On June 22nd and June 24th, the City of Madison and its team of consultants led by the Cuningham Group, Architecture, P.A., will hold a Community Summit and two Community Meetings to present an overview of the initial draft of its new zoning code. The draft zoning code is the result of a one and one-half year drafting process in which the Zoning Code Rewrite Advisory Committee, the City's consultants, the City Plan Commission, the Common Council, and City staff have worked to prepare a draft document that will help the City implement its Comprehensive Plan and other adopted neighborhood and special area plans. Further, it will help the City implement Madison's sustainability goals and will be easier to use and understand. The drafting process has provided numerous opportunities for individuals to participate in the process.

"Madison's zoning code is the blueprint for how we physically define our city," said Mayor Dave Cieslewicz. "Updating the zoning code is an important part of our attempt to help Madison grow in a way that doesn't threaten the qualities that make us a desirable community in the first place."

As part of the Zoning Code Rewrite project, a Community Summit and two Community Meetings will be held:

Monday, June 22nd at 5:30 p.m. at the Overture Center for the Arts, Promenade Hall and Terrace, 201 State Street;
Wednesday, June 24th 5:30 p.m. at the Warner Park Community Recreation Center, Community Rooms 1, 2, 3, 1625 Northport Drive, and
Wednesday, June 24th at 5:30 p.m. at Sequoya Branch Library, 4340 Tokay Boulevard.

The zoning code is one of the primary tools the City of Madison uses to regulate development. All existing and new development in the City must be consistent with the requirements of the zoning code. These requirements range from the types of development allowed on a property, to building setbacks from the street and adjacent properties, to the amount of parking required on a site. The current zoning code dates from 1966 and it does not always reflect best zoning and community planning practices. Further, the zoning code has been amended many times and it is often confusing and difficult to use. Finally, the zoning code is not always effective in implementing the recommendations of Madison's adopted Comprehensive Plan, neighborhood and special area plans. The new draft zoning code strives to address these deficiencies.

The Zoning Code Rewrite project has been as inclusive of community interests as possible, by providing a variety of ways for the public and interest groups to participate. One opportunity to participate is to attend one or more of the upcoming Community Summit and Community Meetings. The Community Summit and each of the two Community Meetings will include an open house to review copies of the draft code and exhibits, a presentation by Cuningham Group Architecture, P.A. the lead consulting firm in a team of consultants working with the City on the code rewrite, questions and answers, and follow-up discussions with the Consultants and City staff. The questions and comments gathered during the Community Summit and Community Meetings will used to help guide the City as the draft zoning code is reviewed and revised prior to adoption.