TEXT AND MAP AMENDMENTS.
Madison General Ordinances § 28.182
in effect28.182 - TEXT AND MAP AMENDMENTS.
(1) Purpose.
This section allows the Common Council to amend the text of this Chapter or the zoning districts in order to promote public health, safety, and welfare throughout the City, giving due consideration to existing conditions, conservation of property values, building development providing best advantage to the City, the current use of property, and in the case of map amendments, the cost of providing municipal services to the property and uses accommodated by the map amendment.
In the case of map amendments to the floodplain zoning districts, the Common Council shall follow the requirements and procedures in Madison General Ordinance Chapter 21.
(2) Applicability and Initiation.
(a) The Common Council may amend this Chapter at any time as provided in this section.
(b) There are two classes of amendments: text amendments and map amendments. These are defined below:
Text amendments | Amendments to the text of this chapter.
Map amendment | An amendment to the zoning map changes the district classification of an area or property.
(c) Text Amendments may be initiated by the Common Council and any alderperson.
(d) Map Amendments may be initiated by the Common Council or an Eligible Applicant as specified in Table 28L-1.
(e) Filing. The applicant shall file the application with the Zoning Administrator.
(3) Completeness Review.
See Sec. 28.181(4).
(4) Notice.
The following notice is required for any map amendment (See Sec. 28.181(5) above):
(a) Pre-application. Failure to provide pre-application notice does not invalidate any action taken on the application by the Plan Commission or Common Council. The notice requirement may be waived, if approved by the Alderperson, and Director of Planning and Community and Economic Development.
(b) Publication.
(c) Mail. Notice of the required public hearing shall be sent at least ten (10) days before the date of the public hearing.
(d) Signage.
(5) Decision.
(a) Recommendation by the City Plan Commission.
1. The Plan Commission shall hold a public hearing on each application for an amendment. The procedures for conducting the hearing and recording the proceedings are prescribed in the "Basic Policy and Procedures Manual" adopted by the Plan Commission.
2. After the public hearing, the City Plan Commission shall submit its recommendation to the Common Council prior to the Council's public hearing.
3. The Plan Commission may recommend conditions that are consistent with the intent of this ordinance and will protect the public interest including consideration of overdue taxes and/or fees; the applicant's history of compliance with relevant ordinances and approvals, including but not limited to building and minimum housing code, and zoning code; and alcohol license provisions and approvals.
4. The Plan Commission may recommend the following modifications:
a. The adoption of a map amendment changing the zoning classification of the property in question to any classification in the same subchapter that is more restrictive than that proposed by the applicant as shown in the following table. This rule is not applicable for the Special Districts, Subchapter 28G.
Zoning Districts Listed in Order of Most Restrictive to Least Restrictive, by Subchapter
Residential Districts Subchapter | Commercial and Mixed Use Districts Subchapter | Employment Districts Subchapter | Downtown Districts Subchapter
More Restrictive Districts | TRR | LMX | TE | DR1
SRC1 | NMX | SEC | DR2
SRC2 | TSS | SE | UOR
SRC3 | CCT | IL | UMX
↓ | TRC1 | RMX | IG | DC
TRC2 | CC | EC*
Less Restrictive Districts | TRC3 | MXC*
TRC4
TRV1
SRV1
SRV2
TRV2
TRU1
TRU2
TRP*
* Master Planned Districts
b. That a proposed map amendment take effect within an area smaller than the area as originally proposed and which is entirely included within the originally proposed area.
5. All map amendments that obstruct flow, or cause any increase in the regional flood height require flooding easements or other appropriate legal arrangement from all adversely affected property owners. (Am. by ORD-13-00086, 5-29-13; ORD-14-00146, 9-12-14)
(b) Action by Common Council. The Common Council shall not act upon a text amendment or map amendment until it has received a recommendation from the City Plan Commission as provided above.
(c) Repealed. (Am. by ORD-17-00053, 6-19-17; Rpld. by ORD-22-00054, 6-21-22)
(6) Standards for Map Amendments or Text Amendments.
Text amendments or map amendments are legislative decisions of the Common Council that shall be based on public health, safety and welfare, shall be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan, and shall comply with Wisconsin and federal law.
(7) Subsequent Applications.
An application for a map amendment that is denied by the Common Council cannot be resubmitted within one (1) year from the date of the denial, unless:
(a) The Council specifically determines that the denial is without prejudice, or
(b) The application is substantially different from the application that was denied.
(8) Finalization of Approval.
A text amendment is codified by the City Attorney as provided in Sec. 3.07, MGO. A map amendment becomes part of the "Zoning District Maps" on file in the office of the Zoning Administrator.
(Am. by ORD-14-00146, 9-12-14; Am. by ORD-25-00013, 3-20-25) (Am. by ORD-14-00029, 2-18-14; Am. by ORD-21-00008, 2-10-21) (Am. by ORD-14-00146, 9-12-14; Am. by ORD-25-00013, 3-20-25)
Source: City of Madison, Wisconsin, Madison General Ordinances (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/wi/madison/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COORMAWIVOIICH20--31_CH28ZOCOOR_SUBCHAPTER_28LPR_28.182TEMAAMFetched: 11/1/2026