by Darren Bush, Owner of Rutabaga Paddlesports

Rutabaga Paddlesports will open a kayak and stand-up paddleboard concession at the Olbrich Beach House in 2017. Rutabaga was selected by the Madison Parks Department to run a new rental operation, and we are excited to expand our rentals to east-side Madison neighborhoods and to be able to offer additional instructional programs for adults and youth at this new location.
 
When we were awarded this contract last fall, we learned of the intent of the Olbrich Biergarten to put their project into motion. We did not submit a co-proposal, and are two separate and distinct entities. 
 
Irrespective of the outcome of the Biergarten, Rutabaga is currently going through the process of finalizing our Use Agreement with the City of Madison, which we anticipate to be effective as of April 1, 2017. We are proceeding with our plan to offer paddlesport rentals, as well as concessions of snacks and non-alcoholic beverages. We are planning cosmetic upgrades to the building starting early Spring.
 
We are still in the planning stages and have a lot of details to sort out before opening day, but we anticipate being open 7 days per week beginning approximately May 20. Hours will be Mon-Fri from 10 am to 8 pm; Sat, Sun and holidays from 10 am to 6 pm, weather permitting. We will offer hourly rentals of sit-on-top single and 2-person kayaks, fishing kayaks and stand-up paddleboards (SUP).
 
Rutabaga is hiring staff for this location and would love to have local community members join us for a fun summer job (ages 16 and older). See our website for more information - www.rutabaga.com/employment.
 
Rutabaga is all about creating communities where people can gather and learn to love the outdoors, particularly on the water. We are happy to help create such a community, and look forward to helping more people enjoy the lakes we all love and cherish. We look forward to hearing from you with any questions or feedback.

For more information please contact:
Darren Bush
Owner, Rutabaga Paddlesports
608-310-3850
darrenb@rutabaga.com
www.rutabaga.com

There are a total of four phases:  Phase 1 of 4 which will determine the type of development in our neighborhood which took place on Tuesday January 31 from 6 to 8PM in the Atrium at the Olbrich Botanical Gardens.  The scope of the project includes the following areas:

• The intersection of CGR and Atwood Avenue (the block from Atwood to Johns Street or the Walgreens building to the former Habitat Restore building on the North and the auto repair shop to Ace Hardware to the South)
  
• The intersection of CGR and Acewood Boulevard
  

Note that the other targeted are is out of our neighborhood's boundaries.  See the brochure for the project for your reference.  Please note that the Royster Plan covers much of the area along CGR and should be considered for continuity, etc.  Refer to Royster Clark for your reference. 

Happy February from the Imagine Madison Team! We’re glad you didn’t get stuck in Groundhog Day timeloop. If you did, this whole “planning for the future” thing would be weird.

While Phase 1 will continue for about one more month, we are starting to look forward to Phase 2 of the Imagine Madison process.  Land use will be a key component in Phase 2. We’ll be updating the Future Land Use Map that includes the planned land uses for currently developed areas and anticipated growth areas on the edge of the City. To ensure that the Comprehensive Plan is an accurate expression of community land use goals, we’ve established a process for considering changes to the Plan’s Future Land Use Map and the corresponding text in the Plan.
 
The City Planning Division will accept change requests regarding the Future Land Use Map and Chapter through March 31. It is preferred that requests be submitted online at www.imaginemadisonwi.com/land-use-map-amendment. We are looking for input from residents, neighborhood associations, developers, and all other interested parties. Planning Division Staff will review comments and evaluate requests to create an Initial Draft of the Future Land Use Map, which will be presented for a two-month public comment period beginning in late April. The Final Draft of the Future Land Use Map will be presented to the Plan Commission at a public meeting in July.

Land use, as described above, is what most people think of when talking about the Comprehensive Plan. Specifically, what are the existing land uses and will those land uses change? But when we compare the Current Land Use Map with the Future Land Use Map, it's almost impossible to see which areas are most likely to change. Many people want to know: are there areas that may change where I live?  Planning staff developed a list of criteria to inform development of an "areas of potential change" map to easily show which areas of the City are most likely to see changes over the next 20+ years. You can now view the Areas of Potential Change story map that shows the various criteria used for determining areas of potential future change, as well as a delineation of those areas that, due to demographic and economic forces, are more likely to change development type, density, or intensity by 2040. Take a look here.
 
