City establishes limited moratorium on building permits in Historic District

The Madison City Commission has approved a resolution establishing a limited moratorium on the issuing of building permits for particular dwellings in the city’s Historic District.  City Engineer Chad Comes told commissioners during their meeting on Monday that the moratorium will give the city’s planning commission an opportunity to study and review the city’s current zoning ordinance in all residential districts.  Comes said the moratorium came about as an action based on a letter from concerned residents within the city’s Historic District that commissioners received last week.

Comes said it only applies to building permits within the city’s Historic District, which is bordered by 7th Street on the North, 4th Street on the South, Egan Avenue on the West, and Washington Avenue on the East.  He said the study by the city and it’s Planning Commission will also include the review of family definitions and off-street parking requirements for these types of dwellings. 

The resolution approved by city commissioners on Monday states the limited moratorium is in effect through February 1st of 2020, but City Attorney David Jencks said it could be lifted at any time before that if the issues have all been discussed and resolved.