Neighborhoods

'Smart growth,' 1940s style

By Greg Sellnow

“Smart growth” is a common buzz phrase in housing development these days. Four-dollar-a-gallon gasoline and urban sprawl are among the factors that have builders and planners talking about creating self-sufficient neighborhoods where residents can walk to work, school, church, the playground and the grocery store.

Rochester’s Homestead Addition is a nearly perfect example of the “smart growth” concept. But it’s not some hot new development on the city’s northern or southern fringe. It’s a 65-year-old neighborhood in the heart of southeast Rochester that was pioneered by—are you ready for this? —Mayo Clinic administrators.

The neighborhood was developed in the 1940s on land that was once occupied by the farm of Mayo family patriarch W.W. Mayo. It was built primarily to accommodate clinic employees who were returning from World War II. But lots and homes there were eventually made available to non-Mayo residents of the city.

The idea was to create a development where residents wouldn’t have to go far to get to work, school or play, says Paul Koeller, a former Homestead Addition resident who’s done extensive research on its history and gives presentations on it to community groups.

Koeller says the homes were designed for Mayo by Ellerbe Architects, one of the state’s most prominent architectural firms. The development was situated within walking distance of a neighborhood grocery store and a tavern/restaurant. (Both are gone now, although Cub Foods, which went in about 15 years ago, is within walking distance of Homestead).

Most of the homes were constructed with southern exposures to take advantage of solar heat. A separate playground was installed for every 10 or 12 homes in the development. Sidewalks were built behind the homes to keep children and other pedestrians away from the street. A church was built in the addition, and an elementary school was planned. (The school was never built because the low-lying land set aside for it is prone to flooding.)

Pretty progressive stuff for the ‘40s. And the biggest selling point of all is still true of Homestead Addition. The houses were affordable.

“The main reason we moved away,” Koeller says, “is that we wanted more than a one-car garage. Actually, we called it a half-car garage.”

Some Homestead residents have done away with their garages altogether and expanded their dining rooms or kitchens into space once occupied by the family roadster.

But if you believe some futurists, the era of two- and three-car families is soon coming to an end. So, Homestead-style small garages might return to fashion within another decade or two.

In fact, low traffic flow has always been a selling point for Homestead, especially among those residents with young kids. Although it’s bordered by two of southeast Rochester’s busiest thoroughfares—Fourth Street and 13th Avenue—Homestead’s horseshoe shaped streets make it impossible for heavy-footed drivers to travel more than 15 or 20 mph. Plus, there is no way to get to any of that part of town’s primary destinations—Homestead United Methodist Church, Olmsted Medical Center, Cub Foods, the Federal Medical Center, and the Rochester Youth Football complex—through the neighborhood. So, nearly all of the traffic in the neighborhood is generated by the people who live there.

Homestead’s relatively small lots, rear sidewalk system, and multiple playgrounds contribute to its reputation as a family friendly development where people actually talk to their neighbors.

‘A throwback to the ‘50s or ‘60s’
“I always liked that people in Homestead seem to get along so well,” says Chip Swenson, a Realtor for Coldwell Banker Burnet who’s been selling homes in Rochester for 37 years. “It’s almost like a throwback to the ‘50s or ‘60s.”

While most of the homes in Homestead originally had the same basic floor plan, homeowners have added character to the neighborhood over the last half-century with additions that include everything from dormers and three-season porches to swimming pools.

Over the years, the neighborhood has attracted a diverse population, ranging from Mayo resident physicians to retirees. In 2005, the Post-Bulletin reported that Homestead had been home to 39 of the last 44 city council members representing the 4th Ward. Only the 2nd Ward’s Pill Hill neighborhood could boast a more impressive record.

“It a neat neighborhood,” Swenson says about Homestead. “The homes are affordable. It’s got a nice mix of people. You can walk downtown. And people really take care of their property. I’ve always felt really good selling homes there.”