Petition – Verona Rural Preservation Alliance U.A.

PRESERVING THE VERONA GREENBELT Petition

A letter was mailed by the Verona Rural Preservation Alliance to voters living in City of Verona and Town of Verona households. Voters were asked to sign and comment on a petition which asked for support and people’s opinions about the Veridian development. We’re glad to know that our neighbors share our concerns and are willing to provide such an enthusiastic response. We’ve received 320 positive responses from households.

320 households have signed since 10.21.21

Here is a sampling of the comments we received.

The Town of Verona IS a rural feel that needs to be maintained for its uniqueness and it’s own quality that is different from the City!

I want space for my family to grow up. I want them to experience how it feels to have space and land.

We bought a house in the country to enjoy the peace and serenity of the surrounding farm and forest lands, which the proposed development and other traditional developments threaten. We’d like to keep the areas natural features intact for wildlife.

We need to protect and conserve our rural environment. High density housing should take place within city limits, not in rural areas.

Highway pb is in our back yard. The additional traffic and widening of the highway will demolish wetland area, decreased property value, and entice us to move.

We moved to the location of our home for the main reason that the surrounding area was not overdeveloped. We want to stay in our home forever, but overpopulation of the beautiful countryside would cause us to rethink that plan.

The city and town had lengthy discussions to come up with the current policy. If we make an exception at the Marty Property, many others will be looking to make exceptions and the time the city and town put into the current policy will be wasted.

Open space is what makes the town different from the city. Open space keeps nature in the town. Conservation subdivision looks like a much better option.

To preserve the rural character of our town.

The township is already overcrowded with traffic due to nearby developments.

We believe that retaining low density housing and open spaces surrounding a city are critical to a healthy community. We live here because we value a rural atmosphere which retains farming of high-quality soils and limited housing. High density housing should be in cities and not take valuable agricultural land.

Over population of an area will decrease our wildlife and leave wildlife homeless and they could try to live closer to us making it dangerous for children and pets.

Over development ruins our wildlife and will kill off our own life support.

My neighbors and I purchased expensive land with woods and pay high taxes for this purchase. We paid to live in a rural environment; not a city. We treasure our open lands and fields. I hope you treasure it as well as once it is gone; it is gone.

I believe trying to preserve our farmland and forestlands are vitally important to the environment.

I would like to see more thoughtful development and I am concerned that Verona and Madison are getting too connected.

I recently purchased my home because of the greenery around. I would be greatly disappointment in that being lessened.

Would like to maintain rural aspects of our community. The thought of preventing creeping sprawl comes to mind.

This area is already too congested

I live in this beautiful rural neighborhood. I see how the area has changed in the last few years. I see how big the development is ruining the rural area around this neighborhood. We do not need 400 homes going up in this area. This area is an agricultural area we need the farmland. The land use, the water use, the wildlife!!! This is not a place that 400 homes need to go up in. We don’t need a (creeping charlie) neighborhood like they do on Watts Road, that is now visible from Valley View.

We chose to live in an area not heavily developed. The Marty Property plan transforms the land use we were promised. In addition to asking our officials to live up to the promises, we need to free our town board from the grip of people who make their living developing property.

Conserving our dwindling open green spaces‐‐ It’s a no‐brainer. To do otherwise is irresponsible and fool‐ hardy.

Preservation of as much natural habitat/forest as possible.

The proposed development is dense by any standards but especially so contradictory to the surrounding neighborhoods.

prime farmland should be preserved not developed. Urban development should proceed organically from developed areas, not leapfrog to remote areas. Most importantly we’d like to preserve the rural quiet of the neighborhood and abhor the dense Viridian corp housing developments

The reason I live in Verona is because I truly feel like I have my own space! If we continue to reduce the space, Verona will lose its hometown feel. This would kill the city.

I enjoy the farmland and the animals that live there. Verona is already building up too much and our beautiful farmland is going away.

Overcrowding in the Township

Over development in the town was acknowledged as a problem and what the TOV comprehensive plan sought to prevent. High density development isn’t good for any community. It detracts from the natural beauty of the Town, negatively impacts the environment and depletes the towns limited resources. How would this proposed development benefit the TOV?

Verona Has already developed so much since we moved here. Pretty soon it will not feel like hometown U.S.A. It will feel like a bedroom community like Fitchburg.

Urban sprawl has consumed thousands of Wisconsin farms and continues to diminish the quantity and quality of our natural and agricultural resources. We need the forests and fields, the wildlife habitat, the ability to walk or bike a short distance and be in open areas. Let’s plan for these things, not let massive developments overtake us.

We feel that it is important to preserve this beautiful area by keeping the natural environment. We moved here 12 years ago to enjoy the serenity of the country. Please keep this space beautiful and do not develop with a large housing development.

Our land is next to the Marty property. We do not want all those houses and traffic as well as potential problems that could come with it. We prefer agriculture or low-density housing.

I believe strongly in maintaining a sparse development as planned to maintain balance see in preserving our surrounding environment

The proposed Veridan neighborhood is in conflict with how the town of Verona has strategically planned for growth while maintaining the farm, prairie and forest land. The proposed neighborhood would also substantially increase the car traffic and Shady Oak lane cannot handle the traffic it has today. It is a beloved bike route and it would create unsafe conditions for drivers and bikers if no changes to the road. There appeared to be no collaboration with the Town either which is disappointing and typically shows how others are motivated.

