Document Middleton_doc_04d6a02c8f

B E T T E R U R B A N I N F I L L A N D R E D E V E L O P M E N T P L A N F O R T H E ALLEN BOULEVARD CORRIDOR Prepared For: City of Middleton 7426 Hubbard Avenue Middleton, WI 53562 (608) 827-1050 Prepared By: Vierbicher Associates 999 Fourier Drive, Suite 201 Madison, WI 53717 (608) 826-0532 Funded in part by a grant from the Dane County BUILD Program ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 i C K N O WL E D G E M E N T S A C O M M O N C O U N C I L D o u g l a s Z w a n k , M a y o r R o b e r t C o n h a i m B i l l H o e k s e m a M a r k H o r n S t e v e L e o A n d y L e w i s K u r t S o n n e n t a g H o w a r d T e a l J a m e s W e x l e r P L A N C O M M I S S I O N D o u g l a s Z w a n k , C h a i r R o n G r o s s e M a r k K r u s e r K u r t S o n n e n t a g J a m e s W e x l e r C o n n i e W h i t e C y n t h i a Z e l l e r s S T E E R I N G C O M M I T T E E J e r r y A r c h e r B r u c e B o r d e n B a r b a r a B r u n i G i l m e r C h a n P a u l E r n s t R i c k K u r z A n d y L e w i s G a r y M o h o n e y V a n N u t t T o d d P a s s i n i K u r t S o n n e n t a g J a m e s W e x l e r S t a n l e y Y o r k S T A F F M i k e D a v i s , C i t y A d m i n i s t r a t o r E i l e e n K e l l e y , P l a n n i n g D i r e c t o r M a r k O p i t z , A s s i s t a n t P l a n n i n g D i r e c t o r ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 i i E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y C H A P T E R O N E : O V E R V I E W O F P R O C E S S C H A P T E R T W O : I N V E N T O R Y A N D A S S E S S M E N T E x i s t i n g P l a n s a n d O r d i n a n c e s R e g i o n a l E c o n o m y L a n d U s e C i r c u l a t i o n U r b a n D e s i g n P u b l i c P a r t i c i p a t i o n C H A P T E R T H R E E : G O A L S A N D O B J E C T I V E S E c o n o m i c C i r c u l a t i o n L a n d U s e D e s i g n S t a n d a r d s C H A P T E R F O U R : R E D E V E L O P M E N T P L A N V i s i o n L a n d U s e & O p e n S p a c e C i r c u l a t i o n & T r a n s p o r t a t i o n C o n c e p t u a l L a y o u t M a p D e s i g n S t a n d a r d s A p p e n d i x A : E c o n o m i c A n a l y s i s C h a r t s A B L E O F C O N T E N T S T ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 A The Dane County BUILD Program (http://www.co.dane.wi.us/) was created in 1998 to encourage infill development by providing funds to communities within the County to create redevelopment plans. The objectives of the BUILD Program are to: • make better use of existing infrastructure; • locate community services, jobs and shopping in close proximity; • stabilize and enhance existing neighborhoods, downtowns and other business districts; • produce housing and jobs for low to moderate-income people; • avoid converting productive farmland on urban fringes and in rural areas; • provide viable options to auto trips by supporting walking, biking, and transit; • have the potential to clean up environmentally contaminated sites. This Plan seeks to apply those principles to the Allen Boulevard corridor, which is characterized by a lack of connectivity between residences and retail, auto - orientation, and aging strip-mall developments. The Plan begins with an overview of the planning process, followed by an Inventory and Assessment of the Planning Area. Goals and Objectives were developed after the Inventory. Finally, there is a Redevelopment Plan that provides an overall vision for the area, and contains specific recommendations in the areas of Land Use & Open Space, Circulation & Transportation, and Design Standards. A conceptual layout map and renderings were produced to illustrate the potential layout and character of the Planning Area in the future. X E C UT I VE S UM M A R Y E i i i ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 1 1 - P L A N N I N G P R O C E S S The planning process for this BUILD Grant was designed to promote community input and investment in the plan so the final results would be more likely to be implemented. The City created a Steering Committee to guide and oversee the process, and to serve as a fo- rum for obtaining community feedback. • The first Steering Committee meeting was held on June 1, 2006. A discussion of the wide range of issues and opportuni- ties facing the Planning Area was facili- tated. • Stakeholder interviews were conducted with a sample of property owners and business owners in the area to gain a per- spective on what they like about the area, and what they would like to see happen in the area in the future. • The second Steering Committee meeting was held on July 20, 2006. A number of things were presented at this meeting: a summary of the stakeholder interviews, a circulation assessment, circulation goals, and circulation opportunities — things that could be done to improve car, bike, and pedestrian circulation in and around the Planning Area. The presentation and stakeholder feedback was discussed by the Committee, and a format, time, and place for the Neighborhood Planning Fo- rum was set. • On August 10, 2006, Vierbicher Associ- Activity Party Responsible Date Authorization to Proceed with Preparation of BUILD Plan Plan Commission / City Council March 2006 Formation of BUILD Steering Committee City Council April 18, 2006 Inventory & Assessment Phase Vierbicher Associates April – June 2006 Meeting with City Staff City Staff / Vierbicher Associates May 16, 2006 Working Meeting #1 with Steering Committee City Planning Staff / Vierbicher Associates / Steering Committee June 1, 2006 Conduct Stakeholder Interviews Vierbicher Associates June 2006 Working Meeting #2 with Steering Committee City Planning Staff / Vierbicher Associates / Steering Committee July 20, 2006 Public Planning Forum #1 Vierbicher Associates/ Steering Committee / City Planning Staff August 10, 2006 Prepare Draft Redevelopment Plan Vierbicher Associates July - August 2006 Working Meeting #3 With Steering Committee City Planning Staff / Vierbicher Associates/ Steering Committee August 24, 2006 Working Meeting #4 with Steering Committee Vierbicher Associates/ Steering Committee October 5, 2006 Make Necessary Changes to Plan Vierbicher Associates October 6 – October 20, 2006 Working Meeting #5 with Steering Committee City Planning Staff / Vierbicher Associates/ Steering Committee October 26, 2006 Make Edits to Plan Vierbicher Associates / City Planning Staff October 30, 2006 - January 5, 2007 Presentation to Dane County BUILD Oversight Committee Vierbicher Associates November 30, 2006 Working Meeting #6 with Steering Committee City Planning Staff / Vierbicher Associates/ Steering Committee January 16, 2007 Public Forum #2 Vierbicher Associates/ Steering Committee / City Planning Staff January 22, 2007 City Council Adoption City Council VE R VI E W O F P R O C E S S O Chapter One: ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 2 ates, in conjunction with City of Middleton Planning Staff, held a Public Planning Forum at the Lakeview Community Park shelter from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. City Staff mailed notices to property owners in the BUILD Planning Area and sur- rounding areas and coordinated with apartment and commercial property owners to publicize the Forum. The mail- ings went to people in an area bounded by Pheasant Branch Conservancy to the north, Branch Street to the west, Mendota Avenue to the south, and Lake Mendota to the east. The City Council, Plan Commissioners, and BUILD Steering Committee members were notified as well, a brief article publicizing the Forum appeared on the front page of the Middleton Times-Tribune, and information on the Forum was posted on the City’s website. English and Span- ish versions of the Forum flyer were produced. The publicity resulted in a turnout of about 60 neighborhood resi- dents, plus City elected officials and City staff. The Forum began with a brief introduction of the process to date, an overview of key plan components, and a review of how the Forum would be facilitated. After the introduction and a few questions, participants were split into groups, which rotated between four stations: Circulation, Design Theme, Land Use/Economic Factors, and Neighborhood Issues. A more detailed overview of each of the four aspects was giv- en at each station. The stations all had handouts/comment sheets that were distributed, and attendees were encour- aged to write down, draw, or otherwise communicate their ideas for each of the Plan aspects. After people had an op- portunity to rotate to each station, the group was reconvened for a general discussion of the stations, along with any other issues participants wanted to cover. • The third Steering Committee meeting was held on August 24, 2006. Public Forum results were presented at this meeting, and a draft concept layout was also shown to the Committee. The Forum was discussed, and feedback was gathered on the conceptual layout. • On September 12, 2006 Vierbicher staff updated the Plan Commission on the BUILD process and presented the con- cept layout to the Commission for comments. • On October 5, 2006, the fourth Steering Committee meeting was held. Draft Plan text was discussed. • On October 26, 2006, the fifth Steering Committee meeting was held. Draft Plan text and Plan edits were discussed. • On January 16, 2007, the 6th Steering Committee meeting was held. Further Plan edits were discussed, and the Com- mittee decided the Plan was ready for presentation to the Public at a second Public Forum, with the City Council and Plan Commission present to hear public comments and provide their own feedback. • On January 23, 2007, the City Council officially adopted the Plan. VE R VI E W O F P R O C E S S O Chapter One: 1 - ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 1 E X I S T I N G P L A N S A N D O R D I N A N C E S 2006 Comprehensive Plan The City of Middleton’s 2006 Comprehensive Plan addresses the 9 elements outlined in the State’s Comprehensive Planning legislation: Issues & Opportunities, Intergovernmental Cooperation, Housing, Transportation, Utilities & Community Facil- ities, Agricultural, Natural & Cultural Resources, Economic Development, Land Use, and Implementation. This Plan con- tains specific suggestions for implementing many of the goals, objectives, and policies outlined in the Comprehensive Plan within the limited BUILD Planning Area. Specific goals contained in the Comprehensive Plan that this BUILD Plan hopes to encourage are: • Housing: Expand housing opportunities and allow for flexibility in residential development and promote affordable quality housing, a range of housing options, and a suitable living environment for all residents. • Transportation: To provide efficient and effective urban transportation services, through development of a multi -modal transportation system and provision of opportunities for public transit, ridesharing, and pedestrian and bicycle trav- el. • Transportation: Transportation planning should be multi-modal, not just auto-oriented. • Transportation: Manage the transportation system to address traffic volumes, safety, and congestion. • Utilities & Community Facilities: Coordinate efficient and cost-effective delivery and access of quality public services with orderly development options, to ensure a compact, well designed community. Many of the objectives and policies for the 9 comprehensive planning elements go into more specific detail; please refer to the City’s Comprehensive Plan for the complete goals, objectives, and policies in each element. Northwest Quadrant Plan The City’s Northwest Quadrant Plan, which was updated in 2005, deals primarily with undeveloped lands on the northern edge of the City, but also includes some of the planning area. The Plan advocates for neighborhoods with a mix of uses, hu- man scale design, housing diversity, interconnectivity, neighborhood gathering places, and neighborhood centers. The Mid- dleton Springs area is designated as a Neighborhood Live/Work Center in the Plan’s conceptual land use map. The Plan goes into detail on potential growth on the north side of the City, anticipating that 1000 acres on the edge of the City could be developed over the next 20 years, yielding 3,600 to 6,000 dwelling units with 8,000 to 13,200 new residents. The plan also calls for three new Neighborhood Live/Work Centers within the residential growth. Though outside the BUILD Planning area, development of that magnitude would certainly have an effect on the Allen Boulevard/Century Avenue corridor. The additional commercial development in the Neighborhood Centers could divert some retail traffic away from N VE N T O R Y & A S S E S S M E N T I Chapter Two: 2 - ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 2 the Middleton Springs area, similar to the way the new Mid- dleton Hills retail component has. At the same time, though, the additional residential development could provide much of the business for those areas, while also increasing traffic heading into Madison via Allen Boulevard. This additional traffic would both provide opportunities to capture more trips for retail development in the planning area and also ex- acerbate existing business access and circulation issues. The Northwest Quadrant Plan does discuss several transpor- tation investments that are also outside the planning area, but which could, along with residential and Neighborhood Center development, have a big impact on the planning area. In addition to the local streets that would serve the proposed neighborhoods, the plan (and subsequent planning) recom- mends the extension of Schneider Road from Parmenter Street northeast to the Oncken Road / Highway Q intersec- tion. The plan also discusses the potential of a North Men- dota Parkway connecting Interstate 90/94 to the new USH 12 Bypass, with a free-flowing interchange at USH 12. Both of these projects may lessen, or at least limit the growth of through-traffic on Century Avenue by providing a faster, more convenient east-west route. Traffic Management & Signals Growth to the north of Lake Mendota has increased traffic on Allen Boulevard and Century Avenue, two of the busiest streets in the City. As such, both have received some recent attention in proposed, in-progress, or completed traffic studies. In December of 2005 a request to the City Council for traffic control measures at the Allen Boulevard/Lake Street inter- section was forwarded to the Public Works Committee. The Committee directed staff to proceed with soliciting a traffic Figure 2-1: Expanded Century Avenue/Allen Boulevard intersection. Diagram from Draft Transportation Network Plan by Strand Associates. N VE N T O R Y & A S S E S S M E N T I Chapter Two: 2 - Allen Boulevard / Century Avenue Intersection. ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 3 study for the corridor. The Committee later forwarded the study proposal to the Council for consideration. In March of 2006 the Council moved to budget the study for 2007, following completion of the City -wide Transportation Network Plan. The proposed 2007 study will also have the opportunity to incorporate recommendations from this Plan, as well as any traf- fic impact studies that would occur as a result of development proposals along the corridor. The City’s Transportation Network Plan was completed toward the end of the BUILD planning process. The TNP “identifies and prioritizes transportation network needs that are anticipated to develop in the next 15 to 20 years within the City of Middleton. It also lists possible solutions to these needs and develops a list of recommendations.” The planning “was ac- complished through detailed analysis of existing conditions, consideration of forecasted land use within and surrounding Middleton, traffic demand and operations modeling, and research regarding transportation solutions being developed and used by other jurisdictions.” The TNP’s observations, predictions, and recommendations for Allen Boulevard and Century Avenue are outlined below. In 2025, the TNP predicts 24,700 VPD (vehicles per day) on Allen Boulevard (up from 21,200 in 2002), 38,300 VPD on Centu- ry east of Allen (up from 32,700 in 2002), and 22,100 VPD on Century between Branch and Pheasant Branch (up from 19,600 in 2002). The Century Avenue corridor is priority number two for corridor improvements (behind University Avenue). Traffic predictions are based on the system as it exists today; future improvements that were not taken into account, like a n east-west connector north of Pheasant Branch Conservancy and the planned North Mendota Parkway, could relieve some of the anticipated traffic on Century Avenue. As congestion increases, the plan says that people will likely seek out alternate routes to Century Avenue, which could divert some traffic to CTH K, Balzer Road, Pheasant Branch Road, and High Road. The study outlines a scenario for expanding Century Avenue to three lanes in each direction from Allen Boulevard to CTH Q, which would require additional ROW (right-of-way) acquisition. The Century/Allen intersection is currently the most congested in the City. The most severe delays are experienced during the evening rush hour, especially for vehicles northbound on Allen Boulevard, which often backs up well south of Lake Street. The study predicts capacity issues on Century Avenue west of the Allen Boulevard intersection, and continuing problems with the Century/Allen intersection. The average daily delay for the Allen/Century intersection, currently be- tween 36 and 50 seconds, is expected to eclipse two minutes between 2010 to 2012, with queuing for right turns on- to Century expected to exceed 2,000 feet during the PM peak hour. The Allen/Century intersection is priority number one for intersection improvements in the study. The study recommends, at a minimum, expanding the existing signalized inter- section to add a second westbound exclusive left-turn lane and redesignate the existing westbound shared through/left lane to an exclusive westbound through lane. An additional eastbound exclusive left -turn lane and redesignation of the east- bound shared through/left turn lane to an exclusive eastbound through lane is also recommended, as is increasing the overall intersection footprint to eliminate conflicting vehicle paths on left turns (see figure 2 N VE N T O R Y & A S S E S S M E N T I Chapter Two: 2 - ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 4 An alternate scenario of converting the intersection to a modern roundabout is presented as well. The study predicts the roundabout configuration for the intersection would greatly increase service. However, such a configuration would likely necessitate land acquisitions for the expanded footprint, and would likely be very expensive and politically unfeasible. The TNP discusses the Maywood Avenue/Allen Boulevard intersection as a candidate for improvement. Modeling of future traffic volumes shows that left turns at this intersection will increase in difficulty, until they become virtually impossibl e during peak periods. Maywood is classified as an Urban Collector street by the Madison Area Metropolitan Planning Organ- ization (MPO). Many other collectors that intersect with arterial streets have signalized intersections, like Donna Frank Lloyd Wright Avenue with Century Avenue, Park Street/High Road with Century Avenue, and Deming Way with USH 14. Intersections must meet certain “warrants” to be considered for signalization — whether Maywood meets such warrants requires a detailed study. WisDOT 2002 traffic counts indicate that the Maywood/Allen intersection handles 2,800 VPD. The TNP shows Mendota Avenue (which is also classified as a collector and handles 1,000 VPD), just south of the planning area, as another possibility for intersection reconfiguration/signalization. Improvements are recommended for the Mendota/ Allen intersection in 5 to 12 years; improvements are recommended for the Maywood/Allen intersection in 12 -20 years. Bicycle Plan A wide range of ambitious projects to expand the City’s bike system have been completed over the past several years, includ- ing the Highway 12 path, the North Fork Trail, and improvements and additions to trails within the Pheasant Branch Con- servancy. The construction of bridges along Airport Road, Deming Way, Highway 12, and Parmenter Street have made it possible to walk or bike from North Quisling Park on the northwest of the City to the Pheasant Branch Conservancy with just two, at-grade street crossings (Park Street and Century Avenue). These improvements mark the culmination of years of planning and construction. Further improvements to the trail and bike system are still possible, especially through the planning area. Better connections from University Avenue via Allen Boulevard to Lakeview Park and Pheasant Branch Con- servancy would greatly improve bicycle and pedestrian circulation throughout the planning area and City as a whole. North Mendota Parkway The North Mendota Parkway planning process produced a number of implementation alternatives to relieve traffic between Interstate 90/94 and Highway 12. The final report to the County outlined 6 alternatives, which were, briefly: programmed road improvements only (system improvements already in the pipeline), complete local road network grid (various small im- provements and connections on a local scale), a low-speed new parkway (35 mph from USH 12 to CTH a moderate speed new parkway (45 mph from USH 12 to CTH above improvements plus expansion of CTH K (along CTH M to STH 113 to STH 19 to Interstate 39/90/94), and a high-speed new parkway (55 mph from HWY 12 to Interstate 39/90/94). See the Coun- ty’s North Mendota Parkway Advisory Committee website for reports, maps, and recommendations concerning the Parkway (http://www.co.dane.wi.us/execcommittees/northmendota/index.htm). The final report predicts that “excess capacity provided to Century Avenue by some alternatives will be absorbed by local N VE N T O R Y & A S S E S S M E N T I Chapter Two: 2 - ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 5 growth. Traffic volumes will remain similar to what exists today.” The report discussed land use planning in the jurisdic- tions the Parkway would traverse, and makes it clear that the desire is not necessarily to create a “North Beltline.” It ex- presses concern that a limited access freeway would attract regional traffic between Interstates 39/90/94 and USH 12, which is not the goal of the Parkway. Nevertheless, higher-speed scenarios will still create some demand for development, similar to the way retail and office development has gravitated to the Beltline. Highway 12 Redevelopment Plan The former route for Highway 12 was recently reconstructed into a four-lane urban boulevard and is now part of the Par- menter Street corridor. This corridor, which is much larger than the BUILD planning area, has a large supply of highway - oriented land uses that will likely redevelop in the coming years as the result of the City and WisDOT’s infrastructure in- vestments and the direct access from the westbound Highway 12 off -ramp. The Redevelopment Plan for the Parmenter Cor- ridor proposes a mix of land uses, including mixed-density residential development, neighborhood-serving businesses, and professional services. The Plan designates specific sites for short -term and long-term redevelopment, both along Parmenter Street and Laura Lane. Although Parmenter Street is over a mile away, the corridor’s redevelopment will likely overlap any proposed redevelopment activities in the Allen Boulevard corridor. Given its proximity to the Beltline and the recently com- pleted enhancements to the area’s circulation, the Parmenter corridor likely has an advantage over the Allen Boulevard Cor- ridor in attracting additional redevelopment and revitalization initiatives. Conservancy Lands Plan The City of Middleton Conservancy Lands Plan was adopted in the Spring of 2005. The document provides a history of Mid- dleton conservancy lands, reviews existing conservancy lands, summarizes staffing/budgeting/grants, and discusses policy issues and the future of the City’s conservancy lands. The portion that pertains to the Planning Area is the section describ- ing the Lakeview Park Conservancy Area, which includes lands to the east and west of Allen Boulevard. The Plan references the Lakeview Park Conservancy Areas — Middleton, WI Ecological Assessment and Restoration Plan, which deals more spe- cifically with the Lakeview Park area. The Assessment splits the Lakeview area into different sub -areas. The portions that specifically impact this plan are: Area C, between the Lakeview Village Apartments and the park’s pond; Area F, the parcels east of the Maywood Avenue/Allen Boulevard intersection that are currently owned by PDQ; and Area G, the parcel between Middleton Beach Road and Harbor Athletic Club. Both the Conservancy Lands Plan and the Assessment recommend acquir- ing Area F. The Assessment has recommendations on various restorations and improvements to conservancy lands and park lands around the Planning Area. Much of the restoration for Area G was carried out from 2003 to 2005 with grant assis- tance. R E G I O N A L E C O N O M Y N VE N T O R Y & A S S E S S M E N T I Chapter Two: 2 - ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 6 Regional Conditions The planning area’s place in the regional economy has changed from a central commercial corridor to a smaller retail node as properties west of the Beltline have developed over the last decade. Many trips, for such things as grocery shopping and doctors’ appointments, have been drawn to newer development in other parts of the City, like Middleton Hills. The increas- ing prevalence of big box stores in the metropolitan area have led to a competitive disadvantage for some uses that had an- chored the retail part of the Planning Area. Because of these factors, there has been some high store turnover and vacant storefronts; some of the traditional tenants of older strip malls, like discount liquidators and temporary (short -term) store- fronts, have begun to move in. Due to the age of retail structures in the area and the desire to keep available spaces occu- pied, rent levels have fallen for retail space in the Planning area; Middleton Springs currently rents space at $5 -10/sf, where- as new buildings on the West Side of Madison are renting for $18 -20/sf. While older malls in this phase can be a solid part of their neighborhood for many more years, such signs generally indicate that a property has an increasing chance at redevel- opment. In the coming years, the regional economy is poised for more changes that will continue to alter the planning area’s possibil- ities. The majority of the growth planned for the City in the next 20 years is to the north, as illustrated in the Northwest Quadrant Plan. The planned commercial nodes in the midst of the primarily residential land uses in the plan may pull some business away from the planning area. Some of the transportation improvements, like the planned “East -West Connector” road and the North Mendota Parkway, may divert Century/Allen traffic growth by providing an easier, less congested route to Highway 12. The extent this new route is used, though, will depend on the delays Beltline traffic encounters from Miner- al Point Road to John Nolen Drive and the Interstate — will it be quicker to take the Century-Allen-University route to Downtown from points north of the City, or will it be quicker to take the Beltline to John Nolen Drive? The proposed Transport 2020 commuter rail route through Downtown Middleton to Greenway Station also has the potential to draw commuters to Downtown Middleton that would have driven through the planning area. A park -and-ride facility in the Downtown or at Greenway Station would draw activity to those areas, which would further shift the potential retail ac- tivity. In spite of the many projects that will alter driving patterns, the Century Avenue/Allen Boulevard corridors will remain very important, and visible, components of the City’s transportation network. Commuter rail and the North Mendota Parkway are both still in the early planning stages — actual implementation is not assured, and, in any case, is likely a decade or more away. The City’s East-West Connector, planned as part of the growth along the northern part of the City, is a more immediate project that will take shape as development occurs. N VE N T O R Y & A S S E S S M E N T I Chapter Two: 2 - ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 7 If the Allen Boulevard corridor is to thrive as a retail node in the City, it will have to reinvent its place in the regional economy. Its days, along with Downtown Middleton, as the primary commercial areas in the City are past. The location no longer has the necessary space for the growing space de- mands that the anchor-business model of recent retail devel- opments employ. There are a few potential models for a re- tail “reinvention” of the area. Better access to businesses and a business mix that better caters to the primarily commuter- population that passes through the area in the morning and evening is one possibility; another is to reposition the area as more of a mixed-use, higher density corridor. Such an ap- proach may mean changing some of the current retail to resi- dential uses; doing so, though, would provide more customers near to the remaining businesses and would supplement