Council approves zoning changes to ease school redevelopment; one alder votes no on access rule

The Madison Common Council on July 7 approved two separate zoning‑code amendments intended to reduce technical barriers to redevelopment of existing nonresidential uses in residential areas, notably school projects.

The first change removes a rigid requirement that certain nonresidential uses secure vehicular access from a collector or higher classified street, giving traffic engineering staff and the Plan Commission flexibility to approve local‑street access when it is safer or more appropriate. Katie Bannon, the city’s zoning administrator, said the rule has blocked otherwise viable projects and cited Cherokee Heights Middle School as an example where local‑street access from Cherokee makes more sense than access from a higher‑speed collector.

Tom Moore of traffic engineering told the council staff weighs factors such as speed, traffic volumes, visibility, proximity to intersections and pedestrian crossings when recommending access points. “In this case, it’s pretty clearly not [safer to access from the collector],” Moore said, noting local streets can be preferable for schools where children enter and exit vehicles.

On that item (Legistar 93403), the council recorded 18 ayes and one no — Alder Pritchett asked to be recorded as voting no — and the ordinance passed.

The second amendment (Legistar 93404) allows certain nonresidential uses that already require conditional‑use review in residential districts — such as schools, libraries and places of worship — to request additional height through the conditional‑use process, up to a 50‑foot maximum. Bannon said the change would allow necessary gym or multi‑story classroom space to be built without upending neighborhood zoning. She emphasized that the conditional‑use review remains and the Plan Commission can apply conditions or deny a request.

Alder Matthews asked whether the change could be used to build taller apartment buildings in single‑family neighborhoods; Bannon replied that the amendment applies only to nonresidential uses already allowed in those zones and would not enable new apartment construction where it is otherwise prohibited. The council adopted the code change unanimously.

Both changes were presented as targeted, site‑specific fixes intended to help Madison Metropolitan School District projects and other limited nonresidential uses move forward while preserving Plan Commission oversight and neighborhood protections.