So much wonderful wildlife that will disappear with traditional development.

Quality of person is affected by quality of land use

We live near the Marty property and have several concerns about the density of the proposed development. Our largest concern is related to the wildlife and natural lands that would be greatly affected. While we understand the property is going to be developed our hope would be that it would be at a lesser density to maintain more of the natural land. The increase in traffic in the area is also a concern as it will affect safety as well as the natural environment and its inhabitants.

We like the rural nature of the Town of Verona which is one reason we moved here. We are also concerned about preservation of the habitat for all of the wildlife and native plants and trees. We are also concerned that this type of development won’t end with this one.

Noise pollution Traffic congestion Destroying rich farm land

It’s important to have farm land remain intact. We need farmland for food! Secondly, we want to preserve the rich look and the beauty of the land. Third, let’s keep the wildlife in their habitat!

We move to this area to escape the communities where houses all looked the same and one house was built right on top of another. A place where our three kids could grow up and play outside without a ton of traffic. We paid a premium for our lot with all of that in mind. Allowing this project would be very saddening to a beautiful area and it would be against everything that the Town of Verona stands for.

The Conservator development plan will be more appealing and less crowded. There is a need for quiet, beautiful, natural spaces in our hectic, noisy, crowded world. COVID‐19 has us working from home and the need for more green spacious areas for families to grow in. Stop the heavy development. Our kids need room for growth, running room & gardens to grow and eat from. Also, less construction waste in the landfills. Stop the over development. It’s no good for anyone. Tightly crowded areas can make people anxious and crime increases.

We purposefully moved to the Town of Verona to have the open green space and forests found naturally here. Our current development (Woods at Watch Hill) also includes limits on the amount of each lot that can be developed in order to preserve the natural elements. We did consult the ToV Comprehensive plan before purchasing which is why we were comfortable with our decision. This new proposal of high-density housing is exactly the opposite of rural.

I come from a small town in Wisconsin (Rosendale, sorry for the ticket) and living in the town of Verona truly feels like home to me. I drive down narrow country roads now much like my mother drove me down narrow country roads to get to school. The proposed development of the Marty Property threatens the local agrarian community of Verona and will turn Hometown USA into another homogeneous suburb. I worry that the increased traffic on Woods Rd, Shady Oak Ln and others will endanger members of the community that walk and bike on these roads for leisure and exercise. The local wildlife of deer and turkeys will be forced into more competition for less food threatening crop yields of our already struggling local farmers. The proposed development is greedy seeks to take advantage of a housing bubble in the short term while failing to consider the consequences of the community in the long term.

Proposed plan is contrary to boundary agreement

The density of this proposed project is way beyond what the Town of Verona and its residents considered when developing the Comprehensive Plan. This is a rural area and should be treated accordingly.

Preservation of a more rural landscape is vitally important to residents of both the Town and the City.

I live here because of the quiet, rural atmosphere. A large development at my doorstep would ruin that. Please consider the character of our community and reduce the congestion.

There are developments going up everywhere in our area! I live where I do because I value privacy, Forestry, nature, and peace and quiet. We need more nature! Not more crammed together houses and apartment complexes! As everything around us becomes more developed, it’s important to save the space as we can and keep those as natural as possible. I moved to the town of Verona because I value what it stood for, and this huge development goes against all of that.

People deserve privacy and green space and yards. Houses built so close together deny people their dignity. You get one chance to do this right. Don’t mess up dividing up another beautiful piece of our earth.

Another Veridian neighborhood doesn’t mean affordable homes. It means having a bunch of houses built on top of each other and losing the beautiful farm/natural habitats for many animals and wildlife. This land could be preserved for those that live near and want to walk trails or mountain bike. Veridian doesn’t equal affordable as I believe many have lost touch on. Homes will be $400,000 plus unless they are a twin home that shares a wall that is currently being priced around $359,900. That doesn’t solve our housing problem it merely throws more of the same on another beautiful area of land that soon our city won’t have much of. Look to the Nakoma subdivision as proof that an Arboretum can bring so many people together and after all of these years it’s a staple of the area and really the whole city. I hope you’ll consider what I’m saying and what others are asking you to consider.

As more green space is developed, preserving the existing character of rural space through conscientious development is critical. I’m not opposed to development; I am, however, hoping such development can be achieved in a manner that keeps as much green space intact and doesn’t overburdened the already taxed road infrastructure in the existing neighborhood that already serves as a high‐use recreational road.

Balancing the rural nature of our community with planned growth is critical to our quality of life and property values. Although we were strategic in our search when we moved here and purchased a home in 2015, we’re already wondering if we’ll need to move in the future to avoid what appears to be unbridled growth around us. We currently pass two farms on our way home from Madison and I’ve stopped and told them both how much we appreciate what they do and how lucky we are to be able to live in proximity to their farms. It’s likely our rural feel will soon be a mere memory. I’m guessing it won’t be long before they sell their land to developers. What a shame.

Because we love Verona and want to preserve some of our quickly disappearing green space by the housing growth that our infrastructure has not caught up to, nor can handle. We already moved once due to a very tightly packed Veridian neighborhood that made our former home very unpleasant. Veridian can only think of more ways to sell, sell, and profit and doesn’t give a damn about long‐term residents quality of life. They’ve been panting over that Marty property for decades now. Elected officials, please help!!!

