A city planning commission met Thursday to resolve 17 issues related to a new zoning code that will affect off-campus student housing areas.
The zoning changes, which have not been updated since the 1960s, are included in the city’s comprehensive downtown planning guide.
City officials approved Madison’s Downtown Plan in July, which calls for the renovation of the entire Mifflin neighborhood.
While the zoning code will not significantly affect the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said the changes will significantly affect the Mifflin neighborhood.
“The zoning codes will allow for the existing housing to be demolished and replaced with denser buildings that could be six stories tall,” Verveer said.
The commission also voted on issues regarding the timing of demolition notices, the classification of rooftop greenhouses as “stories” and the maximum width of buildings in downtown districts.
Additionally, the commission voted unanimously to turn down a proposal by Ald. Bridget Maniaci, District 2, which would have increased residential density in the James Madison Park Neighborhood.
“I’m trying to find a smart, creative use for this neighborhood,” Maniaci said.
The commission also approved keeping the Langdon-Mansion Hill district and the 400 and 500 blocks of West Washington Avenue between Bedford and Broom Streets primarily residential areas rather than adding more commercial properties.
The commission will vote on a new zoning code and map at its next meeting Oct. 1 before Madison’s city Council votes Oct. 16.