Issues & Goals Survey
Time is running out to weigh in on our Draft Goals that will set the stage for the remainder of this project.  We’ll be closing down the survey on February 15th so we can compile the responses, add them to the feedback from public meetings and Resident Panels, and report out to the Plan Commission and the public. Go to http://www.imaginemadisonwi.com/issues-goals-survey to let us know your thoughts about Madison’s direction regarding housing, transportation, and much more.
 
For more information regarding the Future Land Use Plan, the Areas of Change map, the Issues and Goals survey, or anything else about Imagine Madison, contact us using the information below.

Brian, Colin, and Kirstie
City of Madison Comprehensive Plan Update
608.243.0455 | 608.243.0470
imaginemadisonwi.com | Facebook | Twitter

Happy 2017! We hope you are excited about working with us to create a more equitable, sustainable, healthy, and adaptable Madison for everyone.
 
Issues & Goals Survey – What do you think?
Aaron Rogers hasn’t filled out the Issues and Goals survey yet, probably because he’s busy prepping for the game on Sunday. But we bet that if he had the time (and lived in Madison), that he’d have lots to say about Madison’s future, just like many of your neighbors have already done. See below for some of the comments we’ve received at the December Community Meetings and on the online survey so far. What do you think? Do you agree with these responses or do you want a different direction for our City?
 
Housing
“Homeless shelters & transitional housing. Low-income housing. Downtown and campus area housing that isn't astronomically expensive or falling apart.
“The City needs to loosen development restrictions to allow developers to add the supply necessary to meet demand. The current Downtown Plan is too restrictive, and the current comprehensive plan doesn't allow for the sort of density needed in many outlying neighborhoods to make projects financially feasible.
 
Land Use
“The neighborhoods do have a good sense of character, although this is in danger of being minimized by the mixed use developments that are all clones.”
“I wish neighborhood associations were stronger. I think the influx of out-of-state students and wealthy young professionals is diluting the character of Madison.”
 
Transportation
“More emphasis upon multi-modal and access for all people and all neighborhoods.”
“Madison has its head in the sand and foolishly  believes everyone will take transit or bike.   That is not how people travel, the automobile is not going away. Deal with it.”
 
Economic Development
“More tech jobs are needed; the Madison economy is too dependent on a small number of large companies.”
“Non-technical jobs. If you have a STEM degree, you are set in Madison. If you don't, you're likely to struggle. We need to increase jobs that are paying people a wage they can support their families with.”
 
Parks
“Should the City do its own planning of activities at parks, instead of depending upon the School Board funding?”
“Madison needs to raise the bar with their landscape architecture...it really is lacking and could be amazing!”
 
Natural Resources
“We need a community composting facility where people can bring their compostable materials and then buy compost for a small fee.”
“Water quality of lakes needs to continue to be improved: this should be a top priority.  Madison's lakes are the major natural feature defining the city.”
 
What Goals Did We Miss?
“It seems like health care facilities/access to health care is an important topic. They are mostly private companies, but also crucial for people to access. Considering where to site future clinics, hospitals, urgent care centers, and ERs related to growth of the city seems important.”
“I hope that as the planning gets more detailed, that Education and the facilities for education become more of a focal piece, since they can be neighborhood/community hubs.”
 
These are just a few of the many comments we’ve received so far. You can see more community responses on our website.
 
Imagine Madison Planning Pop-In
Do you, your friends, neighbors, or coworkers want to have a more in-depth discussion about Imagine Madison and the future of our community? City Planning staff are available for a Planning Pop-In with your group. Let us know where and when you’d like to meet and if there are any specific topics concerning Imagine Madison and the City’s Comprehensive Plan Update you’d like to talk about. In the last week, we’ve visited the Latino Support Network (LaSup) and the Realtors Association of South Central Wisconsin; we’re meeting with the Cherokee Park Neighborhood Association tomorrow.
 
Prize Winners
Congrats to Andy, Daniel, Evie, Kate, and Tim, our five Prize Winners who each won an Imagine Madison travel mug or an Imagine Madison sport water bottle and pen just for filling out an online survey! You too can win a prize; just make sure you provide your email when you complete the Issues and Goals survey.
 
Imagining Madison Mini-Documentary
If you haven’t seen it yet, episode one of the Imagining Madison Mini-Documentary is up on our website. We sat down with eight Madisonians and discussed what kind of issues they have seen in Madison, what their hopes are for the future, and specific things they’d like our community to pursue in the future. We’d love to hear your thoughts, too. How do they compare to the interviews? Are your experiences similar? Totally different? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter (and like/follow us while you’re there).
 
Thank you for helping us plan a better Madison for our future together!