Conservancy is important. We need to protect the land we have. Thank you

Conservation subdivisions allow for housing growth, while preserving some semblance of a rural environment.

Dane County is already overdeveloped and this just seems like greed.

Dense development limits open space for animals and habitat. Farmland or conservation development better supports habitat.

Developers are constantly purchasing land to build and the city keeps expanding. Preserve our green space when we can!

Development around me has impacted wildlife in a detrimental way. Natural habitats are given no consideration by the Veridian developers. They leave very little green space. I didn’t move to this subdivision to eventually live in a sea of houses. It’s devastating to see how little Madison cares about land preservation. It’s disappointing that a once progressive city has lost its values to big developments for tax revenue

Development is like cancer metastasizing.

Driving through rural areas in between subdivisions is one of the major draws to this area. If I wanted dense overpopulation I’d look downtown Madison.

Hello Parks, open natural lands are very important part of everyday,s life and needed for sustainable development of the community. That’s the reason I am supporting this petition.

I am in the process of purchasing a rural lot nearby on Prairie Circle in the Town. The dense residential areas are creeping too far from the city where they are more acceptable. Let some areas remain with some rural character. Veridian is so repetitive and there’s already too many Veridian developments in the area hurting the local image and sense of place.

I bought my home because of the rural atmosphere and if I wanted to be in an over developed area I would have bought in Madison.

I enjoy biking through this area and would hate to see it all built up with none of the current rural ambience.

I grew up in Verona. I grew up with a Marty. I would ride my bike by there. Land preservation is important to me. Too much traffic back there as it is!

I have seen extensive development in my neighborhood and mourn the loss of wildlife and farm views. It’s important to preserve the green spaces we have.

I like knowing that the animals have a place to live, that is away from busy streets and intersections. The wildlife is peaceful to watch, and WAAAAAY less NOISE POLLUTION!!

I live in a conservation style community in Oregon. It’s why we chose to build our house here. We visited the community by the new Fitchburg elementary school (Oregon school district) which was Traditional development. It was AWFUL! The houses were right on top of one another and clearly multiple developers had scattered plots, as each house had different designs, not all uniformish looking on a few lots in a row. It was marketed as a green neighborhood, which Initally excited us, but it was truly all marketing. No views, places for my child to play, and very limited visibility on the cross streets because of so many houses on top of each other. I wouldn’t feel safe raising kids in a neighborhood like this because cars could easily hit them. Stop with the Traditional development model in the suburbs. Oregon doesn’t like it, Verona doesn’t like it.

I live in the Town of Verona in a green belt area. Maintaining these wild areas are very important to me and my family.

I live on the other side of Elver Park ‐ just off Gammon Rd. It is always a pleasure to walk in Elver or bike out to Marty Rd. and see the farmland and wildlife. I hope this can be preserved.

I want to help preserve the rural character of our area. Veridian developments are too densely packed, unattractive communities. Please practice responsible planning and preserve the green belt.

I want to help reduce urban sprawl. Veridian developments are lower quality, densely packed homes that will contribute to environmental decline/degradation of the rural character of our area.

I want to preserve the benefit of the rural feel of this area of Verona.”

I would like to keep the rural, small‐town feel of Verona. One of the reasons we moved here was to live in a city that is separate from Madison.

I’ve lived in the area over 15 yrs. and would love to see this conservation development vs. traditional close together homes in Veridian neighborhoods. Better for all, existing and new home owners to be preserving more of the natural environment.

It is important that we retain the green spaces in our neighborhoods and not overpopulate with buildings that block the beauty of our green spaces with lovely views and places to look out on beautiful vistas. Also, the more green spaces we have will help to promote cleaner air as the plants help to reduce pollution and help create more oxygen. Don’t we all need that to survive well in this community? I urge you to reject overdevelopment, specifically the Marty Project at this time. We need to maintain our open spaces in our communities. Please adopt a more reasonable plan to keep adjoining farm and forest lands as rural classification.

It is too crowded in this area already. Veridian Homes puts too many Homes to the acre and as already developed alot of the farmland that 17 years ago when we moved here was rural. The roads are too narrow. Wildlife is leaving the area and the beauty of the area is gone.

It is very critical to avoid having such concentrated areas of population around natural waterways. It is irresponsible guardianship of nature and natural resources.

Land and wildlife preservation

Moved to the area 6 years ago and am very concerned about the rapid development taking place with little attention paid to preservation and green space planning. It’s out of control and destroying the natural beauty of the area. Make it stop please. Or at the least approve a plan that considers much less density.

My father still lives in that area, Ken Grosse on Raymond rd. I want to preserve the area as best we can.

My location is very close to the proposed development. We’ve taken farmland on the corner of Mid town and Hwy M. Enough, please!

Open green spaces are essential for quality of life. We are very concerned about the development encroaching on our lifestyle.

Please stop overdevelopment of this land. It will be detrimental long term for the whole community. More is not better—in fact, over time it will be a lot worse in many ways for Verona.

Preservation of green space in a city is important…as well as houses with space between them and lots of green space. House after house crammed together does not create a community…developers are interested in profit, not the well being of residents .

Preservation of more open land spaces, along with over populating.

