A revised zoning ordinance could have far-reaching affects for Madison’s lakefront properties, including the Edgewater Hotel, if passed by the city council next week.
At a zoning code rewrite working session Monday night, city officials, including alders and members of the Urban Design Commission, talked through amendments to the Madison General Ordinances to revise the city’s zoning ordinance.
City Zoning Administrator Matt Tucker and Planning Division Director Brad Murphy both took a lead in the session. Murphy and Tucker talked those present through the changes and offered explanations to alder and UDC questions.
There are multiple amendments on the agenda for next Monday’s Plan Committee meeting, but the one most pertinent to the Edgewater’s redevelopment plan concerns waterfront setback.
Tucker said the current zoning ordinance applies to approximately 31.5 miles of city lakefront. This is made up of 70 parks and open spaces and 13 institutional, 12 commercial and six undeveloped spaces, according to a document produced by Tucker, Murphy and Ald. Mark Clear, District 19, regarding the ordinance.
According to the document, “the amendment makes the existing development pattern method for determining waterfront setback applicable only to property whose principal use is residential.”
Though the zoning code changes have the ability to affect numerous properties in the Madison area, much focus has been placed in recent weeks on how the amendment has the potential to help further along the estimated $93 million Edgewater redevelopment.
“If they decide to pass an ordinance like this, I anticipate it would allow the Edgewater project to move forward as it’s planned,” Tucker said.
The Edgewater will still fall under city Plan Commission jurisdiction in the conditional use process.
Concern has been voiced over the apparent work to amend the ordinance specifically for the Edgewater development. Tucker noted the ordinance had been amended to exempt civic auditorium complexes prior to the construction of Monona Terrace.
“The ordinance isn’t really specifically related just to the Edgewater — it relates to any other non-residential development,” Tucker said.
Monday’s meeting of the Plan Committee is expected to make a recommendation for the city council’s Tuesday night meeting, when final decisions for many components of the Edgewater project are expected.
There is a potential Wednesday night meeting scheduled in case the Tuesday night meeting runs long, as it is expected to be an evening filled with public testimony and comment. Tucker said the council wants to avoid a repeat of a Landmarks Commission meeting last fall that went past midnight.
“Let’s be honest, we know that it’s going forth with a project that’s pretty high on everybody’s radar,” Tucker said.
