Despite continued community pressures to further stall a controversial building proposal, a city commission unanimously approved the four-story apartment complex proposed for Madison’s historic Mifflin Street Wednesday evening.
The Urban Design Commission granted final approval to developer Pat McCaughey’s design for a building aimed at young professionals looking for upscale housing in the Mifflin neighborhood. The proposal received initial approval to move through the city process during UDC’s last meeting but was required to return with proof of requested modifications.
When the proposal went for consideration before the City Council last week, Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, requested the Council provide more time for city commissions and community members to look over the proposal’s provisions.
Students currently living on Mifflin Street who began the “Save Mifflin” effort to stop the project from continuing once again rallied at the UDC’s meeting to push the commission to require McCaughey to make additional changes, such as eliminating the building’s fourth floor to allow it to better blend with the rest of the street.
“I think this is a really nice building and a beautiful structure – however, I live across the street, and I don’t think it fits in with the neighborhood,” University of Wisconsin junior Rachel Klaven said. “Mifflin is a beautiful architectural neighborhood, and whatever you [commission members] approve should set a strong precedent for further construction in the neighborhood.”
While commission members took student concerns into consideration, they said the revised proposal met all the standards the city outlined for the project and had no reason to further delay McCaughey’s development process.
UDC also re-heard a proposal that was previously denied for a Hampton Inn on the corner of North Bassett and West Johnson streets. Though the commission said the developers had made significant improvements during the weeks since the last hearing, the proposal was once again denied pending further work to meet the commission’s urban design expectations.
Previously, the commission asked the project designer to make more of a “statement” on the building’s corner. UDC board member Richard Slayton said the expectations were clearly met by adding a curtain wall to the corner, in addition to many other changes.
“I round the corner on West Johnson now and I can see this,” Slayton said. “There’s something really special here.”
The commission provided additional recommendations for the proposal and said it plans to vote on the project’s approval following review at UDC’s next meeting.
With a 6-1 vote, UDC passed Mayor Dave Cieslewicz’s proposed “B-Cycle” bicycle sharing program, which was brought before the committee to discuss the project’s advertising efforts.
Cieslewicz’s Basic Services Liaison Ray Harmon requested the program be allowed to advertise through signage on the side panels of the bikes’ baskets and on brochures with maps provided to the bikers.
Though relatively few problems were raised about the program’s advertising, a number of commission members expressed concerns about allowing civilians to rent bikes with no required “safety course.” Harmon said the bikes would include bike safety instructions on their panels, but no specific enforcement plan was in place.
“The bike sharing program is going to add to public transportation,” Harmon said. “It will be used by students, reduce road congestion and have obvious environmental benefits.”
