8/19/2009 12:41:00 PM Urban ag center proposed for former school
Mayor Jay Allen at the former Badger School. Allen initially proposed that the city acquire the site for use as a community center.
Ryan Dostalek ConnectFitchburg.com
If all goes according to plan, the former Badger School will be the site of a major initiative for intensive urban agriculture, featuring community gardens, rooftop greenhouses, edible landscapes, demonstration sites, renewable energy and more.
The proposal by the Center for Resilient Cities also involves a partnership with Milwaukee-based Growing Power, an internationally known program founded by Will Allen, who received a McArthur Genius Award in 2008 for an innovative program for food production for inner cities.
A partnership with Growing Power is "really a pretty big deal," said Tom Dunbar, executive director of the center.
Almost a year ago, Mayor Jay Allen suggested the city acquire the former school as a community center for the Southdale Neighborhood.
Under the current proposal, the Center for Resilient Cities would acquire the site as well as land owned by the City of Madison, which is now a stormwater detention pond.
Tentative plans for productive use of stormwater, perhaps by growing crops on platforms over the water..
The plan hinges on the center's option to purchase the school from the county for $500,000. The nonprofit group submitted its offer for the school and the four-acre site on Aug. 14. The county has indicated it wants to sell the property before the end of the year.
Dunbar, admitted these goals were ambitious, but said he viewed all of them as achievable until he found out otherwise.
"No one has combined these elements quite like this. Some organizations work with greenhouses, some with community gardens, some with renewable energy, and some with reclaiming stormwater but I don't know of any that address all of them," he said.
The site would serve both the Southdale Neighborhood and the Rimrock Neighborhood.
Other partners in the venture include the Madison Area Community Land Trust, which has built three neighborhoods, as well as a half-dozen single family homes around the city of Madison, and Community Groundworks.
Community Groundworks was formerly known as Friends of at Troy Gardens, which is a 31-acre urban site on Madison's east side that integrates mixed-income green-built housing, community gardens, an organic farm, and restored prairie and woodlands.
Community Groundworks, in cooperation with the Madison Area Community Land Trust and the Center for Resilient Cities, develops and manages Troy Gardens.
"It's as exciting as hell," said Greg Rosenberg, executive director of the Madison Area Community Land Trust. Rosenberg called the arrangement "a great partnership" but said it was far too early to speculate on what the future might hold.
"At this point, we don't even know if we're going forward," Rosenberg said, He hoped that the county would make a decision about the offer to purchase Badger School early next month.
Residents will be consulted
Dunbar said final plans would be developed only after consultation with neighborhood residents. The center usually wouldn't attempt to purchase land until after it had assessed residents' views, but had done so in this instance to meet the county's deadline.
Dunbar said he was also reassured by Fitchburg's involvement with residents during the formulation of its plans for the Southdale Neighborhood, which will be annexed by the city when the Town of Madison is dissolved.
Dunbar said there hadn't been time to approach Madison regarding possible purchase of adjacent land.
"I expect things to come together quickly" if the offer to purchase is accepted, Dunbar said. If that occurs, he said several other groups and organizations will participate in the endeavor.
"They (the Center for Resilient Cities) are the perfect people to do what we want at this site," said Allen, who has volunteered his help for the project.
Using several alternative forms of energy, including solar, wind and geothermal, may make the site a zero net importer of energy, Dunbar said.
Dunbar said they would conduct a comprehensive site assessment if they purchase the site, but he didn't anticipate any major environmental issues because the school has been located on the site since 1957.
"We're developing the capacity of people to respond to change in a positive way," Dunbar said.
He said the school would either be reused or recycled.
Drumlin Farm a separate issue
Dunbar said he didn't know if the project would replace community gardens at Drumlin Farm, which the Alexander Company wants to rezone for commercial use.
The Plan Commission considered the neighborhood plan for Southdale when it met Aug. 18.
An amendment endorsed by the Resource Conservation Commission would designate Drumlin Farm as a study area until a site for parkland was designated. At the Aug. 11 Common Council meeting, Ald. Steve Arnold said the amendment would merely delay rezoning of the site for commercial use.
There is also concern about preserving the Anderberg House, which was constructed in the early 1900s.
For views of the Anderberg House, go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/
