To the Editor:

The former Hertz Rental Car lot on the corner of Schlimgen Avenue and Packers Avenue has become significantly blighted over the past several years, and it is also a dangerous corner for pedestrians. When Hertz moved out recently, our Sherman Neighborhood asked the city and our alder to encourage new construction in this location and to address the safety issues for traffic.

Recently a developer has acquired this land to put a four-story mixed use primarily residential apartment complex on that site. Our neighborhood association thinks this new development would be a great use for that location. We feel the size and use is appropriate and would add value to the area. The planned complex has an airport theme, to capitalize on its proximity to the Dane County Airport. Making a variance for a fourth story for this project not only makes sense to us from a development standpoint but for the use of the land as well. And in conversations members of our board have had with the developer, he is sensitive to the safety concerns for pedestrians and bikers crossing Packers at that corner and is willing to work with us and the city to improve this situation.

The recent successes of Ale Asylum and the newly renovated Tip Top Tavern have shown the area can accommodate such facilities, along with the already established businesses of Chico’s and Smoky Jon’s. And by adding residential above, this new building would increase the density of that area. This would offer more support for any businesses that would locate on that parcel, not to mention existing businesses nearby. This would be a vast improvement to what’s there now. It would also add some much needed variety to the existing housing stock. New housing stock could draw in higher income households yet at the same time offer competition for existing housing to help keep housing affordable.

While there have been a few new developments on the Northside over the past 10 years, the rate of development lags significantly behind other sections of Madison. Sherman Neighborhood Association supports the developer’s proposal for a four-story, mixed-use complex. It is appropriate for the Packers-Schlimgen site, and it significantly improves the city’s gateway corridor from the airport — this section of the Northside is the first area of Madison that many visitors see. The nicer we can make the Northside look, the better the impression visitors will take away from our beautiful city. If all parties cooperate to make this development happen, the Northside may also gain much needed improvements in traffic safety for autos, pedestrians and bikers at this location.

Justin Dobson,
Sherman Neighborhood Association