The Planning Committee of the Hill Farms Neighborhood Association has adopted the following statement of its position on behalf of the Association concerning the Wisconsin Department of Administration Hill Farms State Office Building Site GDP proposal:

The Planning Committee supports the proposed GDP application of the Wisconsin Department of Administration concerning the Hill Farms State Office Building site, subject to the following conditions, which the Committee requests be included in any approval by the City of the pending GDP application:

1. Background and Overall Policy. The 1953 Legislature’s decision to sell the University of Wisconsin research farm led to the formation of the current University Hill Farms neighborhood, a unique planned community. Working with the University and the City, Carl Gardner and Associates of Chicago developed a plan that incorporated all aspects of life – housing, employment, parks, churches, schools, and shopping. The original plan has served the neighborhood well. As built out and with now mature vegetation, Hill Farms is a sought after neighborhood with comfortable homes, good schools, easy access to downtown, shopping and employment, and a strong sense of community.

The redevelopment of the State Office Building site presents a unique opportunity to further aspects of the original plan. This area was intended and serves as an important center of employment in the community. The proposed project has the potential to create a larger employment center with high quality and innovative design that will be a benefit to the community and the city. As such, we envision spaces and buildings with high design standards that contribute to the civic nature of the overall project. Further, the project is an opportunity for implementation of the highest current and future standards of sustainable design at each stage of construction, including those related to storm water management, site characteristics, interior environment, and energy use. The ideas identified above should be part of all stages of approval.

2. Requested Conditions of Approval.

A. The rezoning should be conditioned upon the City and the DOA reaching an agreement, and the text of the GDP being amended to provide, that the State of Wisconsin is required to install the new full movement intersection with University Avenue described in the Strand traffic study before the State either (i) reuses the existing Hill Farms State Office Building, or (ii) any other new public or private building is constructed on the overall site beyond the proposed new DOT building on Parcel C, whichever occurs first.

B. The rezoning should be conditioned upon the City and the DOA reaching an agreement, and the text of the GDP being amended to provide, that the roundabout at Sheboygan Ave. and Segoe Rd., as provided for in the phase 2 Hilldale SIP approval, will be constructed in conjunction with the first new building to be built on the Hill Farms site, including the new DOT building on site C, or sooner. The State should convey the additional lands required for this roundabout to the City as soon as possible.

C. The traffic demand management plan provided for in the GDP should be expanded to include parking demand management for the entire site, and for off-site consequences from the site, and the traffic demand management district should be a "traffic and parking demand management district." The traffic and parking demand management district should be designed to permit the assessment of additional costs within the district to the lands covered by the GDP, to fund future traffic and parking expenses and improvements, including those related to off-site consequences generated by the site. Examples could include payment of costs for new parking restrictions and signage off-site, and the provision of bus passes for workers within the site.

D. The more minor improvements shown in the applicant's traffic report, like the stop signs at Eau Claire and Sheboygan, should be installed by the time of occupancy of the first new building on the site, including any new DOT building on site C. Agreement must be reached on the implementation timing of other minor traffic improvements, including the Whitney Way and Old Middleton Road intersection.

E. City staff should undertake a periodic review of the parking regulations in the area affected by the site to confirm that the most efficient use of parking on arterial and major collector streets is taking place, while discouraging use of local streets for parking, and make appropriate recommendations.

F. City staff should undertake a periodic review to determine whether new traffic management, street or intersection improvements, or calming measures will be needed in the future on streets in the area which may be impacted by the development, including those beyond the applicant’s study area, including but not limited to, Segoe Road south of Regent, Regent Street between Whitney Way and Segoe Road, and at Old Middleton and North Eau Claire, and make appropriate recommendations.

G. The GDP should clearly provide that parking ratios will be maintained in the area at a level sufficient to discourage the parking of vehicles on local side streets outside of the site.

H. The GDP should provide that each SIP shall be evaluated by considering, among other things, the neighborhood impacts of the development proposed in the SIP, along with the cumulative impact of the overall development on the affected neighborhood. The density of the proposed development is more than four times the current development, and will have major impacts on the neighborhood which must be mitigated.

I. The GDP should provide that the height of buildings on the site shall be reviewed on a case-by-case basis in each SIP, but that proposed buildings in zones B and C which are proposed to be 15-20 stories shall be approved only if exceptional building design, the provision of substantial public or private open space, sustainable design characteristics, or other circumstances justify such height.

J. The GDP should state that in the event that any dwelling units are included in an SIP for the site, the adequacy of public or private open space provided within the site shall be considered in approving such SIP, including open space on parking ramps, green roofs, and other innovative open space areas, but private balconies and patios are not counted for this purpose as open space.

K. The GDP should be amended to delete references to the community gardens being located within any portion of Rennebohm Park or any of its associated drainageways. There is no agreement at this time on the future site of the community gardens.

L. The GDP should state that the entire site will employ sustainability features, consistent with state law and policy for state government projects, including, but not limited to, use where possible of solar, wind, geothermal and renewable fuels for heating and cooling, water recycling, green roofs, and use of natural materials for building interiors, with these requirements incorporated into any requests for proposals to private sector developers, with compliance with this requirement to be considered with each SIP application.

M. The GDP should state that new structures on the site should be at a level of sustainability equivalent to the LEED "Gold" level of the U.S. Green Building Council, and should strive for the "Platinum" level.

N. The GDP should state that Rennebohm Park and the associated drainageway will not be used for stormwater conveyance, storage or infiltration from the site.

O. The GDP should state that the project will detain and manage on site all stormwater to the maximum feasible extent, with stormwater leaving the site to be minimized to the maximum feasible extent. Sedimentation going to Lake Mendota should be minimized to the maximum extent feasible. (This could result in 100% of the stormwater being retained and used on site.)

P. The GDP should state that the parking areas on the site will either be maintained until redeveloped, or such lands will be properly maintained as a grass or landscaped area until redeveloped.

Q. The GDP should state that the minimum setbacks along Sheboygan Avenue will be 25 feet, and along Segoe Road 15 feet, but these minimums may be reduced by up to 5 feet at the time of SIP approval if the SIP proposes a plan which provides substantial public or private usable open space, green roofs, or other site or building designs which compensate for the narrower setbacks.