[media-credit name=’Matt Hintz/The Badger Herald’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]

Amid some student protest, a controversial building proposal for a four-story apartment complex on West Mifflin Street passed the next step of the city approval process Monday evening, pending the developer makes a number of amendments to appease city commissions and students activists.

The city’s Plan Commission voted to approve the most current design of the project for the 400 block of Mifflin after circulating the referral back to the Urban Design Commission for final approval. The plan will move for a City Council vote Tuesday.

Plan Commission member and District 13 Alder Julia Kerr moved to attach a number of conditions to the commission’s approval. She said the developer’s proposal should prohibit bicycle and moped parking in the front of the building. She also requested UDC not return the proposal to the Plan Commission and said an attached legislation to the project should outline the building would not set precedent for future construction.

The applicant and developers for the mixed housing complex, including the project’s head developer Patrick McCaughey, have gone through numerous revisions of the original plan, including setting the controversial fourth story of the building back as well as making concessions to simplify its architecture.

“We are here for final approval having made changes since the UDC meeting last week and we think you’ll like it,” McCaughey said.

Among the changes McCaughey was required to make was pushing the building back 20 feet from the sidewalk, simplifying the roof design and muting the color scheme to match surrounding buildings.

Associated Students of Madison Legislative Affairs Vice Chair Hannah Somers said size, mass and visual appearance still remain large anxieties for opponents such as the student-led Save Mifflin group.

“Save Mifflin still has some really serious concerns about this proposal,” Somers said. “This building must not become a precedent for buildings in the future.”

Somers said the student voice, although having made a genuine attempt at compromising, has not been addressed to the extent the group wished.

Other issues raised by opponents to the proposal focused on the need for social uniformity in the Mifflin neighborhood, fewer units in the complex and a more sensible design for the elevator tower.

University of Wisconsin junior and Save Mifflin member Kate Robertson said she was dismayed by the lack of information the group has received on building standards and the zoning amendment.

“I’ve attended every meeting possible,” Robertson said. “But compromise is dwindling and at the end of the day, this apartment is a bulky four-story box and you can dress it up as much as you want.”

Rick Roffman, a West Mifflin resident, spoke in support of the proposal, saying that he preferred the original four-story plan as it did not seem overbearing, but lent itself to the Mifflin community.

Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, spoke at the end of the public hearing to address his constituents and students who have made their opinions known on the building plan, thanking them for their efforts.

“My constituents are spilt, so this has not been easy,” Verveer said. “But my heart is with the Save Mifflin student group and all their efforts.”