The Madison Common Council on Tuesday night took up the issue of rezoning for the proposed Edgewater Hotel redevelopment project.

The Common Council debated whether to rezone the area for general development so that developer Bob Dunn, of The Hammes Company, could reconstruct a 228-room hotel.

Last week, Dunn proposed some new plans to the Urban Design Commission that pushed the proposed eight-story tower 15 feet farther from the Wisconsin Avenue right of way. It's also 16 feet from the water, much closer than current ordinance of 130 to 140 feet from shoreline construction.

The Common Council also looked at the issue of waterfront setback and how close the Edgewater Hotel can be to Lake Mendota.

"What it means, instead of the current ordinance, (is) that the Edgewater would need between 100 and 140 feet setback from the edge of the shoreline; it would only require 16 feet because that's where the current 1970s portion of the building sits," said Alder Bridget Maniaci.

Maniaci said the ordinance does have a good amount of support and would apply citywide if passed.

If the shoreline setback amendment fails, the developer would have to file an appeal with the zoning board.

The actual plans for the Edgewater Hotel redevelopment will go before the Madison Common Council next month.