Community members voiced concerns and recommendations Monday night about a recent proposal that would serve as development guidelines for the Regent Street-South Campus area.
The meeting focused on the Regent Street-South Campus (RSSC) Neighborhood plan, which targets the region located between Camp Randall Stadium and the Kohl Center, and between Regent and W. Johnson Streets.
The plan was originally drafted in January and has been under the leadership, since then, by a Steering Committee appointed by the City of Madison.
Monday's meeting was the last of four public sessions held to gain public input on the proposal. The central ideas listed were recommendations for new building codes, public parks and transportation corridors. Of those transportation issues, pedestrian, bicycles, transit modes and automobile parking were the main areas of focus.
Featured at the meeting was Kenneth Maly, a project manager from Vierbicher Associates, and one of the planning consulting firms hired to develop the neighborhood strategy.
We're looking to set out a plan to lay out the expectations of the neighborhood,"" Maly said. ""So when a private proposal comes in, they can compare it to the neighborhood plan to see if it fits with the needs of the community and city.""
Maly also pointed out the RSSC plan incorporates many of the goals of UW-Madison's Campus Master plan, including the development of Orchard Street as a future connection from the Union South area to the Regent Street shopping district.
Gary Brown, director of campus planning and landscape architecture and member of the RSSC Steering Committee added the plan focuses on the development of new retail space and also leaves open the possibility of additional student housing.
""What's nice about [the RSSC plan] is that it takes the Campus Master Plan and folds it right into a neighborhood plan, picking up on a lot of ideas we've been having,"" Brown said.
Brown noted the plan provides more pedestrian mobility and security from the Regent neighborhood to campus.
""The plan is really going to help with pedestrian issues and density overall,"" he said.
Input from yesterday's meeting will be considered by the RSSC Steering Committee at its next public meeting on November 28. From there, the plan will be submitted to the city for adoption.
