By Jennifer Garrett
Madison Magazine
Special To Channel 3000

The merger of Dane County's two biggest residential developers into Veridian raises important questions about smart growth, sprawl, affordability, the quality of new neighborhoods ¬ and the company's stated desire to put its mark on New Urbanism. Out of the blocks, the owners say building "green" is a high value they share.

As environmentalists cry "sprawl" and housing advocates clamor for easier access to new-home ownership, Dane County's two largest homebuilders are poised to become the state's largest homebuilder when Don Simon Homes and Midland Builders merge into Veridian Homes.

Despite a climate rife with debate about housing, zoning and development issues, the announcement has generated little controversy so far. Some critics have expressed concern over the elimination of competition in the new housing market, and smaller builders worry that they could be squeezed out of building sites. But for the most part, the planned merger is making few waves in the community. "I don't know that there was any sleep lost over it," says Peter Sveum, president of Stoughton's Kegonsa Builders.

"I already had a lot of respect for them," adds Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk. "They didn't need to merge in order to get my attention."

Sveum acknowledges that he was initially surprised by the announcement. Later he realized the companies were very similar. "They were doing a lot of the same things," he says. "Merging seemed natural."

It was natural, according to Jeff Rosenberg and David Simon, respective presidents of Midland and Don Simon. The companies are currently virtual twins sharing similar histories, sizes, missions and philosophies. Both were started by family members around 50 years ago, both have about 50 employees and build between 250 and 275 homes per year, both are customer-focused and cater to the entry-level market and both are interested in promoting smart growth, recapturing traditional neighborhood design and supporting environmentally friendly building practices.

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