The District 3 Dispatch | Cultivating a strong community; Fitchburg’s tallest building
In the months before I decided to run for alder, I picked up a copy of the book How to be a Citizen: Learning to be Civil Without the State by C.L. Skach. Based solely on the title, you may be wondering why an elected official would bring up a book that seems to de-emphasize their own role in tackling the issues we collectively face – or at worst sounds like it promotes anarchy. But Skach’s argument isn’t that governments and laws have no place – instead, she argues that each of us, as members of a democratic society, must move away from being “subjects” and toward the role of active, engaged citizens who cultivate the type of community in which we wish to live.
How can we do that? There’s no single “right” way, but the first step is noticing an opportunity. It could be something you see while walking around your neighborhood, something that comes up in conversation with a friend, or something you read online. Then, it’s time for doing. There may already be systems in place to make that happen, like the city-organized waterway cleanups for Earth Month. But when those structures don’t exist, being a good citizen means sharing your observations and, where possible, taking actions that create the systems and attitudes to bring about positive change. This could mean getting involved with your HOA, bringing like-minded community members together to form a group like the new Friends of Fitchburg Parks and Natural Areas, or simply supporting local businesses or picking up trash while walking your dog.
Throughout the month of April, I was pleased to see how many people took part in events that made our community better, whether by cleaning up our neighborhoods or by bringing people of all ages together to break bread at the senior center. On multiple occasions, I commented that it would be fantastic to see the same level of engagement and energy during the other 11 months of the year. There is no shortage of things we could tackle together.
I encourage you to spend some time “noticing” – then share your observations with a friend (or your humble alder). This type of work, Skach concludes, is hard but necessary.
“We can continue to complain,” she writes,” or we can begin to take necessary risks ourselves.”
And at a time when budgets – our household ones and our city’s – are tight, taking risks, getting creative, and rolling up our sleeves are that much more important.
Yours in service,
-Logan
What’s “Growing” On
Here’s what’s being built in Fitchburg.
Agrace is gearing up to begin construction on its campus. The first phase of construction, which will reconfigure the hospice area on the western side of the property, will start this month. That is expected to finish this fall, at which time patients will move to that area to allow construction of the dementia village to begin.
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The Syene Interceptor extension (Phase II) is taking shape! The contractor we hired to complete this work (Fischer Excavating) began laying pipe on May 4. This will extend the sewer interceptor from Lacy Road near The Limerick to Haight Farm Road to serve the Uptown Hills affordable townhome development (pictured in the background). In the longer term, the Syene Interceptor is planned to serve future development in Hartung Fields and areas to the south along the city's eastern side. In January, we approved a contract of just over $660,000 with contingency for this work.
Construction on the Syene Interceptor extension (foreground) and Uptown Hills affordable townhome development (background), as seen on May 5.
Working For You
Here’s how city staff and elected officials are working on your behalf to make Fitchburg a better place.
Water Tower D will start being painted in a few days! You may not be able to see much of the work in progress, though; there will be a covering to keep paint debris from creating too much of a mess.
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The Food Scrap Stop program at Swan Creek Park continues to be a success. As of earlier this month, 265 users have dropped off roughly 8,950 pounds of food scraps since October 27, 2025. That’s almost 4.5 TONS of food waste diverted from our landfill!
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With winter behind us, the park drinking fountains are scheduled to be reactivated for the season in the coming days. The splash pad at McKee Farms Park may not open by Memorial Day Weekend as hoped due to some leaks; stay tuned for more information.
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The spring prescribed burns of stormwater management areas around the city have been completed. The median vegetation in Terravessa is scheduled to be burned this fall.
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Four more municipalities – Brooklyn, Stoughton, McFarland, and Monona – have joined Fitchburg and Oregon in exploring whether a joint fire and EMS district model could make financial sense for each of us. Verona leaders considered joining the exploratory review but opted not to participate. We expect to have the results of this study late this year.
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I’m pleased to be serving as the chair of the Public Safety and Human Services committee this council year! This committee primarily reviews alcohol licenses, event sound permits, and the occasional resolution.
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Council Recap
On April 28, we:
Approved certified survey map and rezoning requests for Agrace as part of their dementia village development;
Approved a final plat for the future senior living community in Terravessa called The Cesta. This development is expected to break ground later this year;
Approved a rezoning request to allow the Bowman Plaza redevelopment to move forward. This proposal calls for replacing a vacant strip mall and former gas station along Fish Hatchery Road with a seven-story building containing apartments and retail space. If all moves forward as planned, the Bowman Plaza development would create Fitchburg’s tallest building!