Preservation of natural spaces, ecology, minimize “take over” by large developers

Preservation of our natural resources

Preservation. Traffic problems.

Preserves habitat and makes the community more ecological.

Preserving the rural and agricultural areas are important for the land and animals surrounding the area b. They were promised a certain type of development when they purchased homes. To go against that and over development the area is dangerous. It’s best to preserve the area and protect nature and agriculture together.

Preserving/conserving some farmland/green space in the neighborhood is important to us to maintain some semblance of a rural quality of life. Approving the current proposal would result in a marked increase in housing density in our area.

Ps‐ I’m sorry I didn’t finish my last one… please add this to the end of my last entry. It’s already way too much and this would be immensely over the top

Sent 5/10/21 to Adam Sayre, City Administrator for the City of Verona, to be read at the initial Common Council meeting on this topic. Subject: Initial review to develop approximately 142‐acres of land with 74 carriage lane accessed homes, 218 street accessed homes, 16 twin homes, and 92 Haven twin homes located north of CTH PD and west of Shady Oak Lane called the Marty property I am writing to submit my comments regarding this subject. I oppose the proposed development for these reasons: 1.) The property is in the township and the Town wants to stay rural 2.) The density is much too high 3.) The development is too far from the city* 4.) The removal of valuable farmland If the Marty family wants to sell their land, I understand. But if there must be a compromise, I would be in favor of fewer houses per acre ‐ less than half of what is proposed (as this is listed as a low‐density area on the Verona Future Land Use plan). I hope the Common Council considers these points when making their decisions. *Premature development at the urban fringe, or development with less than a full range of urban services, should be restricted to allow for development at urban densities with full services at the appropriate time. *Develop compact urban communities by seeking opportunities to develop or redevelop vacant or underutilized properties within the community before converting undeveloped land at the edges of the community to urban uses. Thank you ‐ Kim Guthrie Town of Verona

Shady Oak is one of the most beautiful streets in Dane County, an important resource for Verona. We need to preserve these beautiful areas surrounding Verona to keep Some of the special aspects of Verona. The sugar river is home to many cranes, deer, turkey, foxes, and more and high-density housing would eliminate some of the little remaining animal habitat along the Sugar River in this part of Dane County. Lower density housing in Zone B will preserve the rural look bikers all over the county have come to love, as well, especially considering the Ironman goes along this route.

Simply stated: the identity of our neighborhood will be transformed from a rural area with beautiful, natural views to a congested, high‐traffic neighborhood for the sake of property taxes and developer fees.

The amount of development in this area since I’ve been here for the past 6 years has been more than anywhere I have ever lived that I can recall. It’s been so rapid and it’s been constant. I have immense concern for the wildlife because it seems that they are being displaced from their habitats so rapidly (hence the bear in Middleton this year probably). There are protected species that live out here. Not to mention all the trees that are being chopped down to make way for these developments and the environmental repercussions of that.

The excessive urban sprawl that is the norm for most midwestern cities is a bane on our natural landscape, as well as taxpayer and city infrastructure support. Long term costs for water/sewer are problematic as well as the sprawl for additional winding roads for snow/brush removal. Water sheds should not be ignored either and adding more lawns and less dense foliage along with pavement and rooftops will not improve water handling. Not to mention that the point of most of the folks living further out of town is to enjoy the beautiful scenery. Ideally this would be a conservancy for more forest/prairie, but the conservative and denser but less homes development allows the area to better serve the need for human housing but preventing the destruction of the natural beauty we have in our midwestern towns. I urge you to prevent an overdeveloped housing district and encouraging condensed developments or upward expansions in the city.

The Marty property as it is, is an iconic setting of what rural Dane country was. I would hope that a new development would incorporate the farm look. Red and white looks great against the Prairie and floodplain setting

The overdevelopment of land creates a long-term declining return on investment for a short term gain to public coffers. Meanwhile, the developer reaps profits and leaves the community to deal with the consequences. In as little as 10 years these concentrated developments can become run down and underserviced.

The preservation of green space is an important consideration that should be given priority in any development planning.

The proposed Marty property development will completely transform our existing neighborhood. The rural lifestyle we all enjoy will be replaced with high traffic, loud noises, and a sprawling concrete complex. The primary reason we moved to this neighborhood will be negated if this project goes through.

The views, the greenspace, farmland, plant and animal life all contribute to a positive, healthy quality of life, and these are what make Wisconsin uniquely beautiful. Large trees, prairies and farm views are being pushed out…

There are a number of developments like these occurring in the area particularly in Madison Sun Prairie and Waunakee. Why do we have to destroy another part of the beautiful area we live in with a very dense development?

There needs to be a balance between development and preservation of wild space. There are too many cookie cutter dense developments that eliminate open space for wildlife and human enjoyment.

This area is far too built up. Essentially what Veridian is doing is ripping out beautiful mature trees and throwing up house after house. Wildlife will soon have nowhere to go and the area will be more and more congested with people. We are losing what makes this land beautiful. I’m entirely against another development going up.

This will destroy this beautiful rural setting, and the environment.

To keep our new developments from being a cookie cutter, overcrowded neighborhoods. Jam packed homes into large area will create problems for traffic, roads, green space, noise, quality of life.

Too many new homes have tiny lots and are crammed together. Children and people need open space filled with forests and prairie for mental health and wellbeing and to give wildlife space to move and make homes.

