May 20, 2010
The DMN e-News and an occasional hard copy DMN News are published by the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Association (DMNA) on an “as-needed” schedule. The Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Association, Inc. has been working to unite neighbors to solve mutual problems and promote fellowship among neighbors since 1973.
President, Jeff Glazer, jglazer75@gmail.com 277-1778
News contact, Mary Mullen, mmullen@chorus.net, 298-0843
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This issue of the DMNA e-News is primarily to invite you to the ALLIED WELLNESS CENTER EXTRAVAGANZA this coming Saturday, May 22, starting at 11:30 a.m. Also, learn about PHASE 2 OF ALLIED DRIVE REDEVELOPMENT.
Note: Some events are listed and described ONLY in the Calendar.
Calendar
Saturday, May 22, 11:30-3:00 p.m. – Allied Wellness Extravaganza – on Allied Drive. Read Article 1 for details of location. Check out the 2 attachments.
Wed., May 26, 7 p.m. and every 2nd and 4th Wednesday – Neighborhood Verona Road project group meets at MacDonald’s to learn more information and plan strategies to lessen the impact on our neighborhood. For more information, contact DMNA Council member Jo Kelley at jokelley@tds.net or 276-8010. See article 2.
Wed., June 2, 7 p.m. – Neighborhood meeting, question & answer session about planned Verona Road/Beltline reconstruction plans. Prairie UU Society, corner of Crawford and Whenona. We are expecting a short presentation by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation & Strand Associates followed by a more lengthy time for questions, answers, and comments. Come and get your questions answered and speak your mind about what you see and hear. We hope this will be tailored to meet our needs rather than be a total rehash of past presentations.
Tuesday, June15, 7 p.m. – DMNA Council. Prairie UU Society, corner of Crawford and Whenona. Any resident may attend, but only Council members may vote.
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Articles
1 - Big Celebration on Saturday, May 22
(Attachments: “coop flyer.doc” & “SPANISH coop flyer.doc”)
2 - Phase 2 of Allied Redevelopment on Front Burner
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1 - Big Celebration on Saturday, May 22 (Attachments: “coop flyer.doc” & “SPANISH coop flyer.doc)
It’s been in the making for a while, and Tuesday, May 22 is when it makes itself known to the whole community with a big “Extravaganza.”
What is it? It’s the Allied Wellness Cooperative (AWC), a new organization dedicated to helping people learn how to help themselves.
The Extravaganza starts at 11:30 a.m. with a little ceremony at and in honor of the new Allied-Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Association sign that sits at the head of Allied Drive. By noon it moves over to the Joining Forces For Families a little further down the street at 2225 Allied. At JFF, expect a welcome, entertainment, a cookout, and container garden planting and painting. Finally, at 3 p.m. it will move still further down Allied for the Prairie Crossing planting ceremony.
So, you are saying, what’s going to be at the cookout, and how am I going to be entertained?
Answers for food: hot dogs including some veggie dogs, sodas, some side dishes, and desserts.
Answers for entertainment: a sidewalk sale, a skit about the TimeBanks, and a drumline.
Available on the “grounds” of JFF you will also be able to find out about any number of things. These will include:
· weatherization opportunities for your home
· the AWC container gardening projects
· the ADMNA theater project
· the Madison Fruits and Nuts orchard for Marlborough Park
· how to sign up for TimeBank membership
· various health projects of the AWC
And… Mr. Green Jeans will be reading stories to children.
Of course, it will also be a chance to meet good people who are working hard for the good of the neighborhood.
The Extravaganza is sponsored by the Allied Wellness Center, the Allied-Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Association, the TimeBank, the Madison Apprenticeship Program, and the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Association.
Check out the flyers – one in Spanish – for a more graphic invitation to this event.
by Mary Mullen
2 - Phase 2 of Allied Redevelopment on Front Burner
The City of Madison has made a big investment in the redevelopment of Allied Drive, but you may have been wondering why 2/3 of the land is still vacant. Well, wonder no more. The Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Council has learned that Phase 2 is about to happen. And the word came straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.
At the May 18 Council meeting Kelly Thompsen-Frater of the Madison Community Development Authority (CDA) gave a 45-minute presentation on the plans for Phase 2. They are different than originally proposed in that Phase 2 will take place at the foot of Allied instead of the middle, but otherwise they weren’t that much of a surprise. Here’s the latest.
