Envisioning a public-private waterfront greenway effort in Deerfield | Cambridge News / Deerfield Independent

Of all the inquiries neighbors made to Lakestone Properties, developer of the planned Autumn Wood Apartments in Deerfield, last week, this one seemed particularly possible: that it should work with the village to plan more green spaces there.

The neighbors partially concentrated on which green spaces could be made available for private use by the residents of the residential complex. But they also expressed their dismay that the long undeveloped property from the Autumn Wood Parkway to a village pond is finally being built on and access to the water is being cut off.

Lakestone Properties intends to build 5 buildings with a total of 55 apartments. It would offer a mix of 1, 2 and 3 bedrooms.

In the urging of neighbors to make the pond accessible to the public, we see broad potential for village and private cooperation and investments in a publicly accessible green path by the water.

We see the potential to connect the new homes and surrounding neighborhoods on the west side of the pond to 3.3 acres of undeveloped land on the east bank of the pond that extends to State Highway 73 and is zoned for freeway use is.

The connection of the apartments, the existing neighborhood and the motorway industrial site could not require anything more complicated than an easement, a short footpath, a simple footbridge and some benches and plantings.

The result could be a desirable green walkway that will satisfy homeowners in the Autumn Wood Parkway area, be attractive to prospective tenants, and create a walkable connection to a now vacant commercial park that is about to be incremented with the coming financial dollars of council tax.

The Highway business property is privately owned by a group of Deerfield real estate owners, collectively registered as Deerfield Downs, Inc. With a conditional use permit, parkland would be allowed that could open the door to public green spaces.

Dane County’s property records include Deerfield Downs, Inc., 33 N. Main St., Deerfield, the REMAX / Property Shop office.

The costs would of course be borne by the village and private landowners on both sides of the pond.

A potential public funding mechanism, tax increase funding, which could be used for this, is being created.

The village is in the process of forming a new TIF district that includes Lakestone Properties, Deerfield Downs and Deerfield Plaza, an aging mall in less than an acre, in addition to a substantial area east of State Highway 73, which has a variety of stores including Brown’s Heating and Air Conditioning and the Pickle Tree Restaurant.

The Deerfield Plaza site is owned by Jerry Brown, owner of Brown Heating and Air Conditioning.

A portion of the future TIF investments will go to Lakestone Properties as an incentive for developers.

There is certainly potential to use TIF dollars on new green spaces as well.

We see an opportunity for the village, Lakestone Properties and Deerfield Downs to work together to see how all three parcels could be connected to promote housing, business and recreation.

No one claims the pond is related to a major waterway like the Rock River. But that’s how close Deerfield comes to the picturesque, publicly accessible facade.

The village would be wrong not to think about how communities like Watertown and Jefferson have planned new housing and new public green spaces on their riverbanks, and not to think about how their concepts could be adapted on a small scale in Deerfield.

The time for this exploration is now before the developer’s contract with Lakestone Properties is signed and the Deerfield Downs site remains undeveloped.

Last week, residents of the Autumn Wood Parkway area showed they are committed to the future of their neighborhood and the future of the village. They asked for green spaces to be consciously included in the apartment plans.

We see a way to do this, and maybe more.

We hope that neighbors have sparked a new conversation about a future green space connection by the pond. We are curious to see where such a discussion could lead.