com- muter business. Redevelopment is becoming more and more common in areas like the Allen Boulevard corridor — aging strip malls that have been left behind in terms of trends in the retail market, but have a location advantage because they have been sur- rounded by development on the outskirts of the City. Such strip malls, which are generally built to last only about 30 years, are often ideal places for redevelopment because of the location advantage and because of their low density and com- paratively low assessed value. Many malls in the Madison area have reached an age where redevelopment becomes a se- rious consideration. University Square and Hilldale Mall are larger scale examples of older malls currently undergoing re- development. A smaller-scale plan to redevelop the 3.78-acre Midvale Plaza at the intersection of Midvale Boulevard and Tokay Boulevard in Madison is even more comparable to the Middleton Springs shopping center in vintage and building type. Midvale Plaza is a one-story strip mall along a heavily traveled street, with a large apartment building nearby and N VE N T O R Y & A S S E S S M E N T I Chapter Two: 2 - Draft Transport 2020 Map, Alternative 2A BUILD Area ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 8 smaller homes beyond that. A mixed-use redevelopment pro- posal with 4-story buildings containing apartments, condo- miniums, retail, and a library has been approved for that site. Such a project serves as an example of the possibilities that exist along Allen Boulevard. Economic Assessment Household Lifestyle Profiles Through analysis and grouping of key household demographic data, profiles can be created to understand the general life- styles of the people within. Most important are income, age, education, level of racial diversity, and level of urbanization. These profiles are generalizations to assist retailers in locat- ing customers that fit their image and product mix. ESRI, a developer of geographic information system technolo- gy, maintains a Community Tapestry dataset that includes 65 unique lifestyle segments. The 3,765 households located within 1 mile of the Allen Blvd / Century Ave intersection fit into the following categories: • In Style (35%) • Old and Newcomers (28%) • Metropolitans (16%) • All other categories (20%) The three main lifestyle sectors in and around the Planning Area are described at right. ESRI’s Community Tapestry cat- egorizes households within the BUILD planning area by a sta- tistical process based on socioeconomic data, including Cen- sus data. The profiles created seem generally to describe the residents of the surrounding households well. It shows re- cent retirees, young professionals, and couples with few or no N VE N T O R Y & A S S E S S M E N T I Chapter Two: 2 - Segment 13 In Style (35%) In Style residents live in the affluent neighborhoods of metropolitan areas. More suburban than urban, these households nevertheless embrace an urban lifestyle, favoring townhomes over traditional single-family houses. Professional couples are predominant in these neighborhoods. Labor force participation is high and most households have fewer children than the U.S. average. Their median age is approximately 38 years. Technologically savvy, In Style residents own cell phones, PDAs, and fully equipped PCs. Home remodeling and yard work are contracted out. Physical fitness is integral to their lives; they subscribe to Weight Watchers for diet control, work out in regular exercise programs, and take vitamins. Segment 36 Old and Newcomers (28.1%) Old and Newcomers neighborhoods are in transition, populated by renters who are starting their careers or retiring. Many householders are in their twenties or above the age of 75. The median age of 36 years simply splits this age difference. Spread throughout U.S. metropolitan areas, Old and Newcomers neighborhoods have more single-person and shared households than families. Many residents have moved recently. Mid- or high-rise apartment buildings constructed in the 1970s dominate the housing market. The purchase choices of Old and Newcomers residents reflect their unencumbered lifestyle as singles and renters. Compact cars are preferred by these nonfamily households. Cats are the preferred pets because of apartment living. Among markets with median household income below the U.S. level, this segment has the highest readership of books. Depending on their age, they play sports such as racquetball and golf in addition to jogging or walking. Tapestry Segments and Descriptions from ESRI. Segment 22 Metropolitans (16.5%) Metropolitans residents favor city living in older neighborhoods populated by singles or childless couples. These neighborhoods are an eclectic mix of single- and multifamily structures, with a median home value of $183,000. Residents include both Generation Xers and retirees, most of whom are prosperous with a median household income of more than $55,000. Busy and actively living the urban lifestyle, Metropolitans residents participate in yoga, attend rock concerts, and visit museums. They listen to jazz, news, talk, and sports radio and rent foreign videos. They travel for business or pleasure, belonging to three or more frequent flyer programs. They participate in numerous civic activities such as volunteering for environmental causes. ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 9 children who spend time out enjoying the activities an urban environment offers. In addition, the households described tend to prefer condominiums or town homes, and fit the ac- tive lifestyle theme which was identified during the planning process. Market Area Demographic and retail expenditure data was collected for the area surrounding and including the BUILD study area. The data were collected for 1, 3, and 5 mile rings from the Al- len Blvd / Century Ave intersection. These study areas do not match the BUILD boundary; however, this is the format which is most useful for a retail market assessment. The BUILD area and Middleton Hills retail are captured within the 1-mile ring; Greenway Station, Downtown Middleton, and Hilldale Mall are captured within the 3-mile ring; and West Towne Mall and the other big-box establishments in that ar- ea are captured within the 5-mile study area (see map to right). The 1, 3, and 5 mile ring data is what prospective businesses usually classify their site requirements by. There is a comparison of these requirements later in this section. The map shows the disadvantage this location has to achiev- ing considerably higher densities in the surrounding rings, because large portions of the trade area taken up by Lake Mendota and Pheasant Branch Conservancy. The table to the right shows the basic demographic infor- mation for each of the three rings shown on the map. The ar- ea within one mile has a younger and less affluent population than the five-mile ring. Retail Expenditures N VE N T O R Y & A S S E S S M E N T I Chapter Two: 2 - Table Study Area Demographic Statistics 1 Mile 3 Miles 5 Miles Category 2006 2011 2006 2011 2006 2011 Population 7,537 8,128 43,190 46,083 108,064 116,219 Households 3,765 4,106 20,094 21,705 46,075 50,364 Families 2,014 2,122 11,142 11,635 23,223 24,425 Median Age 37.3 37.8 39.6 40.2 33.0 33.7 Median HH Income $57,910 $68,059 $63,441 $76,334 $61,698 $73,282 Source: ESRI Business Information Solutions ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 1 0 The chart on the following page con- tains selected retail spending potential estimates for the households within the 1,3, and 5 mile rings identified earlier. A more detailed table with additional categories is included in the appendix. The index compares local households to the national average level of spending in each category. Total expenditures are listed for each of the three rings. The data show significant amounts of retail spending within all three distance rings. The households within 1 mile alone are estimated to spend over $34 million on food, $13 million on enter- tainment, and $8 million on apparel and accessories. Nearly any retail category has sufficient retail demand to support a business that could capture a signifi- cant portion of the market. However, capturing market share in this area is difficult because competition from oth- er nearby retail areas is strong, and many retail categories are already over- supplied. Retail Supply and Demand The table on the following page summa- rizes the retail supply and demand for businesses classified by their NAICS business classification for the 1-mile radius around the Planning Area, along with a summary table for the 1, 3, and 5 mile radii. These data have a different N VE N T O R Y & A S S E S S M E N T I Chapter Two: 2 - 2006 Retail Expenditures by Local Households Estimates Spending Average Total Expenditures Potential Amount Index Spent (HH) 1 Mile 3 Miles 5 Miles Apparel and Services 83 $2,265.17 $8,528,354 $52,632,889 $114,367,374 Computer Computers and Hardware for Home 115 $260.34 $980,181 $6,047,561 $13,331,020 Software and Accessories for Home 116 $36.63 $137,906 $846,032 $1,872,189 Entertainment & Recreation 109 $3,608.65 $13,586,566 $83,888,004 $179,241,135 Food 110 $9,048.04 $34,065,885 $208,291,111 $450,856,332 Food at Home 108 $5,304.70 $19,972,204 $121,618,581 $261,884,254 Food Away from Home 112 $3,743.34 $14,093,681 $86,672,530 $188,972,078 Alcoholic Beverages 116 $668.63 $2,517,405 $15,467,184 $34,433,947 Health Nonprescription Drugs 106 $120.97 $455,466 $2,744,274 $5,975,133 Prescription Drugs 97 $549.83 $2,070,116 $12,451,216 $26,707,084 Eyeglasses and Contact Lenses 107 $92.26 $347,365 $2,122,451 $4,508,608 Home Maintenance and Remodeling 102 $370.78 $1,395,979 $8,691,800 $17,629,393 Household Furnishings and Equip Household Textiles 112 $149.29 $562,074 $3,488,740 $7,414,289 Furniture 112 $693.76 $2,612,008 $16,315,927 $34,612,646 Floor Coverings 113 $95.02 $357,757 $2,272,033 $4,614,855 Major Appliances 106 $302.56 $1,139,148 $7,037,692 $14,846,128 Housewares 90 $91.96 $346,241 $2,139,668 $4,566,833 Small Appliances 109 $40.70 $153,249 $937,889 $2,015,548 Housekeeping Supplies 107 $805.91 $3,034,267 $18,546,441 $39,641,048 Personal Care Products 111 $500.82 $1,885,594 $11,472,843 $24,996,253 School Books and Supplies 119 $139.49 $525,191 $3,117,222 $8,305,150 Smoking Products 106 $526.64 $1,982,809 $11,890,350 $26,397,760 106 $1,958.19 $7,372,591 $45,042,972 $97,928,379 Gasoline and Motor Oil Data Note: The Spending Potential Index (SPI) is household-based, and represents the amount spent for a product or ser- vice relative to a national average of 100. Detail may not sum to totals due to rounding. Source: Expenditure data are derived from the 2001, 2002 and 2003 Consumer Expenditure Surveys, Bureau of Labor Statis- tics. ESRI forecasts for 2006 and 2011. ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 1 1 source and classification category than the Retail Expenditure data shown at right. These data show the demand for particu- lar types of businesses. For example, a general merchandise store like Target would offer virtually every category of the re tail goods shown in the table on the previous page. • Overall, the data indicate households within 1 mile spend 26% more on retail purchases and 43% more on food and drink purchases than establishments within 1 mile have in sales for those items. This is not surprising given that major retail centers like Greenway Station, Hilldale, and West Towne Mall are fairly close to the area. • At the 3-mile level, 14% of retail demand is leaked outside the area and 15% of food and drink expenditures are lost. • At the 5-mile level retail supply and demand is about even and there is a 10% loss of food and drink sales. A more detailed table with sub-categories of retail businesses is on the following page. N VE N T O R Y & A S S E S S M E N T I Chapter Two: 2 - Retail Supply & Demand Summary Supply Demand Leakage/ Category (Retail Sales) (Retail Potential) Surplus 1 Mile Total Retail Trade and Food & Drink $61,822,229 $111,357,402 28.6 Total Retail Trade (NAICS 44-45) $54,866,365 $93,884,863 26.2 Total Food & Drink (NAICS 722) $6,955,864 $17,472,539 43.1 3 Miles Total Retail Trade and Food & Drink $531,493,123 $710,531,215 14.4 Total Retail Trade (NAICS 44-45) $450,459,274 $598,822,072 14.1 Total Food & Drink (NAICS 722) $81,033,849 $111,709,143 15.9 5 Miles Total Retail Trade and Food & Drink $1,465,156,895 $1,480,960,659 0.5 Total Retail Trade (NAICS 44-45) $1,273,530,118 $1,247,816,064 -1.0 Total Food & Drink (NAICS 722) $191,626,777 $233,144,595 9.8 ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 1 2 N VE N T O R Y & A S S E S S M E N T I Chapter Two: 2 - Select Retail and Service Business Categories By NAICS Code 1-Mile 3-Mile 5-Mile Supply (Retail Sales) Demand (Retail Potential) Unmet Demand (Over-Supply) Supply (Retail Sales) Demand (Retail Potential) Unmet De- mand (Over- Supply) Supply (Retail Sales) Demand (Retail Potential) Unmet De- mand (Over- Supply) 4413: Auto Parts, Accessories, and Tire $805,533 $1,856,419 $1,050,886 $2,018,665 $11,780,888 $9,762,223 $8,652,226 $24,509,258 $15,857,032 4421: Furniture Stores $1,080,967 $2,297,141 $1,216,174 $5,977,491 $15,015,669 $9,038,178 $28,601,875 $30,989,719 $ 2,387,844 4422: Home Furnishings Stores $67,757 $789,465 $721,708 $3,793,434 $5,321,060 $1,527,626 $17,766,201 $10,830,500 $(6,935,701) 443/4431: Electronics & Appliance $2,540,710 $3,694,482 $1,153,772 $29,043,037 $23,703,647 $(5,339,390) $57,591,611 $49,384,322 $(8,207,289) 4441: Building Material and Supplies $547,307 $3,361,311 $2,814,004 $3,642,493 $22,719,837 $19,077,344 $14,075,646 $46,218,075 $32,142,429 4442: Lawn and Garden Equipment $161,181 $936,056 $774,875 $3,678,959 $6,243,766 $2,564,807 $6,111,451 $12,800,809 $6,689,358 4451: Grocery Stores $7,137,602 $18,241,468 $11,103,866 $83,905,997 $114,590,056 $30,684,059 $223,028,313 $239,394,008 $16,365,695 4452: Specialty Food Stores $613,300 $823,180 $209,880 $4,668,167 $5,173,654 $505,487 $8,014,648 $10,801,239 $2,786,591 4453: Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores $1,553,000 $1,287,647 $(265,353) $5,320,135 $8,101,823 $2,781,688 $16,086,865 $17,102,159 $1,015,294 446/4461: Health & Personal Care $7,154,177 $5,558,084 $(1,596,093) $39,340,132 $35,139,973 $(4,200,159) $101,792,657 $73,488,239 $(28,304,418) 4481: Clothing Stores $495,977 $2,970,168 $2,474,191 $18,355,953 $18,985,172 $629,219 $89,718,514 $39,683,537 $(50,034,977) 4482: Shoe Stores $0 $522,169 $522,169 $9,150,487 $3,284,116 $(5,866,371) $13,975,732 $6,882,087 $(7,093,645) 4483: Jewelry, Luggage, and Leather $1,842,385 $426,613 $(1,415,772) $4,785,528 $2,792,818 $(1,992,710) $12,387,798 $5,776,141 $(6,611,657) 4511: Sporting Goods/Hobby/Musical Instr. $966,308 $1,115,958 $149,650 $16,434,754 $7,174,107 $(9,260,647) $54,764,916 $14,908,185 $(39,856,731) 4512: Book, Periodical, and Music Stores $1,253,989 $1,215,653 $(38,336) $7,546,837 $7,595,071 $48,234 $38,325,005 $16,301,932 $(22,023,073) 4521: Department Stores $0 $4,387,505 $4,387,505 $46,154,685 $28,065,034 $(18,089,651) $149,189,298 $58,405,724 $(90,783,574) 4529: Other General Merchandise Stores $0 $4,606,845 $4,606,845 $46,345,996 $29,515,206 $(16,830,790) $93,818,606 $61,364,099 $(32,454,507) 4531: Florists $74,864 $72,819 $(2,045) $812,271 $483,316 $(328,955) $2,905,288 $992,253 $(1,913,035) 4532: Office Supplies, Stationery, and Gift $237,354 $429,345 $191,991 $3,391,317 $2,814,822 $(576,495) $12,439,619 $5,809,057 $(6,630,562) 4533: Used Merchandise Stores $365,147 $220,231 $(144,916) $1,110,656 $1,398,202 $287,546 $2,895,314 $2,947,266 $51,952 4539: Other Miscellaneous Store Retailers $672,533 $989,876 $317,343 $4,832,235 $6,407,724 $1,575,489 $12,680,759 $13,226,861 $546,102 7221: Full-Service Restaurants $0 $6,521,201 $6,521,201 $47,947,919 $41,346,726 $(6,601,193) $101,030,624 $86,559,719 $(14,470,905) 7222: Limited-Service Eating Places $4,411,614 $8,301,555 $3,889,941 $26,510,491 $53,259,756 $26,749,265 $73,636,247 $111,008,936 $37,372,689 7223: Special Food Services $164,108 $1,059,111 $895,003 $834,218 $6,723,320 $5,889,102 $2,112,896 $14,068,745 $11,955,849 7224: Drinking Places (Alcoholic Bevgs.) $2,380,142 $1,590,672 $(789,470) $5,741,221 $10,379,341 $4,638,120 $14,847,010 $21,507,195 $6,660,185 *The Leakage/Surplus Factor is a measure of consumer demand relative to supply, ranging from 100 (total leakage) to -100 (total surplus). Data Note: Supply (retail sales) estimates sales to consumers by establishments. Sales to businesses are excluded. Demand (retail potential) represents the expected amount spent by consumers at retail establishments. Supply and demand estimates are in current dollars. Data from ESRI. ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 1 3 Tenant Recruitment Studying the site requirements of national franchises provides an understanding of how the BUILD Area looks to potential retail and restaurant tenants. Franchises are always looking for new locations and publish their requirements for surrounding popula- tion density and traffic flow. The table on page 2-14 contains a sample of requirements from franchises that would locate in neighborhood strip centers and operate (or are looking to ex- pand) in Wisconsin. The table lists tenant requirements; stores have Gross Leaseable Area (GLA) minimums and maximums, population density mini- mums, and desired traffic count minimums. The Middleton BUILD area—with a population of 7,537 within 1 mile, 43,190 within 3 miles, and 108,064 within 5 miles—meets some of the re- quirements for the retailers listed in the table on the following page. Traffic counts recorded in 2002 are shown at right. It should be noted that the Greenway Station/Discovery Springs ar- ea has seen a substantial amount of new chain restaurants open within the past 4 years. That area, with its Beltline access and existing agglomeration of restaurants, holds a competitive ad- vantage for many national restaurant chains looking to locate in Middleton. Some retailers also seek highway locations. Store requirements are not meant to be taken just in terms of attracting nation- al retailers, but could also be used as ballpark guidelines for local businesses that may consider a location in or near the Planning Area. The table contains several businesses whose site requirements are met by the planning area. However, this is just a starting point in their consideration of a site. Another concern would be competition — many of the categories already have strong competing businesses within the one and five mile rings. Several grocery stores, for example, have location requirements the area meets, but the new Copps store in Middleton Hills is already within the one -mile ring. N VE N T O R Y & A S S E S S M E N T I Chapter Two: 2 - 2002 Traffic Counts in and around the Planning Area. From Wisconsin Department of Transportation. ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 1 4 N VE N T O R Y & A S S E S S M E N T I Chapter Two: 2 - Example Chain Store Location Requirements, Continued Businesses active or looking to expand in Wisconsin in Neighborhood Strip Centers Company GLA Min GLA Max Min Pop Within (miles) Min Traffic Personal Services HCX Salons International, LLC 1,200 1,600 50,000 3 20,000 Hollywood Tans 2,500 50,000 3 Martinizing Dry Cleaning 1,600 4,000 10,000 1 Olan Mills Portrait Studio 1,000 100,000 5 * Advance America & National Cash 1,200 10,000 3 * Mail Boxes Etc / UPS Store 800 1,800 20,000 3 20,000 FedEx Kinko's 300 3,000 75,000 3 Sport Clips 1,200 50,000 3 20,000 Ritz Camera Centers, Inc. 2,000 6,000 100,000 5 * USA, Inc. 1,200 2,500 8,000 1 Full Service Restaurants Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc 5,000 7,000 25,000 3 15,000 California Pizza Kitchen, Inc 2,500 6,000 250,000 5 Bear Rock Café 2,800 3,800 40,000 3 25,000 * Noodles & Company 2,200 15,000 1 Zyng Asian Grill 2,000 3,000 10,000 1 Friday's American Bar 2,500 7,200 40,000 3 40,000 * Ruth's Chris Steak House 8,000 9,000 750,000 10 Hooters of America 4,000 4,500 100,000 10 30,000 * Chipotle Mexican Grill 1,200 2,800 30,000 2 25,000 Ground Round 5,000 6,000 50,000 2 30,000 OSI Partners (Cheeseburger in Paradise, Outback, Flemmings) 6,000 7,500 75,000 5 25,000 * * Middleton BUILD area meets minimum population requirements Allen Blvd meets minimum traffic requirements Middleton BUILD area meets minimum population and traffic requirements Example Chain Store Location Requirements Businesses active or looking to expand in Wisconsin in Neighborhood Strip Centers Company GLA Min GLA Max Min Pop Within (miles) Min Traffic Coffee & Juice Bars Bernie's Coffee & Tea Co 1,500 2,000 100,000 5 30,000 * Caribou Coffee 1,600 20,000 na 20,000 Robeks Fruit Smoothies & Healthy Eats 700 1,200 30,000 2 25,000 Nutrition Now Health 3,400 80,000 3 Jenny Craig International 1,800 2,000 100,000 3 Family Meds 2,000 3,500 6,000 1 * Food Markets Trader Joe's 8,000 15,000 90,000 5 * T&C Market 22,000 50,000 10,000 5 * Fresh Brands (Dicks & Piggly Wiggly) 15,000 68,000 5,000 1 * Whole Foods 29,000 80,000 130,000 3 Apparel & Services Shopko 14,000 112,000 50,000 3 Dunham's Athleisure Corp 15,000 50,000 25,000 10 15,000 Burlington Coat Factory 22,000 178,000 250,000 5 40,000 The Men's Warehouse 2,950 50,000 225,000 5 S&K Famous Brands 3,000 3,600 150,000 7 Casual Male 3,000 5,000 150,000 10 * Dot's Inc 5,000 90,000 3 Chico's FAS 2,500 4,000 150,000 5 The Dress Barn 4,000 8,000 100,000 3 Glik Stores 8,000 20,000 8,000 3 * New Balance Athletic Shoes 3,000 150,000 5 Famous Footwear 6,000 8,000 100,000 5 * Children's Orchard 1,200 2,600 100,000 5 * Miscellaneous J.R. Holcomb & Company 3,800 5,000 150,000 10 * Color Me Mine Enterprises 1,300 2,000 100,000 5 * Laser Quest 9,500 250,000 5 Hollywood Video 4,000 7,500 20,000 na 25,000 Creative Kidstuff Inc 3,000 60,000 3 ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 1 5 C I R C U L A T I O N Automobile, bicycle, and pedestrian circulation through the planning area has proven to be problematic. Automobile traffic continues to grow as more develop- ment takes place north of Lake Mendota, both within and beyond City bounda- ries. Century Avenue east of Allen Boulevard handles over 32,000 vehicles per day, making it the busiest non-freeway section of street in the City. West of Al- len Boulevard the traffic count is 26,000 VPD. Allen Boulevard itself averages about 20,000 VPD; the majority of which use the road during morning and even- ing rush hours. The number of vehicles on the road and the compressed time of day in which most of the use occurs makes it difficult to access properties that line Allen Boulevard and Century Avenue. The traffic makes motorists more like- ly to dismiss a possible stop that is on the “wrong side of the road” for fear they may not be able to make the left turn out of a parking lot. This is especially problematic for Middleton Springs Shopping Center, which is on the “wrong side” of Allen Boulevard to commuters returning from work in the evening. The area also suffers from several dead ends, which limit automobile, pedestrian and bicycle circulation. Middleton Beach Road, which is just east of Allen Boule- vard, runs for more than half a mile — from south of Mendota Avenue to just be- fore Lake Street, with no connections to Allen Boulevard. In fact, the entire 3,400-foot length of Middleton Beach Road has only one connection—Mendota Avenue—to the rest of the Middleton street grid. Lake Street and Pheasant Lane are currently dead ends. Many of the Springtree Apartment units, along with the neighborhood to the west of the planning area and Allen Boulevard retail, would benefit greatly from better pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicle connections to Allen Boulevard. Providing more effective connections from the neighborhood to the west could increase retail business, even without increasing residential density. The map to the right shows the “islands” which result from the lack of connectiv- ity within, and surrounding, the Planning Area. Bicycle circulation is also an issue in the planning area. Though Allen Boulevard does have bike lanes in each direction, they are narrow, on a heavily traveled street, and do not connect to other parts of the City’s trail system. The north- N VE N T O R Y & A S S E S S M E N T I Chapter Two: Pheasant Lane dead end. 2 - Isolated sectors within the Planning Area. ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 1 6 bound lane originates at University Avenue, which has a path running along its northern edge. The connection to the Allen Boulevard bike lanes is tenuous and the Allen/University inter- section is poorly designed for bikes. More importantly, the Al- len Boulevard bike lanes do not link up with any other trails when they reach Century Avenue. The northbound bike lane on Allen Boulevard simply ends at a heavily-used right-turn lane, and the southbound lane begins at a right-turn lane. With so many desirable bicycle destinations — Lakeview Park, Marshall Park, and Pheasant Branch Conservancy — close to the planning area, improvements could be made to bicycle facilities to strengthen connections and encourage bike use. Pedestrian connections are also poor in and around the planning area. The dead ends and heavy traffic that limit auto and bike access and connectivity limit pedestrians as well. Some areas lack sidewalks, like the east side of Allen Boulevard south of Maywood Avenue, the south side of Middleton Springs Drive, and Lake Street. The overall auto-orientation of the corridor, the large parking lots, stores set back from the street, few side- walk-to-storefront pedestrian paths, poor street crossings and lack of pedestrian amenities, makes the area hostile to pedestri- ans. Many of the circulation problems can be traced back to the fact that the Middleton Springs Shopping Center, Springtree Apart- ments, and a few other small buildings comprise a 31-acre “megablock.” This megablock is much larger than most blocks in Middleton — this limits connections and isolates nearby neigh- borhoods. It also creates issues for several parcels in the area that can only be accessed via easements across other properties. Parcels that do not front the public right-of-way are less visible to passers-by and more likely to fall into disrepair, resulting in situations that lead to decreased property values and difficulty renting residential and commercial spaces. The megablock also N VE N T O R Y & A S S E S S M E N T I Chapter Two: 2 - Map showing constructed trails in Middleton leading to (but not through) BUILD planning area. BUILD Area Harbor Athletic Club does not have any links to the City’s sidewalk system. C’s Restaurant. ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 1 7 creates a situation where much of the land in the area is accessed off of Amherst Road. If redevelopment is to occur, additional, more direct, access points that are connected to Allen Boulevard and Century Avenue will be necessary. The in- creased visibility and improved traffic flow from such connections would make land that is currently on the interior of the megablock more desirable for redevel- opment. L A N D U S E Land use in the planning area is a mix of commercial and medium -density resi- dential. Much of the commercial development is characterized by strip -retail de- velopment; the primary example of which is Middleton Springs Shopping Center. Other, smaller retail/restaurant areas include the adjacent, vacant Sentry Parcel (proposed to be redeveloped as a PDQ), the small retail strip across Allen Boule- vard from Middleton Springs, the two small retail buildings to the north of Mid- dleton Springs, a McDonalds at the southwest corner of the Allen/Century Inter- section, Captain Bill’s Seafood Company at Lake Street and Century Harbor Road, and the former Copps grocery store between Century Avenue and Pheasant Branch Conservancy. Other commercial uses in the area are: Harbor Athletic Club on Allen Boulevard, Harbor Wellness Center at the southeast corner of the Allen/Century Intersection, the newly remodeled office condominium building on Century Avenue, the Killian building along Middleton Springs, and three banks (Associated Bank on Allen Boulevard, Mutual Savings and Loan at Century Ave- nue and Middleton Springs, and Anchor Bank at Century Avenue and Allen Court). The main residential component of the area is the Springtree apartment complex, which contains 272 units in 12 buildings. The Lakeview Village Apartments, is a smaller apartment complex of 4 buildings between Maywood Avenue and Lake- view Community Park. The Middleton Springs Condominiums have are com- prised of two buildings along Middleton Springs Drive. There is also a multi -use building located at 6223 Middleton Springs Drive, between the Pheasant Lane dead end to the west and the Middleton Springs Shopping Center to the east. The land on which this residence is located is also the site of Rainbow Insulators, N VE N T O R Y & A S S E S S M E N T I Chapter Two: 2 - Pedestrian connections are limited — Lake Street and Century Harbor Road have no sidewalks. The Lakeview Village Apartments. ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 1 8 which is the only warehouse/light industrial use in the area. This land has been used innovative- ly as a live/work area for the past 20 years. The owner operates the non-profit “Economic Bene- fit Through Individualized Disabled Employ- ment” (EBTIDE) from his home and has worked on several nationwide efforts to assist people with disabilities and reform federal and state laws to better promote independence for disa- bled people. Although they would typically not be found in such a transition area, the activities taking place on this B2-zoned land are not detrimental to surrounding land uses because they are large- ly hidden from adjoining businesses and resi- dences. In fact, the unique combination of uses – living, working, and non-profit advocacy – could potentially serve as a model for land in other municipalities that have similar visibility and access issues. However, because this land is situated near the center of a 31-acre “megablock”, it will likely be a prime site for redevelopment at some point in the future, once circulation in the area improves and the land becomes much more visible. For now, the lack of visibility, coupled with the lot’s proximity to the shopping center’s loading and utility area, will likely impede redevelopment. Although not an official land use category, much of the land in the planning area is de- voted to parking lots. The Middleton Springs Shopping Center (including the Sentry site) and the former Copps store have large parking lots that are underutilized since the grocery N VE N T O R Y & A S S E S S M E N T I Chapter Two: 2 - Existing Land Uses ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 1 9 N VE N T O R Y & A S S E S S M E N T I Chapter Two: stores closed. On the other side of Allen Blvd, the Harbor Wellness Center and Captain Bill’s Restaurant have large park- ing lots which are sometimes used for over-flow parking from Harbor Fitness Center. These lots are also occasionally used for boat trailer parking by boaters who use the pier at the end of Lake Street. 2 - ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 2 0 U R B A N D E S I G N The urban design throughout the planning area is largely uncoordinated — each site and building is different, with no common theme to connect one building to the next. Many buildings are oriented “inward” on their respective site, with no consideration given to nearby buildings or the public realm, and nearly all commercial/retail buildings in the planning area are one-story. Most are also designed to accommodate the automobile at the expense of the pedestrian, instead of designing for both — large parking lots are in front of most buildings, with inadequate connections to sidewalks. Two building renovations in the area, the Killian Dental office building and the Office Condominium project on Amherst, have followed the Prairie-influenced materials, colors, and designs present in nearby Middleton Hills. N VE N T O R Y & A S S E S S M E N T I Chapter Two: 2 - Middleton Springs Condominiums Middleton Springs Shopping Center Retail strip center on Middleton Springs Drive. C’s Restaurant ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 2 1 N VE N T O R Y & A S S E S S M E N T I Chapter Two: The Killian Dental Clinic office building before a façade renovation. The Killian Dental Clinic office building after a façade renovation. Strip mall on the east side of Allen Boulevard. ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 2 2 N VE N T O R Y & A S S E S S M E N T I Chapter Two: S T A K E H O L D E R I N T E R V I E W S U M M A R Y Stakeholder interviews of business and property owners who operate in the planning area were conducted as part of the planning process. Participants were asked a series of questions. Answers are summarized below. What would you consider the strongest assets of the Middleton Springs area? Responses to this question varied – many stakeholders said that traffic was an asset. The overall location was mentioned as a plus, as was the general small-town feel and nearby residential neighborhoods. Some felt that there is a good base of activity generators for the area, and a good mix of businesses – recreation, entertainment, restaurants. One stakeholder said that the ample on-site surface parking was a plus for the businesses. Most mentioned the nearby Pheasant Branch Conservancy, Lakeview Park and Lake Mendota as assets that the area could build on. What types of connections should be created/enhanced through the planning process? The consensus was that the area has many issues with site access and connections. Most stakeholders thought that a traffic light was needed somewhere along Allen Boulevard to break up traffic; many people mentioned Maywood Avenue as a top candidate for a signal. Such a light might be able to improve the gaps for vehicles and pedestrians exiting Lake Street – right now there are few opportunities for pedestrians to cross or vehicles to turn. A signal would also make it easier to access the Middleton Springs Shopping Center and Associated Bank, both of which can be difficult to get into, especially if a left turn is necessary. Improving the Maywood intersection with well -marked turn lanes is another possible way to enhance access. Creating grade-separated crossings of Century Avenue and Allen Boulevard for pedestrians may be an option for improving pedestrian circulation and improving the connections with the area’s parks, which was cited as another need. A pedestrian connection with the public boat docks at the end of Lake Street would help link restaurants and retail to the lakefront. As a (business owner/resident/etc), what do you see as the biggest issue facing the Middleton Springs area? What do you think should be done to address the issue? Many stakeholders mentioned that there were no longer any retail anchors for the area to draw people in to shop – losing Sentry was a blow for the retail in the area. Improving site access and internal circulation within the corridor were also listed as major issues. Traffic, which several stakeholders listed as an asset for the area, was also brought up as a detrim ent. The area has also been seeing increasing crime problems. Creativity was urged in solving traffic and circulation issues. One stakeholder suggested that the area provides an opportunity for implementing new ideas and solutions to traffic problems. 2 - ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 2 3 Are there any projects/investments you think would be beneficial for the Middleton Springs area that you feel the City may be overlooking? Transportation improvements should be strongly considered for the corridor —not only a traffic signal, but also things like adding shelters at bus stops. Also, a new name/identity for the area could be created (something that would tie together the lake, trails, and parks). The City should not only encourage infill development in the area, but work with property owners to attract uses that generate traffic during the day (like more offices), instead of traffic that is just passing through. I f infill development ends up being planned for the area it is likely that structured parking would be needed. Certain smaller -scale investments/maintenance by the City should not be ignored, like tree -trimming and better lighting on Amherst Road. Is there anything you are considering implementing on your property in the near future; is there anything you would like to see happen with your property in the near future? Some owners expressed interest in infill redevelopment on their property. They said that such projects would be able to take advantage of the area’s location – its proximity to the conservancy, parks, and lake – to create desirable residential and commercial opportunities. Mixed-use redevelopment, with retail on the ground floor and housing above, was put forth as a strong possibility. Some property owners mentioned constructing taller buildings on their properties to take advantage of lake views for residential or restaurants on upper floors. Other owners are considering improved landscaping and signage for their properties. Do you have any studies of/knowledge of the soil conditions for your property? Stakeholders have said that soils throughout the area are poor, except near the Harbor Wellness Center. However, it was mentioned that the soils are similar in quality to the Discovery Springs area, where development is occurring – building on poor soils just adds some additional costs. What areas/neighborhoods in the region do you admire and think could be used as an example for the Middleton Springs area? Middleton Hills Hilldale – good walkability Pike’s Place Market in Seattle How do you feel about the mix of businesses currently located in the planning area? Stakeholders gave a wide range of answers to this question. One person thought a grocery should be brought back in, some thought there was a good mix right now. A stakeholder mentioned that the area’s existing businesses and natural could be used as part of a new identity to market the corridor as a place focused on health, wellness, and active lifestyles. The outdoor amenities (parks, trails, lak N VE N T O R Y & A S S E S S M E N T I Chapter Two: 2 - ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 2 4 combined with existing businesses like Harbor Athletic Club, Curves, karate, and the skateboard and scuba shops already fit that profile. Which types of land use (retail/office/residential) do you feel will be the most viable in this area in the future? Some stakeholders thought that adding more owner-occupied housing would be beneficial, and others feel that retail is currently over-supplied, and there are opportunities for residential, restaurant, and small -scale office spaces. The consensus was that mixed-use development with more owner-occupied housing opportunities should be promoted for the area. How well do you feel traffic (pedestrian and vehicular) flows through the planning area? Comments for this section were focused on specific areas, some having to do with the desire to reduce traffic speeds in certain areas. Speed bumps on Amherst Road would slow down some of the traffic that drives too fast. People also tend to drive through the Middleton Springs Shopping Center parking lot very quickly – it needs some traffic calming measures. A traffic signal on Maywood was also mentioned by almost everyone. P U B L I C F O R U M R E S U L T S Land Use & Open Space At the August 10, 2006 Public Planning Forum, neighborhood residents and other meeting attendees were asked to indicate, through either drawing on a map or writing out comments, where they thought the most likely sites for redevelopment were. The most often cited redevelopment opportunity was the old Copps site between Century Avenue and the Conservancy. People generally felt that it is an appropriate location for condominium development. The consensus was that the area had an overabundance of apartments and lack of home ownership opportunities. The old Sentry store was another commonly - mentioned potential redevelopment site, though opinions varied as to what it should be used for. Some said residential, some said it should remain a grocery, others thought it would be a good place for offices. There seemed to be a agreement, through, that the PDQ plans, as proposed, were not desirable. Forum attendees were also asked what types of land uses and businesses they would like to see in the area in the coming years. There was a wide variety of answers to this question. By far the most desired business was a grocery store. Many people also wanted a post office, and there were various suggestions for restaurants. Responses for desired businesses are listed in the table on the following page. Circulation To gather information about bike/car/pedestrian circulation – an issue that the Steering Committee and stakeholder interviewees identified as critical – forum attendees at the August 10th Forum were given a map of the Allen Boulevard corridor and encouraged to place stickers on the map to indicate circulation “pros” and “cons”. Space was included on the N VE N T O R Y & A S S E S S M E N T I Chapter Two: 2 - ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 2 5 sheet to write down comments for each pro and con. The number of “cons” people listed outnumbered the number of “pros” by almost 2 to 1. Common pros that were mentioned included: nearby paths in the Conservancy and Lakeview Park, that it was good to have retail within walking distance, it was nice to have so much greenspace nearby, and that the area has a good mix of components (parks, shopping, office, owner/renter residential). Cons included: difficulty turning out of Lake Street during peak hours, limited access to businesses lining Allen Boulevard, that the area is not very pedestrian friendly, dangerous pedestrian crossings, traffic volume on Allen and Century, speeding (and lack of enforcement), a lack of sidewalks in some areas, and traffic signal timing. Design Standards As part of the August 10, 2006 BUILD Public Planning Forum 12 boards of pictures were displayed for attendees. Some boards contained images from specific places, and some boards contained images concerning specific design features (paving, lighting, etc.). People were encouraged to consider each board and write down their favorite pictures and least favorite pictures, as well as comments concerning specific pictures or the boards in general. The results of this visual preference survey helped guide work on a design theme for the area, which is discussed in Chapter 4. Example images are drawn from images that got favorable responses at the Public Forum. N VE N T O R Y & A S S E S S M E N T I Chapter Two: 2 - Desired Businesses/Services From the Public Forum Retail Home Products Gift/Floral Shop Dry Cleaner Marine/Boat Supplies Office Supplies UPS Store Shoe Box Book Store Trader Joe’s Clothes Boutique Brennan’s Grocery Store Second-Hand Store Bakery Williams Sonoma Farmer’s Market Restaurant Ice Cream Shop Chin’s Coffee Shop Wasabi Mexican Restaurant Panera Bread Qdoba Culver’s Diner Cajun Deli Vietnamese Bagels Services Post Office UW Health Clinic UW Credit Union Child Care Fire Station Community Center Library YMCA ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 1 E C O N O M I C The high vacancy rates for residential rental properties in the area, along with low rents, vacancies, and high turnover for retail space in the planning area illustrate the under-utilization of this high-traffic corridor in the City of Middleton. Dis- cussions with business and property owners and the Steering Committee has led to the development of the following eco- nomic objectives for the area: • Determine the optimum balance of owner-occupied residential, rental residential, office, and retail for the area. The difficulties commercial and residential properties are currently having in finding tenants shows the imbalance the planning area currently has — it is no longer configured to serve market demands as well as it once was. • Build off of existing in the