Too much density

Urban/suburban sprawl is not an ideal economic solution for increasing the Town’s tax base for those of us who are concerned about the well being of our families ‐ the air quality, the noise pollution, the safety, the culture and values that will all change with this proposed expansion. It may be difficult to choose to put community values over corporate interests (i.e., Epic), but there ARE other alternatives.

Veridian communities are much too dense, which is poor for the environment as well as wildlife and the homes occupants. They strip the land of every living thing prior to development, rather than planning a neighborhood around existing groves of trees and land contours.

We already lost so much country land when Epic moved in and now we are losing even more with the already approved North Neighborhood. Here we are again looking at yet another new huge development. When will it stop?

We are sick of seeing all of the spaces in our community being filled with Veridian after Veridian neighborhood. As far as we know they take and take from our communities and do not give back to our schools or road repairs after their trucks damage them and leave taxpayers to absorb the cost. Enough is enough.

We can’t believe all the traffic on rural roads in and around Verona. So much pressure is being put on rural roads!

We have lived in and around Verona for over 45 years and have always loved and treasured the rural feeling of Verona. The beauty of the green rolling hills, farms, many old trees, and open spaces are much needed in today’s world. Please keep the charm and legacy of a “rural community “ that Verona has provided for decades. The surrounding cities and towns are fast losing this to the overpopulated, crowded tiny Veridian homes that are populating our previous remaining open spaces like mushrooms. We need to be conscientious in the development of the community of Verona so future generations will have the privilege of enjoying this uniquely beautiful area.

We need green spaces for our mental well being

We need to preserve the rural beauty and not allow dense urban sprawl disturb that

We need to save the rural farm land. Verona and Madison has too many housing development

We would love to keep the natural agriculture to the area. We have already seen so many developments of hundreds of homes and apartment buildings take over beautiful farm land and natural land it is becoming overwhelming to see all of these developments. Also, the wildlife then loses their areas of habitats and move towards other areas. We are also moving to a 14 acre property that will be very close this location and chose this location for it’s natural beauty and would strongly prefer to not have to look at another Veridian subdivision of hundreds of homes.

We’re in this area for the rural beauty and not the over development of our city.

While it is important to provide housing options, the ones that will be produced by Veridian will be priced too high for many seeking housing options in Madison. We need to remember to preserve our wildlife. Conservation is an extremely important part of city planning, this should not be forgotten.

Allowing a big dense housing development on Hwy. PD and Shady Oak is an absolute travesty! Beautiful piece of land being destroyed for pure profit. Put it in the city of Madison if you want to look at it every day. Thank you.

As a resident of the Verona Area School District, I am against the Marty Property Development. What are the short and long term effects of its impacts on the environment?

Because we love Wisconsin, and we want to keep it beautiful with all of it green areas.

Conservation of land and animal habitat

Conserving natural areas is of utmost importance. It’s good for wildlife to protect creatures and pollinators, but it’s good for humans, too. There are many studies showing the mental and physical health benefits of living near nature.

Development should be integrated with natural environments. Green cover percentage should be evaluated for development.

I am concerned that a development of this type will cause destruction of natural habitats as well as increase noise pollution, light pollution, traffic and impact the lives of people already living in the area.

I am really concerned about the environmental and social impact of overdevelopment. We moved to the area because we wanted to be surrounded by farmland and wildlife in a quieter community. I’m worried what would happen to our groundwater, flora and fauna (including bees), safety of the roads for activities like biking, etc. The original town plan was created with responsible use of land and conserving the green belt in mind and should not be changed unless absolutely unavoidable, but there is a good alternative proposed.

I believe crowded subdivisions are an eye sore. I understand having to expand but believe it can be done with the a little taste environment in mind. Viridian and companies like them only care about profit and how much they can squeeze out of every little piece of property. If these housing developments crowd homes as they do Verona will look no different than Madison. Why not build high rises!! This is a rural area and that needs to be kept in mind.

I do not want the greenbelt nearby my house over developed. I bought my house because of this feature and it will ruin my love of this area.

I feel that multi‐resident housing is exploding in the Madison area and is now hitting Verona. Keeping the resident population restricted will have positive effects on the environment and overall quality of life for those already living here (I.e., less traffic, less noise, less competition for local resources).

I hate to see beautiful farmland turned into cookie cutter subdivisions.

I love the farms and fields of Wisconsin. When I moved to the back half of Hawk’s Landing in 2005 we had farms and cornfields surrounding our neighborhood. Now the rate of development on our area is startling! Developments have shot up all around us in the past 3‐5 years. Traffic has tripled! A long term comprehensive plans needs to be developed before any more high density neighborhoods go up. We are losing what makes Wisconsin beautiful.

I ride my bike past the Marty Farm once or twice a week. It has always reminded me of my Mom’s dairy farm homestead in rural Indiana. I always stop, share a message to my Mom in heaven, take a picture, and move on. The farm is a beautiful reminder of rural family life.

I want to see the character, and the environmental impact of the area preserved. We have so many huge big‐ box apartment and condo developments all over this area. We need much better regulation of how development happens. The modified proposal is a much better fit than the 400‐lot development.

It is overly dense development. While it is understandable that the developers of this property wish to maximize their financial gain, the public bears the degraded environment forever afterwards. The Town and City of Verona both recognized the need for and agreed on limits specific density limits for this area. That understanding should hold.

