The Madison City Council met for its monthly regular session on April 13 and further discussed variances regarding MAD Hospitality owner Preston Snyder’s plans to rebuild the portion of his business destroyed in a fire last year.
Snyder’s proposal for a mixed-use development on Hancock Street was partially shot down at the council’s March 9 meeting, when the committee voted 3-1 to table a massing variance and rejected a variance request to adjust the project’s mixed-use percentage. The council approved Snyder’s request for a conditional use permit to develop a parking lot behind the proposed development.
During their April 13 meeting, the city ultimately made final decisions on the project, including the three-dimensional variances Snyder had presented to them at the prior meeting. The three-dimensional variances were part of the massing variance issue, which had been tabled.
City council member Eric Joyce shared insight on both recent meetings regarding the committee’s decisions on Snyder’s proposal. He said he supports Snyder’s interest in creating a mixed-use development in downtown Madison but noted that “some things made sense, while others did not.”
“There were several different variance requests [presented in March], and they all fit into one package,” Joyce said. “A variance is basically an exception to the rules in zoning.”
Snyder’s businesses, The Sinclair and Community Roots Market, currently occupy the space where he planned to build his mixed-use development. The plot is currently zoned under the C1 downtown commercial district.
Joyce noted that the C1 zoning ordinance dictates a maximum of “8,000 square feet on the ground floor, and a maximum ceiling height of 35 feet. He says that Snyder’s development proposal presented a “much larger building than what would be allowed” per the C1 zoning ordinance.
Snyder’s proposal included a parapet height of 44 feet 8 inches, a floor area of 12,941 square feet, and a width of 103 feet 4 inches.
The council ultimately decided to grant Snyder variances for square footage and width, but voted 3-1 to deny a height variance for the project.
“We gave him the variance to do the full width, and we raised it from the required maximum of 60 to 104 inches,” Joyce said. “Because of the large size of the lot, we felt that it would be fair to give him a variance to increase it to 10,000 square feet.”
Joyce said the council rejected the proposal for a height variance for several reasons, including that a larger building would detract from the adjacent courthouse.
“We denied the height variance because we have these standards listed in our zoning ordinance that we’re supposed to consider when we grant variances. We just can’t hand them out,” Joyce said. “The size of the lot really has nothing to do with the height. A bigger lot deserves probably a bigger building, but it doesn’t necessarily deserve a taller building; also, the fact that that property is right next to the courthouse and that should be the primary focal point for the square.”
Overall, Joyce said he hopes Snyder can rebuild in the near future, regardless of the outcome of the recent meeting. He said the “ball is in Snyder’s court” on whether to rebuild, but the council felt it was best to protect the zoning ordinance.
“I hope he rebuilds. I love the businesses he has, and they are a real asset to the community,” Joyce said. “We have no problem with another set of apartments above it, but he was asking for quite a bit more than what we felt we could give him through the variance.”
City council member Carrie Peters-Reid also spoke about the recent meeting and said she voted in favor of the project. She noted that she didn’t see an issue with the building’s size and “appreciates” how Snyder collaborated with the Historic Preservation Commission on the development plans.
“I do not believe the building is excessively large at approximately three stories and find that it is consistent with appropriate development for our community,” Peters-Reid said. “The HPC’s input is an important part of ensuring that projects align with the character and long-term vision of our city, and we must respect the role of our boards and commissions, which are in place to provide guidance and expertise to the city council.”
Overall, Peters-Reid said he believes the project would bring significant financial benefits to the community and downtown area for several reasons. She said that if the project were to move forward, she would like the idea of including workforce housing.
“I would welcome a conversation about the possibility of incorporating a small number of units — perhaps five to 10 — for workforce housing,” Peters-Reid said. “This could provide opportunities for essential members of our community, such as nurses, teachers, doctors, and young people seeking to return to Madison by offering accessible starter apartments.”