Town of Saxeville

Land Management Plan

October, 2001

Prepared by the

East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission

Town of Saxeville

Land Use Management Plan

Prepared by the

EAST CENTRAL WISCONSIN REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION

October, 2001

EAST CENTRAL WISCONSIN REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION

Donald De Groot, Chair

Yvonne Feavel, Vice‑Chair

Harlan P. Kiesow, Secretary‑Treasurer

COMMISSION MEMBERS

CALUMET COUNTY SHAWANO COUNTY

Merlin Gentz Clarence Natzke

Wilma Springer Arlyn Tober

Clarence Wolf M. Eugene Zeuske

MARQUETTE COUNTY WAUPACA COUNTY

Howard Zellmer Duane Brown

Walter Cacic Ken Hurlbut

Don Wilson LaVerne Grunwald

James Lewinski

MENOMINEE COUNTY WAUSHARA COUNTY

Randy Reiter George Sorenson

Ruth Winter (Yvonne Feavel, Alt.)

Brian Kowalkowski Norman Weiss

Lester Van Loon

OUTAGAMIE COUNTY WINNEBAGO COUNTY

Sally Mielke Joseph Maehl

Robert “Toby” Paltzer Jane Van De Hey

James Schuette Arden Schroeder

Donald De Groot Jon Dell’Antonia

Tim Hanna (Richard Wollangk, Alt.)

Alfred Krause Ernie Bellin

Mark Madison

TOWN BOARD

Elwyn Christensen, Town Board Chair

Virginia Cartwright, Clerk

Walter Petersen, Supervisor

Michael C. Lind, Supervisor

LAND USE PLANNING COMMITTEE

Yvonne Feavel, Chair

John (Jack) Heniff

Don Andersen

John Bruyette

Edgar Frater

Roger Hering

Jeannie Lulloff

Russ Meyer

Pam Smykal

Jack & Elizabeth Stroemer

Larry Tiimm

John Wilson

COMMITTEE ADVISORS

Nils (and Lois) Dahlstrand, Waushara County Land Use Planning Committee Chair

Patrick Nehring, University of Wisconsin Extension Resource Development Agent

Ed Kleckner, East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission

ABSTRACT

Title: TOWN OF SAXEVILLE LAND MANAGEMENT PLAN

Staff: Edward Kleckner, Associate Planner

Kathy Thunes, Planner

Betty Nordeng, Planner

Denise McShane, Associate Planner

Trish Nau, GIS/Planning Specialist

Andrea Beck, GIS/Planning Assistant

Subject: Land management plan for the Town of Saxeville

in Waushara County

Date: October, 2001

Local Planning Agency: East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission

132 Main Street

Menasha, WI 54952

Source of Copies: Yvonne Feavel, Chairperson

Town of Saxeville Land Use Planning Committee

This report describes existing conditions, projects future growth and offers recommendations to guide future development in the Town of Saxeville, Waushara County.

CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................ 1

INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 1

COMMUNITY OVERVIEW ................................................................................................... 1

PLAN BACKGROUND......................................................................................................... 2

GOALS AND STRATEGIES.................................................................................................. 3

HIGHLIGHTS OF DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION .................................................................. 5

COMMUNITY CHARACTERISTICS AND RESOURCES........................................................... 7

POPULATION....................................................................................................................... 7

Population Projections.................................................................................................... 8

Population by Age Cohort................................................................................................ 8

HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS......................................................................................... 11

Age of Dwelling Units.................................................................................................... 11

Structural Type.............................................................................................................. 12

Occupancy Status........................................................................................................ 12

Vacancy Status............................................................................................................. 14

Housing Stock Value..................................................................................................... 15

Housing Costs............................................................................................................... 16

Housing Conditions....................................................................................................... 16

Household Size............................................................................................................. 17

Household Projection.................................................................................................... 18

ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS..................................................................................... 19

Educational Attainment................................................................................................. 19

Labor Force................................................................................................................... 20

Income........................................................................................................................... 21

Poverty Status............................................................................................................... 22

Employment by Industrial Sector.................................................................................. 23

Location of Workplace.................................................................................................. 25

Travel Time to Work...................................................................................................... 26

ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES..................................................................................... 27

Topography and Drainage............................................................................................. 27

Floodplains.................................................................................................................... 29

Wetlands....................................................................................................................... 30

Woodlands.................................................................................................................... 30

Soils............................................................................................................................... 35

