Due to the snowstorm, the City Council meeting scheduled for Tuesday night was canceled, postponing the decision relating to the Edgewater redeveloper Hammes Co.’s appeal until next Tuesday.

City Council President Ald. Tim Bruer, District 14, made the decision to cancel the meeting with consultation from Ald. Mark Clear, District 19 and Mayor Dave Cieslewicz.

According to a city of Madison statement, the decision came after the declared blizzard for the area and city law officials urging people to stay off the roads in the interest of public safety.

Amy Supple, the development director for Hammes Co., said public safety is something with which the city needs to be concerned.

“We look forward to having the opportunity to present this (the appeal) to City Council (next Tuesday),” Supple said.

Supple added she is not sure what the impact of this delay will be regarding the decision, given the presumably hectic travel and holiday schedules of the alders.

Clear said the decision to cancel the meeting was, in a way, a no-win situation. Alders who could not originally make it to Tuesday night’s meeting are now able to attend next week’s meeting.

However, some alders will now be unavailable to attend next week’s meeting. Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said he is currently aware of three alders who may have to miss the meeting.

“[The delay] gives us a chance to take a breath and look for a possible compromise,” Verveer said, adding he is not sure one is even possible.

The delay also changes the dynamics and politics of the decision, and was not something that was decided lightly, Clear said.

“You can’t just put things in the freezer until next week,” Clear said, adding there will be continued lobbying regarding the decision until next week’s meeting.

Rachel Strauch-Nelson, spokesperson for Cieslewicz, said while some people will be disappointed by the cancellation, the delay is not necessarily a bad scenario as it allows for more discussion on a topic of great importance.

The meeting is now scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Dec 15 in a room yet to be determined.