V&A speaks to housing in latest “State of the Downtown” Madison report
Downtown Madison, Inc. has released its latest report, “2022 State of the Downtown.” The report offers new data on the growing population of downtown residents, discusses some significant new development projects, and speaks to Madison’s challenges and plans to address downtown housing among other topics. In downtown Madison as in many college towns, part of that equation is keeping up with the demand for housing options that are affordable for students. Madison is moving ahead on some unique solutions. Page 16 highlights the unique offerings of the new...
Read MoreWrightstown adopts its Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan
WRIGHTSTOWN, WISC. – The Village of Wrightstown has adopted its 2022 Village of Wrightstown Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, created with the help of the Vandewalle & Associates planning team. This is the Village’s first plan of this type, now making them eligible for state and federal grants. One of the key deliverables included an interactive online parks and trails map. The V&A team had over 500 participate in the process through an online survey, focus groups, and open house at the Wrightstown Fall...
Read MoreBoard Gives Hancock County Comprehensive Plan a FavorableReport
HANCOCK COUNTY, IND. – The Hancock County Area Plan Commission voted unanimously earlier this week to give the county’s new comprehensive plan a favorable recommendation. It now heads to the Hancock County Commissioners, Shirley Town Council and Spring Lake Town Council for their respective adoptions. The updated plan culminates a $250,000 effort over a year in the making guided by a consulting firm, local steering committee and public feedback. At over 200 pages, officials will use the document to help guide development over the next 20 years. The new comprehensive plan...
Read MoreReport Shows Support for Green Space at Oregon Main Street Lot
OREGON, WISC. (EXCERPTS FROM THE OREGON OBSERVER): Results from a Vandewalle & Associates comprehensive study, presented to Oregon’s Village Board on Monday, Oct. 17, revealed that the community favors the idea of passive recreational use or a mixed development use for the future of the 249 Main St. lot. The Village Board previously commissioned Vandewalle & Associates to complete the Main Street reuse study after the topic garnered considerable attention and debate throughout Oregon. Their results were based on multiple factors, including feedback derived from a public...
Read MoreHilldale Mall Looks to Reinvent and Reactivate Movie Theater Space
MADISON, WISC. (EXCERPTS FROM WWW.MADISON.COM): Hilldale’s AMC movie theater (formerly Sundance) will be shuttered and the 35,000-square-foot building converted to retail space – opening the corner up to new uses and activation. Brian Munson, principal urban planner with Vandewalle & Associates, explains: “Right now, if you walk along Heather Crest, it’s the side of a theater. There’s nothing there. We want to really change that so we can replace that with storefronts and possibly explore some second-story retail. The goal is really to activate that side...
Read MoreOregon Ponders Plan and Zoning for Mix of Housing at a Range of Price Points
OREGON, WISC. – (WITH EXCERPTS FROM THE OREGON OBSERVER): A plan for a development by homebuilder Veridian Homes that included a mix of housing types and price points was discussed at a public meeting in Oregon. The Greenfield Preserve neighborhood plan, along with proposed zoning changes and what it takes to make housing affordable, was discussed at a public meeting in Oregon. “The average ‘for sale’ price in Oregon is $474,330, nearly 39% higher than the median home value in 2021,” Veridian President Chris Ehlers said when discussing the mission of the company to provide...
Read MoreEau Claire Hires V&A to Create Plan for Underutilized Parts of Oakwood Mall
EAU CLAIRE, WISC (with excerpts from the Leader-Telegram) — Though still viewed as a draw for shoppers to Eau Claire, Oakwood Mall does have vacancies that have prompted the city to order a plan to help this crucial part of the area’s commercial sector. The city government has hired Madison-based consultant Vandewalle & Associates to come up with a redevelopment plan aimed at keeping the Oakwood Mall area viable. Scott Allen, Eau Claire’s community development director, said the closure of AMC Theatres last week at the mall was a trigger that prompted the city to move ahead...
Read MoreBest Wishes to Our Retiring Mentor and Planning Master Michael A. Slavney
MADISON, WISC. We had a splendid turnout for Mike Slavney’s retirement bash this past weekend. After 32 remarkable years with Vandewalle & Associates, Mike’s influence permeates so much of what we do. Mike is known among us as a great mentor, friend, thought leader, innovator, and along the way master storyteller. Mike wrote the book on progressive zoning in Wisconsin, both literally and figuratively. In partial thanks we gathered some of the stories, lessons, tall tales and outright yarns we’ve heard over the years from Mike, and bound them into a book. Of...
Read MoreHancock Co. Comprehensive Plan “More Accessible…Takes Economic Development to New Level”
HANCOCK COUNTY – (EXCERPTS FROM GREENFIELD REPORTER) A draft is finished for a plan designed to guide officials through decisions that will shape the county’s future, culminating a $250,000 effort that began over a year ago. The draft 2022 comprehensive plan for the county and other information that’s been part of the effort, called Future Hancock, is available at futurehancock.com. At nearly 200 pages, the draft outlines goals and aspirations for how the county will develop as far as aspects like housing, land use, transportation, recreation and infrastructure. The...
Read MoreEstimating Future Housing Demand in Dane County
MADISON, WISC. (EXCERPTS FROM CARPC DANE COUNTY HOUSING REPORT) – The Capital Area Regional Planning Commission (CARPC) issued its report on future housing needs for Dane County. The CARPC report explores the reasons why we see more apartments and fewer single-family homes going up and whether this shift is likely to continue. Key takeaways from the report are: Fewer households can afford new single-family houses. The cost of new single-family homes is far outpacing incomes, leaving a smaller pool of buyers. That means more renters and higher demand for apartments. The legacy of historic...
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