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Friends of the Upper Yahara and Cherokee Marsh Watershed

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Friends of Cherokee Marsh

News about the Marsh and Watershed

News about the marsh, Friends activities, and development plans in and around the marsh and watershed.

News from the Marsh

The Friends' Newsletter. To receive the newsletters via email, join the Friends' email discussion group.

2008

April

February

2007

December

Latest News

Development plan for the "Fifth Addition" off N. Sherman Ave. and adjacent to Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park.

The Madison Common Council has approved plans for three condo duplexes at the north end of Burning Wood Way. Final layout with landscaping and erosion control (4MB PDF). Earlier site plan (2MB PDF). The latest word from the developer is that this site will have three single-family homes instead of condos.

Petition dated May 8, 2007 from D. Tiziani, 13 Cherokee Circle re: direct Annexation from the Town of Westport to the City of Madison (Cherokee Park Annexation). There are two parcels, one north of Burning Wood Way and one north of Golf Parkway.

The Revised Special Area Plan

The city Planning Unit has released a revised Cherokee Special Area Plan and maps to accompany the plan (November 2006). Shows the proposed areas for development. Includes many changes from the previous version, including lands to be added to Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park.

Cherokee Marsh Management Plan for Eastern Wetland (Currently owned by Cherokee Park Inc.). From the Parks Division.

Recent Items

Planning Unit Staff Report. Recommended Cherokee Special Area Plan Revisions
Plan Commission--January 8, 2007.

Revised Recommended Land Use map (map 9).

MINUTES: Long-Range Transportation Planning Commission (LRTPC). Thursday, December 21, 2006

The City Plan Commission and City Council have passed the three resolutions relating to the Cherokee Development.

Satellite Images of the Area from Google Earth

The north Lake Mendota watershed. The north end of Lake Mendota is at the bottom. I90/94 runs diagonally north of Madison into Columbia County.
The marsh. The north end of Lake Mendota is in the lower left corner of the image.
Subareas 1, 2, and 3 (Horning Woods, Horning Range, and Cherokee Country Club). Sherman Ave. runs north-south on the left side of the image. County CV curves to the east. Wheeler Road begins at the curve and runs east-west.
Subareas 5 and 6 (5th Addition, and High Hill). The end of Sherman Ave. runs north-south in the center of the image.
Subarea 4 (Wheeler Triangle). Wheeler Rd. runs east-west near the bottom of the image. Comanche Way runs north-south on the right side of the image.

The Friends' response to the draft Cherokee Special Area Plan

The Friends' statement to the Common Council.

cherokee_concerns summarizes environmental and land-use issues related to the proposed development and includes our comments on the planning process so far.

In Support of the Proposed Agreement to Purchase Lands at Cherokee Marsh.

The Friends' statement about the plan.

Statement by Ellen Barnard of the Friends of Cherokee Marsh and Upper Yahara Watershed to the City Plan Commission, December 18, 2006.

We Can Do Better For Cherokee Marsh. Op ed from the Friends in the Capital Times, December 2, 2006.

The Friends' Recommendations

Map showing the Friends' Alternative Plan for the Cherokee Special Area

All of the documents below in a zip file

General considerations
Overview map
Submap 1 (Horning Woods/Fields/Range)
Submap 2 (Wheeler Triangle)
Submap 3 (Fifth addition/High Hill)

Land use recommendations and spreadsheet
Stormwater and groundwater considerations
Porous pavement recommendations

The Planning Unit's Response to the Friends' Alternative Plan

The Planning Unit's Analysis of the Friends of Cherokee Marsh Alternative Development Proposals.

Planning Unit's spreadsheet with density figures. The Friends' revised version of the spreadsheet uses more accurate figures for the land available for development in Subarea 2.

City Documents

Documents posted on Madison's On-line City Hall.

Resolution: authorizing the Mayor and Clerk to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Cherokee Park, Inc. ("Cherokee") providing for the purchase of lands owned by Cherokee. (Nov. 14)

Resolution: Authorizing the Annexation / Attachment Agreement between the City of Madison and Cherokee Park, Inc. (Nov. 13)

Resolution: Adopting the Cherokee Special Area Plan as a supplement to the City of Madison Comprehensive Plan, to include lands located west of the Dane County Regional Airport, north of portions of the Whitetail Ridge and Sherman Village subdivisions, east of Yahara River and south of the Cherokee Conservation Park and adjacent Cherokee Marshlands. (Nov. 10)

Informational presentation on Cherokee Park Development Plan. Plan Commission responses to questions raised by the public. (Sept. 12)

Video of City Meetings

View the Plan Commission's most recent public hearing.

Media Reports

Reports from local media about the proposed development adjacent to Cherokee Marsh and related issues:

2008

2007

2006

Other Watershed News

Capital Area Regional Planning Commission. Panel Made Right Choice In Ok'ing Planning Criteria. Letter to Capital Times from environmental groups. March 13, 2008.

Token Creek Area. March 18, 2008. The city 's urban development plan for the planned Pumpkin Hollow neighborhood on the city 's Far East Side was approved. Pumpkin Hollow is east of Interstate 90-94 between Hoepker Road and Wisconsin 19.

Six Mile Creek. Nov. 1, 2007. The Dane County Board voted to buy a 172-acre parcel (Saddlebrook) along Six Mile Creek. County staff will continue negotiations for additional dollars from the Town of Westport, Village of Waunakee, state of Wisconsin, etc. to help with the purchase

Lawmakers Push Highway 51 Project. Wisconsin State Journal, June 1, 2007.

Addition to Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park Mendota Unit. The city bought a property at 4302 Loeprich Lane, off Sauthoff Rd. in the Town of Westport for expansion of Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park (Mendota Unit).

About the Tree Cutting on Wheeler Road

Statement from the Parks Department

Natural Restoration: City Gets Rid Of Box Elders And Buckthorns To Make Room For Oaks. Wisconsin State Journal, March 8, 2007.

The Boardwalk

In 2005, most of the boardwalk that crossed a portion of the marsh was torn out due to maintenance issues and concerns about damage to the wetland.

The Friends group encourages the Parks Department to research boardwalk alternatives that would not damage the wetland. The Friends have released a position paper on the boardwalk.

Story Of a Boardwalk: A Madison Tale. Wisconsin State Journal, November 3, 2005

The Deer Population

Madison’s Northside Stays Safe during Annual Deer Herd Reduction. Madison Commons, November 24, 2006.

Lake and Watershed Preservation

News Reports

Madison's groundwater: Valuable and Vulnerable. Wisconsin State Journal, July 22, 2007.

Water trails viewed as generator for tourism. Capital Times, November 28, 2006.

Dane County Regional Airport earned an FAA environmental award for working to preserve the wetlands while extending the runway safety area along county highway CV. November 21, 2006.

It's time for a water czar. Editorial from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, November 15, 2006.

County Gets Grants To Protect Lakes. Wisconsin State Journal, October 24, 2005.

Other Links

Dane County's 2006-2011 Parks & Open Space Plan. The plan covers the county's Cherokee Marsh Natural Resource Area, Yahara Heights County Park, and the Yahara River.

Dane County's Office of Lakes & Watersheds handles manure management, erosion control, and more. It's part of the Land and Water Resources Department, which is also responsible for conservation, land acquisitions, and parks.