HOME RUN

Residential development peaks in Iowa County

By Jeanne Wieland

The Monfort Wind Farm in Iowa County features 20 wind turbines with 30 megawatts of capacity. Photo courtesy of Alliant Energy

New home construction is booming in Iowa County, and residents there have the expanded Highway 151 to thank for it.

The former two-lane highway now boasts four lanes that cut through the county, connecting Madison to Dubuque, Iowa. Since Wisconsin's capital city lies just to the east of Iowa County, this new thoroughfare, almost complete, has opened up the pleasures of country living to those who previously lived in and around Madison.

Cutting the commute from Iowa County's Mineral Point to Madison from an hour to 40 minutes created a huge jump in the number of people seeking to build houses in Mineral Point, said Philip Mrozinski, the city's zoning administrator.

"There are plenty of single-family houses being built here," Mrozinski said. "Lots are being sold all the time. It's exciting. There's a lot of activity right now."

Three major subdivision projects are going up in and around Mineral Point. Ground has been broken on a 33-house development on 80 acres just outside of the city and on another 32- to 33-house project on the city's south side. In addition, developer Ted Landon has proposed a 20-house development, called Prairie Circle, within the city limits. The project would consist of houses built in the Frank Lloyd Wright style, Mrozinski said.

Many older homes in historic Mineral Point are being rehabbed, either for resale or for the owners to live in, Mrozinski said. In 1971, Mineral Point was the first Wisconsin city named on the National Register of Historic Places, and it continues to be a thriving community for artists. And although Mrozinski acknowledged Highway 151's contribution to the expanded interest in this city of 2,600 people, he said he and his wife chose to move to one of the oldest cities in Wisconsin for another reason.

"We moved from Chicago because we were tired of the crowds, the traffic, the taxes and the high-priced houses," he said. "We opted for the simpler lifestyle. That's what brought us here."

Others may be seeking that simpler life as well. Iowa County Planning and Development Director Scott Godfrey said subdivisions are going up all over the county, and one has been proposed for the town of Arena that will likely draw great interest from horse owners. An Illinois-based developer has created a plan for a 700-acre equestrian facility that would boast 20 residential lots, a horsemanship facility and riding trails.

Although the county has other stables, pairing residences with the facilities would be a first for the area, Godfrey said.

The relocation of the Epic Corp. to the western side of Dane County and continuing growth at Lands' End in Dodgeville also are driving residential growth, Godfrey said.

And along with that growth comes the demand for other services. The Iowa County Airport recently underwent a $1 million runway expansion project that has proven attractive to owners of corporate jets and to people who are finding it quicker to fly small planes into Iowa County and drive to Madison from the west rather than flying directly into Madison's airport.

Improvements to highways 14, 39 and 80 also are attracting new commercial development, Godfrey said.

"You know what they say: Build or im-prove the roads and they will come," he said.

Another recent addition to Iowa County continues to attract attention. The Monfort Wind Farm, completed in 2001 by FPL Energy and Enron Wind along Highway 18, boasts 20 wind turbines with 30 megawatts of capacity. The power is purchased by Wisconsin Electric-Wisconsin Gas and Alliant Energy-Wisconsin Power and Light and serves customers in Wisconsin and Upper Michigan.

"This was a really successful project," Godfrey said. "It's a unique project in the state."

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