By Beth Sluys
Northside News

Now that the Madison Common Council voted in February to accept the Oscar Mayer Strategic Assessment Committee’s (OMSAC) final report, the next phase in the process is moving forward. According to Bill Fruhling, principal planner with the city’s Planning Division, “We are in the process of hiring a consulting firm for the Special Area Planning process. All proposals are due March 7 and, depending on the number of proposals we receive (possibly 15), that will impact the timeline for the review process and a final decision. It is our hope to have a firm hired by the end of April.” 

At the close of the OMSAC’s work, the elements of the Special Area Plan were being considered for the request for proposal (RFP) document. The committee agreed an important imperative was to establish that $30,000 of the capped $92,000 budget be allocated toward public engagement, input and involvement. 

According to the RFP, “Meaningful engagement with area residents, businesses, property owners, community organizations and other stakeholders is a major component of this effort. At a minimum this will include neighborhood associations, the Northside Planning Council, those who participated in the Strategic Assessment (focus groups, open house attendees, email lists), and the OSCAR group. The consultant must be able to work inclusively and effectively with a diverse set of stakeholders with divergent perspectives and propose a specific strategy to proactively engage underrepresented communities.”

The consultants will rely, in part, on the groundwork that has been done by  OMSAC to learn about background and existing conditions. Through the course of public engagement opportunities this year, scenarios will be developed and overall recommendations will be provided to the city in the form of a Special Area Plan. This plan will include recommendations for future land use, zoning, transportation infrastructure, redevelopment concepts and park/open space designations, including wetlands. “Our goal is to have the final plan completed by the end of this year,” said Fruhling.

The guidance in the RFP reads: “The consultant will need to carefully consider functional and aesthetic relationships with the surrounding neighborhoods and the community as a whole.” It will be up to all of the Northside community to join in the process and participate in the upcoming meetings. No other time has been so critical as we look to the redevelopment of many areas of the Northside.

Update: The Madison Common Council voted on March 19 to pursue negotiations with the owners of the former Oscar Mayer facility to purchase a portion of the land and two buildings for future Madison Metro bus storage.