• 
• CLASS
• JOBS
• AUTO
• HOMES

Family plants Janesville’s first green development

Photo

Photo by Bill Olmsted

Much of the land located south-east of the intersection of S. Austin Rd and W. Court St., just outside of the City of Janesville, is slated to become a planned community development.

JANESVILLE — The Austins’ love for their land was the seed for the city’s first green development.

Maxine Austin gets tears in her eyes when she talks about the 80-acre farm on Janesville’s west side that cradles the wonderful memories of her childhood.

But she and her siblings, Doug and Wilbur, believe development is inevitable. The city already surrounds the land’s outside perimeters.

The family didn’t want to sell to a typical developer to create typical suburban sprawl, she said.

“We’re not looking at big, fertilized lawns eating up farmland and big mansions with three- to four-car garages,” Maxine said. “We’re just not into that.

“We would like to do it right. We’d like to be an example to other developers.

“This whole project is a labor of love.”

Welcome to the Fisher Creek Neighborhood.

The development between West Court Street and Rockport Road is in Phase 1. Conservancy Ridge has five lots available for sale on a cul-de-sac west of Fisher Creek at the end of Falcon Ridge Drive.

The second phase continues to evolve and likely will include about 150 homes on the 80 acres east of the creek. The segments eventually would be connected by a trail.

One only has to look north to see the differences between a traditional subdivision to the one being proposed by the Austins.

At Arbor Ridge off County A, for instance, an association must approve solar panels. Owners must grow grass and kill weeds. Clotheslines are forbidden, and attached garages required.

At Conservancy Ridge, three alternative energy systems are required, and a solar panel is one of them. Grass is frowned upon and creeping Charlie welcomed. Clotheslines are encouraged. Detached garages are preferred to increase the sense of community.

Arbor Ridge has a minimum footprint required for homes, while Conservancy Ridge has a maximum.

The covenants for the lower Fisher Creek Neighborhood are being developed but would be similar.

“We want to make this greener than any other subdivision. Ever,” Maxine said.

Duane Cherek of Janesville’s community development department said Janesville doesn’t have a similar conservation subdivision.

“This would be absolutely new for Janesville,” he said.

“What’s interesting, in this housing market, is that they’re applying those fairly restrictive conditions,” Cherek said. “Obviously, the market for those lots would be with individuals who clearly have environmentalism in mind. ... I don’t know what the market is for that.”

Maxine said she hopes Janesville is ready for it.

“I think that a lot of people are going to start looking at alternatives with the economy like it is and heating costs going through the roof,” she said.

Maxine and her brothers were raised on the farm, skating on the frozen fields in winter and swimming in Fisher Creek in the summer. They rode horses and brought the dairy cows in from pasture. She remembers the 300 apple trees and the extended family picnics, where the women wore dresses and the kids ran around, playing like crazy.

“I feel very privileged to have been raised on a farm,” Maxine said. “It’s a wonderful way to grow up. With the animals and wide, open spaces, there was always something to do, something to explore.”

The family wants to preserve as much of that feeling as possible.

The family’s Web site says they want to “restore and protect our family farm’s natural features and carry on our family’s vision of strong connections between a community of people and the land around them.

“The dream is to create a beautiful, diverse, walkable neighborhood with affordable housing, large natural common spaces and a vibrant ‘village’ center. We will encourage high quality, environmentally-friendly architectural, energy, and landscaping practices.”

They envision clustering 150 small lots, all fronting public green space. They would disturb as little of the topsoil as possible and conserve what is dug up.

“It’s good dirt, fabulous, wonderful dirt,” Maxine said. “This whole area is bottom land.”

The development would provide space for residents to grow food.

Plans also stress storm-water management.

A narrow ditch used to carry water into Fisher Creek, causing erosion, Maxine said. The Austins donated a 150-foot greenbelt to dissipate the water over a wider area and allow it to percolate. About 25 of the 80 acres are in the flood plain.

Rain gardens and natural plantings will be required.

The family’s goal hopes that such businesses as a coffee shop, day care center and even a small grocery would locate in the neighborhood.

“We even think of having some sort of elderly transition that would be part of the community,” said Cheryl Austin, Lancaster, who is married to Wilbur.

Almost every week we come up with some ideas,” Cheryl said.

For instance, they are investigating a central power and heating source for the neighborhood.

The five lots on Conservancy Ridge are for sale now. The family will sell those lots before they move to the lower development.

The family sold about five acres on the corner of Austin Road and West Court Street to the owners of the Whitcomb-Lynch-Albrecht Funeral Homes, and they have embraced the family’s green principles, Cheryl said. Gerry Lynch said they will plant at least 3 acres of prairie grass to manage the site’s storm water. He hopes to build walking paths through the prairie and attract birds.

Maxine said the family did not want to sell the farm and risk ending up with a substandard development on Austin land.

Still, doing it themselves is a daunting process.

“I didn’t know what I was getting myself into,” Maxine said.

But she looks at it as her legacy.

“It’s for my dad and my grandfather, my mom, my aunts and uncles—all the people who were vested in this land,” she said.

Conservancy Ridge covenants include:

-- The owner is required to select a minimum of three alternative approaches for energy production and/or conservation from this list: active solar system; passive solar system; solar hot water system; high efficiency furnace and air conditioner; photovoltaics; wind turbine technology; geothermal; and green roof systems.

-- The owner is required to maintain a landscape that is healthy for all living creatures. Native plants are to be used, manicured lawns are to be minimal and storm-water runoff is to be managed on site with rains gardens, barrels, cisterns and other natural methods. Rain gardens should be planted with native prairie plants with deep root systems to allow the water to infiltrate quickly into the ground.

“This will allow the groundwater to be replenished and the springs that feed Fisher Creek to continue to flow. The intent is that all runoff during a normal rainfall will infiltrate into the ground very close to where it falls and not run into the valley causing erosion and water pollution.”

-- Driveways must be of pervious materials such as brick or concrete pavers.

-- Homes may not exceed a maximum footprint of 2,000 square feet including garage. There is no minimum footprint requirement.

-- Owners can have a maximum of two garage doors.

-- Homes must meet or exceed Energy Star Certification.

-- Homes must be Wisconsin Green Built certified.

-- Owners are strongly encouraged to design the residence to meet accessibility design guidelines.

-- LED technology is encouraged.

-- The builder must use super-insulated framing, insulated concrete forms or alternative construction, such as straw or an earth shelter.

-- Construction materials and finishes are encouraged to be certified sustainable, Forest Stewardship Council, Greenguard, low toxity, have a majority of recycled content and be regional in origin.

-- Specific trees, bushes, shrubs and ground covers that can be used are listed.

“Lawns are to be a very small part of the landscape and should be used as accents and edging of outdoor spaces such as walkways and patios. Choose low maintenance fescues and bluegrass varieties to eliminate the need for irrigation, chemical pesticides and fertilizers and frequent mowing. Healthy lawns include clover, violets, creeping Charlie, dandelions, spring bulbs such as sicilia, crocuses and daffodils and other plants not usually seen on golf courses. No turf grass may be used in any area having a slope greater than 25 percent.”