The Madison Urban Design Commission granted final approval Wednesday, November 1 to the $25 million Midvale Plaza redevelopment. The development
will be known as Sequoya Commons.
The first phase of the project will include three stories of condominiums above a new 20,000-square-foot library, 7,500 square feet of retail space topped by two stories of condos, 80 underground parking stalls and surface parking.
The second phase would add 100 apartment units on
the third story along with retail space on the ground floor. The project, which will replace a one-story strip mall and parking lot at the corner of Midvale and Tokay boulevards, has generated controversy because of the size of the building, concerns over possible traffic problems and a possible lack of retail space. Some of those same concerns
caused the commission to delay approval during the
last meeting until developer Joe Krupp could provide
answers.
At the Urban Design Commission meeting on November 1, 2006, the meeting ran much smoother, attracting only a handful of speakers who were more or less OK with
the plan. The developer, Joe Krupp, helped ease resident concerns by altering the original proposal to take away parts of the fourth story and improve the landscaping. The commission's only major remaining concern was about the landscaping and the use of more native plants, including those that would help manage water runoff.
The City Council originally approved the project on a 17-2 vote after a lengthy hearing and debate that ran past 1 a.m. on July 19. The meeting attracted nearly 50 speakers, mostly residents who opposed the development.
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