That’s a question before the Capital Area Regional Planning Commission (CARPC) when they reconsider a Mazomanie development plan. Here’s some background on the issue:
Background of the Mazomanie development proposal
You may be aware that a year ago, the Village of Mazomanie applied to CARPC for an USA [Urban Service Area – the extension of Water, and Stormwater Sewer Services] extension on 187 acres of farmland, located at the junction of US Hwy 14 and State Hwy 78, approximately 1.5 miles east of the village. What distinguishes this USA request from all the others is that it is the first time that CARPC has refused to recommend a USA request for approval to Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR). As a result of the refusal, the village – encouraged by their developer — then appealed to the DNR to grant its own approval for the development without the benefit of CARPC support. Instead of making a decision, the DNR sent Mazomanie’s USA request back to CARPC for reconsideration, telling it that it can ONLY consider water quality when making its next decision. (See attached DNR letter)
Will CARPC lose its power to plan regionally?
The direction in which Dane County will turn in regard to sprawl, environmental protection and smart sustainable growth hinges on the outcome of the Mazomanie case. If CARPC caves into pressure from the developer, the village and their allies, and approves the Village of Mazomanie’s USA request on the second round, that agency will never be able again to say “no” to any other proposal for sprawl, no matter how destructive such a proposal might be from an environmental and smart growth perspective. The agency will render itself ineffective as a protector of the county’s water quality, open spaces and farmland. Smart and sustainable growth will become a dead letter before it even is given a chance to work.
Although most of us do not live near the proposed development, this case is relevant to all of us who live in this county. Just remember, as Mazomanie goes, so goes the rest of Dane County.
Description of the Proposed Development
The developer, Hawthorne and Stone LLC, proposes to build 488 housing units, a supermarket, a liquor store and a strip mall in the amendment area. What is proposed here is a self-contained suburban island, separated from the mother village by about 1.5 miles and surrounded by cornfields and marshlands. This development was not planned in response to any community needs. It was superimposed on both the Village of Mazomanie and the Town of Mazomanie by the developer, who apparently saw it as an opportunity to buy cheap land with easily accessible, low-cost financing widely available to developers prior to the recent mortgage industry fiasco.
Ironically, the Village of Mazomanie seeks the USA extension for an area where the most essential urban services are either insufficient or non-existent. State Hwy 14, which is to serve the proposed development as the main arterial connector to the village and to Madison, is already congested during peak traffic hours. The Village of Mazomanie has no stormwater management utility, nor any kind of public transportation for disabled or senior citizens.
Environmental Impact
The proposed development would affect three natural coldwater streams and several wetland areas located in or adjacent to the amendment area: Black Earth Creek, Halfway Prairie Creek and Wendt Creek. The affected segment of Black Earth Creek supports both warm and coldwater aquatic communities. Halfway Prairie and Wendt Creeks were degraded over the years and are now classified as forage fisheries. The wetlands present in the area are remnants of once more extensive wetland network located along the creeks in the low lying areas. Up to this day nearby residents of rural homes report seeing sand hill cranes wading through swampy terrain. All three creeks and surrounding wetlands retain their restorative potential.
History of Mazomanie’s USA application Process
In May 2008, the Village of Mazomanie applied to CARPC for the USA extension.
In August 2008, after two public hearings, CARPC turned down Mazomanie’s USA amendment request on a 7 to 4 vote.
In October 2008, the village went directly to the DNR to ask for the USA extension approval.
In March 2009, the DNR sent Mazomanie’s USA request back to CARPC for a second consideration. The DNR stated that CARPC criteria for USA and LSA (limited service area) reviews, which were adopted 2-28-08 after the completion of a full public hearing process and approved by the DNR 12-13-08, were not to be applied any longer. Instead the DNR’s letter insists that only narrowly-defined water quality criteria should be used when considering Mazomanie’s USA application. (The DNR letter is attached.)
For more info, email info@CapitalAreaRPC.org and ask for the new Mazomanie application packet to be emailed to you.
What can you do?
1. Email the folks who can play a role in preventing this from happening.
– CARPC – info@CapitalAreaRPC.org
– Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk – falk@co.dane.wi.us
– Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz – mayor@cityofmadison.com
– Dane County Towns Association – dctasecretary@hotmail.com
2. Put June 11th on your calendar and attend and speak on this matter
This issue may not directly affect you, but in the future, similar decisions could be made about farmland throughout Dane County, including the the Northeast Neighborhood of Fitchburg and Lake Waubesa. And it may mean the difference from having a Capital Area Regional Planning Commission that has teeth and one that is largely a rubber stamp. Here’s some more info from a broad coalition of environmental groups.
Dear Friends,
This is an appeal to all of you who are alarmed by the speed at which thousands of acres of Dane County’s farmland have been paved and shingled over, previously wild and natural areas despoiled, many creeks and wetlands turned into drainage ditches for cookie-cutter suburbs that emerged in the wake of seemingly unstoppable destruction. If you don’t have time now to read this entire email, please scroll down to the 2 tasks (write letters and attend the hearing) that you can do to stop this destruction.
We have a fair chance to control this process here in Dane County by stopping approval for an important request to the Capital Area Regional Planning Commission (CARPC) to approve an urban service area (USA) extension for a large proposed development near the Village of Mazomanie. It’s the second attempt by the Village, (the CARPC turned them down in August) and the WI Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has instructed the CARPC that this time, they may only decide based on (narrowly defined) water quality issues. Background information is contained at the end of this email alert.
Your help is needed to save our county’s land and water
The CARPC hearing on Mazomanie’s USA request is scheduled for June 11, 2009. At this time the developer and their law firm (which is also the legal representative of the village) are working very hard to get the majority of the CARPC votes. We need to work even harder. So please help us.
Spread the word about the intended urban sprawl project in the cornfields and wetlands east of Mazomanie. Tell your like-minded friends about this outrage. Contact us if you want more information.
Task #1: E-mail a letter to CARPC, Kathleen Falk, the Mayor of Madison, and the Dane County Towns Association. Tell them why you want the CARPC to be able to make planning decisions based on more than narrowly-defined water quality issues. Tell them that you want a CARPC whose decisions cannot be overturned by political appointees in the DNR. Your own words about what you want to see saved will make the most impact. Please send us a copy of your letter at protectourlandsandwater@gmail.com.
Support the CARPC’s right to say NO to poorly planned development.
Task #2: Please attend the one and only public hearing on the Mazomanie application. It will be at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 11, at the City County Bldg, 210 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Room 201, Madison. You can register in opposition to the Mazomanie application and speak, or just register and be there in solidarity for this worthy cause.
Clear your calendar and bring all of your friends to pack the meeting room with supporters of clean water, responsible land use, and preservation of farmland!
In appreciation for all that you have done and will do to save our county,
Capital Region Advocacy Network for Environmental Sustainability (CRANES)
Jon Becker, President, Friends of Cherokee Marsh
Don Hammes, Chair, Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, Wetlands Committee
Phyllis Hasbrouck, West Waubesa Preservation Coalition
John Hendrick, Dane County Supervisor
Libby Lewis
Peter McKeever, Attorney, Garvey McNeil and Associates
Harry Read
Caryl Terrell, Sierra Club – Four Lakes Group
Connie Threinen, League of Women Voters of Dane County
Robbie Webber, Former Madison Alder
Gary Werner, Convener, Dane County Environmental Smart Growth, and President of CRANES
