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THE EXECUTIVE BOARD ' S POSITION <br /> ARBOR HILLS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION <br /> We are well aware that 81% of the Town of Madison's homesteads are rental units crowd- <br /> ing the Town's mobile majority of 5,301 people (out of a total population of 6,544) <br /> into 2,709 apartments - 585 (22%) of which receive federal housing subsidied. Of <br /> that number, 1,226 people live in 511 apartments (exclusive of duplexes) along the <br /> Frontage Road perimeter of Arbor Hills. That's 23% of the Town's total population. <br /> No on can say that the Town of Madison doesn't have its fair share of rental units, <br /> and no one can say that the Town hasn't absorbed its fair share of federally assis- <br /> ted low income housing. <br /> Arbor Hills isn't a big community - there are only 355 single-family residences <br /> there. Yet, it is flanked by 1,531 apartments along 3 of its 4 boundaries. No one <br /> can say that building and population density is anything less than crushing. With <br /> these data in mind, please allow us to articulate our position more specifically con- <br /> cerning the property in question: <br /> 1. This 32-unit efficiency apartment project will be low income housing. In his <br /> letter to the zoning office, the developer wrote: "It would appear to be an ex- <br /> cellent location for a low end apartment complex which would cater to single <br /> people or couples who have limited financial status." What the developer fails <br /> to mention is that there is another efficiency apartment complex in existence <br /> across the street, namely, the Todd Drive Efficiencies. <br /> 2. The Todd Drive Efficiencies across the street can hardly be called attractive. <br /> No one can miss the gang graffiti behind the building and on its dumpster. No <br /> other complex in the area has this problem. <br /> 3. According to the Madison Department of Planning and Development, neighborhoods <br /> crowded with apartments and a high population density are "fragile areas" sub- <br /> ject to decay and neighborhood blight and all that it entails. They include <br /> the Frontage Road apartment area in this classification. It makes no sense to <br /> destabilize this fragile area with more apartments. <br /> 4. The Frontage Road apartments, from Alhambra to Bristol Arms on McDivitt Road, <br /> filed 1,020 police complaints from 1991-1993. Of those, 840 were crime related <br /> and 305 involved serious infractions such as violent crimes, weapons offenses, <br /> sex offenses, and crimes against property. The only part of the fragile area <br /> with an exceptionally low crime rate is the McDivitt Road apartment area. It <br /> makes no sense to destabilize this safe place by adding more apartments and by <br /> increasing the population. <br /> 5. There are 511 apartment units along the Frontage Road (not including City apart- <br /> ments. A glut of apartments exist and most are struggling to fill their units. <br /> It makes no sense to add more apartments and exacerbate the problem. <br /> 6. With respect to the 32-unit efficiencies, density is a real issue. Since couples <br /> will be recruited, the building's population could easily reach 64 - and much <br /> more if children are involved. According to Dane County Zoning, children cannot <br /> be barred from the complex. Imagine a couple and one child in a 12'x24' apartment! <br /> 7. All vegetation will be removed, leaving only part of the front lawn as green <br /> space, and the rear garage area will be continuous with the large parking lot <br /> behind it. Asphalt to asphalt. <br /> 8. On March 4, 1993, and again on March 23. 1993, and again on July 14, 1994 (at a <br /> meeting with the Executive Board and Mr. Neviaser), Town Chairman Theisen vowed <br /> opposition to more apartments in the perimeter of Arbor Hills. <br /> Conditional Use Permit #1219 should be rejected because the 32-unit complex <br /> runs counter to Standards 1 and 2 of Chapter 10.255(2)(h) of the Dane County Zoning <br /> Ordinances. The two standards are articulated at the bottom of the map on page 1 . <br />