October 2, 2019

Madison to require Edgewood, other schools to get permission for outdoor changes

Abigail Becker | Cap Times

 Madison’s City Council signed off on a change that would require all entities without a master plan located in a particular zoning district to gain extra approval from the city before making changes to any outdoor uses.

This change would affect Edgewood High School’s plans for its stadium if the city also repeals its own 10-year master plan.

On a voice vote Tuesday, the City Council voted to change Madison’s language governing schools located in the Campus Institutional zoning district. The decision comes after Edgewood sued the city over whether the school can hold athletic games on its field.

Ald. Sheri Carter, District 14, opposed the measure.

“I really felt that Edgewood was being targeted,” Carter said.

Last year, Edgewood proposed a spate of changes to its athletic field, including the addition of seats, lighting and a sound system, that would allow it to host sporting events at night. Neighbors opposed the project, saying the proposed changes would disrupt the neighborhood.   

Throughout this process, the city discovered that Edgewood was in violation of its 2014 Master Plan. Edgewood was unsuccessful in its appeal to the Zoning Board of Appeals and ultimately sued the city. The west side Catholic high school argued that the city is treating it differently than Madison's four public high schools.

If the city repeals the school’s master plan, Edgewood would be able to use its field for games.

Before the change, schools without a campus master plan located within the Campus Institutional zoning district were not required to receive approval from the city to create uses, such as sports and recreational facilities, that occur outside of an enclosed building.

Ald. Tag Evers, District 13, said the zoning amendment protects a public process that allows residents to weigh in on potential changes in their neighborhoods.

“Public process is a very common, reasonable expectation for any landowner that wishes to make changes that impact a neighborhood,” Evers said.

No New Stadium, a group of neighbors opposing Edgewood’s proposed changes, supported the City Council’s decision and called the zoning change an “appropriate, common-sense fix to an oversight in the zoning code.”

“New buildings, additions, or land use changes can have a significant impact on those beyond an institution's property line, so there is strong public interest in establishing a process for community and city input in such cases,” the group said in a statement.

The ordinance also clarifies that secondary uses in a Campus Institutional district must be predominantly used in a way that is directly related and complementary to the institution’s primary uses.

Additionally, it confirms that the zoning administrator can issue permits to repair or replace any existing facility related to a primary or secondary use as long as the proposed facility is made of similar materials and at a similar location as the existing facility.

The Plan Commission will consider repealing Edgewood’s master plan at its Oct. 14 meeting.

Repealing the master plan will also require approval from the City Council to take effect. The City Council will discuss the master plan Oct. 15.