The draft South Madison Plan Update, as currently proposed by the city of Madison's Planning staff, was introduced to the city's Common Council on November 2, 2021. Subsequently it will be reviewed by various city commissions and return to Council for a vote of approval on January 4, 2022. This draft plan recommends changes for the John Nolen Drive and East Olin Avenue corridors. The plan includes a height map for all of South Madison. It revises the city's land use map for the "Olin Triangle," which is bounded by Wingra Creek, John Nolen Drive, and East Olin Avenue, and is home to the Wonder Bar.
These proposed changes, which set the stage for redevelopment that supports the Alliant Energy Center's "Destination District Vision & Strategy," could have potentially detrimental impacts on Olin Park, Turville Point Conservation Park, and the Wingra Creek parkway and bike path. (The "Destination District Vision & Strategy" has never been officially adopted by either Dane County or the city of Madison.)
Proposed changes include:
• Buildings of up to 12 stories alongside John Nolen Drive adjacent to Turville Point Conservation Park and Olin Park
• Buildings of up to 12 stories where the Olin Triangle borders John Nolen Drive and East Olin Avenue
• Buildings of up to 8 stories where the Olin Triangle borders Wingra Creek Parkway
• Reassignment of the Olin Triangle's designated land use from Employment to Regional Mixed Use.
We, the undersigned, appeal to the city of Madison's Common Council to:
• Protect and preserve South Madison’s parks and open areas, especially important in a Conservation Park.
• Revise the proposed height map to respect the impacts of new development on the surrounding natural areas and adjacent neighborhoods
• Investigate the impacts of the proposed height map and change in land use for the Olin Triangle on nearby natural areas and adjacent neighborhoods
• Instruct the city's Planning staff to call additional South Madison Plan Update community meetings with citizens to:
-- Allow reconsideration of staff's proposed height map and land use changes along the John Nolen Drive and East Olin Avenue corridors
-- Solicit public feedback on these last-minute additions to the draft plan prior to final submission, in keeping with the Common Council's approved participatory process for the South Madison Plan Update.
Why is this important?
The draft South Madison Plan Update's height map for the John Nolen Drive and East Olin Avenue corridors and proposed new land use for the Olin Triangle will likely have profound impacts, including potentially negative impacts on Olin Park and Turville Point Conservation Park, two of Madison's "natural gems:" including:
• Altering the view from within the parks and from points all around Madison
• Increasing bird strikes along an important migratory route due to the amount and height of building glass
• Compromising the uses and enjoyment of Olin Park and Turville Point Conservation Park and the Wingra Creek parkway and bike path.
How it will be delivered
This petition will be emailed to the city's Plan Commission prior to its review of the South Madison Plan in the upcoming weeks and to the Common Council on 12/31/21. It will also be sent to the press. You can help protect the parks now by:
1) Circulating this email to friends and family in Madison.
2) Sending an email to "southmadison.unite @ gmail.com" to add your name to the email list for action updates.
