The Common Council met 10/19/2922. It was a relatively brief and uneventful meeting. One of the items separated out for an individual vote was a request to approve an amendment to the city’s Comprehensive Plan regarding the Soldier’s Square/YMCA Parking Ramp area. The change would update the city’s comprehensive plan regarding development on that site, removing reference to hoped-for commercial development that never took place and codifying the Council’s desire for a public-private partnership to restore the monument and expand the pedestrian zone around the monument in a way that made the area more contemplative and appropriate for a war memorial.
Mayor Woodford explained to the Plan Commission that prompted by the extensive discussion the Council had had over the failed Soldier’s Square Revitalization Resolution as well as the feedback that had been received from the public, he had asked staff to capture and codify into the comprehensive plan the main points from that discussion and public feedback. The changes were approved by the City Plan Commission during the 09/14/2022 Plan Commission meeting.
I’ve prepared a transcript of the discussion that took place during that meeting.
During the Common Council meeting on 10/19/2022, Alderperson Alex Schultz (District 9) asked for that item to be separated out for and individual vote.
I’ve prepared a transcript of that discussion.
Alderperson Schultz was very appreciative of the work that had been done. He mentioned the importance of trying to make Soldier’s Square a more reflective space. He also believed that the changes would make it easier for private organizations to move forward with fundraising efforts.
His one question pertained to the bullet points in the updated language which stated that the updated Soldier’s Square space would “Maintain street parking to support a variety of businesses and public ingress/egress to area.” He wanted to clarify that that language was open enough that it would allow for some change in the parking that was currently in that space.
Director of Community and Economic Development Karen Harkness confirmed that the updated language did not identify either a minimum or maximum for parking and was intended to provide flexibility in discussions about developing that area. The city had heard how important parking was in that area, but there was some flexibility to develop the broader space around the monument itself.
There was no further discussion and the Council proceeded to approve the updated language in the Comprehensive Plan by a 14-0 vote.
View full City Plan Commission meeting details and video here: https://cityofappleton.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=987718&GUID=DB6FA86B-0ABE-4A9A-B9A1-F24856C980F8
View full Common Council meeting details and video here: https://cityofappleton.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=997431&GUID=8F05C46C-FF81-414B-800B-8596ADAE016F
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