Detailed Soils Information ............................................................................................ 36

Groundwater.................................................................................................................. 39

Wildlife Habitat .............................................................................................................. 39

Rare, Threatened and Endangered Species and Natural Communities ..................... 40

Historic Sites ................................................................................................................ 40

WDNR and Public Lands ............................................................................................. 40

Abandoned Landfills ..................................................................................................... 40

PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES .................................................................................. 53

INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 53

FACILITY INVENTORY.................................................................................................. 53

Town Hall and Community Center........................................................................ 53

Public Schools ...................................................................................................... 54

Libraries ................................................................................................................ 54

Parks and Recreation ........................................................................................... 55

Post Office ............................................................................................................ 55

Cemeteries ........................................................................................................... 55

Police Service ....................................................................................................... 55

Fire Protection ...................................................................................................... 55

Health Care Facilities/Emergency Medical Services ........................................... 56

TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES................................................................................. 58

Existing Street and Highway System.................................................................... 59

Principal Arterials .................................................................................................. 59

Minor Arterials ....................................................................................................... 59

Major Collectors .................................................................................................... 59

Minor Collectors .................................................................................................... 60

Local Roads .......................................................................................................... 60

COMMUNITY ISSUES EXERCISE RESULTS ........................................................................ 63

EXISTING LAND USE............................................................................................................... 67

EXISTING ZONING.................................................................................................................... 71

LAND USE AND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY....................................................................... 77

DEVELOPMENT TRENDS ................................................................................................ 77

Land Use ...................................................................................................................... 77

Transportation............................................................................................................... 78

GOALS AND STRATEGIES ............................................................................................... 80

TABLES

TABLE 1 - Population Trends, 1950 - 1999.......................................................................... 7

TABLE 2 - Population Projections, 1995 - 2020................................................................... 8

TABLE 3 - Population by Age Cohort, 1980.......................................................................... 9

TABLE 4 - Population by Age Cohort, 1990........................................................................ 10

TABLE 5 - Occupied Dwelling Units by Age, 1980............................................................. 11

TABLE 6 - Occupied Dwelling Units by Age, 1990............................................................. 12

TABLE 7 - Total Dwelling Units by Structural Type, 1980 and 1990.................................. 12

TABLE 8 - Occupancy Status, 1980................................................................................... 13

TABLE 9 - Occupancy Status, 1990................................................................................... 13

TABLE 10 - Vacancy Status, 1980..................................................................................... 14

TABLE 11 - Vacancy Status, 1990 .................................................................................... 15

TABLE 12 - Owner-Occupied Housing Stock Value, 1990................................................ 16

TABLE 13 - Overcrowding, 1990........................................................................................ 17

TABLE 14 - Persons per Household, 1980......................................................................... 17

TABLE 15 - Persons per Household, 1990......................................................................... 18

TABLE 16 - Household Projections, 1995-2020................................................................. 18

TABLE 17 - Educational Attainment, 1980.......................................................................... 19

TABLE 18 - Educational Attainment, 1990.......................................................................... 19

TABLE 19 - Employment Status, 1980............................................................................... 20

TABLE 20 - Employment Status, 1990............................................................................... 20

TABLE 21- Comparative Income Characteristics, 1979 and 1989.................................... 21

TABLE 22 - Adjusted Gross Income Per Return, 1992 – 1998.......................................... 22

TABLE 23 - Poverty Status, 1989....................................................................................... 22

TABLE 24 - Employed Persons by Industrial Sector, 1980................................................ 23

TABLE 25 - Employed Persons by Industrial Sector, 1990................................................ 24

TABLE 26 - Location of Workplace, 1980 and 1990........................................................... 25

TABLE 27 - Travel Time to Work, 1980 and 1990.............................................................. 26

TABLE 28 - Public School Data.......................................................................................... 54

TABLE 29 - Area Library Statistics, 1996........................................................................... 55

TABLE 30 - Recommended Density/Existing Standards for Fire Protection..................... 57

TABLE 31 - Provided Services, Area Hospitals.................................................................. 58

TABLE 32 - Town of Saxeville, Existing Land Use, 1999................................................... 67

TABLE 33 - Land Use Acreages, 1980 .............................................................................. 77

TABLE 34 - Land Use Acreages, 1999 .............................................................................. 77

TABLE 35 - New Residential Building Permits, 1981-1990................................................ 78

TABLE 36 - New Residential Building Permits, 1991-2000 ............................................... 78