It is utterly appalling to me that the Marty Farm area could be ravaged by a Veridian Home development. It is such a lovely corridor that I happened to have travelled for years en route to work. To think of it being overtaken by the very unappealing, cookie‐cutter homes that Veridian throws up, just makes me want to, well, throw up. They have plundered the landscape over the years and enough us enough. If I lived very near, I would be even more upset. This potential scourge of such a beautiful little section of farmland/greenspace would be beyond disheartening. Is there no end to the myopia and greed of big developers? I surely hope this attempt to despoil such a pretty area near Midtown Road and South Gammon Road will be thwarted…L.Schindler

More green area around our homes

More green areas around our homes.

Nature and all of its beauty is a finite resource. While housing is important, let’s create responsibly for ourselves and our planet.

Need to keep some areas rural for wildlife

No comment

Northern Virginia is us in 50 years. The urban sprawl is an environmental disaster due to the lack of greenery in between house after house after house after house. Neighborhoods that densely populated are not sustainable. I lived in Germany for three years and every neighborhood has a green patch between it and the next. Is a critical area for residents to enjoy life and the environment.

Not preserving the green space that is already part of the existing agreement.

Our world is on fire!!! The last thing we need to do is destroy needed green space. Obviously, that was known in 2016…. So greed is the only reason for this to have changed. Please protect this space.

People need green space for their mental health. Overpopulation and sprawl is bad for everyone. Thoughtful planning with plenty of wild spaces is a gift we can give to future generations. Animals, both wild and domesticated (dogs) appreciate it too!

Please don’t set precedent to destroy Green belt that separates Verona from Madison. This enclosed plan strikes reasonable balance between preservation and growth and will allow Verona to maintain an identity of its own (instead of blending into the sprawl).

Preservation of rural and natural areas is key for reducing climate change.

Preserve green space and natural views

Preserving our wildlife in the Madison area is essential. We are seeing the effects of climate change and conservation is essential. In order to preserve the beauty of the Madison area we need to limit development.

Stay true to the original zoning, upon which many have purchased homes out here. Increasing to such a high density will have ramifications way beyond this parcel. Please keep it zoned for low‐density only.

That area is not suitable for more housing and people. It’s only 1 road, it would cause even more congestion. Let’s preserve the green, the farmland, and what makes that area so great. We don’t need to be a huge sprawling concrete city. It’s saddening.

The beauty of the area is being destroyed to build subdivisions. We have enough subdivisions. Our schools are crowded. The roads are more congested. There aren’t enough stores to support the community. The beauty of the area that drew us to move here is being taken away. It’s enough.

The development should be limited to the original planning

The incredibly dense housing that Veridian continues to build has a negative impact on the land and the wildlife that live here. We need to conserve the woodlands and farmlands. We also need to respect the rural community who lives here. We do not want hundreds of homes at our back door.

The proposed development plan would over develop this land and would not sufficiently preserve the green, rural views that makes this area so beautiful and desirable in which to live.

The reduction of green space in suburban areas increases toxins in our environment creating challenges with pollution. WE ARE OUT OF TIME PEOPLE! One earth, our responsibility! Moving to crowded suburban areas does not reflect us being responsible.

The Town Comprehensive Plan should be adhered to

There are so many apartment complexes and densely packed subdivisions going in that we are losing all of the green space in the area.

This is a gross violation of the agreement the city made with us home owners.

This is an overdevelopment of the land

This property has historical significance, which would be decimated by high‐concentration development.

This will increase traffic in a small rural road increasing danger to kids and bikers in the area. Along with increasing pollution as green areas will be decreasing hurting our eco system.

This will only increase pollution and endanger the green areas we have around impacting our eco system in the long run. It will heavily impact traffic as well making it unsafe for the kids, bikers and runners as it’s a very small rural road.

To preserve our greenbelt.

Verona is growing too fast.

Verona is totally growing out of control.. this project does not consider the much needed green space that makes this community so special.. Wildlife needs are never considered.. How many of our residences are being invaded by Racoon, ground hogs, possums and others that are running out of their territories..

Verona needs to keep some green areas that are not developed and turned into yet another housing development! I grew up in Verona and every time I drive by what used to be a farm it seems like there are houses being built there. It saddens me that my children will not get to experience driving past farms or down country roads here in Verona because all of it is being turned into residential neighborhoods.

We are losing to much green space!

We are losing way too much countryside to dense housing already. It is a breath of fresh air to drive out near Marty farm and not see compact residential mixed use complexes or solid roofs in every direction. It’s balm for the city soul.

We feel it is important to see developments of larger lot sizes as a transition between more urban areas and rural farmlands.

We feel that it is important to retain some larger lot size developments as a transition between more urban development and rural fam areas.

We moved to the town of Middleton specifically near Verona to avoid the sea of sameness that is now gradually encroaching our property. We’ve lived in Arizona and witnessed what track housing does to communities and would like to avoid those pitfalls in our community.

We must preserve farmland from its trend of diminishing everyday. When the farm economy diminishes the ripple effect is enormous: food production is critical to our means; Agricultural land is what the Wisconsin brand is known for; a key renewable and self‐sustaining asset to our communities that assist with clean air, quality soil, stable weather patterns, etc.

