Local

MIDDLETON–The City of Middleton Plan Commission approved a rezoning request and general building plan for a seven-story, mixed-use building in Greenway Center. The plan commission also reviewed and provided feedback on a conceptual proposal for a 12-story residential building in Greenway and a six-story, mixed-use building on Allen Boulevard.

The rezoning request and general implementation plan recommended for approval by the common council calls for a demolition of the existing two office buildings (the Ponds Buildings) at 8309 and 8313 Greenway Blvd. and construction of a seven-story mixed-use building. The project would include five stories of residential units above two stories of parking and commercial space. There would be 249 total residential units, 4,800 square feet of commercial/retail space, and 353 parking spaces. All the parking would be covered and there will be no surface level parking stalls.

MIDDLETON–A ceremony for the Mill Apartments was held in Middleton on July 12, marking the construction of the 52-unit complex that will offer 80 percent of its units for affordable housing.

The Mill Apartments are under construction at 6908 Century Ave. which positions the units close to shopping, parks and schools, as well as being on the bus route. 

The Madison Development Corporation (MDC), a 45-year-old, non-profit organization, is heading up the project. The units will be available for working families and individuals. MDC says its mission is to “provide quality workforce housing in the region. “They currently own and manage 76 units on Allen Boulevard in Middleton. 

"This project has been a collaborative effort between MDC and the city to bring more workforce housing to Middleton. These 52 units are well-placed. They’re on a transit corridor, they’re next to a grocery store, and they’re in a great school system,” said Middleton Mayor Emily Kuhn.

MIDDLETON–Two people in Middleton’s were robbed while walking down the sidewalk last weekend. 

On July 15 at 10:09 p.m., the Middleton Police Department responded to a report of an armed robbery that had just occurred near the intersection of N. Gateway Street and Charing Cross Lane.  

An adult male and a 16-year-old female were on a walk when they were confronted by a male suspect who emerged from some bushes near the sidewalk. The suspect displayed a handgun and demanded the victim’s wallet. The victims were not injured, and the suspect fled in an unknown direction from the scene with an undisclosed amount of cash.

The suspect is described as a thin black male in his 30s, approximately 6 feet tall, with “cornrow” style hair and a short beard.  He was wearing long black pants and a plain black t-shirt.

MIDDLETON–The Middleton Common Council discussed firearm safety and secure storage and adopted a proclamation on working to reduce gun violence in the community. 

The council viewed a presentation from the local chapter of the gun safety advocacy group called BeSMART. Mara Terras, a mother and medical doctor who leads the local group, informed council members that firearms are the leading cause of death for children in the nation and Wisconsin.  

“Firearms are now the leading cause of death for children in the United States,” Terras said. “It surpasses motor vehicles, drowning, suffocation, cancer; and just as our society has chosen to take a comprehensive public health approach to reducing the harms from motor vehicles, we think that we need to take a similar approach to reducing the harms of firearms in our communities.”

TOWN OF MIDDLETON–By a 3-2 vote Monday, the town board denied a permit for a 100-dog kennel at Meadow Road near Valley View Road on the town’s southern boundary with the city of Madison.

Town Chair Cynthia Richson and Board Supervisors David Bryce and Ken Opin voted to deny Dan and Marlene La Fleur’s request to turn a 20,000-square-foot horse barn into a dog boarding kennel. Supervisors Tom Stemrich and Richard Oberle voted in favor of the facility.

The Conditional-Use Permit request now goes to the Dane County Board of Supervisors, which next meets at 7 p.m. on July 20, for a final decision.

The La Fleurs have operated a horse boarding facility on a 15-acre property for more than 20 years while subdivisions filled in open areas around it.

Homes in the town nearest the proposed kennel are approximately 385 feet to the north and 240 feet to the northeast.

MIDDLETON–A Middleton Public Works employee was terminated after an internal investigation by the city revealed that the employee had been running a business out of the city’s maintenance facility for more than a decade.

Ryan Madigan was accused not only of running his snowplow business from the Municipal Operations Center (MOC), but also of stealing fuel and snow shovels from the premises. A fellow employee brought the matter to the city’s attention through an email sent to Middleton City Administrator Bryan Gadow, mayor Gurdip Brar, common council president Kathy Olson and HR manager Brian Wolhaupter in February. The employee attached nine videos he had taken at the MOC, which showed Madigan moving gas cans and shop equipment in and out of his personal vehicles. The video was taken with a hidden trail camera the employee had placed in the building.

MIDDLETON–On July 6 at 1:15 a.m., the Middleton Police Department responded to a report of a strong armed robbery that had just occurred behind a business in the 5400 block of Century Avenue.  The adult victim reported that he had arranged to meet two males behind this business that he recently met online. Upon meeting these two individuals, they proceeded to physically attack him and stole his cell phone and backpack. The victim received minor injuries and was transported by EMS to the hospital as a precaution.

The suspects were last seen running east from the scene towards Highway Q. The victim’s cell phone was later recovered in a dumpster at the nearby Arbor Lakes Apartments. The suspects are described as follows:

Suspect #1: Younger black male, slender build, approximately 5’9”, wearing black pants and a red t-shirt with white shoes. Possible nickname of “Ja Ja.”

MIDDLETON–Shelby Olstad dreamed of owning her own bakery since she was a kid, and at only 26 years old she has made that dream a reality. Miggy’s Bakes moved from a shared space in Madison at Marigold Kitchen to now having its own storefront in the Middleton Hills shopping area on Frank Lloyd Wright Avenue. The shop opened June 26 and Olstad says the welcome from the community has been overwhelming. 

“Ever since I was little, I pictured myself having a bakery, but I always thought it would happen when I was older, once I'm established and have kids and money to do that, but I just kept going, kept getting bigger and bigger,” Ostad says. “So now I did it.”

She taught herself to bake at an early age driven by an acute sweet tooth. 

WISCONSIN–On June 14, a deal was reached between the legislature and Gov. Tony Evers to increase shared revenue in the state. The bill gives a boost of $1.6 billion to municipalities, counties and utilities in the state, and although it was diluted from the original, and restrictions were put on the use of the funds, towns, villages and cities are happy to be getting a boost is revenue as many have put off projects or borrowed funds to complete them, but local legislators wanted more.

Middleton City Administrator Bryan Gadow, Cross Plains Village Administrator Brian Mooney, Town of Middleton Board Chair Cynthia Richson and Town of Springfield Board Chair Jim Pulvermacher all expressed that discussions would need to be made by their respective boards and city council, but they also said they would likely continue using the increase to fund those that already rely upon shared revenue for funding.

MIDDLETON–In recent weeks, residents of Middleton have been voicing their concerns about the mounting weeds along the shore of Lake Mendota and particularly the Middleton boat launch on Lake Street. They have contacted the city and Mayor Emily Kuhn, who living on the lake, agrees the weeds are a problem. In fact, last year Kuhn invited then mayor Gurdip Brar to her house to see the pile up of aquatic plants. She also got an estimate from the Dane County Land & Water Resources Department for the cost of removal. The county charges a fee to remove weeds homeowners and municipalities place on their docks during scheduled times. The city, however, chose not to participate in the program due to the cost because they see the program benefiting few people.