Olbrich Gardens to host redevelopment meetings

Olbrich Botanical Gardens will host a series of meetings for public input on a development plan for new buildings.

Olbrich is working with HGA, an architectural firm, to evaluate building needs. Final recommendations may include additions and renovations, a news release said.

An upcoming meeting on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. on pre-design planning is the second in a series of planning forums.

Three more meetings will be held through May 20.

The planning process will begin with a declaration of guiding principles. Schematic design input forums will follow.

Olbrich said it will maintain up-to-date information on meeting notes on its website.

"Save Our Neighborhood" and "Protect From Rezoning" signs are sprinkled along the lawns throughout the Sunset Village and Westmorland neighborhoods.

The signs began cropping up a few days ago as word spread that a developer was planning to develop the site of the former Mount Olive Lutheran Church on Mineral Point Road into high density senior housing.

Minnesota-based MSP Real Estate's current proposal has requested to amend the current zoning from Low Density Residential to High Density Residential to allow the company to redevelop the nearly 3-acre parcel as a senior housing campus to include independent senior housing, assisted living and memory care.  

My kids call them the Chiclets houses, because the square panels that make up the walls of these houses resemble the Chiclet gum pieces.  In fact, the panels are porcelain-enameled metal.  These unique homes are called Lustron Homes.  The square, single-story houses were sold in the United States in 1949 and 1950 by the Lustron Corporation, during the post WWII housing boom.  

Manufactured in Ohio and trucked to building sites across the Midwest, these homes were advertised as fire-proof, rust-proof, lightning-proof and interestingly, rodent-proof. All interior and exterior surfaces are porcelain-enameled metal, including the roof and gutters.  They were also designed with space-saving amenities such as built-in bookcases and vanities in the bedrooms.