I volunteered for the Housing Chapter Committee because I kept hearing the same question while talking with neighbors across Cottage Grove: where are people supposed to go next?
Seniors want to downsize but stay in Cottage Grove. Young families are looking for their first home. Teachers, public employees, and small business workers want the chance to live in the community they serve. Many are finding that the homes available today are not designed for their needs. They are often larger and more expensive than what they need or can afford.
The purpose of the Housing Chapter Committee is not to promote development. It is to help guide what the Village plans for in the future. Our work becomes part of the Comprehensive Plan, which signals the types of housing the community would like to see and where those housing types make sense over the long term.
As part of that effort, the committee sent a housing survey to residents across the community. The responses we received are helping guide our recommendations and making sure the plan reflects what residents are actually asking for.
What the committee confirmed, through both data and resident feedback, is that we are missing some key housing options. Not just large apartment buildings, but smaller scale housing choices that many residents said they want to see more of. These include small format single family homes, townhomes, condominiums, and housing options that allow seniors to age in place.
A major focus of our discussion has been expanding housing options for seniors. When seniors have opportunities to downsize within Cottage Grove, it allows them to stay in the community they helped build. It also opens up existing homes for the next generation of families, helping maintain stable neighborhoods and supporting long term community needs.
Another priority has been supporting starter homes and housing opportunities for first time buyers and young families. Smaller single family homes can provide an attainable entry point into homeownership and allow more families to put down roots in Cottage Grove.
This work is not about building for building’s sake. It is about planning ahead so Cottage Grove continues to be a place where families can settle, seniors can remain in the community, and the people who work here have options to live here as well.
Planning housing thoughtfully also supports the things residents consistently say they value: strong schools, accessible parks, community programs, and local businesses. These systems depend on long term planning that aligns housing growth with infrastructure, services, and financial sustainability.
One of my priorities as a trustee would be to review our zoning and development ordinances. Today, many of our rules are written in a way that favors larger lots and bigger homes. That limits opportunities for smaller homes that many residents are asking for, especially for seniors and first time buyers.
Reviewing those standards does not mean changing everything overnight. It means making sure our ordinances allow the types of housing our community has said it wants, in locations that make sense, with careful attention to infrastructure, services, and long term planning.
Cottage Grove is growing. The question is not whether growth happens, but how we guide it so it reflects resident input and supports the long term health of the community.
That is the work I have been part of on the Housing Chapter Committee, and that is the approach I will bring to the Village Board.
JP for Cottage Grove 