Lake Lawn Place residents and other UW-Madison students will soon have a new option for housing in the neighborhood.
Although the original Lake Lawn housing project was altered to fit students’ wishes and the overall neighborhood, some students are still concerned.
After much debate and redesign, the City Council unanimously approved the building of a student apartment building at the corner of East Lake Lawn Place and Lake Lawn Place at their Oct. 2 meeting.
In a 20-0 vote, the 19-apartment, 48-bedroom, three-and-a-half-story apartment building was approved.
Developer Joe McCormick, who owns many other student apartment buildings, had his original development plan altered for approval.
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, and members of the Langdon Neighborhood Historical District reached a compromise with McCormick to decrease the building size from five stories to three and a half. As a result, the number of apartments was also significantly decreased.
“The neighborhood felt strongly that the project should not overshadow other buildings in the neighborhood,” Verveer said. “We worked together as a committee and with the developer to come up with a compromise.”
Students currently living in the neighborhood said they think the new building will make more students aware of the somewhat hidden neighborhood, but are concerned with overcrowding and construction noise.
“It kind of takes away from the nice college housing idea; I hope the construction’s not too loud,” UW senior Adam Dahl said.
Three bungalows will be demolished in order to make room for the new building, which also upset some students.
“I didn’t think those houses were too bad,” Dahl said. “I’m sure they’ve been a part of the neighborhood for a long time; it’s too bad they have to be destroyed.”
Sarah Zimonick, a resident of West Lake Lawn and a UW junior, said she is annoyed by the construction.
“Last year I lived through the noises of construction, and to put up with it again this spring is not going to be fun,” Zimonick said.
Construction has already begun on the project.