FIGURES

FIGURE 1 - Comparative Population Growth, 1950 - 1999........................................................ 8

FIGURE 2 - Age Distribution, 1990........................................................................................... 10

FIGURE 3 - Comparative Income Characteristics, 1989......................................................... 21

FIGURE 4 - Travel Time to Work, 1980 and 1990.................................................................... 27

FIGURE 5 - Existing Land Use, 1999 ....................................................................................... 68

EXHIBITS

EXHIBIT 1 - Floodplain Areas.............................................................................................. 31

EXHIBIT 2 - Wetland Areas................................................................................................. 33

EXHIBIT 3 - Soil Limitations for On-Site Waste Disposal................................................... 41

EXHIBIT 4 - Soil Potential for Building Site Development................................................... 43

EXHIBIT 5 - Important Farmland Classes in Waushara County........................................ 45

EXHIBIT 6 - Soil Limitations for Septage Spreading........................................................... 47

EXHIBIT 7 - Steep Slope..................................................................................................... 49

EXHIBIT 8 - Depth to Groundwater..................................................................................... 51

EXHIBIT 9 - Highway Functional Class and Average Daily Traffic Volume....................... 61

EXHIBIT 10 - Existing Land Use.......................................................................................... 69

EXHIBIT 11 - Zoning............................................................................................................ 75

EXHIBIT 12 - Town of Saxeville Future Development Potential ........................................ 91

EXHIBIT 13 - Town of Saxeville Proposed Land Use Plan................................................. 93

APPENDIX A -Town of Saxeviile Survey Results

APPENDIX B - Endangered Resources in Waushara County

APPENDIX C - Property Rights

APPENDIX D - Wetlands Protection

APPENDIX E - Land Trusts

APPENDIX F - Woodland Protection and Management

APPENDIX G - Conservation Program and Tools

APPENDIX H - Conservation Subdivisions

APPENDIX I - Zoning and Land Use

APPENDIX J - Long Lake Management Resolution

Saxeville Land Management Plan Preface

Many interested citizens throughout the State have expressed concerns regarding the problem of a growing population spreading haphazardly into the surrounding rural countryside at an alarming rate. It was this concern for protecting the quality of our living environment that prompted the State Legislature to adopt legislation to require every county in the State to have in place a “Smart Growth” land use plan by the year 2010. Waushara County had commenced their land use planning initiative prior to this legislation.

Waushara County began their program by soliciting the townships to adopt a local plan for their own Township. Four townships were chosen to pioneer the planning effort. The Town of Saxeville was one of the first four towns who chose to act on this challenge. The Town and the County jointly hired the services of the East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission to help facilitate the committee’s work.

The Town of Saxeville Land Management Plan is the culmination of over two years of study and deliberation by the Land use Planning Committee which is comprised of interested community leaders appointed for this service by Saxeville Town Board. The major tool utilized by the committee was a comprehensive survey which was sent to every landowner in the Town of Saxeville. Using these Survey results as a guide the committee held monthly meetings where all citizens were encouraged to be heard on all issues. The committee discussed the concerns raised in the survey which included population density, an appropriate lot size, the loss of our farmland and open space, damage to our wetlands, concerns about water quality and the destruction of our wood lots and forest lands. The completed recommendations and goals are the committee’s best effort to express the majority views of the residents of the Town of Saxeville after reasoned consideration of each issue. An effort has been made to preserve the rural character, protect the natural resources, provide for orderly growth, and to assure the preservation of the desired lifestyle expressed by the citizens of the Town of Saxeville.

When adopted by the Town Board the Town of Saxeville plan will be sent to the Waushara County Zoning Administrator to where it will be considered with other town plans in shaping the future of land use planning in Waushara County.

Sincerely,

Yvonne Feavel, Chairman

The Town of Saxeville Land Use Planning Committee

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION

The primary purpose of the Town of Saxeville Land Use Management Plan is to allow the residents of Saxeville to control their own destiny by shaping a plan to guide future changes in their living environment.

The plan is intended to be used as a guide for local officials, and any developer, investor, or landowner who wishes to develop or change the use of land within the Town of Saxeville. The plan provides a wealth of background information, which offers a profile of the existing and projected demographics of the town. This information should make it easier for a prospective developer to gain an appreciation for the types of development community residents may find to be appropriate and acceptable. The plan identifies a number of public policies and directives that will clearly establish parameters and guidelines for any future growth. While this plan does not have the force of an ordinance or law, it is intended to be used by the Saxeville Town Board to provide guidance when development related issues come before it. It is further anticipated that Waushara County staff and elected officials will respect the policies adopted by the Town of Saxeville as detailed in this plan, and will use them to guide their decisions on items which may impact the town.