We need some division between development and free spaces

We need to preserve and improve our air quality rural areas support this. Population density also ultimately leads to increased crime.

We need to preserve our farmland and the beauty of Wisconsin. People want to live here for that reason— otherwise we’d live in California where it’s very over built . It used to be beautiful there too !! More building means higher taxes bc we need more schools, police, roads…. Follow the money I know — it’s a crime !!

We need to preserve wide areas for birds and other wildlife, not to mention to preserve the reason most of us move to smaller communities. Keep the character of Verona.

While I understand the growth of this area, and the right of sellers to make money, the density of this project will ruin the beauty of the area, and displace more wildlife than is already happening with less density projects. The water sourcing needs and run‐off issues with such a project will ruin this band of land forever……irreversible.

Covering this beautiful space with row after row of tightly spaced houses surrounded by concrete is thoughtless use of this beautiful land that is currently habitat to birds & other species of wildlife. The proposed concrete jungle provides no balance with this natural environment that provides immense benefit to quality of life for all.

Creating Conservation developments are a great way to “have our cake and eat it too” ‐ I live in an area that I moved to specifically to both enjoy and help preserve rural atmosphere ‐ I own a chunk of land and most of it is only used by nature. A conservation developments benefit not only nature, but the whole community as it conserves land, not only for recreation and wildlife use, but also for ground water cleaning and aquifer recharge, for carbon retention, for stormwater management, and to reduce negative human impacts on the environment that we all depend on and live in.

I am very concerned about the amount of traffic this will bring to our rural road. The speed of the road is already an issue for the walkers and bikers. Looking at the plan of packed housing I can only wonder at the lack of thought. Will there be a traffic light on PD? The curve on Shady Oak Lane is dangerous as it is, the idea that there is a plan for 400 PLUS cars to have entrance and exit at this corner is frankly scary.

I live near this area and I like the rural aspect. I don’t care to see these overpack neighborhoods encroaching on this rural area.

It’s time to think outside the box of how we develop neighborhoods going forward. I challenge elected officials to not think about the economics and choose a path where humans can better integrate with nature.

We have loved the small town feel of Verona after living in the congestion of Ann Arbor. I you keep allowing builders to cram houses on the beautiful landscape of Verona it tells me that you are willing to killjoy only those who love this but taking away habitat of variety of birds of prey and other wildlife. We are totally against allowing congested building oaths property. It’s not necessary.

We own a home nearby and are strongly against this development. Adding all these large homes on tiny lots is visually unappealing and has the effect of invading our rural surroundings. We love this area for its peace and quiet, wildlife and natural habitats. This development will bring traffic, people and noise which will diminish our quality of life and peaceful enjoyment of our home and neighborhood. We are already very disappointed in all the developments in the valley view and Mineral Point areas that are encroaching on our spaces. Please do not allow this development to occur and help us preserve the quiet, peace and beautiful natural surroundings we appreciate and enjoy about this area.

We need to maintain greenery and trees to fight climate change.

My concern is the existing traffic flow in this area already with EPIC employees. Planning for this increased pressure should also be considered.

Prairie and green belt preservation. Clean air and low crime.

They to stop over populating areas and not building the area to support the amount of people living there

One of my favorite parts of living in Verona is the proximity to farmland and rolling hills. We intentionally picked a home near the edge of town in a less dense area and this would greatly increase population density and remove significant visual appeal to the farmland that is there now.

I currently live in the Town of Verona, despite my Madison address. I spent my entire childhood living in Fitchburg, then moving to Verona my freshman year of high school to get away from a quickly developing area (at the time). When I came back from my first year of college in 2003, the town began to look almost unrecognizable. Epic went up and that was it. I can barely afford to live in this community anymore, and I am sure I am not the only local person in that situation. Thanks 😊

I’ve been in my home for 53 years, when this was “country”! In the last 10 years there has a ton of development, damaging so many trees, farmland, forest, nature, wildlife that is terrible. The township is so overdeveloped that it’s becoming detrimental. Development must be limited for the sake of the town and its residents…..Please!

I feel like there are other areas in Verona that are being developed and be more suitable for a neighborhood development. This area is further out and the rolling hills and farmlands need to be preserved. Consider establishing a park, green space, nature preserve. On a side not, it’s probably impossible to stop the big headed Veridian monster from taking over more farmland acres and building quick structurally crappy houses but it would be smart to slow them down on many fronts.

I believe in preserving green spaces in a rapidly urbanizing area.

Every time I drive through a “rural part” of the area and see new development going up, I am sickened. We moved here 26 years ago, when there was a lot more open land, which was so delightful. I don’t understand why it seems every beautiful piece of land needs to be filled with housing. Especially apartments, which seem to be overkill. Where are all these people coming from?! (besides Epic!) Speaking of Epic, we should follow their example of conservation; they are committed to only using 25% of the land they purchased, in the name of conservation. Please do the same!!

We moved from the Cathedral Point Veridian neighborhood in city of Verona to the township because it lost its aesthetic appeal when the Woods at Cathedral Point annex was created, lining Range Trail with housing units instead of trees. I think houses or townhomes bordering or connected to Shady Oak will be a problem both for traffic and aesthetically. Shady Oak already sees significant bike and car traffic and is a narrow, winding road with many blind spots. I don’t see how it can handle the increased traffic without delays and accidents.

