Exurban boom

[illinoisplanner]

I've noticed in my area that there seems to be a ton of exurban development in the past couple years. When I say this, I mean the big massive half-million dollar semi-custom homes on larger, rural lots. I think this is a result of the upper middle class getting somewhat larger in this country and/or the inflated home prices. But what's pecuilarly odd is that many of these exurban developments are quite large (in amount of homes), and that the new ones are actually being annexed into the nearby villages rather than remaining rural. It's quite a change from the dense quarter-acre single-family homes and townhomes.

It's also funny, too, because many of the people building these homes are people in the area who made a fortune on their basic suburban home due to the real estate market and have made a good salary, and are now movin' on up to a custom home in the country just on the fringes of the same town.

But sometimes it's ridiculous all the damn dump trucks I see driving out on these country roads in the middle of nowhere.

Anybody else noticing this trend??? How is it affecting your area.

[noottamevas]

I've platted half a dozen of these subdivision in the last couple of years. The availability of rural water has made these more popular. If private sanitary systems are required, there is a minimum lot size, 1 acre here, may differ elsewhere.

Most have some feature to draw buyers. Either a decent pond or adjacent to a country club, etc.

It is prefered not to annex them here as City taxes are 3 times county taxes. Of course they complain about the lack of services, and sub-par roads later.

[mgk920]

I've noticed in my area that there seems to be a ton of exurban development in the past couple years. When I say this, I mean the big massive half-million dollar semi-custom homes on larger, rural lots. I think this is a result of the upper middle class getting somewhat larger in this country and/or the inflated home prices. But what's pecuilarly odd is that many of these exurban developments are quite large (in amount of homes), and that the new ones are actually being annexed into the nearby villages rather than remaining rural. It's quite a change from the dense quarter-acre single-family homes and townhomes.

It's also funny, too, because many of the people building these homes are people in the area who made a fortune on their basic suburban home due to the real estate market and have made a good salary, and are now movin' on up to a custom home in the country just on the fringes of the same town.

But sometimes it's ridiculous all the damn dump trucks I see driving out on these country roads in the middle of nowhere.

Anybody else noticing this trend??? How is it affecting your area.

I actually consider the word 'country' to be the biggest lie in the real estate biz. If the property's owner does not make his/her living off of that land, then it is not 'rural' or 'in the country'. It is nothing more than an urbanized area with very large lots (just my opinion, your's may vary).

Also, simply because a piece of land is or is not inside the corporate limits of a city or village does not determine whether or not it is 'rural' or 'urban'.

As you gain experience, you'll also start seeing instances where the residents of such areas start whining that "We moved out here into the *COUNTRY* to get away from this traffic and congestion and crime and yadda yadda yadda and NOW we're being surrounded by all of this development and traffic and congestion and crime, etc... ".

I'm seeing a lot of this big-lot urbanity around here, too. Often, I think of the owners as using their lawns and riding mowers as a primary way of measuring the very status of their 'manhood'. Also, when I drive around in those areas, I just can't help but to try to envision what they will be like 50 or 75 years into the future, as fuel prices become a bigger and bigger percentage of ones' expenses, the metro area continues to grow in population and economic activity and market forces have caused those areas to become functionally obsolete as they were developed.

Mike

[DetroitPlanner]

Dude, sorry your area is not exurban, its being developed to urban standards. Barrington Hills stands as an island of exurban out there surrounded by the blanality of strip malls and vynal sided 3,000 square foot homes.

I keep telling sis to get out of there while the getting is good, but her place is right on the Fox River ......

[illinoisplanner]

I actually consider the word 'country' to be the biggest lie in the real estate biz. If the property's owner does not make his/her living off of that land, then it is not 'rural' or 'in the country'. It is nothing more than an urbanized area with very large lots (just my opinion, your's may vary).

Also, simply because a piece of land is or is not inside the corporate limits of a city or village does not determine whether or not it is 'rural' or 'urban'.

As you gain experience, you'll also start seeing instances where the residents of such areas start whining that "We moved out here into the *COUNTRY* to get away from this traffic and congestion and crime and yadda yadda yadda and NOW we're being surrounded by all of this development and traffic and congestion and crime, etc... ".

I'm seeing a lot of this big-lot urbanity around here, too. Often, I think of the owners as using their lawns and riding mowers as a primary way of measuring the very status of their 'manhood'. Also, when I drive around in those areas, I just can't help but to try to envision what they will be like 50 or 75 years into the future, as fuel prices become a bigger and bigger percentage of ones' expenses, the metro area continues to grow in population and economic activity and market forces have caused those areas to become functionally obsolete as they were developed.

Mike

Sorry, I may not have used the precise words...I guess I was talking by common-man point-of-view rather than planner perspective.

