The District 3 Dispatch | Development updates; Water Tower D is up!
The spring election is almost upon us! From mayor to alder to school board, the candidates on the ballot on April 7 will directly influence the local services you use every day.
While Election Day itself is still three weeks away, now is the time to make a plan for how you’ll cast your ballot. If you have already requested an absentee ballot, it will be hitting your mailbox shortly; if you’d still like to request a ballot be mailed to you, you can do so until April 2 (but the sooner the better). In-person absentee (early) voting begins March 24 and runs through April 3; regardless of your usual polling place, early voting is at City Hall (5520 Lacy Rd.).
On Election Day, polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. District 3 has two polling places: the Fitchburg Community Center (5510 Lacy Rd.) and Doxa Church (2700 Novation Pkwy.).
You can find your polling place, see a sample ballot, check your voter registration status, and more at myvote.wi.gov. Our city’s website has more information about in-person absentee voting hours.
I encourage you to learn more about the candidates by reading their responses to the League of Women Voters’ questionnaire and by watching the Fitchburg mayor and alder candidate forum.
Get out and vote on or by April 7!
Yours in service,
-Logan
What’s “Growing” On
Here’s what’s being built in Fitchburg.
Several development proposals are working their way through the review process. They include:
64-unit townhome proposal at Lacy Road and Fahey Glen
AY Development is proposing to build 64 townhomes on a roughly 4.5-acre site at the corner of Lacy Road and Fahey Glen. The developer is seeking a minor amendment to the city’s comprehensive plan to change the site’s future land use from mixed-use and low-density residential to medium-high density residential. The site plan and number of units are subject to change; the buildings would look very similar to the townhomes AY Development built in the Terravessa neighborhood.
The developer is holding a neighborhood meeting to share their vision and gather feedback on the plans:
Date: Monday, March 23, 2026
Time: 6-7 p.m.
Location: Large Meeting Room, Fitchburg Public Library, 5530 Lacy Rd.
After that, the minor comprehensive plan amendment will go to the Plan Commission and Common Council for review and possible approval.
A rendering of the proposed townhomes at Lacy Road and Fahey Glen. Courtesy: AY Development.
Small single-family home development on Ski Lane
A developer is proposing a minor comprehensive plan amendment to change the future land use of three lots along Ski Lane at Novation Parkway from business to medium-high density residential use. This developer envisions building several smaller, affordable single-family homes on the site.
Syncopation development
Fairchild Development is proposing a plan for a new neighborhood to be built between County Highway MM and U.S. Highway 14 north of Lacy Road. The Syncopation development includes a mix of housing types, from senior housing and single-family homes to townhomes and apartments. The Plan Commission will review the preliminary plat this week and the Common Council will do so on March 24. We will also consider granting an exception to allow the proposed 64-bed senior facility to move forward (under state statute, there are limits on how many community-based residential facility beds are allowed in each alder district based on the district’s population). This is the same type of exception we approved for the Agrace dementia village.
The proposed phasing schedule for the Syncopation development.
***
On February 17, the Plan Commission approved a minor zoning modification to allow a vet clinic to open in the remaining commercial space in the Ochalla Springs Apartments. The vet will be located at 2974 Ochalla Drive, right next door to the pet grooming business that recently set up shop in the building (artepupp). Current plans call for the vet clinic to open in the first quarter of 2027.
***
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s… Water Tower D, officially up in the air! Check out this video from FACTv to watch the tower go up.
Water Tower D, as seen on Monday, March 9.
Working For You
Here’s how city staff and elected officials are working on your behalf to make Fitchburg a better place.
Two park projects in District 3 – upgrades to Southdale Park and a tennis court replacement at Swan Creek Park – continue to move forward.
The tennis court replacement project at Swan Creek Park is currently in the engineering phase. Based on community feedback, the two existing tennis courts will be replaced with similar tennis courts (but with a bit more space between them and the fence) rather than pickleball courts.
For Southdale Park, the current plan is to add bathrooms, a spray feature (similar to a splash pad but smaller and more cost-effective), and a shelter closer to Deer Valley Road. You may remember that the park also got new playground equipment last fall.
Stay tuned for more details about these projects later in the spring.
***
The Common Council and our counterparts from the Village of Oregon met on February 25 to discuss the *potential* for collaboration on development in the far southeast corner of Fitchburg.