It is the belief of the citizen members of the Saxeville Land Use Planning Committee, that adherence to this plan, will lead the Town in a positive direction which is consistent with the goals of Saxeville residents as elaborated in the results of the citizen survey. Adoption of this land management plan lays the groundwork for the work that will be undertaken by implementation subcommittees who will study particular aspects of the plan and make specific recommendations to elected officials for their consideration. The implementation of the land management plan will provide the basis for maintaining a strong and vibrant community, and will lead to creation of an attractive, well-managed and healthy living environment well into the twenty-first century.

COMMUNITY OVERVIEW

The Town of Saxeville is located in the heart of Waushara County, in East Central Wisconsin, and lies about 25 miles west of Lake Winnebago and the Fox Cities north of State Highway 21. The town is approximately 36 square miles in area, and its year 2000 population is estimated at 974 full time residents. In the Summer months when seasonal residents are present the Town’s population is substantially larger. In 1990 Saxeville had approximately 585 housing units with about 54 percent being occupied year-round and another 42 percent being seasonally occupied by part-time residents of the town. The estimated 316 year-round housing units contained an average of 2.68 persons per household which is down a little from the 1980 average of 2.84 persons per household. A significant number of Saxeville’s homeowners are seasonal residents, and many own their property principally for recreational use and enjoyment but reside elsewhere. The great majority of Saxeville’s housing stock is of a single-family nature. Only 8.7 percent of all residential properties are rental properties.

The unincorporated community of Saxeville is located in the town’s southwest quadrant. The only other significant concentration of single-family homes is around the perimeter of Long Lake, which is partially within the Town of Saxeville on it’s border with Springwater. Long Lake has attracted a retirement population over the last several decades, significantly altering the previous agricultural and rural resident composition of the town’s population.

Saxeville also has several smaller lakes, and mill ponds which are not surrounded by residential development. It is also noteworthy that the Town of Saxeville contains significant wetlands in areas surrounding Magdanz and Austin Creeks, and to a lesser degree along the Pine River and Carpenter Creek. The Wisconsin DNR has purchased wetland holdings in the Town of Saxeville for the protection of these natural resources.

PLAN BACKGROUND

The Saxeville Town Board, concerned about the growing impact development may have on the town, entered into an agreement with East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (ECWRPC) and Waushara County in the Spring of 1999, to jointly fund and prepare a detailed Land Management Plan. The Saxeville Land Use Planning Committee was formed in May and began meeting in June of that year.

Survey

The Saxeville Land Use Planning Committee, an appointed volunteer citizen body, began the planning process by soliciting input from all Town residents through a survey, which was sent to all property owners of record. Members of the Saxeville Land Use Planning Committee prepared the survey with assistance from ECWRPC staff. As might be expected from a small community, the response rate was high, with nearly 50 percent of all households offering their ideas and opinions. The survey sought to determine opinions and perceptions on a number of issues. These included the adequacy and quality of town facilities and services; issues of growth, convenience services and quality of life; the need for protection of the town’s natural resources and water quality; and other issues. The survey helped the committee to develop an understanding of who lives in the Town of Saxeville, and also shed some light on what issues are important to a majority of all property owners. A further tabulation of the survey results compared the responses of lake property owners to non-lake owners and found only minor variances in response on most issues. The complete survey results is included in the appendix of the report.

Visioning

Another step early in the in the planning process was the visioning process conducted by ECWRPC staff. This process used a community issues identification exercise to list key issues which are significant to Town of Saxeville residents. The Committee identified Strengths and Weaknesses as well as Opportunities and Threats. The items listed under each heading were then voted by the committee on to establish relative importance. Staff then categorized the items into issue groups, which were later used in formulating goals and strategies.

Plan Demographics and Public/Community Facilities

This land management plan provides an inventory of the demographics of the Town of Saxeville, including data on the town’s population, housing, economic and physical characteristics. It also presents background information on a number of significant environmental issues. A detailed discussion of the town’s public and community facilities is also included. The plan provides useful information on emergency response times, the equipment and capabilities of the Fire and Sheriff’s Department, and emergency services, including medical facilities and services available in the area.

