History of Steering Committee
For those of you who only became aware of the Midvale Plaza redevelopment with the recent articles in the Madison papers, this page provides a quick history of efforts to be proactive in dealing with the developer and owner for this project.
2005-Residents living around Midvale Plaza continue to express longstanding concerns about the appearance of the shopping center. Neighbors are told that negotiations are underway between the property owner, Jack Kelly, of Kelly Financial, and the City of Madison about a needed expansion of the Sequoya Branch Library. At issue is the City’s desire to own, rather than lease, the library building.
Summer 2005—A group consisting of board members of the Westmorland Neighborhood Association and the Midvale Heights Community Association, as well as other interested neighbors begins meeting. Following organizational meetings in summer 2005, the group makes arrangements to meet with property owner, Jack Kelly; his developer, Joe Krupp; and the property manager, Karyl Lynn Bruckner.
August 2005—The committee meets with Kelly, Krupp, and Bruckner. As a follow-up to questions posed by Kelly and Krupp regarding what the neighborhood wants to see as part of the redesigned plaza, the committee advertised and organized a public meeting to gather input from neighbors.
October 18, 2005—Over sixty residents from the Midvale Heights and Westmorland neighborhoods gather at Queen of Peace Church to discuss their ideas for a redeveloped Midvale Plaza. The most often cited concerns include:
- Neighbors are given the opportunity to have real, regular input into the plans for redevelopment
- Proposed condominiums are owner occupied and structures be two, at a maximum, three stories high
- Retail include a food market, pharmacy, post office, bakery, and restaurant
- The redeveloped plaza fits the neighborhood in terms of architecture and scale
- The library be large enough for current and future needs
- Traffic flow is redesigned to include dedicated bike and pedestrian access
- Storm water run-off is managed on-site
- Down lighting is used so as to minimize light pollution
The complete text of the meeting report is available at the website of the Midvale Heights Community Association and at the Sequya Branch Library, 513 S. Midvale Blvd., Madison, WI.
December 2005—Members of the neighborhood group provide Kelly, Krupp, and Bruckner with a draft copy of the results of the October 18 community meeting, pointing out neighborhood concerns about the height and ownership of the condos, increased traffic and parking issues, and neighbors’ desire to see viable retail outlets, including a grocery and pharmacy, included in the plans.
January 25, 2006—Developer and architect present “conceptual design” of re-developed plaza to 60 neighbors at a public meeting at Queen of Peace Church. Proposed plan includes two 4-story structures, an estimated 30-40 condos, 90-100 apartments, an expanded library, and a slight reduction in retail space from what is currently available. Questions from those attending revolve around the newly incorporated apartments, parking issues associated with dense development, and pedestrian/bicycle access to the library and shopping. People were particularly concerned about lack of street access to the library.
February 5, 2006—Neighborhood committee meets to review January presentation; group drafts letter asking developer to reconsider size/density of the development, access to library, and other issues.
February 22, 2006—Redevelopment plan is presented to Madison’s Urban Design Commission by a representative of the architect, for informational purposes only. Two neighbors speak against the proposal, citing lack of compatibility with neighborhood architecture and concerns about increased traffic and parking that would be created by the increase in residential units. In its report on the presentation, the Commission echoes these concerns and also notes others. Click here to read the Commission report.
February 22, 2006—A second public meeting between the developer and architect and the public is attended by over 225 people from the neighborhood. Drawings from the previous month’s meeting were presented, along with a shadow study prepared by the architect. A 90-minute question and answer session raised the following issues:
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Development is too big and too dense for the neighborhood; residents would like to see evidence that there is a demand for the housing proposed.
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Architecture is “generic urban townhouse.” No apparent consideration for architecture in the neighborhood; residents would like to see architecture that fits the neighborhood in style and in size.
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No entrance to library from street remains an issue; library staff will have to participate in the decision, as security is an issue.
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Increased traffic and parking will put a burden on the neighborhood. Developer was unable to provide data on amount of traffic increase, etc.
