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Department of Planning and Development Planning Unit City of y � Madison Municipal Building Madison E"�Fe P"' "'-21 Martin Luther King,Jr. Boulevard P.O. Box 2985 j ` Madison,Wisconsin 53701-2985 608 266 4635 JAN 101995 ••II January 5, 1995 DANL .. LAND REG. ti Gary Gunderman,Director, Dane County Dept. of Land Regulation&Records 210 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Room 116 Madison,WI 53701 Dear Gary: We have been asked to comment on a proposed conditional use application for a 32-unit apartment building that is directly adjacent to the City of Madison at the corner of Todd Drive and McDivitt Road. The City's adopted Land Use Plan has a split Land Use Plan designation for the parcel. That portion of the parcel bordering McDivitt Road,is designated as medium-density residential for densities ranging between 16 to 25 units per acre. The northern two-thirds of the property along Todd Drive is designated highway/commercial. While some residential development, in close proximity to commercial development,is not inherently problematic,we are very concerned about the design of the proposed project, both the building and the site layout. While the project is being targeted toward individuals and couples of modest means,in order for the project to continue to comply with the conditional use standards, it appears that additional information should be provided which demonstrates how the project will be able to provide a quality living environment for its residents over the long term. We respectfully ask that the County carefully review the building materials, building design, and site layout and consider design changes which could improve the project. We would recommend that consideration be given to reducing the density of the project and to changing the unit mix. A fundamental issue which the Town and the County should address is the need for additional efficiency apartments within this area. The City of Madison typically tries to encourage a range of unit types within each project in order to avoid the over-concentration of any one unit type. Consideration should be given to increasing the size of some of the units and to requiring several two-bedroom units within the project. We would recommend that a different design be considered which would eliminate the central interior hallway. We have found,that the common areas within buildings have a tendency to become problematic if not managed well.