Plan commission approves combined Blackhawk Middle and Gompers Elementary replacement despite concerns about parent drop loops

The Madison Plan Commission on Sept. 15 approved two conditional uses to permit construction of a combined middle and elementary school building to replace Blackhawk Middle School and Gompers Elementary School at 1402 Wyoming Way. The approvals clear the schools to proceed to final design and coordination with the city’s public‑works and traffic engineering staff, subject to the conditions in the staff report.

Planner Ernest (staff) summarized the project and timeline, saying construction would begin in early 2026, the existing building would remain open while the new building is built, and the district expects to request demolition in late 2027. The proposed project site plan places the new building more centrally on the lot, with separate access patterns: elementary access and parent drop‑off from Wheeler Road (a city collector street) and middle‑school access, including a parent loop and a bus loop, from Comanche Way/Wyoming Way.

Why it matters: the site design aims to separate school buses from parent cars and provides separate drop‑off loops for the elementary and middle‑school programs. Commissioners and registrants pressed the applicant on whether that design would increase vehicle circulation on school property, induce more driving, and create pedestrian conflicts — questions that bear on pedestrian safety and multimodal access in a largely residential neighborhood.

Matt Haas, representing the district, and architect team members described the two parent drop loops and a dedicated bus loop, explained phasing to keep the existing school open during construction, and said traffic engineering reviewed and supported the layout because it reduces queuing on public streets. Architect Susan Bowersox said the design uses the site topography so both school entrances enter at grade; the middle‑school entry sits lower on the hillside and the elementary entry faces Wheeler Road.

A public registrant, Nicholas Davies (District 15), opposed the design’s parent drop loop, saying such loops “induce demand” and “create a feedback loop where parents show up earlier and earlier to idle their cars on school property and jockey for a position at the head of this line,” and argued some cities limit street frontage traffic in front of schools to create safer spaces for walking and biking.

Commissioners asked for details on sight distance, queuing length, anticipated vehicle counts and pedestrian accommodations. Project representatives said the design includes separate bus and parent loops, queuing length assumptions based on a typical 15‑minute drop‑off window, and that traffic engineering recommended curb, marking and crossing improvements at nearby intersections. The applicant said sidewalks are planned adjacent to drop lanes so students who exit vehicles step onto a sidewalk rather than cross active lanes; public‑right‑of‑way improvements such as a pedestrian refuge in Wheeler Road were described as items traffic engineering would specify in final design.

After discussion, Alder Glenn moved to approve the two conditional uses and found the approval standards were met; Commissioner Nicole Schollheim seconded. The motion passed by roll call with eight ayes and one no (Commissioner Wisniewski voted no), and the report record notes the approval is subject to the staff report conditions, which include traffic‑engineering conditions and other site‑improvement requirements.

Ending: Staff and the district will finalize design details, coordinate required right‑of‑way improvements with traffic engineering, and address pedestrian crossing treatments identified in the staff conditions before final permits are issued.