area. “Starting over” is not necessary for the corridor; instead, business and posi- tional assets the area already has should be used as a springboard to bring in further success. • Create synergies amongst businesses, residents and passers-by. Creating a desirable place to live for residents will give businesses more customers; attracting a variety of businesses will be an asset for residents; a vibrant and accessi- ble neighborhood will encourage passers-by to stop, shop, and enjoy the natural amenities of the area. • Improve vehicular access to commercial properties from Allen Blvd and Century Ave and improve connections between commercial areas. • Identify a retail “niche” or identity for the area which could be marketed to the greater area. • Develop a core retail are centered on the Middleton Springs shopping center site with periphery areas devoted to resi- dential and office space. L A N D U S E The economic problems mentioned above illustrate the need for change in the current land use configuration. Given the de- sirable location and nearby amenities, the area could be put to higher -value, higher-density uses. Analysis, neighborhood feedback, and stakeholder interviews have led to a number of Land Use objectives for the area: • Retain both sides Allen Boulevard as places for neighborhood/local businesses. Decrease the total area of land devoted to retail uses. Many of the customers for existing businesses come from the surrounding neighborhood; having a busi- ness/retail component for the area is an important part of a complete neighborhood center. With access improve- ments, the Allen Boulevard corridor is best suited to serve the neighborhood’s business needs, while also capturing some of the through-traffic. O A L S & O B J E C T I V E S G Chapter Three: 3 - ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 2 • Intensify core retail area by redeveloping the retail with residences or offices above shops. This would provide more potential customers without increasing the need retail parking; would give people an opportunity to live in newer units in a more urban setting; and it would make more efficient use of land that is already served by utilities. • Redevelop areas less-suited for retail at higher densities, with mixed-use office and residential components. • Provide a range of housing types. Redevelopment projects often “price out” former residents of the area the project oc- curs in. The opportunity exists to create a true mixed-income neighborhood in this planning area, perhaps by retain- ing some existing rental units, giving existing renters a chance to “move up” to an affordable condominium, and also bringing in new residents to take advantage of what the area has to offer. C I R C U L A T I O N An analysis of the planning area, combined with input from numerous stakeholder interviews, shows that one of the biggest challenges facing the planning area is poor circulation. Without connections between the surrounding neighborhoods and the commercial area along Allen Boulevard and Century Avenue, both areas suffer. Improving the circulation between the commercial and residential areas is therefore a major goal of this Plan. This overall goal can be broken down into several smaller objectives: • Mitigate (or eliminate) Allen Boulevard and Century Avenue as pedestrian barriers. These two streets carry some of the highest traffic levels in the City; this will not change in the foreseeable future. Both streets tend to isolate prop- erties for pedestrians in what should be a pedestrian-oriented district. Pheasant Branch Conservancy, Lakeview Park, Lake Mendota, and Harbor Athletic Club are all pedestrian “magnets” that have not fully realized their potential due to pedestrian barriers in the area, like Allen Boulevard and Century Avenue. • Provide more connections to neighborhoods east and west of the Allen Boulevard Corridor. The Pheasant Lane dead end, Middleton Springs Drive “loop,” and un-connected stretch of Middleton Beach Road are also barriers to the in- teraction between nearby residents and businesses. • Connect Lakeview Park with Pheasant Branch Conservancy. There is currently no trail connection between two of the City’s biggest and most popular recreational destinations. Linking the Conservancy with Lakeview Park would not only make valuable resources more accessible for the planning area, but enhance the trail system for the rest of the City. • Improve the area’s pedestrian amenities. It is not enough to merely provide pedestrian connections — the connections should be made safe and attractive as well. People will be more likely to walk to their destination if the street cross- ings are made safer with features like colored/textured pavement to accent crosswalks, if pedestrian -scale lighting is provided, and if there are benches along the way. O A L S & O B J E C T I V E S G Chapter Three: 3 - ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 3 • Break up traffic flow along Allen Boulevard. Allen Boulevard currently experiences a consistently heavy flow of traffic in the morning and evening. This traffic, which is currently unobstructed by any traffic control measures along the Boulevard’s entire length, makes left turns in to (and out of) businesses and side streets difficult during the morning and evening rush hours. • Improve connections between commercial and residential uses by opening closed roadways and/or providing new pub- lic roadways and private access points. • Explore with Metro Transit the feasibility of developing a small bus transfer point in the Middleton Springs area. Middleton and Metro officials have been discussing ways to implement better coordinated bus service throughout the city, and the BUILD Planning Area is strategically positioned at a crossroads for people traveling around Lake Mendo- ta or to/from the west side of Madison and the University of Wisconsin campus. The Allen Blvd. corridor already has the highest per capita rate of bus ridership in the city. Development of a parking structure in this area would likely promote use for Park & Ride activities, which in turn could create synergy for economic development in the area. D E S I G N S T A N D A R D S The urban design of an area can be a difficult concept to define, yet it is one of the most important aspects to creating a l iva- ble neighborhood. In considering the current urban design of the planning area, it is evident that many things can be im- proved to create an environment that is more visually pleasing and conducive to interactions between residents, businesses, and the surrounding area. Ensuring high-quality urban design of the area as it redevelops can be done with design standards that give developers confidence in what the City is looking for, and that give residents a reason to look forward to projects that will improve the visual appearance of the neighborhood. Objectives for the design standards are: • Enhance the landscape, open space and view corridors through appropriate guidelines. Landscape and open spaces throughout the Allen Boulevard planning area are highly varied. Materials should be planted to provide needed shade, soften expansive paved areas (both old and new) and provide an active urban park -like setting when linking Lakeview Community Park, Pheasant Branch Conservancy and Lake Mendota. Attention should also be given to the creation of an atmosphere that emphasizes special water features, public gathering spaces and corridor connections between ex- isting and proposed buildings. • Provide guidelines for the development of new buildings and redevelopment of existing buildings. All new buildings should be designed to reinforce any adjacent open spaces or public plazas. The location of new buildings and the massing can produce definition and create edges for any adjacent open spaces or public plazas. Any new building de- velopment should also be pushed toward the edges of perimeter streets to create an urban edge and to create noticea- ble and attractive points of entry to the planning area. New building development and existing building redevelop- ment should also work to coordinate material colors and palettes to relate closely with those materials used on the O A L S & O B J E C T I V E S G Chapter Three: 3 - ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 4 newly remodeled office building to the west of Middleton Springs shopping center. At the same time, different levels of elaboration or building embellishment should be allowed. • Improve the sense of place for the Middleton Springs / Allen Boulevard Corridor planning area through the use of new graphics, signing and way-finding elements. An easily understood basic way-finding and signing system to inform ar- ea users of the different amenities available throughout the area should be developed. A consistent color scheme with allowance for some elaboration is preferable. • Define the Middleton Springs / Allen Boulevard Corridor through the use of special features including gateway ele- ments to the area, water features, landmark elements, transit centers and special paving.  Gateway features can be used at major points of entry into the planning area to create a visually interesting identification. Overhead or vertical elements along the street edge can be used for building a gateway feature.  Water features can be used to create a distinctive atmosphere within the planning area and can be big or small or even just a hint of the more regional features that exist just outside of the planning area. These features can create a natural gathering space for pedestrians and helps to identify a place as special or unique.  Landmark elements are similar to gateway features in that they mark a point of entry or identify a special area. Such a feature may be valuable near the center of our planning area where the three connections linking Pheas- ant Branch Conservancy, Lake Mendota and Lakeview Community Park converge.  Transit Centers were discussed as an opportunity for this area and can act as a visitor destination or neighbor- hood transportation hub. These areas should be designed to be safe for both pedestrians and vehicles and should be located to benefit not only those living in the planning area, but also surrounding neighborhoods.  Special paving is a way of helping to define the character of an area. Unique paving blocks, colored pavements or natural stone elements can be used to delineate significant connections or pedestrian routes and public gathering areas. The use of special paving can also enhance major vehicle intersections to create more aware- ness. O A L S & O B J E C T I V E S G Chapter Three: 3 - ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 1 V I S I O N In assessing the area’s through discussions with stakeholders, local residents and businesses, and the BUILD Steering Committee, it is evident that the Middleton Springs area already has a strong theme that can be capitalized upon and enhanced. It is already a hub of outdoor activity and healthy lifestyles. It is surrounded by recreational opportunitie s including: Lake Mendota, Lakeview Park, Pheasant Branch Conservancy, Harbor Athletic Club and Wellness Center, and a variety of related outdoors/fitness shops. It already has several businesses that support a recreational theme. Strengthening this identity and establishing more trail facilities and connections between Lakeview Park, Lake Mendota, Pheasant Branch Conservancy, and Harbor Athletic Club would greatly benefit supporting businesses and develop a retail niche that could attract additional related businesses. Facilities that should be developed include more bike and pedestrian trails throughout the neighborhood, establishing a new trailhead to the conservancy, and providing public parking facilities that would serve as a home base for visitors and allow users to leave their cars and enjoy all the outdoor amenities of the a r- ea. This area has the potential to become popular among young professional and baby -boomer groups who desire activity and amenities and are less interested in spending time inside their homes or maintaining their yards. Condominium projects have been doing well around Pheasant Branch Conservancy — more of these units could do well in this area. The overall vision for the Planning Area is for a more mixed -use area with a number of small businesses, offices, and multi- family living units. It could also become a weekend destination area for people wanting a full day of activity on recreation al trails, eating out, or enjoying the lake. Retailers could be geared toward this crowd with specialized boutique stores serv- ing the active lifestyle crowd as well as providing daily comforts to the surrounding residents. L A N D U S E & O P E N S P A C E With the establishment of new regional connections around the periphery of the community and new retail competition in Middleton Hills, Greenway Station, Discovery Springs, and possibly the Parmenter Street Corridor, it is doubtful that this area will ever be able to support medium or big-box retailers as it has in the past. Given the large amount of new retail along the Beltline and the changing patterns of commercial development, the current supply of retail space in the area has become too large to remain viable. This Plan proposes retail and office uses be intensified in the core of the planning area (the Middleton Springs shopping center and surrounding properties) and that owner -occupied multifamily residential uses be promoted on many of the fringe areas. For example, the former Copps store and Anchor Bank facilities are isolated from the core commercial area and adjacent to the Conservancy — an excellent place for more mixed-use office/multifamily devel- opment. E D E VE L O P M E N T P L A N R Chapter Four: 4 - ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 2 Intensification of retail/office/restaurant uses in the core may require structured parking facilities, either as a garage or underground parking (if soils permit). If structured parking were to be connected east across Allen Boulevard, it could serve important anchor points on both sides of the street, allowing higher density development on the parcels along the eastern side of Allen Boulevard. While many people at the Forum expressed a desire for another grocery store in the area, the likelihood of another full-service, full-size store locating in the planning area is slim. The new Middleton Hills Copps store is very close for competitors, the area lacks the necessary land for a new full -size store (unless significant residential land were to be converted to retail), and the population density and traffic are not such that two full-size groceries in such proximity can be easily supported. This