Developers outline 480‑acre Cross Plains plan with 18‑hole course, warn east connection may be deal breaker

Developers under contract for the site known as the Plastic Ingenuity property presented a concept plan for roughly 480 acres that would include about 470 residential lots, a championship 18‑hole golf course, and a separate 9‑hole short course.

Jeff Hain, who identified himself as a representative of the development team, said the firm ‘‘currently have the plastic ingenuity property under contract, all 480 acres.’’ He told the board the project team hopes to annex the property—starting with a proposed north 80 acres that lie inside the village urban service area—and then submit a preliminary plat for that area. The developers said roads could go in as early as late fall if approvals and market conditions line up.

The developers and village members outlined three principal constraints that would determine feasibility: steep slopes, the extent of tree removal required, and a connection to the east into the Town of Cross Plains neighborhood. Jeff Hain said the plan ‘‘basically need[s] 2 exits from each lot’’ and that without a road connection or a safety‑gate arrangement to the east ‘‘pretty much the white quarter ... all those lots would not be able to be developed.’’ He said the team generally would need to sell roughly 25 percent of lots before committing to build the golf course.

The presentation identified an 18‑hole championship course with clubhouse and range, a 9‑hole short course intended for casual play and putting events, and a mix of lot sizes. The developers said lot sizes would range from about 7,700 square feet to roughly 44,000 square feet, with roughly 100 homes placed on golf course frontage and golf course lots starting in price around $179,900 as a starting price point mentioned by the presenter.

Village trustees and residents raised infrastructure and policy questions. Trustees and staff asked about water service to higher elevations and said irrigation could rely on captured stormwater but might require a well or municipal water for backup. Traffic and emergency access were discussed at length: village staff said a traffic‑impact study is planned and that connections such as Birchwood Pass and Westview Court could need improvements if the development proceeds. A trustee suggested an emergency‑access or gated connection to Highway 14 might reduce the number of lots with only a single exit; developers said building a road over the steep slopes could cost an estimated $2–3 million and would likely interfere with the intended golf‑course layout.

Environmental and stormwater concerns were prominent. Developers said they had minimized lots and roads within mapped steep‑slope areas and expect to place limited golf course features in steep terrain (they estimated roughly 6 acres of the golf course footprint within steep slopes, with lesser grading). Village members reminded the developers of localized flooding in 2018 and called for thorough stormwater planning. The developers said they will work with the village engineer and prepare grading, tree‑clearing and stormwater plans; they also said deed restrictions would require owner approval for removal of significant trees from individual lots.

The discussion also covered housing mix. Several trustees urged inclusion of multifamily or duplex options; the developer replied that they ‘‘will not do condos as a developer’’ and characterized large‑scale condominium projects as economically risky for private builders. The board and staff suggested exploring smaller‑scale multifamily (duplexes or townhouses) in certain parts of the site.

The presentation was informational only; no formal approvals, motions or permits were requested or taken at the meeting. Village staff said the team would return for further hearings, and the village agreed to reach out to the Town of Cross Plains to clarify the possibility of a gated connection or other permanent agreement for east access.

The developers and staff also discussed potential trail connections and tourism synergies with village planning and the proposed golf course; trustees encouraged outreach to the school district about possible secondary access to the middle school and to create community amenities such as parks or a dog park in less developable areas.

Next steps identified in the meeting record include village‑initiated outreach to the Town of Cross Plains on east‑side access, preparation of a preliminary plat for the north 80 acres inside the urban service area if annexed, a scoped traffic study that will include the intersection of Highway 14 and Westview Road, and forthcoming engineering and stormwater plans for review by the village engineer.