A Neighborhood Plan is a document that identifies desires for future conditions and establishes standards for change. It addresses future needs and provides a series of goals and objectives. Future redevelopment activity within the neighborhood will be evaluated based on the components of this Plan, as it is developed with input from neighborhood residents and stakeholders, along with City staff, and provides a comprehensive and coordinated vision for the future of the Midvale Heights and Westmorland Neighborhoods. The document that is created will be adopted by the City of Madison and will be used by policy-makers in future land use deliberations.

The ultimate goal of the planning process is to preserve and improve the quality of life of the Neighborhoods and their residents and to identify expectations for future development and redevelopment within the area.

What geographic area is included in the neighborhood planning process?
The planning area includes both the Westmorland and Midvale Heights neighborhoods.

Who will be involved in developing a neighborhood plan?
Anyone who is a stakeholder—including homeowners, renters, or business owners and employees—is encouraged to participate in the planning process.

What is the responsibility of the joint steering committee?
The joint steering committee is composed of members from both neighborhoods and has been working closely with our consultants to identify the major issues facing the neighborhood in the next 5-10 years. The committee oversees the planning process and solicits neighborhood resident input on the preliminary and final plan recommendations.

Why are the two neighborhoods working on a plan together?
Each neighborhood separately submitted proposals to the city for a planning grant. Since both neighborhoods submitted strong proposals and since the neighborhoods share borders and neighborhood businesses and services, the City Planning Department determined that a joint plan would be the most efficient use of time and resources.

What is the success rate of other neighborhood plans?
We want to stress that the first step to success is the preparation of the plan itself. Some of the accomplishments from previous neighborhood plans include: community center in the Allied Drive Neighborhood, tree planting in Vilas Neighborhood, weatherization of single-family, elderly homes in the Bay Creek Neighborhood, and commercial revitalization of the Barrymore Theater and surrounding commercial properties in the Schenk-Atwood Neighborhood.