Plan Commission approves new Blackhawk Middle / Gompers Elementary campus; commissioners raise traffic and pedestrian-safety concerns

The Madison Plan Commission voted Sept. 15 to approve two conditional-use permits allowing construction of a new combined Blackhawk Middle School and Gompers Elementary School on the existing site at 1402 Wyoming Way, subject to conditions in the staff report. The vote passed 8-1; Commissioner Wasniewski cast the lone no vote.

Planning staff said the new two-level facility will be built while the existing building remains in use; construction is expected to begin in early 2026 with demolition of the older building expected after the new facility is occupied. Planning staff reported the new building’s floors would total roughly 90,000 square feet on the lower level and 110,000 square feet on the upper level (two levels together representing the building footprint and gross area presented to the commission).

The proposed site plan separates circulation for the elementary and middle school components. The elementary entry and parent drop-off loop would access Wheeler Road (a collector street), while the middle-school parent loop and parking would access Comanche Way/Wyoming Way; school buses would use a separate bus loop. Planning staff said the zoning administrator determined that having vehicular access to Wheeler Road satisfies the supplemental zoning requirement that new schools in residential areas take access from a collector or higher-classification street.

Matt Haas, representing the school district, said the separated loops are intended to improve traffic flow compared with the existing condition where all traffic currently uses Comanche Way/Wyoming Way. "Bringing the traffic in board to the site will vastly improve the traffic because I know Comanche Way and Wyoming Way is a challenging street to navigate during pickup and drop off times," Haas said.

A registered speaker, Nicholas Davies (District 15), opposed the parent drop-loop design and urged alternatives that prioritize pedestrian safety and reduce vehicle reliance. "This type of child drive thru is associated with worse academic outcomes and it dehumanizes students, treating them as parcels for shipping," Davies said. He and other commenters suggested traffic-calming measures, possible street closures at peak arrival/departure times, and safer walking and biking access.

Commissioners pressed the applicant and staff on pedestrian crossing treatments and sight-distance constraints at Wheeler Road. Applicant representatives said Traffic Engineering reviewed the proposal and supported the circulation scheme as the best option given site topography and sight-distance limitations; they said further design details, pedestrian markings and right-of-way improvements will be addressed through public-right-of-way improvement conditions and later design phases.

Commissioner Timothy Heck and others asked staff to ensure that pedestrian accommodations where sidewalks cross the drop-off loops are robust; staff noted Traffic Engineering conditions in the report include intersection and crossing improvements at nearby streets, potential crossing refuge medians on Wheeler Road, and requirements for final design approvals and security deposits for public-right-of-way work.

The commission’s approval included standard conditions noted in the staff report; commissioners also discussed educating parents and caregivers about drop-off circulation patterns as part of implementation. The record shows the school district and design team will return to the Urban Design Commission for final design refinements.

Vote tally (roll call): Alder Field — yes; Alder Glenn — yes; Alder Uguera — yes; Commissioner Bazin — yes; Commissioner Hecht — yes; Commissioner Sanders — yes; Commissioner Solheim — yes; Commissioner Wasniewski — no. The project will proceed to final design and agreement negotiations with city staff.