Members of the Madison Downtown Coordinating Committee discussed incorporation of the West Johnson Street construction plan and State Street redesign plan Thursday.
Committee member Eric Roang said recent budget concerns have highlighted the importance of saving money in reconstruction plans, particularly in instances where they overlap. Roang pointed out that the West Johnson Street construction, which begins in 2003, will share an intersection with State Street, which is currently under examination for reconstruction as well.
\[Committee members are trying] to take into account the State Street design project when they do the final plans for that project, trying to coordinate those two plans,"" he said. ""The problem is that the money and the planning earmarked for the Johnson Street plan are ready"" while the State Street plans are still in development.
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, who sits on the committee, said the city is under additional pressure to make the plans correspond as a federal grant for the delayed State Street plan expires Sept. 30.
""The DCC unanimously voted that the city and state incorporate features of the State Street design plan and the scheduled reconstruction on West Johnson Street,"" Verveer said, adding that the committee is trying to find ways around the grant which is under ""use it or lose it"" status.
Roang added that committee members also received a report by Daniel Traas of Ranger Services Inc., which confirmed doubts of State Street trees surviving construction.
""The 100 and 200 blocks were inspected by the arborist,"" Roang said. ""The questions that were posed to him were number one, the condition of the trees as they are now, and number two, would the trees be able to withstand construction and live.""
""Eighty trees were inspected ... and life expectancy of the trees, as is, would be 15 years. The majority, over 50 percent of these trees, will require removal over the next five to 10 years,"" he added. ""It was his recommendation to not try to save the trees if the construction goes ahead.""
'Stephanie Ritter contributed to this report.
