💻 Should the city ban data centers?

🏘️ More Housing Reforms OK’d by City Council

• The Madison City Council on Tuesday approved two more zoning changes aimed at increasing Madison’s supply of affordable housing. The reforms would encourage more housing along Madison’s high-density transit corridors, allowing four-home structures to be built on those routes.
• It would also limit drive-thru windows along those routes and prohibit new low-density uses on transit corridors, such as car washes and auto sales lots. The council also supported the creation of “cottage courts,” featuring up to eight single-family homes clustered around a courtyard on a single lot.
• 🎧 Dig deeper: The reforms were the latest in a series of changes proposed by Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway to address the city’s housing crisis as its population grows. [City of Madison, 🎧City Cast Madison]

⛔ Mayor Calls For One-Year Moratorium on Data Centers

• Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and 10 alders introduced a measure this week that would halt zoning approvals for all data centers for one year.
• Large data centers, which house infrastructure for data processing and storage, have popped up around the country to handle the rise in AI and cloud computing. Midwestern states like Wisconsin are considered very attractive to such projects because of its inexpensive land and electricity, and proximity the Great Lakes. Such centers have been criticized for high water and electricity consumption.
• Madison would become one of the largest American cities to pass such a ban and the first in Wisconsin to do so. Rhodes-Conway said the city does not address data centers at all in its zoning ordinances and the ban could be lifted sooner if changes are made to zoning laws. [Isthmus, 🎧City Cast Madison]

⚖️ Madison Couple Granted Asylum, but Still Detained by ICE

• A Chicago immigration judge on Tuesday granted the asylum request of a Madison couple who fled Venezuela. But Dailin Pacheco-Acosta and Diego Ugarte-Arenas are still in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in facilities hundreds of miles away.
• The couple, who settled in Madison in 2021, were arrested by ICE agents at the agency’s Milwaukee office in October while making a scheduled check-in. A recent Trump administration policy, currently being challenged in court, declares that most immigrants in ICE custody are ineligible for bond and are subject to “mandatory detention.” [Wisconsin Watch]

With all the snow and ice out there right now, doesn’t it sound nice to be sitting out on a terrace on Italy’s Amalfi Coast, sipping wine and dining on fresh seafood?

If you can’t afford a European getaway, the next best thing may be Osteria Novella, the new Italian restaurant on University Avenue. On the City Cast Madison podcast today, host Bianca Martin talks with chef Giovanni Novella, co-owner and former executive chef at Bar Corallini, about bringing the tastes of the region where he grew up to Madison.

Here are some other great restaurants to check out in Madison if you’re craving a taste of Italy.

Bar Corallini (2004 Atwood Ave.)

Novella is still part owner of this cozy east side spot, which features handmade pasta, wood-fired pizzas, and stuffed dates and braised octopus as appetizers. Make sure to get some of the made-in-house limoncello.

Lombardino’s (2500 University Ave.)

A Madison institution, Lombardino’s has been on University Avenue since 1952, and retains all the kitschy charm of its era. But the menu has been updated and expanded in recent years to reflect evolving tastes in Italian cuisine.

Fabiola’s Spaghetti House & Deli (1301 Regent St.)

The Greenbush neighborhood has deep Italian-American roots, and Leopold’s owner Sam Brown celebrates that tradition with Fabiola’s. The red-sauce spaghetti on the menu is augmented by eggplant parm and pork chop saltimbocca, and be sure to save room for tiramisu!

Cento (122 W. Mifflin St.)

This Food Fight restaurant is a great place to get some tagliatelle or a margherita pizza before a show across the street at the Overture Center. But I always sing the praises of its “Boozy Brunch,” which includes an entree, two cocktails, and cannoli for $35.

Osteria Papavero (128 E. Wilson St.)

Chef Francesco Mangano always changes up his menu in response to the seasonal local ingredients he employs, so be sure to keep an eye on the specials. But the one constant is the budino di caramello (butterscotch pudding), still the best dessert in Madison.

Porta Bella (425 N. Frances St.)

You might want to hurry if you want to dine at one of Madison’s oldest Italian restaurants, as its days seem to be numbered in the face of downtown development. Get an Old World fave like lasagna or chicken parmesan, or head down to The Cellar for a cocktail and feel like you’ve descended into another time and place.

One of the cool perks of being a City Cast Madison Neighbor is getting the chance to give a Neighborhood Shoutout to a nonprofit, a business, or some other cool thing that makes Madison a little bit better. Neighbors send us their faves and we sing their praises in the newsletter and on the podcast!

📣 Michelle H. wants Madison to know about MiMi’s Lounge at The Loft at 132 in downtown Sun Prairie! “Our newly remodeled space is perfect for corporate and private events with a stage for entertainment or corporate meetings. [...] We have all new furniture and comfortable booth seating along the windows and a relaxing lounge with custom couches and chairs. Please keep us in mind for any holiday or company event you may be planning.”

📣 Christine K. wanted to shout out UW-Madison Scratch Clubs! “UW students have been teaching coding to elementary students as part of a community-based learning course since 2009.”

📣 Shelly T. is in the tank for Float Madison! “Float Madison is amazing. I love being able to disconnect from all thoughts and enjoy a relaxing soak.”

If you want to give a Neighborhood Shoutout, you know what to do! Support our work and become a City Cast Madison Neighbor!