MADISON (WKOW) -- More than seven hours into their meeting that started Monday evening and stretched beyond 1:30 Wednesday morning, Madison's alders voted to approve the rezoning request for a proposed student housing project downtown.
The developer, Core Spaces, wants to build a 12-story apartment building at the corner of W. Johnson St. and Bassett. St. The building would also wrap around onto part of Dayton St.
Alders originally denied the request on June 20, but that vote sparked concerns from the city attorney's office that Madison could be sued over the decision. In a written statement to 27 News Monday, an executive for Core Spaces said the developer considered the June 20 vote to be illegal.
During Tuesday's meeting, alders heard from current UW-Madison undergraduate and graduate students, along with representatives from Core Spaces.
"We are absolutely desperate for more housing around campus to meet the need of how many folks want to make the isthmus area their home," one current medical student said. "We're just desperate. I don't know how we can give up 600 units."
Just after midnight, alders voted on reconsidering the rezoning request. That passed unanimously, which reopened discussion on the item.
Several alders who originally voted against the request said they changed their minds, though their reasons for doing so differed.
"I'm changing my vote for two reasons," District 19 Ald. Kristen Slack said. "First, I'm being told that Core Spaces will maybe sue us, and I don't want that potential costs on the backs of taxpayers who are already on the hook for reducing our growing debt. Second, this project is supported by local labor unions, groups of people I also care a lot about. But we need to stop pretending that students win with what is happening around campus, including with projects like this."
District 18 Ald. Charles Myadze said his decision to change his vote had nothing to do with the potential for a lawsuit.
"It's not about the legality. I even made that known to the developers," he said. "It's actually going there myself and actually taking pictures about how inhumane it looked, and it definitely needed to be redone over."
Ten alders who voted against the proposal on June 20 voted in favor of it Wednesday morning.
Two alders stuck with their no votes: District 6 Ald. Marsha Rummel and District 8 Ald. MGR Govindarajan.
Rummel said she believes there was a legal path for the council to deny the proposal based on it being inconsistent with the city's comprehensive plan.
Govindarajan, a current UW-Madison student whose district encompasses the university's campus, said he wanted to continue to represent the views of his constituents.
"I have to honor the many, many, many students who spoke up on this proposal, and, thus, my vote will remain the same," he said. "As I said during our last meeting, I understand the legal constraints we face. I want more housing, I want more high rises, hell, I don't even have a problem with luxury housing. However, I don't want only luxury high rise buildings. This is a shared sentiment between the majority of students on campus and off campus."
The Common Council voted 17-2 with one abstention to approve the rezoning request.
Unable to consider affordability
Much of the discussion Monday night revolved around affordable housing and the rent prices students have to pay. However, staff from the city attorney's office reiterated state law prohibits alders from considering that when making their decision.
"Unfortunately, we have this very rigid, very, very succinct state law that says … no city may enact, impose or enforce an ordinance or regulation that requires a certain price on rent," Assistant City Attorney Kate Smith said. "We cannot regulate residential rents."
Though alders weren't allowed to consider rents Monday night, many said they think the council needs to take steps in the future to address the student housing crisis.
"It's literally heartbreaking reading so many of these stories of students that are living on the edge," District 4 Ald. Mike Verveer said.
Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway released a written statement after the meeting, with a similar sentiment:
I applaud the Common Council’s vote on the planned development. While I share the urgency to create more affordable housing, and specifically more affordable housing for students, preventing this development would have done nothing to advance that goal.
Plans going forward
With the council's approval of the rezoning request, the development of the apartment building will move forward.
Verveer said the developer's timeline calls for construction to start in the summer of 2024.
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