August 14, 2024
Hello all.
It has been brought to my attention that there has been concerns expressed about the recent street terrace maintenance done by the City. Let me start this email by going over a few factual details.
What is the terrace?“A terrace is the space of land in between the roadway and a property line. A typical City street may have a terrace anywhere from 5 feet to 20 feet wide. Most terraces include a space for grass lawn, trees and a 5 foot sidewalk.”Refer here: Terraces
Who owns the terrace?“The City Public Right of Way is the City’s property for all residents or visitors to travel through the City and access properties. In addition to travel, the Right of Way is also used for both city and private utilities to provide services to properties.”Refer here: Public Right of Way
What is the homeowner allowed to place in the terrace?“While you can plant a wide variety of things in the terrace—a vegetable garden, flowers, groundcover, lawn, and more—you can’t plant trees or shrubs, because nothing woody is allowed. You also can’t build any permanent structures within the terrace, however raised beds are allowed. Under no circumstance shall any plant encroach over a sidewalk, curb or roadway shoulder. No plants shall be placed within a six foot radius of a fire hydrant.”Refer here:
Can the City remove my items placed in the terrace?“the owner or occupant responsible for the permissible plantings accepts full responsibility for the care and maintenance of the permissible plantings, and understands that permissible plantings in the terrace are made at their own risk, and that they may be removed at any time by the City without compensation.”Refer here: https://www.cityofmadison.com/mayor/documents/Terrace%20Treatment%20Policy%20%28May%2022%202019%20Revision%29%20Final.pdf
How do I determine exactly where the terrace boundary line is?You would need to pay to have a professional land survey done to determine the exact boundaries of your property lines. ” Land is developed by recording plats or certified survey maps with the Dane County Register of Deeds. The amount of space dedicated to City Rights of Way are documented there. The City of Madison Official Map may help to identify the amount of right of way in a certain area.”
How often does terrace maintenance occur?The mowing that occurs in the ditch along Martin St. is expected to occur approximately twice per growing season. The more intensive terrace maintenance that recently occurred in Forest Park involving more woody shrub removal is expected to occur once per growing season as workload allows but is more realistically occurring once every OTHER growing season. It is not standard practice to provide resident notice prior to work beginning but the City will attempt to accommodate this as they are able.
Closing remarksUnfortunately several residents are feeling upset about the loss of plantings in our area due to the recent terrace maintenance. I can empathize with this grief over losing beloved flora especially when it is ones that you have nurtured through hard work over the years. But the clearing of the terrace areas is vital for pedestrian and traffic safety. Many residents have expressed concerns about no where to step off the road when out walking and facing a car going too fast or another pedestrian that may need additional space. I have been working closely with the City staff to ensure that this much overdue terrace maintenance was completed for the safety of all our residents.
The Board is very disheartened to learn that there were direct confrontations with the City work crews while out performing their duties in our neighborhood resulting in police intervention. Let me be perfectly clear that the neighborhood board does not condone harassment behavior towards anyone including City staff that are “doing their job.” It is further disheartening to hear that this harassment took the form of racial slurs which is extremely reprehensible. In the future please make use of appropriate channels to express concerns to the City. The neighborhood board is here to assist you with such things, myself specifically as the designated City liaison. There is also a resource page on the ANA website that will direct you to many of the points of contact to use specific to the issue of concern. As a reminder that page can be found here: Arboretum Neighborhood Association
| Arboretum Neighborhood Association Below you will find various links to City of Madison services pages along with several other websites containing… |
Let’s all work together productively to create the neighborhood we are proud to reside in.
Thank you.
July 6, 2024
Hi everyone! I hope you all are enjoying this holiday weekend! Here are some items for your attention:
New ANA Board Officers
The ANA Board met recently to select our Officers for the current term. They are as follows:
Tyler Byrnes, ANA President
Leslie Ladd, ANA Vice President
Nancy Gores, ANA Treasurer
Alison Stawicki, ANA Secretary
Sharon Johnson, ANA Board Member At Large
Nancy Gray, ANA Board Member At Large
Jaala Spiro, ANA Board Member At Large
The officer designations help us all to define our duties in regards to Board responsibilities but at the end of the day we all are a collective team working together regardless of titles.
