The Urban Design Commission approved initial stages of the Edgewater Hotel expansion proposal 5-4 Wednesday, with Chair Bruce Woods breaking the tie, according to The Capital Times.
Debate regarding the Edgewater Hotel proposal continued as Hammes Co., the developers of the expansion, demonstrated the additional changes they have made to their original project.
""We've taken all the lessons we've learned from our meetings together, and we've slid the tower about 15 feet east,"" said Ken Saiki, of Ken Saiki Design.
The tower has been a point of contention throughout Edgewater Hotel debates because the neighborhood in which it sits does not allow buildings to exceed 50 feet in height.
The developers claim the proposed height and size of the hotel is suited to the neighborhood.
""Within its immediate context, it is appropriate to its abutting neighbors, [the height] is certainly appropriate with the scale of Madison,"" said David Manfredi, of Elkus Manfredi Architects.
In addition to refining their design, the developers determined 355 parking spaces will be required for the hotel expansion, which was cited the maximum.
""Building more than 355 parking spaces would be unwise, economically,"" Amy Supple, the director of development for Hammes Co., said.
Opposing residents in the area believe the neighborhood cannot accommodate the expansion and the tower.
""The proposed expansion is not compatible with the neighborhood,"" one resident said.
Not every resident said that the hotel expansion would be bad for the neighborhood.
Ald. Bridget Maniaci, District 2, expressed worries that her district, which includes the Edgewater, is losing residents because they want to live somewhere with more amenities.
""I do think that having this commercial site will help to keep people interested in the neighborhood and drawn to the neighborhood,"" she said.
One resident complained that the developers were using the words ""downtown"" and ""commercial"" interchangeably. He said that the Mansion Hill neighborhood is ""downtown"" Madison, but that does not make it a ""commercial"" neighborhood.
The developers said the neighborhood and the city of Madison itself are already highly varied, and the expansion of the Edgewater would serve to increase that variety.
""I think that's what makes this neighborhood what it is—its diversity,"" Manfredi said.