But yes, these people think they are moving out to the country. But you are exactly right, it is simply urban/suburban development occurring more spread-out.

I agree this development is very detrimental, as you know see the old "country" places (large-lot, estate-style development) of just 20-30 years ago such as Long Grove, Deer Park, Hawthorn Woods, South Barrington, Barrington Hills, IL (i am sure there are other large metro examples as well) being engulfed by denser development on all sides. These villages are like 60 sq. miles in some instances but only have about 3-5,000 people in each. This seriously affects all future development in the region, because there is now this ring of large-lot development creating a wall between developed areas in the metro.

Now there will be another ring, or maybe annoying splotchy areas this time, that 20 years into the future will disrupt the flow of denser areas.

[illinoisplanner]

Dude, sorry your area is not exurban, its being developed to urban standards. Barrington Hills stands as an island of exurban out there surrounded by the blanality of strip malls and vynal sided 3,000 square foot homes.

I keep telling sis to get out of there while the getting is good, but her place is right on the Fox River ......

No, southeastern McHenry county and the suburbs in them are certainly not exurban.

I'm talking the areas between Route 47 and Route 23; central Kane County; and am also making historical references to the old massive exurban Barrington area.

[BKM]

I agree this development is very detrimental, as you know see the old "country" places (large-lot, estate-style development) of just 20-30 years ago such as Long Grove, Deer Park, Hawthorn Woods, South Barrington, Barrington Hills, IL (i am sure there are other large metro examples as well) being engulfed by denser development on all sides. These villages are like 60 sq. miles in some instances but only have about 3-5,000 people in each. This seriously affects all future development in the region, because there is now this ring of large-lot development creating a wall between developed areas in the metro.

Don't worry. Post peak oil, these 5 acre estates will be the kitchen gardens and subsistence farms of the future.

[jordanb]

^-- It's a pity about all of the chemicals going into those lawns.

[Suburb Repairman]

We've got some exurb stuff where I work. You nailed it when you said that it is a bunch of suburban folks that made a killing on their city house and have now moved to the "country" (despite the fact that they are only two miles from a Blockbuster Video). They complain about increased traffic and such and complain that their Mercedes doesn't handle the same on the rough rural roads as they did on the smooth city streets.

The big catalyst for this out here has been private water companies that design their facilities with demand based solely on water for drinking/cooking only. The problem is that these folks that come out of the City landscape their entire two acres like they would in a city. The result is somebody using 77,000 gallons in a month rather than the projected 4,000. You can probably imagine the problems that this causes. These were platted before our city existed, so they didn't have to meet our demand regs. Regardless, the City will eventually have to buy out the system and fix the problems created by the county's crappy regulations.

[Bear Up North]

This Bear certainly does not carry the planner's card in his wallet, but I will throw out an observation on this topic, anyway.....

Seems to me that many businesses (offices, retail, new manufacturing plants, etc.) are ALSO locating farther and farther out. I would think that the net effect would be same miles or similar miles for those going to those workplaces, from way out (heading IN) or from way in (heading OUT).

I will use myself as an example: I drive thirteen (13) miles INBOUND to a far western suburb of Toledo. Those that I work with who live in Toledo also drive nearly that far, OUTBOUND.

Bear

[teshadoh]

So here is a question - which stems from earlier conversations I've had about 'exurbia':

Is exurban development 'suburban' development that occurs in non-suburban areas, out of the suburban core of the primary city (< 1000 people per square mile).

or...

Is the concept of new exurban development false? Meaning exurbia is existing towns / cities that are seperate from the primary urban core. But still, what would new developments be called that occur around exurban towns?

Just some questions, is all...

But I hear it plenty in Atlanta, the people that left the city in the 60's to move to Dunwoody left there in the 90's to move to Alpharetta & people are moving out of there now to live in Dahlonega - far out of the urban / suburban core of Atlanta. And they will either keep moving to stay out of 'the city' or more likely move to Charlotte.

[illinoisplanner]

For this thread, I guess I am talking of exurbia as the kind that usually goes on in rural, unincorporated areas occurring in incorporated areas. You know...the acre plots, semi-custom homes, pretty pricey.

What constitutes exurbia, as a whole, is very debatable. I think of exurbia as development not really conncected to a nearby town or to the greater urban area (if it's part of a large metro) as a whole. And when I say conncected, I mean physically...meaning there is significant rural land in between the urban area and the exurban area.

So if they are building a 250-home subdivision that is in nowhere near the rest of the town, I guess you could say it's exurban??? At least for now??

I think exurban is just a temporary distinction given to communities that are growing, on the fringes, splotchy in development, but have not matured yet.