Wisconsin Builder | An Elephant in the Room

DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH

Dodgeville subdivision meets demand

Janes Enterprises is planning to offer 96 lots on 80 acres with its Diamond Oaks subdivision in Dodgeville.

Image courtesy of Janes Enterprises

Housing starts have doubled in the past three years in Dodgeville, and that number might be growing even more with the addition of a large new subdivision on the city's southeast side.

The Diamond Oaks subdivision ultimately will feature 96 lots on 80 acres with 15 acres of wetland area as dedicated green space, said developer Terry Janes of Janes Enterprises, Mineral Point. With the infrastructure recently completed, Janes Enterprises is ready to close on one of the first 26 lots offered for sale.

Janes acknowledged the project is large, but he believes the Dodgeville area can support the growth. As an employee at Lands' End, Dodgeville's largest business, Janes has a good feel for the area and where it might be headed.

"Dodgeville is growing with new development," Janes said. "There's a need for it. There's a shortage of lots in the city, so I think it's a good thing to put more on the market."

The lots will vary in size from one-third of an acre to an acre and a half. Janes said most of the lots are slated for single-family housing, but a few can accommodate duplexes, and other larger lots might be used for multifamily housing.

In creating the plans, Janes Enterprises put into place a few suggestions from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, including using ditches with curbs in certain areas rather than detention ponds for storm-water control.

"It allows more water to find its way into the ground normally," Janes said. "It's a little different, less imposing."

Along the creek branches that run through the property, Janes Enterprises will seed prairie grass, also to assist with water absorption.

Janes said the location of Dodgeville — within a 30-minute drive of Madison now that the four-lane Highway 151 project is nearly complete — is prime to handle overflow from Dane County and keep pace with the demand for housing that already exists in Dodgeville.

"People are starting to move farther out," Janes said. "Young families with kids are moving into the area."

Randy Edge, Dodgeville's assessor and building inspector, agreed.

"A lot of people thought they had to live in Madison, but now they can live here and enjoy all this area has to offer but still be in Madison in 30 minutes," he said.

In addition, Edge said, the impact of Lands' End employees on the city cannot be underestimated.

"Lands' End is the driving force behind much of this new construction," he said.

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