Potential Union Corners Developers to Give Presentations

Posted on August 4, 2012 by TheEastSider

Developers to take questions about proposals

Following a meeting on August 6 to score the five proposals for development of Union Corners, a second meeting will be held August 15. At this meeting the developers who have submitted proposals will be given 15 minutes each for a presentation and time will also be made for questions from the public.

The session will be held for 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Goodman Community Center. The results of both meetings will be compiled and presented to the selection committee for consideration as the process moves forward.

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Posted on August 3, 2012 by TheEastSider

Five proposals for Union Corners redevelopment revealed

Union Corners has been vacant for quite some time but the City sees its redevelopment as one of the crown jewels of resurrecting the Capitol East corridor. Many of the plans submitted for the site include using the bricks (left) from the French Battery Company plant that used to reside on a portion of the site.

Everyone wants Union Corners developed. Once the location of a Kohl’s food store and the French Battery Company plant, it has sat grass-covered and empty for years. Now five proposals have been submitted in response to the City’s recent Request For Proposal and the vetting process begins.

We have been down this road before, McGrath Associates had an approved plan with neighborhood support for mostly residential buildings in 2004 but the economic downturn derailed the project by 2007. Union Corners had been dying a slow death for decades as businesses struggled to exist on that corner and Ray-O-Vac’s manufacturing plant faded away. In 2010 the city purchased the site for $3.57 million and issued an RFP in June.

Continue reading →

MNA Neighborhood-Wide Yard Sale Saturday

Posted on August 2, 2012 by TheEastSider

Courtesy: MNA

The Marquette Neighborhood Association’s 1st Annual Neighborhood-wide yard sale is Saturday August 4, 2012. Participating neighbors can add their yard/porch/garage sale to the map by e-mailing the street address here.

Ads have been placed with the following publications: Capital Newspapers, http://gsalr.com/ , Madison Craigslist; and refer to an on-line map () so there is still time to add your sale right up to Saturday. The map is posted on our website and Facebook page.

Signs will go up on Friday night/early Saturday morning. Volunteers needed general signage and support can offer their help here.

Atwood-Fair Oaks Intersection to Open 3PM Today

Posted on July 26, 2012 by TheEastSider

City hopes to open intersection just before afternoon rush

The detours will be over in a matter of hours as the City announced that the intersection will open at 3 p.m. today (July 26, 2012).

Yang Tao, of the City of Madison Traffic Engineering Division, sent out a letter Wednesday to city officials and neighborhood associations to announce that the Atwood-Fair Oaks intersection, that has been closed since June 18, will open at 3 p.m. today, six days ahead of schedule.

Tao writes:

We got quite a few emails/phone calls asking for the status of the project, and I thought giving everyone an update would be a good idea….

…We were able to work with our contractors to get the road work done ahead of schedule, and now City crews are doing their best installing above ground facilities, such as traffic signals, flashing beacons, streetlights, speed board, signing and pavement markings. It looks like they will finish early as well, and should be able to get everything done by early tomorrow afternoon. So instead of originally scheduled opening date of August 1, we are planning onopening the street around 3 PM tomorrow (July 26, Thursday) before peak afternoon traffic hours.

Thanks for everyone’s hard work on the project, and thanks to all residents for the involvement and inputs during the process. We appreciate your patience and sacrifice through the construction for the past few weeks.

Yang Tao, Ph.D., P.E.

City of Madison – Traffic Engineering Division

Madison Contests Livingston Rail Crossing Closure

Posted on July 24, 2012 by TheEastSider

Update on appeal at Vehicle Commission meeting, stop signs grow on Baldwin

If a Wisconsin State commission’s ruling stands, the railroad crossing at Livingston Street will be closed by June 2013 and cul de sacs installed.

A key municipal meeting is coming up today at 5 p.m. at City Hall. The Pedestrian/Bicycle/Motor Vehicle Commission will meet to discuss a few ongoing items that directly affect multi-modal movement along the Capital City Bike Trail and Central Park.

On the agenda is whether to install an All-Way stop sign at South Baldwin and East Wilson Streets and discussion on the City’s response to the State Office of Commissioner of Railroad’s (OCR) recommendation to close the railroad crossing at South Livingston Street. Continue reading →

The Whole World is Flying to Oshkosh

Posted on July 23, 2012 by TheEastSider

‘World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration’ underway

Overhead at EAA AirVenture, the largest fly-in anywhere. Courtesy: EAA

Seven Days, 10,000 aircraft, 500,000 people, eight air shows including one at night, 800 exhibitors, and over 900 registered media are all you need to know that the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture event in Oshkosh, Wisconsin (July 23-29) is the world’s largest fly-in and convention. Continue reading →

Atwood-Fair Oaks Intersection to Open Soon

Posted on July 21, 2012 by TheEastSider

Paving is complete as City expects to open the intersection the week of July 23

With paving finished, the Atwood-Fair Oaks intersection is expected to open the week of July 23, 2012.

In just over a month, construction crews are nearly finished with the complete reconstruction of the intersection of Atwood and Fair Oaks Avenues. In an update posted on the City of Madison website, the intersection was being paved and signs and markings would be installed soon in preparation for an opening the week of July 23.

Indeed by Thursday (July 19) contractors were observed paving the intersection and by Saturday morning the intersection appeared completed, save for lighted traffic signals, signs and pavement markings. So far the project is at least a week ahead of schedule. Continue reading →

Olbrich Deep Well Activated for Drought Support

Posted on July 20, 2012 by TheEastSider

Water Utility says nearby Kipp contamination not a concern

Deep Well #8 on the Olbrich sledding hill. This seasonal well is the last of the 22 wells to be activated by the city in their drought response.

We’re not sure if Madison is running out of water, but as part of its drought response, the city has activated its last remaining dormant well as a precaution. Well #8, located at Welch and Lakeland Avenues also known as the Olbrich sledding hill, is in the process of being flushed so it will be ready in case demand increases again. The well has been dormant until now and some are raising concerns about water quality since its blocks from the Madison-Kipp Corporation plant where ground contamination has been an on-going concern.

In a letter to Madison 6^th Ward Alder Marsha Rummel, Madison Water Utility Public Information and Conservation Official Gail Gawanda said that flushing of Well #8 began the week of July 17. The well is being placed in service as a precaution since all the other wells and booster stations are running at nearly non-stop pace to meet current demands.