A rendering of the proposed Bowman Plaza redevelopment along Fish Hatchery Road near Post Road.
On May 12, we:
Approved a $4.2 million budget amendment to support the construction of Metro Transit’s Rapid Route B (bus rapid transit) in Fitchburg. This amendment was needed because of updated cost estimates and a reduction in federal funding. To help lower the cost, we are moving forward with side-running stations along Fish Hatchery Road instead of center-running stations like on East Washington Avenue in Madison; this change lowered Fitchburg’s total bill from $25 million to $17 million (70% of the $17 million will come from the federal government). In order to get the federal funding, we have to allocate our local share first, which is why the budget amendment came forward now versus later. Construction of the line from Madison’s north side to McKee Farms Park is currently scheduled for 2028-2030.
On a semi-related note, plans to expand Routes 65 & 75 to all-day service and extend Route B to near McKee Farms Park have stalled. We had hoped to have the service running in August, but given the lack of details from Metro Transit to-date, I’m not optimistic that it will happen in the short term. This is extremely disappointing, and I will continue to push for this service improvement to happen as soon as possible (since we already have money set aside in the budget to do so).
Approved a concept design (Concept B) for a bathroom, shelter, and water feature/small splash pad at Southdale Park. Final design work is still needed before the project is put out for bids and built. It is expected to be finished in early 2027. Funding is coming from park impact fees and money brought in from when we absorbed Southdale from the town of Madison.
Looking Ahead
At our Transportation & Transit Commission meeting on May 14, we'll be taking a look at the current state of on-street parking in the Terravessa neighborhood, especially in and around the main Lacy Road entrance. This is in response to a number of concerns I’ve heard from you and seen myself. With The Cesta senior community set to break ground later this year, I wanted to start the conversation now before more construction vehicles arrive.
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At our May 26 Common Council meeting, we will vote on whether to end our license plate reader camera contract with Flock Safety. Communities across Wisconsin and beyond are reevaluating whether these systems make sense for them. While they are a key law enforcement tool and can help identify vehicles tied to crimes (like the homicide in the Southdale neighborhood in December), they also carry real data privacy risks and have been misused. Locally, Verona and Dane County have already decided to end their contracts and remove their cameras. If we end the contract with Flock Safety, I’d like to see us explore whether other providers can meet our needs without the downsides that come with Flock.
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The 2027-2036 Capital Improvement Plan (aka the city’s infrastructure or “stuff” budget for the next 10 years) will be released in early June. If there’s an infrastructure-related project you’d like to see prioritized or removed from the plan, I’m all ears. You can look back at the 2026-2035 plan to get a sense of the major projects on the horizon; generally, projects in the first five years of the plan are more “locked in” than those in the last five years.
Get Involved
Festa Italia is back for 2026! The two-day event at McKee Farms Park on May 30-31 will feature live music, Italian cuisine, a bocce tournament, and more.
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Concerts at McKee return to McKee Farms Park this summer! Youth band performances start at 6 p.m.; headliners take the stage at 7 p.m.
June 15 - Armchair Boogie
July 20 - Bumpus
August 17 - Chicago Latin Groove
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Our annual Memorial Day ceremony is set for Monday, May 25 at the Gorman Wayside Veterans Memorial Park. Music from the VFW 1318 band starts at 12:15, while the ceremony begins at 12:30.
Night markets are coming to The Rusty Bee Lounge! Mark your calendars for the following dates:
May 21
June 18
July 23
August 27
September 24
October 22
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Fitchburg Farmers’ Market at Agora has returned for the season! Check it out from 3-6 p.m. weekly!
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Yahara House Pickleball Tournament for Mental Health
Saturday, May 30 starting at 8 a.m.
McGaw Park
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Serve, Smash, and Remember: A pickleball tournament supporting the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s
June 13, noon to 4 p.m.
McGaw Park
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Fitchburg Chamber Events Calendar
One Last Thing…
Spring feels like it has FINALLY arrived (was it just me, or did this feel like an extra long, cold, brutal winter??). That means more people will be out walking and biking around the city. Whether you’re getting around on four wheels, two wheels, or no wheels, please slow down, use caution, and be considerate of your neighbors.
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A quick correction: In last month’s update, I missed a road resurfacing project happening this year in District 3. Research Park Drive between East Cheryl Parkway and Lacy Road (by the new Police Services Facility and the library) is on the list this year.
