On Wednesday night the Urban Design Commission offered the city council its recomendation on the bix box ban. It had been expected that the UDC would come out in support of band however the recomendation they offered was somewhat shocking. The UDC has proposed that all big box developments larger than 40,000 sqf be required to have a second floor. This would be to maintain an “urban feel” in the city. As I have already said, if the city goes ahead with the ban, esepcially if it includes this new recomendation, they will be doing Madison consumers and those looking for employment a serious diservice. The UDC and the city council need to recognize that Madisonians will tell big box’s to leave the city by spending their money elsewhere. If Rob Deters and Brenda Konkel want to go do their big box shopping in Stoughton, then more power to them, but as for me, and apparently most of the city’s population, we’ll trade a less appealing structure for convenience and low prices.