News

Board of Estimates approves Capitol Square parking plan

The city of Madison Board of Estimates focused on parking during their Monday meeting, adopting a plan to return public parking to the Capitol Square and approving the onset of plans to bring a parking ramp to State Street.

The Capitol Square parking plan includes two parallel parking lanes on both sides of the street. This plan will add 27 parking spots to Capitol Square. A bike lane will separate the travel lane on the inside of the street from the bus and right turn lane on the outside of the street.

The adoption of the plan to return public parking to Capitol Square delighted representatives of Capitol Square businesses who were present at the meeting. Susan Schmitz, the president of Downtown Madison, Inc., addressed the importance of this added parking to Capitol Square businesses.

“Capitol Square businesses have really been rallying around this,” Schmitz said. “These 27 parking spots [mean] the world to them.”

The Capitol Square businesses believe the additional parking will encourage more patronage to Capitol Square by discouraging the myth that there is no parking downtown. Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, acknowledged the existence of the belief.

“[The myth] is a perception problem,” Verveer said, “Unfortunately, perception can become reality.”

The city’s existing tax revenues covered the original plan for the addition of public parking to the Capitol Square. However, the addition of a bike lane to the original plan increased the cost of the plan by $200,000.

Mayor David Cieslewicz recognized the extra $200,000 as a serious financial consequence, but plans to pay it off over the course of four years.

Businesses and board members also showed excitement about the safety the bike lane and parking lanes will provide. The bike lane will add to the safety of bicyclists, while a row of parked cars will act as a buffer zone between Capitol Square pedestrians and traffic.

Passing the resolution to allow the onset of plans to bring a parking ramp to State Street was not as easy as adopting the plan for public parking on Capitol Square.

The resolution will bring a structure to State Street, near Pizzeria Uno’s, equipped with underground parking, 63 condominiums and space for retail businesses on the first level.

Ald. Brenda Konkel, District 2, felt allowing the onset of these plans was premature. She disagreed with other members that passing this motion would not only be authorizing the beginning of these plans, but would be making a commitment to them. She felt the board was not considering historical issues.

The striking point was an issue with three houses that would have to be demolished for the construction of the facility. There were questions about whether or not these houses had ties to playwright Thornton Wilder. Cieslewicz, who was in favor of passing the resolution, addressed the issue.

“The three houses in question seem to be accepting of [the plan],” Cieslewicz said, “It’s a sacrifice we must be willing to make so the project goes through.”