neighborhood 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 planning 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 West Area Plan study area: Spring Harbor Neighborhood Plan (2006); Southwest Neighborhoods Plan (2008); Midvale-Westmorland Neighborhood Plan (2009); University Hill Farms Neighborhood Plan (2016); and Odana Area Plan (2021); and
WHEREAS, the Odana Area Plan, which was adopted in 2021 after an extensive public participation process and which provides detailed recommendations for some land within the West Area Plan boundary, should continue to be used to guide private redevelopment and City investment within that area and should be integrated into the West Area Plan as adopted in 2021; and
WHEREAS, the first phase of the West Area planning process shall involve a review of the goals, objectives, and recommendations of the aforementioned plans adopted before 2021 for consistency with the scope/level of detail established for area plans, current stakeholder priorities, and the 2018 Comprehensive Plan and other adopted citywide plans and policies; and
WHEREAS, relevant goals, objectives, and recommendations from the aforementioned plans that are found to be consistent as described above, will generally be incorporated into the West Area Plan; and
WHEREAS, consistent with RES-22-00577, retirement of adopted plans within the West Area Plan boundary shall be considered as part of the development and approval of the West Area Plan; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Division shall create an Interagency Staff Team to help guide development of the West Area Plan.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Madison Planning Division is authorized to prepare the West Area Plan to guide land use, housing, urban design, transportation, parks and open space, historic and cultural resources, community facilities, and utility improvements within the area shown on the attached West Area Plan boundary map and to identify recommendations to implement a new vision for the West Area.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this planning process will include a public participation plan that proactively and equitably engages and informs residents, businesses, property owners, and other stakeholders within the West Area and complies with statutory requirements for amending the City’s Comprehensive Plan.