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UW studio, Karpsy present Door Creek greenway concept to Cottage Grove Plan Commission
Summary
A UW design studio led by a Karpsy lecturer proposed a Door Creek greenway to connect parks and trails and to manage stormwater across jurisdictions. The conceptual corridor would affect roughly 138 parcels, traverse about 107 parcels along Door Creek, and includes about four miles of corridor; implementation would require multi‑party coordination and possible land‑acquisition strategies.
Sean Higgins, a lecturer and Karpsy (Capital Area Regional Planning Commission) staff member, presented student studio work on April 8 that proposed a Door Creek greenway linking Cottage Grove, Madison and neighboring communities and using green infrastructure to manage stormwater and provide recreation.
Higgins framed the project as a regional planning exercise: "Natural systems don't care where the village ends," he said, urging cross‑jurisdictional collaboration. The students' mapping identified a potential continuous corridor of about four miles, with roughly 138 parcels along the alignment and Door Creek running through about 107 of those parcels; the presenter said about 32% of the corridor acreage is currently owned by the county, city or village.
Why it matters: Higgins emphasized that watershed‑scale planning and low‑impact development practices — rain gardens, native vegetation buffers and strategic land acquisition — can reduce flood peaks, protect water quality and provide recreational and cultural benefits. With climate change, Higgins said the frequency of high‑volume rainfall events is projected to increase, amplifying stormwater management challenges.
Highlights from the presentation and Q&A - Ecosystem services: Higgins discussed multiple benefits of green infrastructure — water quality, flood regulation, soil retention and cultural/recreational value — and urged systems‑level thinking beyond parcel boundaries. - Student analysis: the group's land‑acquisition map identified pinch points such as railroad and street crossings and estimated roughly 138 parcels in a continuous alignment, with about four miles of corridor and numerous wetlands and flood‑prone areas. - Acquisition strategies: Higgins and commissioners discussed tools including purchase of development rights and transfer of development rights as alternatives to outright municipal acquisition in order to preserve farmland and riparian corridors without full public purchase. - Planning next steps: Commissioners suggested incorporating corridor references into the village's comprehensive plan update and coordinating with neighboring jurisdictions and regional trail projects (Glacial Drumlin connector, Cannonball Trail).
Representative quote "Make big plans. Aim high in hope and work," Higgins said, urging the commission to note conceptual corridors in long‑range planning even if acquisition or construction is decades away.
Next steps Higgins recommended the village review neighboring long‑range plans and consider cross‑reference language during the comprehensive plan update and to pursue early conversations with adjacent jurisdictions and landowners if the village wishes to advance corridor coordination.
