Madison Wisconsin to get a new beer garden

I have always thought that an old fashioned beer garden would be a great thing to have. In the old days, and in Munich today, families went to beer gardens to relax, enjoy the day and of course, drink beer.

When I was growing up there was a Busch Gardens in Los Angeles that I used to go to, but as much as I enjoyed the rides and other stuff, my father probably had more fun... drinking the beer.

It looks like there is at least one city that thinks like I do, Madison, Wisconson. It seems that a beer garden was approved for construction.

Eliot Markman of the Badger Herald writes about this new beer garden project:

A city commission approved the construction of an outdoor beer garden
area that would be open to the public at Hotel Red across from Camp
Randall during Monday night’s meeting.

At a meeting of Madison’s Plan Commission Hotel Red owner Mike
Erickson said the outdoor seating area would be located on the hotel
property across the street from Camp Randall Stadium. He said the
seating area would be located on the ground floor level and would be
open to the general public.

The project would be an addition to the 48-room hotel that opened in August, Erickson said.

Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said the outdoor seating area proposal for Hotel Red has already been granted approval by the Alcohol License Review Committee.

Commission members questioned Erickson on a number of points on the
project, including the plan for restroom facilities as proportionate to
guests.

The approval from Plan Commission was the final step required for Hotel Red’s process with the city.

The neighbors around Hotel Red in attendance voiced their support for the project.

Richard
Scott, a neighbor who lives close to the proposed project, called the
hotel’s owners and management a “class act” and spoke in support of the
proposal.

The Plan Commission also weighed a proposed apartment
complex slated for Madison’s east side, a proposal that sparked concerns
from area residents but was later approved by the body.

Brian Stoddard of Planned Unit Development introduced the plan for an
apartment development at 6854 Stockbridge Dr., on Madison’s east side.

Stoddard explained there would be advance landscaping along the
street to allow additional parking for residents and would take pressure
off street parking.

Ald. Lauren Cnare, District 3, said the apartment development would
be in a part of the city that is mostly single-family homes, and a
number of neighbors turned out to voice concerns about the proposal.

Stoddard said planners have remained engaged with neighborhood
residents, asking for their input on various aspects of the project.

“We have been very sensitive to the neighborhood,” he said.

Overall, the project was met with minimal resistance from commission
members, aside from logistics for access areas on one side of the
building and how to connect to a city park path.

Cnare said the assurance the apartment complex would not have a
negative impact on the neighborhood would be crucial in the decision
making process.

“This apartment building will go up, and the neighbors will have a continuing good neighborhood,” she said.

The proposal was sent back with comments on areas of improvement from members for later consideration.

Since 2008, the Madison City Council
has been trying to find a use for the Garver Feed Mill, which is
located near Williamson Street, a debate that continues without
resolution in the city.

Community Development Manager Dan Rolfs explained the May 2012
deadline to find a use for the property was probably the last chance to
salvage the structure.

“Given all the hurdles that have to be jumped … if we don’t get past
this May 2012 deadline, it will be very difficult to complete the
project,” Rolfs said.

Rolfs’ group applied for a grant through Sen. Herb Kohl’s office for
$3 million dollars to renovate the mill but did not get that grant
money.

If you know of any beer gardens, either in the USA or elsewhere, please comment and if you want to send a picture and a description, I will gladly credit you and post the story.

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