The City Council on Tuesday approved Madison’s inaugural area plans — the West and Northeast Area Plans — with some changes, the Wisconsin State Journal reports. The plans, which have seen some community controversy, represent a new approach to development, aimed at guiding the city in how it accommodates expected growth across different types of neighborhoods.
The West and Northeast Area Plans propose few changes to some parts of the city, including many single-family neighborhoods, and the transformation of other areas — with vastly increased density and transit infrastructure. The plans generally make recommendations for future land use rather than present-day changes like rezoning.
Council members removed a road extension from the Northeast Area Plan after a lengthy public testimony and discussion, but they did not remove a disputed path from the West Area Plan, which has been subject to the majority of public scrutiny.
