Sandy Ward

Sal Calomino, Co-President

Pat McDonnell

Following items deferred to May meeting:

Approval of March minutes
Carl’s Paddling presentation
Abby Schoppen presentation

Downzoning proposal to City Planning – Sal and Jim

Sal, Jim and Diane Milligan from TLNA met with Madison City Planning Director Mark Olinger and staff Jule Stroick, Brad Murphy and Mike Waidelich to discuss TLNA’s request for downzoning. City Planning staff was receptive to the proposal, which was adopted as part of TLNA’s Neighborhood Plan. Diane and Mike Waidelich are collecting ownership statistics for the area. City staff suggested that boundaries for downzoning proposal be extended to Livingston and Dickinson to the west and east, and to Gorham and Mifflin.

Report on Grant to Install Monument for Tenney Park – Susan

According to Kitty Rankin of Madison City Planning, the $3,000 grant is still available to install a monument near the old bath house at Tenney Park. Kitty is encouraging the neighborhood to take advantage of this grant, and has recommended a contractor. Susan will meet with Ed Jepsen from Friends of Yahara River Parkway and Rick Bernstein about shortening text (currently is too long). She will bring design ideas to the TLNA Council, hopefully in May.

Report on neighbor communication with Madison Dairy - Mary Ebing

Mary has assembled a group of residents to come up with solutions to address noise, pollution, safety and property value concerns of neighbors who live hear Madison Dairy. She has not had success getting through to managers at the dairy, nor to Lapham/Marquette PTO presidents. The goal is to have the dairy abide by a 1997 verbal agreement arrived at after meetings with TLNA, Lapham School officials and parents, and city alders and agencies. Mary will ask Alder Brenda Konkel for assistance.

Variance Request for 1658 Sherman Avenue – Dave Goodman

Alder Brenda Konkel suggested that Dave speak to the TLNA Council after his request for a zoning variance was deferred by the Zoning Board, pending more information from his architect.

Dave presented to the Council architectural drawings for a garage and dormer addition to his home. The home’s footprint will not change, and no additional paving will be done. Adjacent neighbors, including those whose view of the lake could have been affected, spoke in favor of the project, noting that the addition would be a welcome improvement to the property.

Carol moved, and Susan seconded the following motion: TLNA Council recommends to both the Zoning Board and Planning Commission that the variance for 1658 Sherman Avenue be approved.

Motion passed unanimously.

Funding Request for Plantings on Baldwin – Susan

Tenney-Lapham neighbor Mary Jo Schiavo has offered to plant flowers in traffic islands on Baldwin again this year. She does a beautiful job.

Sandy moved and Susan seconded motion to provide $100 from TLNA budget to pay for plants. Motion passed.

Parks Report/Friends of Yahara River Report – Susan for Ed Jepsen

The Friends of the Yahara River Parkway engaged over 35 different

volunteers ages 3 to 75 in a clean-up of the northern corner of the

island in Tenney Park. Volunteers included neighbors from around the

isthmus and Girl Scouts from O'Keffe. A tremendous number of exotic or

very aggressive tree and shrub species were removed from this area. The

exotics included European honeysuckle, buckthorn and white mulberry

while the weedy natives included boxelder, grape and a few green ash.

We also removed carpeting and other trash left by a drifter in the

woods on the island.

Our goal is to restore the landscape in a manner consistent with the

historic O.C. Simonds plan developed in the early 1900's. The removals

were made to protect the older swamp white oaks while releasing the

younger oaks from competing weedy competition. In April and in May we

have been/will be replanting with native trees and shrubs and sowing

wildflower seeds. This should add diversity, color and habitat for

wildlife throughout the year.

We are having a planting extravaganza on the morning of May 15. We will

plant over 50 dozen wildflowers in the park. Join us!

We developed a powerpoint show for the O'Keeffe 7th graders about the

natural and cultural history of the parkway and Tenney Park. All of the

7th graders saw this show and apparently loved the old time swim suits.

The 7th graders will be involved in a community service project along

the parkway in May/June.

Other FYRP activities include:

a.  proposed a landscape design/limestone retaining wall for the

ped/bike bridge at Marquette/OKeeffe schools;

b.  met with the alder, Parks and TLNA to discuss the clean up of a

drifter hang out on the border of Burr Jones field and the railroad

tracks (ask Sandy Ward about this one!);

c.  attended meetings on the E. Washington bridge reconstruction,

commented on the proposed underpasses and the proposed ped/bike path

along N. Thornton.

Matching Fund Request for Plantings for Yahara River Parkway – Susan

Yahara River Parkway and Madison Parks are funding additional plantings for the parkway. Susan moved that TLNA provide provide a $300 match toward this project. Gigi seconded the motion.

Discussion: Jim – what is the maintenance plan once plantings are done? Susan – Parks will do the best they can to maintain the plantings given budget constraints. Also, Friends of Yahara have a work day planned – a large troupe of volunteers is needed.

Motion approved.

Transportation Committee Report – Pat

On Thursday, April 22, a multi-Neighborhood Association meeting of traffic and transportation representatives was held at the Willy St. Coop meeting room. The purpose of the meeting was to enable representatives to share their neighborhood’s ideas, proposals and visions regarding traffic flow in the East Isthmus and Downtown. Another purpose was to explore whether there was enough commonality and mutual interest in supporting a united approach to engaging city and county elected officials and government agencies in supporting and implementing our common objectives.

In attendance from the following neighborhood associations were:

TLNA

Pat McDonnell, David Waugh, Cheryl Wittke

Marquette

Larry Jensen, Will Warlick, Peter Wolff

SASY

Mike Barrett

Emerson East

Susan Agee

Capitol Neighborhoods

Megan Christiansen

Marquette/SASY presented several ideas related to Williamson St., Winnebago, Schenks Corners, and Atwood Ave. TLNA presented the six ideas contained in our 12/19/03 letter to Mayor Cieslewicz. Capitol Neighborhoods discussed their interest in returning one-way streets to two-way. Emerson East talked about the East Johnson “chute” at Packers Ave, the need for more Park-and-Rides further east than Fiore, and the need to know more about the Fordem/First plans.

The group discussed some common themes, most significantly the need to redefine certain commuter streets as neighborhood streets, particularly Johnson, Gorham, Williamson and Winnebago. The group also felt it was important to identify this goal as consistent with goals articulated by the Mayor already, such as neighborhood building, affordable housing, and alternative transportation options, such as trolleys, for the Isthmus.

Next Steps:

Develop a draft document describing our vision for a comprehensive, neighborhood approach to traffic flow for the downtown and east isthmus.

Organize a meeting of all neighborhood presidents, all 3 alders, all 3 county board members and others to discuss how to make these downtown/isthmus ideas happen.

Change to Regular Council Meeting Schedule – Richard

NOTE: EFFECTIVE IN JUNE 2004, TENNEY LAPHAM COUNCIL MEETINGS WILL BE HELD ON THE 4^TH THURSDAY OF THE MONTH, TO AVOID CONFLICT WITH COUNTY BOARD MEETINGS. Motion to recommend this change was made by Sandy, seconded by Susan, and approved unanimously. Co-presidents Jim and Sal determined that this would be the Council’s new meeting schedule.

Council adjourned at 8:45 PM.

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