48 single family homes
The lower third of the cleared land on the east side of Allied will be subdivided into 48 lots for the purpose of building 48 single family homes - or maybe a few less single family homes and a very few duplexes. Rather than have one developer do all the homes – as was true in the Renaissance development which is between the Allied land and Red Arrow Trail – these lots will be sold one or two at a time to a variety of buyers. The CDA plans to start this fall by building 3 houses, and then individuals or non-profits may buy a lot or two at a time and build immediately.
Thompsen-Frater emphasized that no one will be able to buy a lot and let it sit vacant for years, nor would anyone be allowed to buy 2 lots and then put up one house in the middle. The idea is to get these homes up right away and to be certain that they are of quality construction and appearance. The roads are being constructed right now. In addition, this is the time for building when private home starts are down and government can aid in getting houses built and sold.
What will the homes be like?
What will these homes be like? First of all, they are likely to be comparable in size to the units in Renaissance. They will be 2- to 3-bedroom homes with full basements.
While they probably won’t all have the same look since they will be built by various entities, the CDA will have deed restrictions, guidelines, and requirements. For example, a certain kind of siding might be specified or porches might be required. Landscaping will definitely be mandated.
Some might be the live-work units that people have suggested might be good for Allied that has no businesses along its entire length. Not storefronts, Thompsen-Frater hastened to mention, but say a portion of the house devoted to a business like an accounting business, or a hair or nail salon.
What about finances?
Since the City wants to promote home ownership among people who might not have a chance to become owners otherwise, various schemes will be employed to make these homes more affordable. About a third will be sold at market rate, a third at below 50% of market rate, and the other third between those two values. Market rate is estimated to be at $175,000 to $225,000 per home plus $24,900 for the lot.
How can houses be sold for less than market rate? Several ways. Downpayment aid. Forgiveness on second mortgages with up to $20,000 to be forgiven if the owner stays for a certain number of years, say 5 or 10. Lower interest rate mortgages. Section 8 homebuyer vouchers. But a major emphasis will be to sell only to people who can really meet the terms of the payments. The CDA doesn’t want to engender a bunch of foreclosures because the would-be owners didn’t have the means to continue paying the mortgage.
Homebuyers don’t have to be first-time owners.
The Council’s questions
Council members and residents at the meeting had several questions.
Carol Poole who is also a Fitchburg alder, asked if any park space would be dedicated. The answer was that there’s some open space within the development as a whole and that Belmar Park nearby and the larger Marlborough Park which is more distant are both available. In other words, No. But about 15 garden plots were shown as part of this phase of development.
Carol also asked what the chances are that high density apartments would be put into the middle section which will remain undeveloped for now and was previously designated for condos. Kelly Thompsen-Frater thought that single family homes might go there.
Jeff Glazer suggested that services needed to be closer to people and that a small Stop-N-Go type market might be appropriate. The response was that the area couldn’t support a market.
Sina Davis asked if residents would have any say in what goes into Phase 3. The answer was affirmative.
Mary Mullen expressed concern about home maintenance: would people moving into these homes, especially those who might never have had any maintenance responsibilities, have any support in learning how to fix things that go wrong such as leaky faucets or broken hinges. Thompsen-Frater said that the CDA is helping people in the new rental units learn how to maintain their apartments, and some of these renters might turn out to be the new homeowners. She also said that Home Depot is looking forward to having seminars on home maintenance and WHEDA wants this to happen.
Jo Kelley wondered aloud about whether the people in this new development would feel like a part of the neighborhood if many come from “outside.” Thompsen-Frater then mentioned that a neighborhood association would be set up for this development of 48 homes that would be “overseeing” things there once the CDA is no longer involved. This brought out several comments. Already there are 2 neighborhood associations with overlapping boundaries. Wouldn’t a third association be too many? Wouldn’t this set the development apart from the rest of the neighborhood?
One more fact
The Council also learned that the 138 apartments in the completed part of the redevelopment are all rented and there is a waiting list of 340 people!
by Mary Mullen
----- Thanks for reading the May 20, 2010 issue of the Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood News. ----
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