After years of planning, city officials approved a plan Tuesday outlining what downtown Madison will look like in the next 20 years.
The Downtown Plan concept began in 2008 but was introduced for the first time to Madison’s Common Council in November 2011.
According to the plan’s text, it “builds on a rich planning tradition to provide a dynamic framework for the next 20 years.”
Council members approved the plan with several amendments that regulate height standards in the downtown area, and a main point of conflict was a proposal to fill in almost two acres of Lake Monona, which council members ultimately struck from the plan.
“It’s incomprehensible to me that we can even consider filling in multiple acres of our lake,” Ald. Satya Rhodes-Conway, District 12, said.
The purpose of filling the lake would have been to enhance Law Park and provide an area to build a Frank Lloyd-Wright-design boathouse, according to the plan.
Council members also approved additional amendments affecting the Mifflin neighborhood. Previous proposals suggested constructing high-rises in the area, but the current plan allows for a maximum of six stories, according to Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4.
Verveer also said the Mifflin area will become a mix of residential and business buildings, but the amendment specifically stated that institutional uses by UW-Madison are not welcome.
“Overall, this plan is a positive one,” Verveer said. “It makes for a good plan because this is a product of compromise.”