The Wisconsin Department of Corrections is moving ahead with plans for a new juvenile facility in the area, and the Oregon School District owns land on the Fitchburg side of our boundary on which it may build a school in the 2030s. Given those projects, we felt it was worthwhile to take a broader view at the potential benefits and challenges of any future development around the Highway 14/Highway MM/Highway M area.
Any future development is still years away. Since this area borders Oregon and is a significant distance from Fitchburg water/sewer infrastructure, for any development to be feasible, we would need to agree on a utility extension from Oregon into Fitchburg and on how police/fire/EMS calls would be handled. But our colleagues in Oregon seemed similarly excited by the opportunities for collaboration, whether on this vision and/or a combined fire/EMS district that we are exploring with other municipalities.
I look forward to continuing our partnership in the years to come to best serve both of our communities. And thank you to the Capital Area Regional Planning Commission for giving us a foundation on which to continue the conversation!
***
Council Recap
On February 24, we:
Approved a request to rezone a property along Index Road to allow for a 146-unit multi-family housing development. 60 of the units are proposed to be affordable for those earning between 30% and 80% of the county’s median income; the remaining 86 units would be rented at market rate. It would also include an art/studio space. The developer is currently proposing to begin construction in June 2027.
Set the schedule for adoption of the 2027-2036 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). You can think of the CIP as the “stuff” budget (while the operating budget is heavily made up of staff salaries). The CIP will be published on June 4; we expect to vote on it (as well as any amendments) on July 28. If you have thoughts on infrastructure you’d like to see in District 3 (or elsewhere in the city), please reach out.
On March 10, we:
Approved a three-year, $261,000 contract to manage vegetation in stormwater ponds in the city. In addition to the stormwater facilities, this contract covers vegetation maintenance (2-3 visits/year) throughout the Terravessa neighborhood, including medians.
Approved a change to pickleball court reservation fees to keep them in line with neighboring communities.
Looking Ahead
Our updated housing plan is moving through the approval process. If you’d like to learn more or share your thoughts, it will be discussed at the following meetings:
Community and Economic Development Authority (CEDA) meeting: March 26, 2026, at 7:00 a.m.;
Common Council meeting (vote on approval/rejection expected): April 14, 6:30 p.m.
***
At our March 24 meeting:
We will review a final plat for the first part of the No Oaks Ranch subdivision along Central Park Place. This plat creates four buildable lots for future multi-family housing and outlots for much of the stormwater infrastructure that will serve the entire neighborhood. You may remember we approved the preliminary plat for the entire neighborhood back in December; we will review final plats for smaller chunks of the neighborhood as development moves along. Future phases will include single-family home lots and lots identified for commercial uses (like a potential grocery store and a hotel).
We will review a final plat for the eighth addition to Nine Springs. This plat would create six buildable lots for future multifamily development along Stanley Park Place.
Get Involved
Want to chat about what’s happening around the city? I’ll be holding an informal “Coffee and Chat” at Finca Coffee from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 28. Stop by for a few minutes or the whole hour – however long you’d like.
***
Are you or someone you know looking for a summer job? The city has several openings for seasonal roles.
***
LAST CHANCE: Want to help green up our city? Consider donating plants to one of several Fitchburg projects during the Plant Dane Native Plant Sale. Between now and March 17, you can purchase plants and donate them to a project of your choice. In District 3, that includes Agrace Hospice Care and Swan Creek Park.
***
Mark your calendars! The spring electronics recycling and paper shredding event has been scheduled:
Saturday, April 11
8-11 a.m.
City Hall Campus (5520 Lacy Rd.)
***
Fitchburg Chamber Events Calendar
ICYMI (In Case You Missed It)
The League of American Bicyclists has recognized four more Fitchburg businesses as “Bicycle Friendly Businesses.” This brings our city’s total to 35 and ranks us sixth in the country! The new bicycle friendly business in District 3 is Alterra Design Homes.
One Last Thing…
BCycle is back for the season! And to mark their 15th year in Dane County, they’re offering a free month pass! Details below:
Promo Code: FREEMONTH
Valid: March 10 – April 30, 2026
Limit: One free pass per adult residing or working in Dane County.
Riders can redeem the offer by downloading the BCycle mobile app and signing up for a Monthly Pass using the promo code. The Monthly Pass provides access to unlimited 60-minute e-bike trips across Madison BCycle’s 110-station network, allowing riders to check out an e-bike from any station using the BCycle app and return it to any available station throughout the region.