The Board also decided to create some new designations to further streamline communication duties this term. Leslie Ladd will act as the main liaison for communications with the UW Arboretum staff. Jaala Spiro will act as the main liaison for communications with neighbors including organizing community building events. Alison Stawicki will act as the main liaison for communications with City of Madison staff. You can find all Board members contact details HERE. Please reach out to anyone on the Board with any questions or concerns but for potentially streamlined communication try to use the Board member designated for your topic of interest.
UW Arboretum Work Party Summary
The neighborhood work party held last week under the direction of the UW Arboretum staff removed a phenomenal 18 GARBAGE BAGS full of invasive plant material along the lagoon in Harvey Schmidt Park.
One of our fellow neighbors summed up the mornings’ efforts perfectly: “Please pass on my sincere thanks for those that spent their morning helping to work/clean our neighborhood areas!! I was unable to help due to my job, but I drove by around 11:45 am by chance and saw all the good work that was completed and the full UW truck. All the workers I saw appeared happy/pleased with a good day’s work even though they were a bit dirty. I received a number of smiles and waves even though they didn’t know who I was driving by. (It’s amazing what a smile and wave does.) I felt terrible that I wasn’t able to help, but was so grateful that there were neighbors that took part of their Saturday to make a difference!! I am pleased to live here with neighbors that were willing to help out today!”
To take a look at a few photos captured click HERE
We plan to organize another similar work party again in the fall.
State Assembly District 77 Candidates Forum July 10th, 2024
My name is Karen Carlson, Greenbush Neighborhood Council. I’m writing to tell you about the Candidates’ forum. Since your neighborhood falls in the new State Assembly District 77, we assume your residents would like to attend. The forum will take place on Wednesday, July 10, at Bayview Foundation Community Center at 103 La Mariposa Lane, from 6:30 to 8:00pm.
We have attached a poster for distribution.
We recommend that those who would like to attend (face to face or via Zoom), submit questions in advance. Please use the Google form below (write a question to submit where the form says “your Answer.) District 77 State Assembly Candidates Forum
We all know attending in-person is best but for those who can’t be physically present, here is the Zoom link:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82213783846
Meeting ID: 822 1378 3846
We hope to meet Arboretum Neighborhood residence on July 10!
Karen Carlson
608.515-6176 (feel free to text)
Follow up to New Neighborhood Additions and potential zoning changes
My newsletter last week discussed the prospect of a new rental property to be built at the corner of Fraser Pl. and Carver St. The project proposed would require a change to existing zoning regulations. The project owner is very motivated to engage the neighborhood in awareness about the zoning changes and welcomes feedback. I have attached to this email the actual zoning code change draft to TR-C4 that will “align the minimum lot area and minimum lot width across all allowed housing types within the district.”
“The basic change creates consistency in the TR-C4 zone which covers part of the ANA area and a few other small areas around Madison. Stacked (top/bottom) duplexes are currently allowed on a 40 foot lot width and 4000 sq ft lot. This change would allow for side-by-side duplexes in the same area. It’s a very reasonable clean up of the zoning code.”
Should any neighbors have questions or feedback I can put you in contact with this property owner to discuss details further.
Lake Forest Water Co op mailing list
Just another quick reminder for the residents in Lake Forest (Carver-Martin area) that if you have not reached out to the water co op to ensure you are on their mailing list PLEASE do so. Important information is slated to be discussed this year and you do not want to miss the announcements! Reach out to admin@lakeforestwater.org to ensure your contact information is on their mailing list!
Save The Date End Of Summer Neighborhood Gathering August 24, 2024
More details to come but plan to meet up with your fellow neighbors and catch up on all the fun things in their lives! We will likely organize this as a pot luck with arts and crafts and other fun ideas. To be held at Fraust Park with a rain date of August 25, 2024
As we all have noticed by now I am sure, this wet summer has made the mosquitos a bit thick, hence the absence of the First Friday Socials. But let’s still try to sneak in one fun warm weather gathering and keep our fingers crossed the mosquitos will have quieted down by then! Save the date!
Be Well!