is not to say that some sort of specialty food store could not be viable. Specialty food stores can be difficult to attract, though, and are often in demand in many neighborhoods. A cooperative food store is another possibility expressed at the Forum. Co-ops, though, are not “attracted,” they are created through the hard work of the community. If there is enough neighbor- hood demand for a co-op and people with the will to follow through, a co-op could be a good fit in the neighborhood. Land use recommendations are shown in the Concept Plan elsewhere in this chapter. Emphasis is placed on mixed -use de- velopment, retaining some rental properties, and promoting owner -occupancy of properties along Amherst Road and in new mixed-use developments containing residential uses. Concern has been expressed on many levels — from the Steering Committee to the Public Forum — about the rising number of police calls Amherst Road has been experiencing. This Plan attempts to address that in two ways: better inte- grating the Amherst Road area with the surrounding neighborhood through in- creased connectivity, and encouraging a better mix of owner-occupied vs. renter- occupied units for the area. There is currently an overabundance of rental units, which drives down rents and landlord standards for tenants. The City should ac- tively promote existing programs, like its down payment assistance program, to transition Amherst Road from rental duplexes to owner-occupied duplexes. This would promote more investment in the neighborhood and give residents afforda- ble homeownership opportunities so that they can transition from apartment - living if they desire. E D E VE L O P M E N T P L A N R Chapter Four: 4 - ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 3 C I R C U L A T I O N & T R A N S P O R T A T I O N The lack of connectivity outlined in the Inventory & Assessment section can be remedied through a number of measures which would improve circulation in and around the planning area. Some of these measures could be accomplished over the next several years; some may be longer-term, occurring over the next 10-20 years as redevelopment proposals are presented to the City. Implementation timetable suggestions are provided before each item. The overall Redevelopment Plan depends upon re-establishing the City’s natural street grid in the area—a grid that is interrupted by the Middleton Springs shopping center. Doing so will allow the neighborhood to the west of the planning area easier access to Allen Boulevard and the shops and restaurants along it, and make it easier for patrons of area stores to enter and exit retail areas. It will also help mi tigate the bottleneck that often happens at the Allen Boulevard/Lake Street intersection by allowing Harbor Athletic Club patrons an alternate exit, and improve the pedestrian friendliness of the area by providing more direct routes for pedestrians. Rec- ommendations have been split into near term (1-5 years) and long-term years) sections. Near-Term Actions Near term activities include many circulation improvements, and, depending on private -sector initiatives, re-development of the former Copps Site into a Mixed-Use development and infill development on properties east of Allen Blvd., including the Harbor Wellness and Captain Bill’s sites. Such redevelopment should emphasize residential uses and require new methods — such as an alley — to relieve traffic from the Lake Street Allen Boulevard intersection. Infill and redevelopment of prop- erties in the near term should fit with the long-term vision for area. • Timetable: 2007. Eliminate street parking and add a right turn lane on Lake Street between the Harbor Wellness Center parking lot entrance and Allen Boulevard. Though this would result in the loss of three or four street parking spaces, the increase in the intersection’s efficiency would be considerable. • Timetable: 1-3 years. Install a traffic signal at Maywood Avenue and Allen Boulevard. The signal would serve a number of functions. It would:  Break up the steady flow of vehicles on Allen Boulevard, allowing people north of the signal to turn left on to Allen Boulevard;  Manage traffic from the proposed PDQ;  Provide a way for people exiting from Harbor Athletic Club via a back alley or frontage road to turn left on to Allen Boulevard;  Allow customers to more easily access core retail areas from Allen Boulevard. The City’s Transportation Network Plan anticipates that in approximately 5 -12 years, the Allen/Mendota intersection will likely need to be reconfigured to improve operations (meaning a signal or roundabout may be necessary at that time). For the Allen/Maywood intersection, the TNP Plan anticipates improvements being necessary in 12 -20 years. E D E VE L O P M E N T P L A N R Chapter Four: 4 - ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 4 This BUILD Plan recommends that a traffic signal be installed at the Allen/ Maywood intersection in 2007(prior to making improvements at the Allen/ Mendota intersection) for not only the reasons listed above, but also be- cause Maywood Avenue has higher traffic counts than Mendota Avenue, it runs farther west and leads directly to more potential destinations (Branch Street, Middleton High School), and it is more ideally located to break up traffic for the Allen Boulevard corridor as a whole. • Timetable: 1-3 years. Relieve the Lake Street intersection by connecting a newly signalized Maywood Avenue/Allen Boulevard intersection west and north to the parking lot behind Harbor Athletic Club. This could be ac- complished either by using an existing frontage road just east of Allen Boulevard or by utilizing City property just west of Middleton Beach Road. Continued discussions between property owners to find the most desirable new shared route to the signalized intersection should be en- couraged in order implement this connection. • Timetable: 1-3 years for Maywood intersection and Lake Street/Middleton Springs intersection; as properties redevelop for other potential intersections. Improve the Maywood Avenue/Allen Boulevard, Lake Street/Middleton Springs/Allen Boulevard intersections with pedestrian friendly features. These features could include colored/textured pavement, raised crosswalks and special signage. • Timetable: 1-3 years. Add sidewalks along Lake Street. In addition to mak- ing it easier for Harbor Athletic Club patrons to walk to their workout, sidewalks would make it easier for people to stroll down to the public boat docks at the end of the street. • Timetable: 1-3 years. Add a sidewalk along the south side of Middleton Springs Drive. Combined with the street connections proposed above, sidewalks along both sides of Middleton Springs Drive would make it easi- er and safer for neighborhood residents to walk to stores along Allen Boulevard. • Timetable: 1-3 years. Add a trail/sidewalk along the eastern side of Allen Boulevard and south of Maywood Avenue. The sidewalk currently stops at Maywood and resumes at Mendota Avenue. Filling in this “missing link” would better connect Marshall Park with Lakeview Park and other points to the north. E D E VE L O P M E N T P L A N R Chapter Four: Looking east from the Maywood Avenue / Allen Boulevard intersection. 4 - Adding a north-south connector between Middleton Springs Drive and Maywood Avenue would “formalize” the current private alley behind the Middleton Springs shopping mall and provide better access to many properties. ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 5 • Timetable: 1-3 years. Add a bus stop “bumpout” for the bus stop on northbound Allen Boulevard to improve safety of riders who embark/debark at this bus stop and improve traffic flow along Allen Boulevard. • Timetable: 3-5 years. Add a small bus transfer point in the Planning Area. This transfer point would a stop for buses that run through Middleton and the west side of Madison, and would not be as large, or handle nearly as much bus traffic, as current Madison Metro transfer points. Potential locations are shown on the conceptual layout. Long-Term Actions Long-term actions include improvements to take place after 5 years, or as properties redevelop. Redevelopment of Middle- ton Springs Shopping Center and surrounding properties into a medium -density “Traditional Neighborhood Development” or TND. The future developer would be expected in integrate their development with existing properties in the identified area (see map on following page), or acquire and redevelop those properties. This redevelopment should include a mix of office, retail, and residential uses in 2-4 story buildings. Buildings would have a common design theme and be oriented towards the street, with parking towards the interior part of the block. Circulation improvements would be integrated with the re- development, such that connections to the neighborhood west of the redevelopment would be improved, and so that a Pheas- ant Branch Conservancy-Lakeview Park trail could become a feature of the redevelopment. • Timetable: As properties redevelop. Add north-south and east-west vehicle routes to connect Pheasant Lane with Allen Boulevard (with the appropriate turn lane from Allen onto Pheasant) and Middleton Springs Drive south to Maywood Avenue. These connections would establish a grid system that would improve circulation and access for both vehicles and pedestrians, allowing the neighborhood to better access the businesses along Allen Boulevard. • Timetable: As properties redevelop. Connect the Pheasant Branch Conservancy trail system to Lakeview Park through the TND Area. Such a connection would link two of the City’s premier recreational areas and enhance the trail system for the entire community. A trail could be established sooner with some minor property/easement acquisitions by the City. However, safety concerns would have to be considered if the trail runs through the area without an accompany- ing street connection. The area currently has little visibility from other public rights -of-way. • Timetable: 10-20 years, or as properties develop. Add pedestrian/bicycle overpasses across Century Avenue and Allen Boulevard. If such overpasses were integrated into redevelopment projects they could be made more accessible and easy to use. Because overpasses are expensive to construct, the City may want to explore having one (or both) added to the Madison Area MPO’s official map for planned bike routes, which would make it easier to acquire grant funds for the project(s). An alternate route could be installation of an underpass where Pheasant Branch Creek goes under Century Avenue, but this option would prevent a direct route between the park and conservancy, and bridge replace- ment is likely over 20 years away. E D E VE L O P M E N T P L A N R Chapter Four: 4 - ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 6 C O N C E P T L A Y O U T ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 7 D E S I G N S T A N D A R D S The Design Theme is meant as a guide to both assist developers who may consider redeveloping parcels in the Planning Area with their proposals, and to assist the Plan Commission in evaluating proposals that are brought forth for the area. It also includes recommendations for the City to consider when making investments in public infrastructure in the area. Design standards should be followed for proposals in the near-term and over the long-term redevelopment of the area. The Design Theme is addressed in 7 separate sections: • Building Architecture, Orientation and Locations • Signage • Public Spaces • Lighting • Paving • Landscape Character • Streetscape Amenities Building Architecture, Orientation, and Locations The planning and design of building architecture, along with the building orientation on sites within the Allen Boulevard corridor, will need to take into consideration many different factors. These include: • Building Heights • Setbacks and Locations • Building Style and Articulation • Relationships to Public Realm • Continuity Building Heights: For the most part, the current building heights within the planning area are one -story, with the exception of some two-story apartment buildings and a three-story office building. In an effort to meet the goals of the BUILD plan- ning process, increased building density will be an important part of future development. This translates into building heights greater than one-story. It is understood that soil conditions within the planning area are more favorable for lower - height buildings, but consideration should be given to two and three-story buildings whenever and wherever feasible. The increased building heights not only help meet the goal of increasing density, but also help in defining the public spaces around the buildings in addition to the traffic thoroughfares running through the planning area. Examples of proposed E D E VE L O P M E N T P L A N R Chapter Four: 4 - ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 8 building heights and styles are shown on the previous page and in the pictures at right. Setbacks and Building Locations: The relationship between buildings, streets and the public spaces between buildings are important in defining the character of the planning area. Cur- rent building locations and setbacks are geared more toward ve- hicle traffic and circulation rather than the desired pedestrian traffic serving the needs of the immediate, surrounding neigh- borhood. All new development of commercial, retail, mixed-use and housing developments should orient building and unit en- tries to the street, when possible. See the pictures at right for examples. Setbacks in this area could range from 0’-20’, depending on loca- tion. Buildings along the larger traffic thoroughfares can have the larger setbacks while those along smaller, connector streets can benefit from a much smaller building setbacks. There should be a consistency of setbacks within different building blocks. Parking spaces and vehicle service areas should be located at the rear of buildings and to the sides of buildings. Any side lot parking will require proper landscape screening. Building en- tries should be placed at or near all building fronts in order to create a strong relationship between public streets and side- walks. Building Style and Articulation, Relationships To The Public Realm, and Continuity: This document will not prescribe a spe- cific architectural style for this planning area for redevelopment, but based on public input and feedback, a general sense of style was obtained. Many felt that building architecture that has an “aged” look to it would be desirable. In addition, some felt it important to relate to and pick up on some of Middleton’s his- E D E VE L O P M E N T P L A N R Chapter Four: 4 - ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 9 toric architectural details when looking at future development of this area. Building articulation and detail is an important component in creating a sense of place. As shown in accompanying images, building articulation is desirable and adds to neighborhood character. Some first floor retail building entries may incorpo- rate awnings and integrated signage. Building punctuation can be achieved through various color and offset treatments and ar- chitectural features. The sketch on the following page illustrates some of the princi- ples discussed above in terms of setbacks, building heights, and building relationship to the public realm. Signage Building signage, way-finding signage, traffic signage and direc- tional signage are all important components of a district or neighborhood. One of the goals of the design standards is to de- velop an identity for the planning area, and providing signage is one way of accomplishing this goal. Though consistency of scale, lighting and proportions will be important in linking the entire area together, it is also important to allow creative sign- age by maintaining reasonable restrictions on size and placement without squelching creative use in district identity. General themes for signage in this planning area may best relate to “recreation”, “open space” or “waterfronts” given the strong relationships to the Pheasant Branch Conservancy, Lakeview Community Park and Lake Mendota. The City of Middleton should encourage pedestrian-oriented signage to protrude from buildings, making visibility better and easier for foot traffic. This will also add to articulation of the building facades, as mentioned previously. Signage standards E D E VE L O P M E N T P L A N R Chapter Four: 4 - ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 1 0 4 - ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 1 1 4 - ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 1 2 should also be attention grabbing, easily read and pleasing in ap- pearance. See examples at right. Public Spaces The public gathering spaces that will be a part of the proposed development should be inviting, functional, and flexible in de- sign. The spaces should be visible from primary pedestrian routes so that they are easy to access and can be easily found. Some gathering areas can be more secluded, others can be in ac- tive areas, and some should be designed into areas of movement along pedestrian and vehicle routes. All public gathering spaces should have adequate levels of light for nighttime use and each should work to incorporate a certain amount of prospect and ref- uge to make the spaces comfortable for a variety of users. All of the gathering spaces designed will need places to sit. Manufactured bench seating, natural wall seating, or intermit- tently placed landscape features can all act as seating elements. Appropriate levels of sun and shade will also need consideration so that no space is too hot, too cold or too windy. Circulation to and from connecting spaces and circulation around spaces must be easy and should not impede other functions. The flexibility of each space is also important. The design should allow some areas to accommodate natural public gather- ing and socializing while having the ability to accommodate an organized event or public gathering. Space for public art, open - air markets and passive seating will all help in linking this de- velopment to the underlying theme of “recreation and open space”. The images on the bottom half of the page at right all portray a desired mix of spaces that would compliment the pro- posed development type. In addition, any public spaces should have a strong relationship to the more regional surroundings of Pheasant Branch Conserv- E D E VE L O P M E N T P L A N R Chapter Four: 4 - ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 1 3 ancy, Lakeview Community Park and Lake Mendota. Logical connections should also be made between indoor and outdoor spaces for continuity of the entire planning area. Lighting The elements of scale, style and use were considered when evalu- ating the many different lighting styles and types for the plan- ning area. Lighting scale can be broken down into three catego- ries; street lighting, pedestrian lighting and amenity or accent lighting. Street lighting can generally be used to identify areas of primary and secondary circulation routes for vehicles. A “family” of lighting fixtures that have similar styles and looks helps to iden- tify a cohesive neighborhood. Primary or main routes can use the most desired street lighting selection while secondary routes can use a complimentary fixture. The proportions and scales that accompany pedestrian lighting fixtures are generally smaller than those fixtures selected for street lighting. Fixtures may include 12’-14’ height light poles with decorative fixtures or 3’-4’ height bollard light fixtures that light certain walkways and paths. It is important to remember that pedestrian scale lighting should be used in conjunction with larger street lighting fixtures to provide adequate light levels to create a safe environment for all users of the neighborhood. Amenity or accent lighting may consist of accent signage light- ing, accent planting lighting, low-level lighting for public gath- ering spaces and for use in creating special lighting effects for banners, way-finding signage or kiosks. In addition to these considerations, it will be important that all lighting in the planning area reflect the overall neighborhood scale and proportions, which will be mostly pedestrian level E D E VE L O P M E N T P L A N R Chapter Four: 4 - ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 1 4 lighting and accent or amenity lighting. The selected fixtures will need to relate closely with the selected building architec- tural styles and desired historic character of the area. Any light- ing fixtures should work to incorporate banners and hanging flower baskets, and should limit environmental impacts to the extent possible. Some interest was expressed during public in- volvement for consideration to be given to any alternative energy and dark-sky compliant fixtures. The images on the upper right corner of the page represent fixtures and lighting styles that at- tendees of the Neighborhood Planning Forum thought would fit into the area. Paving Differing paving styles, patterns, and material types is an im- portant part of making any proposed development stand out from other areas. Street paving patterns and materials should compli- ment building architecture and style and should not dominate a particular pedestrian space. Major intersections should be treat- ed with special paving and secondary areas may be treated with similar paving, but in a limited version of major intersections. Any specially paved areas should relate to overall City of Mid- dleton standards and desires. Downtown Middleton makes ex- tensive use of brick pavers for some street terrace areas. Exam- ples of possible paving styles are shown at right. Given the special location of this planning area, desire has been expressed in incorporating permeable pavement types to improve groundwater recharge in addition to limiting overall quantities of pavement in an effort to enhance the area’s natural setting. Landscape Character When looking at the landscape character of the proposed devel- opment, areas of accent, varying colors and differing forms were taken into consideration. E D E VE L O P M E N T P L A N R Chapter Four: 4 - ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 1 5 Accent areas for special landscape character treatment include points of entry, public gathering areas, major street intersec- tions, public walkways / bikeway systems and stormwater man- agement or natural open space areas. A mix of both natural and formal character styles were the desired choice by those involved in the design process. Color is an important component of defining a landscape charac- ter. Different colors can be used to mark or accent major areas of interest. Any color palette that is used should consider sea- sonal interest and the varying colors that exist with each plant type or variety. All color selections should coordinate with and compliment the selected architectural styles and materials of the proposed development. When considering landscape forms with the proposed develop- ment, primary areas and routes and secondary areas and routes should be the focus. Primary access routes and areas should pro- vide a stately and grand sense of arrival or scale. Pyramidal, co- lumnar tree forms will help frame primary areas. Consistency in plant shape and species form will be crucial when considering different plant varieties. Secondary access routes and areas can be more loose in form and style, but will still require a relation- ship with the selected forms of primary areas. In addition to these character traits, consideration with any new development should be given to enhancing and bringing into the development the character of the Pheasant Branch Conservancy, Lakeview Community Park and Lake Mendota. Stormwater treatment can be a public feature of new development as well by making spaces more socially inviting. The scale of any planting area, feature or public garden will need to relate to the pedestri- an and the small, neighborhood scale of the area. Streetscape Amenities E D E VE L O P M E N T P L A N R Chapter Four: 4 - ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 1 6 The streetscape amenities that were looked at and reviewed for the proposed development included banners and planters, street furniture and public art, informational signage, vehicle way- finding and pedestrian way-finding. Generally, unified colors, logos and all design should be con- sistent on all banners and signage throughout the development. Colors options should work to incorporate the theme of recrea- tion and open space linked by this development with Pheasant Branch Conservancy, Lakeview Community Park and Lake Men- dota. All graphics and logos should be easy to read and should provide impact to help set this development apart from others. Planters throughout the development can vary from hanging bas- kets on light poles, to large, concrete planters set throughout the streets. All planter materials can be seasonal to accommo- date differing events and should act to enhance and accent building architecture and store front design. When selecting street furniture and considering public art, the City of Middleton should realize that a simple and understated furniture design will be best in allowing any public art to stand out and hold a spot in the landscape. Benches, trash receptacles, newspaper boxes and bike racks should be selected from one “family” of street furniture to ensure continuity and consistency throughout the development. Any directional signage should group areas and points of interest by area so as to eliminate any confusion. Some supplemental lighting and accent lighting can be used to highlight important signage areas, especially at key intersections and points of entry. Signage can also be designed into different kiosk areas through- out the development and some signage can help to tell a story of the City of Middleton throughout the proposed development. E D E VE L O P M E N T P L A N R Chapter Four: 4 - ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 1 7 E D E VE L O P M E N T P L A N R Chapter Four: 4 - ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 1 I N F R A S T R U C T U R E D E S I G N E L E M E N T S F U N D I N G C I T Y A C T I O N S (To be completed after comments are received on draft) M P L E M E N T A T IO N P L A N I Chapter Five: 5 - ---PAGE BREAK--- C I T Y O F M I D D L E T O N B U I L D P L A N 2 0 0 6 2 Implementation Matrix Category Goal/Objective Policies Timetable Land Use & Open Space Intensify density in the Planning Area. Require higher densities than current development for redevelopment proposals submitted for properties within the Planning Area. Continuous PC / Encourage a mix of uses on individual parcels in the Planning Area. Work with developers to utilize the City’s PDD zoning for high-quality mixed-use developments. Continuous PC / Retain a mix of housing options while giving current renters an opportunity to own. Publicize the City’s Down Payment Assistance Program to renters in and around the Planning Area. Continuous May Staff Work with developers to integrate affordable homeownership options in development projects (similar to Veridian and Ellefson collaborations). As redevelopments with housing components are proposed. May Transportation & Circulation Mitigate/Eliminate Allen Boulevard & Century Avenue as pedestrian barriers. Consider pedestrian/bicycle bridges over Century Avenue and Allen Boulevard. 10-20 years, or as properties redevelop. CC, Improve 3 intersections with Allen Boulevard with pedestrian-friendly features: Maywood Avenue, Lake Street/Middleton Springs Drive, and Pheasant Lane extended. 1-3 years for Maywood; 3-5 years for other intersections. PC, P Provide more connections to neighborhoods east and west of the Allen Boulevard Corridor. Connect Maywood Avenue to Middleton Beach Road. 5-7 Years CC, Connect Middleton Springs Drive to Pheasant Lane and Maywood Avenue. As properties redevelop. PC, C Connect Lakeview Park with Pheasant Branch Conservancy by installing a north-south path along new Middleton Springs Drive to Maywood Avenue street; improve connection to Lakeview Park south of Maywood Avenue. As properties redevelop (sooner, if City is willing to acquire easements). PC, P Improve pedestrian connections in and around Planning Area. Connect Planning Area to Lake Mendota by installing east-west path/ sidewalk along both sides of Middleton Springs Drive and Lake Street. 1-3 years PW Add a trail/sidewalk along the eastern side of Allen Boulevard south of Maywood Avenue. 1-3 years PW Improve bus service and safety in and around the Planning Area. Work with Madison Metro to plan for a Middleton Transfer Point in the Planning Area. 3-5 years PC, C Add bus “bumpouts” for stops along Allen Boulevard. 1-3 years PW Break up traffic flow along Allen Boulevard. Install a stoplight at Allen Boulevard and Maywood Avenue. 2007 PW Improve egress from Lake Street onto Allen Boulevard. Eliminate street parking and add a right turn land on Lake Street between Allen Boulevard and the Harbor Wellness Center parking lot entrance. Late 2006/Early 2007 PW Design Guidelines Encourage high-quality development that is well-integrated into the Planning Area and community as a whole. Implement Plan’s Design Guidelines for development proposals within the Planning Area. Continuous PC 5 -