Density is too extreme. Wildlife habitat loss is a big concern. Increased traffic will require major road issues.

Farm land is an important part of our neighborhoods. While I am for progress, we should have a mix of farm land and housing development. Plus the traffic patterns are becoming a problem.

I live near and work in Verona and often shop there. My children are in VASD. It’s important to preserve the city’s character and to balance the need for growth with reasonable consideration for environmental impacts. The proposed development would do damage that can never be undone, both to the city of Verona and to the earth.

I live near the Marty Farm. The Last thing we need is more development that will destroy what little nature we have in this area. At present we can walk and enjoy the area without the noise of too much traffic. This is about the almighty buck and greed and I am quite tired of the deceit. You are already putting up a new development on Hy M and we lost beautiful land and trees. I am against any more development in the area.

Land preservation is critical to our wellness. There is enough development all around this area.

Maintain the rural integrity of the landscape and build something that is more suited for the area.

One of the beauties of Wisconsin is its rolling hills and farmland. We need to preserve our raw beauty and nature. The more urbanization, the more climate change will change our world. Let’s do our part to preserve some of the green pastures, to protect the environments for wildlife and bees. Stop the urban/suburban sprawl.

Preserve the rural scenery, the addition of all of these homes will increase the traffic and will make it unsafe for people biking/exercising on this road.

Preserving natural area improves life quality for humans, other species and our home, earth!

that area is being over‐developed, way too many houses going in.

The rural area not only provides cleaner air and a sense of beauty, but it also allows people to feel more freedom and less claustrophobic from their neighbors. It gives residents trails on which to exercise and a sense of relief from being stuck indoors as Covid has forced. Please keep our area clean and green!

This is a country area and such a large concentrated development will destroy the area and harm the wildlife. Also can you start requiring development to implement less lighting to decrease light pollution?

To help manage the number of homes built. This is such a beautiful area and would urge Veridian to allow for larger lots and less homes.

We built our home here 10 years ago for the peaceful, rural atmosphere. This proposed development would be a huge setback for our community and it’s natural beauty.

We cannot keep selling off the farmland. We must keep farmers in business to supply the food for communities. The animals cannot continue to be pushed into smaller areas to live. People must repurpose older homes.

We feel there has been such an increase in housing and little consideration for the stress this puts on the schools. We want to maintain the small town feel and developing the community by increasing bike paths, building restaurants that we can walk to, small town shops and community.

We live where we do because we don’t want an urban environment. We like living and playing and biking through the rolling scenic hills of WI ‐ we didn’t grow up here, but have lived here 25 years. There is a time and place for Don Simon/Veridian type neighborhoods and we don’t feel the Marty Peoperty makes sense for this kind of super dense construction. Valley View Rd is the perfect example and the 1000 Homes vs 1000 Oaks neighborhood. That neighborhood is completely altering this section of the greater city. It’s cheap construction for a big price. The homes flood and leak and don’t hold up. It means having to bus kids a far distance to school. It means increased traffic on roads not meant or set up for increased traffic flow. It’s homes in a slightly bizarre location with no nearby resources ‐ not even a vast station. Yet, anyways. Please consider the conservation type communities and/or build in the urban environment where people go to live in neighborhoods with small yards and lots of traffic.

We moved here four years ago for the open, rural, peaceful atmosphere. We loved the woods, fields, farms and wildlife‐‐a wonderful uncrowded space. Now the area is quickly being overrun by unsightly cookie‐cutter subdivisions, and the country‐type road system, designed for a smaller population, is already being overwhelmed by additional traffic.

We need to maintain conservation subdivisions to preserve green belt areas.

The proposed Veridian development contains more density than that area can handle. Even with the improvements to Hwy M and PD in that area, traffic will be dangerously congested on PD and Midtown, to say nothing about Woods Rd. and Shady Oak Lane itself.

I live within 15 miles of Verona and witnessing the development in the Verona area is VERY concerning. We need to preserve land for wildlife and over development is becoming an issue surrounding Verona. I’m signing for the mere fact of trying to conserve the woods and wildlife for our future (my kids) to enjoy. My grandfather used to say “you watch at some point in the near future, Verona and Madison will be connected.” Boy was he spot on. And I understand we need to build for the economy but when is enough enough?

I live just off PD/S Pleasant View. I do go walk on the trails at PD & Nine Mound Rd. L love the green space and country feeling out there!

The plan is excessive.

The area being proposed is a beautiful and delicate valley which sustains hundreds of wild turkey, dozens of deer and countless birds. Overpopulation is already occurring in areas north and adjacent to Valley View (by Veridian). We need to protect some portions of the Town of Verona from overdevelopment and overpopulation.

Too many neighborhoods going up west of Verona

preserve nature !

Would like to preserve the beauty of the rural lands and limit traffic

Everything stayed about is why! Why take more land away, it’s ridiculous all the apartments or house going up taking away land, animals home etc

My husband and I moved to this area 3 years ago to escape the noise, congestion, and traffic of the near west side. We were told that the zoning was very strict and would not allow large developments with numerous houses per acre. This development goes against everything we moved here for and completely violates the zoning of the town of Verona. This would absolutely ruin everything that we love about living out here.

We are interested in preserving farm and forest lands while allowing for more reasonable growth.