Smart Growth:
The Creed Sports Complex

There’s been a lot of thoughtful conversation lately, both in person and online, about development and what “smart growth” really means. Many candidates have used that phrase, and I think it’s worth grounding it in a real, concrete example: the Creed Sports Complex, an indoor/outdoor athletic facility.

The sports complex represented a major opportunity for our community. The property would have been valued at more than $20 million, generating nearly $500,000 in annual property taxes - about $150,000 directly to the village and $200,000 to the Monona Grove School District. Because it was not in a tax increment financing (TIF) district, that revenue could immediately fund our budget to support critical services, offset property tax increases, or pay down village debt that has become a growing concern.

Beyond the direct fiscal benefits, this would have been a fantastic opportunity for youth sports in Cottage Grove. Tournaments and practices held there would bring an influx of visitors to the area, leading to more customers for our restaurants and local businesses. The increased foot traffic could encourage larger establishments to view Cottage Grove as a promising market for their business to thrive. This has potential to fulfill a very popular resident request for new restaurants and retail shops.

From the beginning, the developer showed a strong willingness to be a responsible partner. The developer committed promptly to funding the project's own infrastructure and agreed to roughly $1 million in road improvements, along with additional water and sewer costs requested by the village board. Village staff also projected traffic impacts would be modest, largely because recreational facility usage peaks on evenings and weekends rather than during weekday rush hour.

Like many large proposals, the project raised questions and concerns - and that’s healthy. Concerns about traffic, pedestrian safety, environmental impacts, and neighborhood fit are legitimate and deserve careful, data-driven consideration. Unfortunately, rather than allowing the proposal to advance to additional study and public engagement, discussion stalled early. This deadlock limited the community’s ability to evaluate the project on a complete and informed basis.

What’s important now is what we take away from that experience. It wasn’t until residents voiced concerns about the lack of follow-through and trustees pushed to re-engage - including my own efforts to encourage renewed discussion - that the issue was revisited. There's a possibility that this sports complex, or a similar proposal, returns this spring, meaning we have a unique opportunity to adjust our approach and apply what we've learned. We need to keep the conversation open and move through the process with clarity, transparency, and collaboration. This is not an overnight decision, it is a deliberately lengthy process with many opportunities for community input, traffic and safety studies, and multiple checkpoints where the village can walk away if concerns are not sufficiently addressed.

This is the kind of thoughtful, forward-thinking development I support and the kind of leadership I’m running to bring to the village board. I want to encourage a government that says "yes, and here’s how we make it work responsibly" with all potential proposals so we are seen as an approachable and inviting neighborhood. We have an opportunity to get this right - to support and attract commercial development, strengthen our finances, and invest in our community’s future. With open dialogue and a commitment to long-term thinking, I believe we can.