Plan commission backs authorization to prepare downtown area plan, coordinates with economic strategy

The City of Madison Plan Commission on Aug. 11 recommended that the Common Council authorize the Planning Division to prepare an updated downtown area plan and an associated public participation plan (Legistar 89,327). The commission’s recommendation was unanimous.

Planning staff Dan McAuliffe and Rebecca Kinnear presented the scope and schedule. The downtown area — about 700 acres — contains roughly 3,400 residents, 1,600 housing units and more than 60,000 jobs, and staff said the plan will address land use, heights, key redevelopment sites, curb management, transit and pedestrian connections, and preservation of views to the state Capitol. Staff also noted coordination with the Downtown Madison, Inc. (DMI) economic investment strategy and the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus framework update to share analyses and public engagement tools.

McAuliffe said the plan team expects to run the update in three phases: 1) issues, opportunities and goals, 2) draft recommendations and 3) review and approval. He described outreach tactics that emphasize public engagement tools and coordinated events with DMI to broaden participation and noted that DMI’s study area is larger than the downtown area plan boundary; staff plan to align some work products and engagement where useful.

Commissioners asked about how the downtown plan will intersect with lakefront and corridor projects such as the planned John Nolen Drive work and the Lakeway implementation; staff said they expect to be a “sounding board” for implementation projects and will account for ongoing efforts rather than duplicate them.

Alder Field moved, and the commission seconded, a recommendation that the Common Council authorize the Planning Division to prepare the downtown area plan and the public participation plan; the commission recorded unanimous approval. The item will now proceed to the Common Council for authorization.

What’s next: Staff will continue coordination with DMI and UW–Madison planning processes, conduct existing-conditions analysis, and begin phased public engagement. The commission asked staff to pursue shared outreach with the DMI effort and to include transportation, curb management, and potential Amtrak station planning among the topics under study.

Ending: The Plan Commission’s recommendation allows staff to proceed with the planning process and public outreach; the commission will receive subsequent briefings as draft recommendations are prepared.