GOALS AND STRATEGIES

The Land Use Planning Committee spent a great deal of its time converting the opinions and ideas voiced in the citizen survey into goals for the Town of Saxeville. Each goal was then expanded upon by preparing strategies for carrying out that goal. This section of the report is in many ways the heart and soul of the Land Management Plan document. It identifies courses of action and policies that could be taken to further the plan’s goals.

A series of water- and soil-related limitations were plotted onto the existing land use map to help the committee identify environmentally sensitive areas within the town and, by default, analyze the remaining land which potentially could be developed. The committee has made a number of recommendations to create implementation subcommittees. Their charge would be to provide more detailed focus on individual issues or tasks. As the subcommittee comes up with specific policies and actions that would further the goal, they would take resolutions before the Town Board to implement the goals of the plan.

HIGHLIGHTS OF

DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION

HIGHLIGHTS OF DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION

US Census Bureau statistics from 1980 and 1990, and some demographic statistics provided by the Wisconsin Department of Administration are summarized below. Also included are some projections of the impact of the Redgranite prison on the surrounding communities. The prison statistics modify the Census Bureau information since the prison was not factored into projections until recently. The following points highlight some of the more interesting and important information taken from these sources.

1. The population trends (Table 1) show that Saxeville has grown at a faster rate than both Waushara County and the State of Wisconsin as a whole. It is projected that this trend will level out in the future (Table 2).

2. The median age of Saxeville residents remains in line with County averages, which are both higher than state averages (Table 4). It is worth noting that the median ages of residents in the other towns (Leon, Mt. Morris, Springwater) are much higher.

3. Tables 8 through 11 set out one of the most significant changes, from a land use planning perspective, to take place from 1980 to 1990. During this time period, total dwelling units increased by 91 percent. The overwhelming majority of these new units were seasonal. As a result of this change, occupied units decreased from 93 percent of units in 1980 to 54 percent of units in 1990.

4. Average persons per household is above County and State numbers. This is also contrary to the numbers found in the other towns.

5. Unemployment rates are below County averages, but in line with State averages. Unlike the County and State, women are more likely to be unemployed than men (Table 20).

6. Income characteristics indicate that Saxeville residents are relatively well off (Tables 21 and 22). On average, income for Saxeville residents is higher than County incomes, but lower than income for the state as a whole. The proportion of town residents below poverty level is significantly lower than County and State averages (Table 23).

7. The biggest increase in employment rates have been in the professional services sector, particularly health services. The biggest decrease, as is consistent throughout the nation, is in the agricultural sector. (Tables 24 & 25).

8. More workers were commuting to Oshkosh in 1990 than were in 1980 (Table 26). A significant increase in the number commuting to Waupaca County also occurred.

9. Note that travel times to work increased from 1980 to 1990 (Table 27). This is an obvious reflection of the increase in the number of workers going to Oshkosh and Waupaca County.

COMMUNITY CHARACTERISTICS

AND RESOURCES

COMMUNITY CHARACTERISTICS AND RESOURCES

Along with its location, the Town of Saxeville’s population, economic conditions and environmental characteristics have directly affected the communities past growth patterns. These characteristics also form the basis for future growth and development.

POPULATION

Significant growth during the decades of the 1960’s and 1970’s and moderate growth through the 1980’s and 1990’s followed the population decline that the Town of Saxeville experienced during the 1950’s. The decline in population of the 1950’s (-5%) was followed by a 21 and 27 percent increase in population during the 1960’s and 1970’s respectively. During the 1980’s (9%) the town saw moderate growth (Table 1). Since 1990, the town has continued to increase in population and the Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) estimates that the town’s population has risen by about 10.2 percent.

Table 1. Population Trends, 1950 – 1999

Figure 1 indicates that while the State of Wisconsin (15%) experienced population growth during the 1950’s, Town of Saxeville (-5%) and Waushara County (-2%) saw a slight decline in population. For the remaining decades of the 20^th century, the county and the state both saw increases in population, with the state realizing the largest increases in the 1950’s (15%) and 1960’s (12%) and the county in the 1970’s (25%). Since 1990, the percent of change seen in the populations of the town (10.2%), county (8.9%) and state (7.8%) have each continued to increase.

Figure 1. Comparative Population Growth, 1950 – 1999

Population Projections

The Town of Saxeville’s population is projected to grow to the year 2015, then decline through the year 2020 (Table 2). The projected population for the town in 2020 is 958, an increase of 10.6 percent above its 1995 estimate. Similarly, Waushara County is expected to grow through the year 2010, and then decline slowly through the year 2020. Overall, by 2020, Waushara County is expected to have a growth of 10.0 percent over 1995 estimates. During this time interval the state’s population is projected to grow steadily by 10.4 percent.

