Welcome to the Capital Area Regional Planning Commission's bi-weekly roundup of news, trends, and events related to regional planning! To see previous edition of this newsletter,
click here.
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- Scenario Design Workshop
- Job Opening: Environmental Resources Planner
- Population and Housing Trends Indicate a Mixed Bag of Progress
- News From Around the Region
- Flying the Coop-Mike Kakuska Announces Retirement
- CARPC Welcomes New Commissioner
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What
: Scenario Design Workshop
When
: Saturday, September 30th, 9am - 4:45pm
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Join us! On September 30th, staff and Steering Committee members for A Greater Madison Vision will host an all-day scenario design workshop at the South Madison Library on Park Street.
Drop by any time to play our "iPlan Greater Madison" computer game to make a growth plan for the region! Use model block to "build the Greater Madison neighborhoods of the future". This will be an all-ages event! We will have refreshments, activities for kids and adults alike, and a preview of our scenario polling initiative coming in early 2018.
Register Now!!!!!
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Job Opening: Environmental Resources Planner
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The Capital Area Regional Planning Commission is seeking to fill an immediate opening for a permanent, full-time, environmental resources planner position. This is an entry-level planning position. Please refer to the
job description
for more information. Interested candidates should send your resume and cover letter by October 6, 2017 to Mike Rupiper, the Environmental Resources Division Director, at
MikeR@CapitalAreaRPC.org
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Population and Housing Trends Indicate a Mixed Bag of Progress
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The Regional Planning Commission just released the Housing and Population Regional Trend Report. The report describes how the greater Madison region is meeting housing needs in response to population changes, and tracks four indicators:
- Range of housing types
- Built percent of new homes built in already developed areas
- Affordable housing supply gap
- Housing cost burden
Progress towards achieving these goals, according to the available data, is a mixed picture. On the one hand, housing diversity appears to be improving.
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And in many cases multi-family housing projects also reused existing developed sites, which typically conserves resources and lowers infrastructure costs. Greater housing diversity in a variety of locations also gives people more choices.
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In theory, more variety and choices will make it easier for people to find housing that meets their needs at a price that they can afford. However, this does not appear to be the case for the region. Finding the right housing at the right price appears to be increasingly challenging, despite the many improvements the region is making in housing choice.
The primary reason for this seeming paradox is that new housing construction lags behind growing demand. The result is very low rental vacancy rates. Rental vacancies remain so low in the region that finding an available unit—when it is needed—can be a major challenge.
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Low vacancies also push up prices as more people compete for fewer units. As a result, housing affordability indicators also show that more people are paying larger portions of their paychecks for housing.
The full report can be read and downloaded
here
.
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Stay up to date with our roundup of planning and development news around the region.
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Flying the Coop - Mike Kakuska Announces Retirement
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After 21 years of environmental planning work spanning both the Dane County and Capital Area Regional Planning Commissions, Mike Kakuska announced his retirement (effective September 22
nd
) to pursue his longtime interest in aviation. According to Mike, he is very appreciative of the opportunity the Regional Planning Commission provided him to promote natural resources protection throughout the region. He has witnessed many positive and lasting actions over his career to manage growth and protect our valuable water resources and natural environments.
“You need only look around,” Mike notes, “to see and enjoy the fruits of our collective labor – compact, vibrant communities balanced in a rural and environmental setting.” While the Regional Planning Commission cannot take full credit for this, Mike adds, “I like to believe we provide significant leadership and framework in this regard. I am proud to have been part of this collaborative effort between and among the many public and private organizations who have been instrumental in bringing about this shared vision for the region.”
Mike leaves behind a long legacy of work dedicated to natural resource protection throughout the region, including: The Upper Sugar River Initiative, the Black Earth Creek and Door Creek Resource Area Protection Plans, the Groundwater Protection Plan and Planning Framework, the Dane County Water Quality Plan, Wetlands Resources Management Guide and Framework, groundwater modeling and project management associated with Regional Groundwater Model and Regional Hydrologic Study, environmental condition reports for Future Urban Development Area plans, relative infiltration mapping, the Waterbody Classification Study, Environmental Trends reports, the Surface Water Condition report and the Ecological Limits of Hydrologic Alteration study (fish response curves), among other work.
“I am thankful for the opportunity to have served the regional community in this regard and am continuously reminded about this in my daily life, leisure, and travels throughout the region. Thank you.”
The RPC wishes Mike the best of luck in his future pursuits. As Mike would say, be sure to “Keep the Blue Side Up!”
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CARPC Welcomes New Commissioner
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CARPC welcomes new commissioner Bruce Stravinski! Mr. Stravinski, a resident and village trustee of Windsor, was recently appointed to the Commission by the Dane County Cities and Villages Association.
Bruce graduated from University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1972, where he received a BBA in marketing. From there he spent 38 years as a successful business owner, with businesses including machine shops, towing and auto repair, and gas stations with convenience stores. Along with his career in business, Bruce has a long history of civic engagement in the Village of Windsor. He served two terms as Town Board Supervisor from 1996 to 2000 and 2009 to 2015. He currently serves as a Trustee with the recently incorporated Village of Windsor. Along with his role as Trustee, Bruce has also serves on many Windsor committees and commissions, including the Plan Commission.
Outside of his business and civic work, Bruce enjoys his family, golfing, travel, and sports, especially the Packers and Badgers.
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Events
Next RPC Commission Meeting:
October 12th, 2017 @ 6:15
City County Building Rm 351
210 Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard
Madison WI, 53703
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