Plan Commission backs Ryland Grove rezoning and preliminary plat for 548-home subdivision

The Madison Plan Commission on July 7 unanimously recommended that the Common Council approve zoning map amendments and the preliminary plat for Ryland Grove, a proposed subdivision on the city’s northeast side that would rezone portions of a roughly 149.7-acre parcel and create single-family, missing-middle and townhouse lots.

The proposal would rezone portions of property addressed as 6004 Commercial Avenue and 604–902 Reiner Road to TR‑P (Traditional Residential Plan) and TR‑U1 (Traditional Residential Urban 1), and the preliminary plat would subdivide the property to create about 488 single-family attached and detached residences, 60 townhouse units and four outlots reserved for future development. The project also includes an approximately 5.9-acre public park and a 1.1-acre privately maintained park.

Planner Tim Parks, representing city planning staff, said the applicant revised the proposed park layout after staff and park division comments raised concerns about homes abutting the public park. Parks said the revised layout shifts lots so the park will have park frontage on H Street and F Street and creates an L‑shaped park with better connectivity and an improved peninsula feature to extend pedestrian links.

Brian Munson, principal of Vanderwall & Associates speaking on behalf of Viridian Homes (the subdivider), said the revised plat reflects neighborhood plan guidance, complete green streets principles and a range of housing types intended to be built over 10–15 years. Munson, accompanied by Matt Brink of Viridian Homes and Dan Day of Donofrio Katke (civil engineer), told commissioners the team worked with staff to address the park and street layout and has stormwater solutions under review with city stormwater staff.

Nicholas Davies, a District 15 resident who spoke during the public hearing, said he supports more housing but urged the commission to require or encourage mixed‑use or small commercial nodes so future residents will have walkable amenities. Davies also criticized several of the proposed street cross sections as wider than the city’s Complete Green Streets guidance and warned that wide streets can encourage speeding. In response, Munson and staff said the street types were vetted with traffic engineering and city engineering; some off‑street trails and multiuse connections are included in the plan.

Commissioners asked about the four outlots along Commercial and Reiner, stormwater handling, street widths and the feasibility of micro‑commercial uses. Munson and Dan Day said stormwater will use a combination of infiltration on site and easements to move flows through constrained downstream outlets; detailed cross sections and final street designs will be reviewed later by engineering and the Board of Public Works.

Commissioner (and mover) Solheim moved that the commission find the standards met and forward the revised preliminary plat of Ryland Grove to the Common Council with a recommendation of approval subject to the conditions in the July 7 staff addendum. The commission also forwarded the zoning map amendments to council. Both recommendations were recorded as unanimously approved.

The chair and planning staff noted the subdivision will be only the second major project to move forward under the Northeast Neighborhood Development Plan and that commercial components anticipated at the Reiner‑Commercial intersection remain for future rezoning and development by the owners of the outlots.

The Planning Commission’s recommendation goes to the Common Council for final action next week; staff said final plats, engineering approvals and street cross sections will be decided in subsequent review steps.