Ansley - Planned SW "New Urbanism" neighborhood (rural mini-Somerset?) - west of Research Park/University Blvd

[k123]

Many student/alumni here will have been to/enjoyed/have an opinion about Somerset, the "new urbanism" neighborhood in north Ames.

In a off-topic diversion from the closing restaurant Off-Topic thread that went into land to be developed into Ames family housing, the informed @cyclone87 made a comment about a new development planned in SW Ames, clipped here:

... ... ... ...
As far as the housing crunch in Ames. I think it mostly comes down to availability of land and the city's willingness to subsidize development cost with pioneer infrastructure (e.g. Ankeny). What land is available near the fringes of Ames is pretty expensive and often times requires infrastructure upsizing. I do think we will see improved planning in this regard with Ames Plan 2040 once it is adopted. Which might help guide developers more.

Comprehensive Plan - Ames Plan 2040 - live, grow, belong | City of Ames, IA

For new single family housing developments in the next couple years (other than north Ames) I think there will be some new ones in south Ames off of Oakwood Rd. This one in particular looks like it could be pretty unique: https://www.facebook.com/ansleyames

I like the fact the people developing it are a local family that lives on the farmland their and has some businesses in the area. As opposed to the normal larger developers like Hunziker, Friedrich, Jensen, etc. Not that I have anything in particular against them.

There is not much info on that Ansley FB or IG sites:

Ansley Ames | Ames IA

Ansley Ames, Ames, Iowa. 628 likes · 8 talking about this. Ansley is a 65 acre community located in Ames, IA. Walking distance to Jack trice Stadium & Iowa State University, forty minutes North of...

www.facebook.com

Ansley Ames (@ansleyames) • Instagram photos and videos

1,263 Followers, 135 Following, 7 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Ansley Ames (@ansleyames)

www.instagram.com

Ansley Ames | A connected community reminiscent of small towns of the past.

ansleyames.com

Looking at the assessor's site the only place in SW that makes sense are these two parcels (see pond), which changed hands in 2019 to "Burgason Enterprises LLC".

Beacon - Story County, IA / City of Ames - Results

Online access to maps, real estate data, tax information, and appraisal data.

beacon.schneidercorp.com

That sounds like "Burgie's Coffee" on both ends of Airport Road...googling along those lines it looks like a Burgason daughter is involved and has great interior design taste from her site/IG (which explains the "fanciest gas station ever" makeover of the Research Park Burgie's a few years ago!) So that's settled.

Anyway, from the clip images below it looks like the neighborhood will be:

• traditional and upscale, with nods to the main parts of "New (sub-)Urbanism" (scale, houses w "porches first" vs "garage first", nice parks and walkability, smaller yards as a trade for streetscaping/public/park space)
• but maybe not including the other New Urbanism parts that Somerset has a bit more of (wider mix of housing density including single-family/rowhomes/townhomes/apts/apts over commercial with neighborhood services/food/retail).
• Have to imagine they are not aiming to be full "new urbanism with a whole new downtown", etc, or even the 1940s-grid-neighborhood with corner commercial with a hardware/dry cleaner/restaurants, but I imagine they'll get a neighborhood Burgies in there!

That isn't a gripe (from me) that it isn't "urban" - it is not in an urban location. It is different than the average subdivision, which is the point. More options than usual subdivisions, which there are more of.




Anyway, looks like it will be pricy and beautiful for those who like the neighborhood as worth trade off for smaller lots. I assume before long the thread or FB "AmesPeople" group will say its "too much utopia for the Christian white heteropatriarchy" (* duck *) (and I have to image it will be an odd mix of wealthy conservative Christian big families and wealthy "We Believe" sign folk)

From the website I'd happily live there!

Burgason designer:

Casee Burgason Interior Design (@caseeinteriors) • Instagram photos and videos

3,795 Followers, 1,473 Following, 122 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Casee Burgason Interior Design (@caseeinteriors)

www.instagram.com

Casee Burgason Interior Design

Casee Burgason Interior Design provides residential and commercial interior design, decor, architectural drawings, custom homes, house plans, remodels and furniture.

www.caseeburgason.com

...her IG links to scouting a similar community in Atlanta under development (Pinewood Forest now called "Trilith"):

Your Next Home Could Be In… Trilith - Reporter Newspapers & Atlanta Intown

Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of neighborhood snapshots – both inside and outside the Perimeter – to help guide you toward your potential new home. Where is it? Just outside Fayetteville, GA in Fayette County. It’s about a 35 minute drive from Downtown. What’s a Trilith? The name...

atlantaintownpaper.com

Town at Trilith

www.trilith.com

....makes me think of the "low density urbanism" "Agrihood" of the fancy Serenbe in Atlanta:

https://serenbe.com/press

The Seductive Power of a Suburban Utopia

Serenbe, an intentional community outside Atlanta, promises urban pleasures without the messiness of city life.

www.bloomberg.com

...and assume it will end up like the way residential has developed in Prairie Trail in Ankeny, especially the east area (north of DMACC/south of the High School) that is filing in right now in a very Chip & Jo Modern Luxury Farmhouse style.
https://prairietrailankeny.wordpress.com/2010/06/02/what-is-new-urbanism/

Prairie Trail · Ankeny, IA 50023

Ankeny, IA 50023

www.google.com

 

[ForbinsAscynt]

Looks interesting. Main Street has had some nice additions lately, north Ames seems to be in good shape with the exception of plus 39 closing. not sure we are ready for another shopping/restaurant district but all for home building.