June 22, 2024
HI Everyone! I hope you are having an enjoyable weekend. Here are a few items of neighborhood attention:
UW Arboretum work party June 29th 9:30-11:30
Marian Farrior, Restoration Outreach Coordinator at the UW Arboretum, and the ANA are partnering this spring on a joint work party Saturday, June 29, 9:30 – 11:30. The exact location is being determined but the work will focus on invasive plant removal in our very own neighborhood! Marian and her group of team leaders lead volunteer work parties regularly throughout the year but this is the very first one just for us!! Children are welcome and there is a group size limit of 20 so please let me or ANA president Leslie Ladd know soon if you’d like to participate. Here are further details from Marian. If you have any more questions, please contact Leslie at lesladd@att.net
“Wear long pants, sturdy shoes or boots (this is a must!), and dress for the weather (we do not recommend wearing fleece– burrs stick to it). Bring your own water bottle and favorite insect repellent (and EpiPen if allergic to bee stings). We provide the tools, training, snacks, and gloves. We prefer if volunteers are vaccinated.
The work party will be cancelled if it is raining. You can call the work party cancellation line at (608) 263-7327 after 8:15 a.m. for a message to find out if the work party has been cancelled.”
UW Tick Control Study Opportunity
My name is Tom Richards; I am a PhD student at UW Madison studying ticks and tick-borne disease. We are setting up a study to look at a very targeted form of tick control (using “tick tubes“) which contain treated cotton balls. Small mammals such as mice use the cotton for their nests, and are treated against immature ticks that might otherwise go on to bite people.
The question is whether mice access these tubes in backyards as reliably as they seem to do in forests. The Arboretum Neighborhood seems like it would be ideal for such a study, as there is a fully forested area and many houses with suitable backyards.
Participation would be completely free and voluntary for any homeowners, and the study itself would simply involve placing and then re-placing the tubes just a few times over the late summer (possibly into fall).
Our group is working to understand and assess common products used by pest control companies and homeowners to control ticks.
If interested in signing up, please contact: tickteam@wisc.edu
Feedback following neighbor food drive
Our neighbor, Laura Tills, hosted a food drive last month for WayForward. Please read the appreciation message from them below.
Dear Arboretum Neighborhood Association,
At WayForward, we believe that when everyone has nutritious food and stable housing, we can transform our community into a place where everyone can thrive. Because of your drive that generated 227 pounds of food and household essentials, more people have access to nutritious food.
With your support, WayForward Resources (formerly Middleton Outreach Ministry) served more than 6,600 people last year — a new record in our 40-year history.
- Our food pantry is distributing the equivalent of more than 100,000 meals a month
- 60% of the households in our food and housing programs have children
- 98% of housing stability program participants maintained housing and avoided eviction for six months or longer.
Together, we can give families the chance to focus on making dinner and doing homework at the kitchen table rather than having to choose between paying rent and buying groceries to avoid eviction. We’re honored to partner with you.
New Neighborhood Additions
We will be gaining some new neighbors in the coming year(s)! There are some new homes being built along Carver St. The owner of one prospective project at the corner of Carver St. and Frazer Pl. has asked to make the ANA aware of potential city zoning regulations that their project will be effecting change upon.
“There are really two things about the project that I want to communicate with folks:
1. Awareness that I am working on building on the site with a two-unit duplex facing Carver St. and a 3 car garage with ADU above facing Frazer Pl. I am still in the conceptual design phase of the project and do not have any detailed plans drawn up yet. I have a rough site plan and some images of potential designs that I’m happy to share. I still need to confirm that the project will be able to move forward regarding item 2 below, and also that the design is affordable enough to move forward.
2. The current zoning regulation doesn’t allow for a side by side duplex on the same lot size as a top/bottom duplex. I am working with Tag Evers and the city to update the zoning code over the next few months to resolve this strange inconsistency. This zoning change would effect our neighborhood and a handful of other neighborhoods across the city. I want the neighborhood to be aware of the effort and ask for your support.”
Should any neighbors have questions or feedback I can put you in contact with this property owner to discuss details further.
New additions to the ANA website
ANA president, Leslie Ladd, completed some historical research this past winter to gather more information regarding the individuals our two neighborhood parks are named after. She even had the pleasure of interviewing some of their children that continue to live in the surrounding Madison area. Check out the Parks page on the website for her summary as I know many of you have asked for more details about these interesting people! Our Parks
We are always looking for suggestions and input about items to include of the ANA website. Don’t hesitate to reach out!
Also the ANA would still like to create a logo for our neighborhood association. We can put this to use on our website and in future communications and on the future interpretive signs hoping to be designed in 2025. If you have creative design ideas, we want to them! Reach out to myself or anyone on the board with your input.
Enjoy your day!
Arboretum Neighborhood Association 
Leave a comment