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Madison council adopts Southeast Area Plan, staff and residents push for 35 mph 'urban boulevard' on Highway 51
Summary
After an 18‑month planning process and extensive public engagement, the council unanimously adopted the Southeast Area Plan and related comprehensive‑plan amendment; planning staff and a resident speaker urged the council to support a 35 mph urban boulevard option on Highway 51 (Stoton Road) to improve safety and enable mixed‑use redevelopment.
The Madison Common Council unanimously adopted the Southeast Area Plan and the related amendment to the comprehensive plan affecting districts 3, 15 and 16 after a presentation by planning staff and public comment.
Planning co‑lead Jeff Greger told the council the plan reflects 18 months of outreach and technical review, proposes a new "medium residential one" category for the comprehensive plan, and identifies nodes for mixed‑use and denser residential development along corridors such as Milwaukee Street and Cottage Grove Road. The plan offers two development options for a 41‑acre former office site on Wallbridge Avenue (reuse of the office building as mixed use or demolition and redevelopment) and recommends preserving general commercial and employment land where appropriate while shifting other areas to mixed‑use where residential is suitable.
On transportation, staff said the plan advocates for a 35 mph urban boulevard option on Highway 51 (identified in materials as Stoton Road) rather than a 45 mph limited‑access design; the lower‑speed boulevard would enable additional street connections, safer crossings and community mixed‑use development. Resident speaker Tanya Hamilton Nisbet, who described her past involvement in a grassroots Stone Road plan and cross‑jurisdictional outreach, urged council adoption and specifically supported reducing the Stoton/US‑51 speed limit to 35 miles per hour to improve safety for children walking to school.
Council members praised the planning process, noting the removal of an "escalator clause" that created uncertainty about allowed residential volume and commending staff for robust neighborhood engagement, focus groups and special events. Alder Field and others said the plan provides clarity for future sewer and street planning and helps prioritize pedestrian and bicycle safety near schools.
The council moved and seconded adoption; President Madison recorded a unanimous vote in favor. Staff said the plan archives and integrates six prior local plans and includes community‑action strategy chapters with potential small capital projects prioritized for federal CDBG funding if available.
What happens next: Adoption amends the city's comprehensive plan for the affected districts; plan implementation will rely on future rezoning, infrastructure investment and partnerships with state agencies (for Highway 51 design), subject to funding availability.
