COUNTRY LIVING

Green County welcomes residential growth

By Jennifer Pfaff

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The Valle Tell subdivision in New Glarus offers a private setting thanks to its horseshoe shape.

Photo courtesy of R.G. Huston Co. Inc.

With its proximity to Madison and Janesville, Green County is gaining popularity among urbanites looking for a quieter place to call home.

"We're seeing a great deal of housing development, especially in the northern part of the county," said Anna Schramke, executive director of the Green County Development Corp.

Towns and villages near the border of Dane and Green counties are within easy driving distance of Madison's employers and retail establishments but benefit from a rural atmosphere, new homes and beautiful scenery.

According to Green County Zoning Department records, 2004 brought 213 new homes to the county, a substantial increase from a decade prior, when 147 new homes were built.

John DeWitt, president of Valle Tell Inc. and owner of Madison-based John R. DeWitt Real Estate Development, is one of the people shaping the residential face of the county. The Valle Tell subdivision perches atop a hill in the village of New Glarus, taking full advantage of a sweeping view of the old village center.

"The development is unique because it is a horseshoe shape with no ingress or egress other than that, so it is a private setting," DeWitt said.

Valle Tell's 41 lots range in size from 10,400 square feet to 39,460 square feet. Sale prices for the improved lots are expected to range from $51,900 to $89,900.

Twelve of the lots are designated for duplexes, bringing the total number of living units in the subdivision to 53.

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The Valle Tell subdivision in New Glarus features a dry detention pond and several acres devoted to green space to avoid any potential flooding problems.

Photo courtesy of R.G. Huston Co. Inc.

"There are two different markets in the area," DeWitt said. "A lot of builders are building duplexes for today's starter home. It gives you an opportunity to offer a variety of products without having to create different areas for each."

Determining the best layout for Valle Tell took some ingenuity.

"There were a lot of challenges with the area," DeWitt said. "Because it is a bowl, there are a lot of storm-water issues that needed to be addressed in the development. It was an engineering challenge, for certain."

A dry detention pond and several acres devoted to green space will keep homes high and dry.

Those properties in the outer ring of the horseshoe feature a buildable front lot with a back lot dedicated as conservancy.

"Those lots have big, steep hills in the back," DeWitt said.

A handful of lots, about six or seven, already have been sold, and the rest are ready for purchase. Valle Tell Inc. owns another 22 acres north of the subdivision that it hopes to build on in the near future, and it has an option to buy additional surrounding property as well.

Demographics

Population, percent change, April 1, 2000-July 1, 2003: 1.9
2003 population estimate: 34,280
Population, percent change, 1990 to 2000: 10.9
Percent of people under 5 years old in 2000: 6.4
Percent of people under 18 years old in 2000: 26.5
Percent of people 65 years old and older in 2000: 14.7
Females, 2000: 50.8 percent
Whites, 2000: 98.1 percent
Blacks, 2000: 0.3 percent
American Indians and Alaska Natives, 2000: 0.2
percent
Asians, 2000: 0.3 percent
People of Hispanic or Latino origin, 2000: 1.0 percent
High school graduates, percent of people age 25+, 2000: 84.1
Bachelor's degree or higher, percent of people age 25+, 2000: 16.7
Housing units, 2002: 14,257
Homeownership rate, 2000: 73.8 percent
Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2000: $97,700
Households, 2000: 13,212
People per household, 2000: 2.5
Median household income, 1999: $43,228
Per capita income, 1999: $20,795
People below poverty, percent, 1999: 5.1

Business Facts

Private nonfarm establishments with paid employees, 2001: 924
Private nonfarm employment, 2001: 12,519
Manufacturers shipments, 1997 ($1,000): 840,224
Retail sales, 1997 ($1,000): 572,891
Retail sales per capita, 1997: $17,305
Minority-owned firms, percent of total, 1997: Fewer than 100
Women-owned firms, percent of total, 1997: 26.5
Housing units authorized by building permits, 2002: 263
Federal funds and grants, 2002 ($1,000): 153,029

Geography Facts

Land area, 2000 (square miles): 584
People per square mile, 2000: 57.6

Subdivisions are also the name of the game in the town of Albany, where commercial construction is eclipsed by residential. The town issued permits for 35 new homes in 2004. Already, 25 of these home are occupied, Town Chairman Robert Bump said.

The new homes run anywhere from $120,000 to $250,000.

The increased population that accompanies new subdivisions drives a need for updated amenities.

In the case of Valle Tell, the developer created two new parks that now belong to New Glarus and will provide recreation spots for all of the village's residents.

Neither has yet been named, but their purposes are clear. The first, a 5-acre park, will be groomed into two soccer fields this year. Valle Tell graded and seeded the site, but the village will install goal posts and other equipment and take the lead in maintaining the area, New Glarus Village Administrator Jim Mielke said.

The second park is 2 acres and will be dedicated as a neighborhood park, featuring some playground equipment. This park likely will open in 2006.

n established areas like the city of Brodhead, maintaining a high quality of life is a high priority.

The Brodhead School District hopes to do this with two projects it will take on once the kids head off for summer vacation. The heating system at Albrecht Elementary School is going to be replaced, as is the track at Brodhead High School, Superintendent Charles Deery said.

Bray Associates Architects Inc. is in the process of designing both projects, which have yet to go to bid. Bray has offices in both Middleton and Sheboygan.