Twin Oaks Subdivision

The Blitz Build at the Twin Oaks Subdivision began on May 1, 2004 and ended May 22, 2004. To read the November 2006 Madison Magazine story on the Twin Oaks subdivision, click here.

See larger panoramic views of subdivision:

• May 12, 2004
• May 16, 2004

See the factsheet and frequently asked questions Habitat plans whole subdivision In city north of Siggelkow By Judith Davidoff Used with permission from the Capitol Times November 1, 2002 - In what could be a big boost for affordable housing in Madison, Habitat for Humanity is proposing to develop a subdivision of up to 145 units on Madison's southeast side near McFarland.	click for a larger view of the Ribbon Cutting ceremony

This would be the first large-scale new construction project for the affordable housing provider in Madison.

City planning unit director Brad Murphy said the proposed development could prove noteworthy for the city.

"We view this as a significant opportunity to provide additional affordable housing within the community and we are looking forward to working with Humanity to bring these lots on line," Murphy said in an interview on Thursday.

The development is located on the north side of Siggelkow Road, halfway between Highway 51 and Marsh Road, he said.

click for larger view of streetscape

The project is being called Twin Oaks for the two ancient oak trees on the site, said Ron Konkol, publicity director for Habitat for Humanity.

Konkol said the group's plan is to build up to 96 single-family homes and up to 49 owner-occupied condominiums on the site. Half to three-quarters of the homes would be developed by Habitat or Operation Fresh Start and sold to families whose income is 60 percent or lower than the Dane County median, or up to $42,780 for a family of four. The rest would be developed by private builders and sold at market rate.

Konkol said the subsidized homes are expected to be appraised at $120,000 to $140,000 and sold to families at 56 percent of that appraised value. The owners would pay no interest on their approximately $67,000 mortgage.

Habitat bought the property primarily with $700,000 of federal grant money secured by U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., and U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison. Konkol said Habitat is also using a $1.5 million line of credit from two local banks to ready the site for development and prepare engineering plans.

Ten of the 40 acres owned by Habitat have already been declared as undevelopable wetlands by the Department of Natural Resources and the Army Corps of Engineers, he added.

Madison Ald. Judy Compton, who represents the Marsh Road neighborhood, said she has concerns about the development's potential impact on area water levels, traffic and property values.

Compton, who is also a member of the Plan Commission, said that she is not opposed to the development if it is done correctly. She said it's important that the houses are comparable to neighborhoods on both sides of the development.

"If we're going to help someone out, then we don't need to build a house that says with a neon light 'poor people live here,' " she said.

click for larger view of 4-bedroom unit		click for larger view of 4-bedroom unit

Mayor Sue Bauman said that she is aware of concerns about the development, but still supportive of the idea of having a plat that has a significant number of affordable homes in it. "Clearly you don't want it to be all affordable housing," she said. "You want some market rates in it."

No McFarland administrator could be reached for comment on Thursday.

McFarland Plan Commission member Tim Zinkgraf, however, said that some residents have expressed concerns about property values and water tables. But Zinkgraf said he likes the proposed development, which features relatively small lot sizes.

"I'm hoping it works well so we can get it in McFarland," Zinkgraf said.

While McFarland could not block the development, the village has an intergovernmental agreement with Madison that calls for the sharing of information about these kinds of projects.

Murphy said that the city just received the preliminary plat from Habitat and has not had a chance to do any extensive review. He acknowledges the water table is an issue, but says it does not pose an insurmountable problem.

"That concern we're confident we'll be able to address and not prevent this area from being developed," Murphy said.

He said the development would end up preserving a significant amount of open space because it's adjacent to wetlands. Adjacent park land would also be dedicated to provide an additional buffer to the wetlands.

Murphy said that the development is compatible for the adopted neighborhood plan for the Marsh Road area.

Midland Builders is also proposing a new development, Liberty Place, on a parcel of land west of the Habitat property, Murphy said. That proposal comes before the Plan Commission Nov. 18. The Habitat plat will be reviewed by the Plan Commission on Dec. 2.