Members of a city association met Thursday night to begin the preliminary discussions for this year’s Mifflin Street Block Party.

Associated Students of Madison Legislative Affairs Chair Hannah Somers attended the Mifflin Neighborhood Association meeting to discuss the involvement of students in the development of this year’s annual party.

She said ASM has been working to receive student feedback regarding last year’s event and how the event should be changed for this spring. At last year’s block party, there were multiple stabbing incidents and sexual assaults that initially led Mayor Paul Soglin to say he would consider ending the decades-long historical event that began on campus when he was a student.  

As such, Somers said students needed to have a bigger commitment in planning the event to ensure it can still take place.

“We definitely would like to see a conversation between students and you as residents of Mifflin,” she said.

She said ASM has met with Madison Alcohol Policy Coordinator Mark Woulf to discuss the issue of alcohol and public intoxication, which is considered one of the causing factors in last year’s violence.

A survey is also being developed to ask how safe students feel about Mifflin and what changes they would like to see made for it, she said.

“We are planning to email the survey, but we know that campus emails aren’t read very often,” Somers said. “I’m hoping as we advertise this, that [students] will want to come forward and be more involved.”

Members of the association commented on their desire to make students accountable and involved with the block party. 

Because students are the primary attendees, members feel they should be responsible for their actions during the event, association member Peggy LeMahieu said.

Somers agreed students should play a heavier role in the aftermath of the event.

“I definitely understand the accountability,” Somers said. “The future of [Mifflin] depends on the students.”

Following the discussion of the Mifflin Street Block Party, the association moved to talk of a potential high rise in downtown Madison. 

Scott Faust and Ron Fedler, both Madison real estate developers, spoke about the progress of the high-rise plans.

The city of Madison has wanted to construct a new city park on the block between West Johnson and Dayton, which is also where Faust hopes to build the new high rise.

City planners have heard Faust and Fedler’s appeal and have decided to discuss other potential areas to construct the park, Faust said.

Faust said he hopes to build a five to six story high-rise with 84 units, 176 bedrooms and underground parking.

“We would like to break ground by next August,” Faust said. “We are still trying to get it approved through the new zoning.”

Fedler said he would also like to construct a 12 story high-rise downtown, but not until the conditions are right.

In order for Faust to make a formal submission to the city for development of the high-rise, he would need the Mifflin Neighborhood Association to pass a 60-day waiver. Otherwise, his formal submission would be put on hold until Nov. 27.

Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, commented that granting the pass would allow Faust’s proposal to go before the city officials sooner rather than later.

“The practicality of it is that they want to build,” association member Dory Christiansen said. “To me, the 60-day waiver is a no-brainer.”

Still, LeMahieu said she worried the area is being overbuilt with student housing.

“I’ve got almost 2000 apartment units, and I don’t have one vacancy in downtown Madison,” Fedler said in response.

The Association passed the waiver on the condition that more neighborhood and Steering Committee meetings are held regarding the high rise.