VNA Council Meeting Minutes
August 25, 2021
Council Members
o Sarah Bahauddin (present)
o Pat Scheckel (present)
o Ben Biltz (present)
o Bonnie Gruber (present)
o Hans Borcherding (present)
o Jim Corkery (present)
o Wendy Fearnside (present)
o Karie Krantz (present)
Call to Order (meeting was conducted via Zoom)
Approval of Minutes - previous minutes were approved.
Announcements
o Communications
o A reminder that our neighborhood website is www.vilasneighborhood.com
o Email address for the VNA: vnapresident@gmail.com
o The Vilas Ink newsletters are now being posted on the web site at https://www.vilasneighborhood.com/vilasink
o The VNA September 22, 2021 meeting will be held via Zoom.
New Business
o Margaret Watson (CEO) and Dan Seely (Director of Development) with Steve Brown Apartments (SBA) provided an overview presentation of their plans to convert Hotel Red into residential apartments. Through this presentation and subsequent questions and answers session we learned the following.
o SBA was started in 1980 and currently has over 2,000 rental units in Dane County. SBA focuses on owning and managing their apartments for the long term.
o The previously approved hotel vertical expansion plans will no longer be relevant after conversion to apartments.
o Hotel Red is currently in a Traditional Shopping Street (TSS) zoning district which allows conversion from the current hotel usage to permanent housing “by right”. SBA will seek Plan Commission approval to convert the 1st floor meeting space into (2) apartments, since only 48 apartment units are permitted “by right” in this zoning district.
o Project schedule is anticipated as follows:
i. Submit a conditional use application by September 1.
ii. Seek Plan Commission approval on October 18.
iii. Close on the property by the end of 2021.
iv. Open for occupancy in the Spring or Summer 2022.
o There are currently 57 parking stalls, which is more than the proposed number of housing units so additional parking is not required, but SBA may add more.
o When completed the apartment building will consist of:
i. (42) Studio units (ranging in size from 350 to 580 square feet)
ii. (5) One-bedroom units
iii. (2) Two-bedroom units
o SBA is not seeking any governmental funding to assist with this conversion. They are still working out what rents would need to be, but they suggested the Studio units may rent for $1,100 per month including utilities (utilities are included in rent because each current hotel room is not separately metered.) Heating, cooling, and appliances for the apartments will be all-electric.
o The only planned exterior modifications are to add windows to the two new apartments being created from the currently meeting space.
o Tag encouraged SBA to consider energy and water saving upgrades as a part of their conversions process.
o SBA would like to receive VNA Council support for this project in advance of the October 18 Plan Commission meeting.
Existing Business
o Treasurer’s Report and Vilas, Ink – Pat Scheckel
o There is approximately $4,600 in the bank account, with no major changes in the past month.
o Recent expenses include a $250 donation to the Good Neighbor Gathering. Approximately $450 has been spent on the Neighborhood Summer Party with a few more expenses yet to be paid.
o The Council approved donating $200 for performers at the Monroe Street Festival.
o The next Vilas, Ink will be printed and delivered in early September.
o Block Captains - Roz Woodward
o No updates
o Social Report – Bethany Nelson
o The VNA social chair e-mail address is: socialchairvilas@gmail.com. Details of all events will be shared on the Listserv.
o A thanks goes out to Pat Scheckel for all his work to make the Neighborhood Summer Party a success.
o Upcoming book club meetings will occur in October and December.
o A back-to-school neighborhood treat table will occur on Friday, September 3rd.
o Bethany noted that the Monroe Street Festival will occur on the same day as the Good Neighborhood Gather so please plan to attend both.
o Bethany suggested other possible social activities to include Halloween activities, a neighborhood rummage sale next year, a neighborhood walking tour of historic homes and a charity event to benefit the Monroe Street library.
o With Hotel Red no longer being available for our annual Holiday party, Bethany is looking for ideas on where to hold the event this year.
o District 13 Alliance – Dana Scheckel and Sarah Bahauddin
o The 2nd Good Neighbor gathering is scheduled for Saturday, September 25th at Brittingham Park from 12:00 noon until 5:00 pm. The gathering will include a Panchromatic Steel drum band, an Inflated Slide, a Bike Brigade, an ART activity presented by the Monroe Street Arts Center, Madison Mounted Horse Patrol demonstrations, Madison West Poms Team with Reggie the Regent Lion, AND MORE! There will be Food Trucks on site and Free NON-alcoholic beverages. VNA is contributing $250 towards this event, but more donations and volunteers are welcome and encouraged. The coordinating committee is meeting weekly and is planning for 400 attendees. Information tables will be provided at the event for each neighborhood association within District 13. More information can be found at https://dmna.org/GNG2021.
o Joint Campus Area Committee
o Doug reported that upcoming football games will be at 11 am on September 4th and 6 pm on September 11th.
o Edgewood Liaison Committee Report - Shawn Doherty, Craig Stanley, and Sarah Bahauddin
o Sarah is working to re-establish communications with Edgewood.
o Alder Update – Tag Evers provided the following updates:
o Tag indicated his dismay that the Dane County Mask Order did not include a waiver for performing artists. He is working to see if an exemption can be granted.
o Lucky’s 1313 would like to meet with VNA to discuss raising the capacity in their banquet hall.
o The bike path is being widened in Wingra Park to accommodate an increase in bikers and pedestrians on this path.
o A draft RFP has been developed to find a company that can advise on options for preserving the Annie Stewart Fountain in its current or in another location.
o Tag is working with a number of working groups/committees on:
o The Lake Wingra Heritage Trail
o Lake Wingra’s watershed and viewshed
o Sustainability incentives and energy audits for property owners
o Sustainable Madison
o Raising money for affordable housing
o Tag continues to work to improve digital access in the City’s low-income communities.
o Vilas Park Master Plan - Wendy Fearnside and Ann Rivlin
o No firm date has been set for closure of Vilas Park Drive. The City is working on plans for creating asphalt and crushed gravel biking and walkway paths that are separated from the roadway.
o Zoning Committee - Ben Biltz and Wendy Fearnside
o Construction at the Lucky’s site has not started and it is currently unclear when construction will start.
o The neighborhood survey results are being analyzed and a presentation is planned for the September VNA meeting. A separate meeting will likely be scheduled for a deeper dive into the survey results.
Other Business
o Mary Clare Murphy, Wendy Fearnside and Bonnie Gruber have continued to provide work on revisions to the VNA Bylaws.
o Proposed revisions to the bylaws were discussed, revised, and agreed to at the meeting such that this process is now complete.
o A special thanks goes out to Wendy Fearnside, for her work on researching examples of other bylaws and proposing changes to our VNA bylaws, and to Pat Scheckel, for his insight on the actual workings of the VNA council over the past several years which guided the revised bylaws to be workable and to reflect current processes.
o It was noted that the changes need to be voted on (and approved) by the September VNA Council meeting if they are to be in place prior to the next election cycle.
o Sarah indicated we could use assistance with the following committees. Please email vnapresident@gmail.com if interested or for more information.
o Election Nomination chair/co-chair
o Help with website and possible social media
Adjourn
Next Meeting: 9/22, via Zoom.