Table 2. Population Projections, 1995 – 2020

Population by Age Cohort

The median age of Saxeville’s population in 1980 was 34.8 years, about the same median age as the county and slightly higher than the state, 34.9 and 29.4 respectively (Table 3). Working age population (ages 20 to 64) accounted for slightly more than half (54.2%) of the Town of Saxeville’s population in 1980. About a quarter (24.4%) of the population were of school age (5 to 19 years). Pre-school children (under 5 years) comprised only about 7 percent of the population while the elderly (ages 65 and over) portion of the population more than doubled the pre-school (14.4%) percentage.

The Town of Saxeville (54.2%) and the state (55.1%) had slightly higher shares of the population in the working age than the county (51.2%). In the town, the older portion of the working age population, 45 – 64, made up the highest percentage of the working population, while individuals age, 25 – 44, comprised the highest percentage in the county and the state. The county had a lower percentage of population in the school age and higher percentage of elderly than either the town or the state.

Table 3. Population By Age Cohort, 1980

By 1990, the median age of the town’s population had advanced by 2.5 years, the county, 3.7 years and the state, 3.5 years (Table 4). In 1980, the town’s median age was about equal with the county and higher than the state. By 1990, the town’s median age was lower than the county and significantly higher than the state.

Between 1980 and 1990, the town, county and state all saw their portion of population over the age of 24 increase while the school and preschool age percentage decreased. In 1990, the working age population continued to comprise over half of the total population for the town, county and state. However, the town saw a shift in the majority of working population from age 45 – 64, to age 25 - 44 between 1980 and 1990.

Table 4. Population By Age Cohort, 1990

Unlike Waushara County, males outnumbered females in the Town of Saxeville (Figure 2). In the town, 52.0 percent of the population was male compared to 49.5 percent in the county. Males, in the town outnumbered females in every age group except the elderly population (65 and over). While females in the county outnumbered males, the male portion of the population similarly outnumbered females in every age group except the elderly.

Figure 2. Age Distribution, 1990

Town of Saxeville Waushara County

HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS

Age of Dwelling Units

In 1980, the Town of Saxeville had a larger share of newer housing stock (dwelling units 10 years old or less) than either the county or the state, and a significantly smaller portion of housing stock in the 21 to 30 year range (Table 5). Only 16.4 percent of Saxeville’s housing was built during the 1950’s and 1960’s compared to 21.3 percent for Waushara County and 30.7 percent for the state. In addition, the town had a proportionally greater percentage of dwelling units more than 40 years old (49.8%) than the county (44.2%) or the state (36.5%).

Table 5. Occupied Dwelling Units By Age, 1980

Between 1980 and 1990, the town, county and state each experienced a decline in the proportion of dwellings 10 years or less of age; and the town and county saw a significant increase in the number of units between 11 and 20 years of age, reflecting the large number of housing units constructed during the 1970’s (Table 6). Ironically, this decade saw only modest population gains at the state levels. The primary reason for the large growth in housing units during this period was the initial emergence of the “baby boomers” into the housing market. The proportion of units over 40 years of age fell significantly in the town (13.0%) and county (8.2%) and gained slightly in the state (0.9%). In 1990, the average age of the housing stock was 21 years in the town, 27 years in the county and 30 years in the state.

Table 6. Occupied Dwelling Units By Age, 1990

Structural Type

Single family residential units comprised the vast majority of Saxeville’s housing stock in 1980 (Table 7). In 1980, 88.9 percent of the town’s 306 dwelling units were single-family units. Duplexes and four unit buildings (6.2%) and the mobile home component (4.9%) made up the remaining dwelling units in the town.

Table 7. Total Dwelling Units By Structural Type, 1980 And 1990

Between 1980 and 1990, the total dwelling units in the town increased by 279 units or 91 percent. Two Hundred and fifty-two single-family dwelling units were added in the town during the 1980’s, other increases also occurred in the mobile home component (39 units).

Occupancy Status

Occupancy status reflects the utilization of available housing stock. Among the total number of housing units, there are renter-occupied, owner-occupied and various classes of vacant units including those which are available for sale or rent and those which are seasonal, migratory in nature, held for occasional use or others not regularly occupied on a year–round basis.