The Hammes Company presented a detailed, revised plan for the Edgewater Hotel redevelopment project in a joint committee meeting Wednesday night, intending to address more specifically the concerns of the Urban Design and Landmarks commissions.
This meeting signifies the first time two committees have come together to address the Edgewater project. Ald. Mark Clear, District 19, said the advice and hard work that is spent by these two committees helps the Common Council greatly when considering the approval of the plan.
“We’ve asked supporters to let us focus on the content tonight,” Hammes Company President Bob Dunn said. “We want to give you current information and focus on criteria important to both boards.”
Brad Murphy, Madison planning division director, said the project is being reviewed by the Landmark and Urban Design committees almost concurrently; there is no ordinance requirement that either one should go first.
The joint committee meeting addressed the notion that both boards have decided to work together to voice their concerns and further revisions to the updated plans.
“We want the council to have as much benefit from the mutual commission as they can,” said Richard Slayton, a member of the Urban Design Committee. “We all want to give our best advice to the Common Council because they’re the ones making the final decision.”
According to Madison resident and Mansion Hill Steering Committee member Ledell Zellers, the building’s location is centered in one of five historic districts of the city of Madison. Zellers said the project should be approved only if it will be visually compatible with the Mansion Hill neighborhood in which the hotel resides.
Dunn said the Hammes Company assessed the ordinances that fall under the jurisdiction of the Landmark Committee to better understand the desirable volume, height and architecture for the hotel. He added the ordinance itself discusses what historic landmarks can do for cities and the company tried to guide the project according to it.
The company detailed the makeup of the proposed building, including finishes, materials, specific structures and traffic circulation. The essentials of the basic architecture and landscaping plans are an area of consideration for the Urban Design Committee, according to Dunn.
Members of the community, the former chair of the Zoning Board of Appeals and a local landscape architect all expressed their opinions opposing the Edgewater Hotel plan as it currently stands.
“We’re not out to stop this project,” said Jason Tish, executive director of the Madison Trust for Historic Preservation. “We’d be in support of a proposal that protects the historic district and maintains the feel of a small scale residential area.”
After each speaker stated their case, the board members asked to hear the revisions each individual speaker would require in order to support the rebuilding of the hotel.
Zellers said the building is too tall and too massive for the Mansion Hill Community and should be reduced by two stories in height.
The Landmark and Urban Design committees will hold additional meetings on Nov. 30 and Dec. 2 respectively.
