The Willow Glen Resident

A brand-new Willow Glen is coming soon to the Midwest

Former Glen residents create their own piece of California in Kansas

By Rebecca Wallace

Even though they moved to Kansas three years ago, don't tell Bruce and Sherry Kunkel that they're not in Willow Glen anymore.

Because they're creating their own Glen--right in the heart of the Midwest.

The two are planning a 49-home development in Hillsboro, Kan., with homes built in the Arts and Crafts style that will resemble the friendly bungalow-like homes one finds in a certain area of San Jose, Calif. Oddly enough, the development will be called Willow Glen.

"It seems to be kind of timeless; it's such a popular style," Bruce Kunkel says of the style of the planned houses, which feature simple lines, porches and open floor plans with rooms flowing into each other. "It says 'home' to you."

And despite any culture shock the San Jose native may have felt after he, Sherry and their daughter Allison moved from Cherry Avenue in the Glen after 16 years there, Kunkel is happy to call Kansas home now. But that doesn't mean he can't bring along--or build--a piece of California.

"It is different. There's not a whole lot of traffic in a town of 3,500," he says. "The bad part is there's no Aqui or Taiwan [Restaurant] or any of the other great neighborhood restaurants."

Sherry Kunkel says she loves the Hillsboro area, which is where she was born and grew up and where her family lives. "A small town has pluses--your children can play where they want. And here the neighborhoods are smaller, and the other kids are really close by."

While living in San Jose, Bruce did contracting and building work with his father and brother. This work included townhouses, custom houses and the Victoria Ranch development of Victorian-style homes in East San Jose, he says. Then building slowed down in the area, Bruce's brother went into a seminary and Bruce and Sherry decided "to slow down the pace a bit" and move to Kansas, Bruce says.

"There is a need for housing here," Sherry says of Hillsboro. "There aren't any lots here to sell for people to build on; much land around town is owned by farmers. But I found one who sold us his land."

The Kunkels bought 20 acres and have an option on the neighboring 20 acres for further expansion. "The farmer had planted wheat on [the land] and wanted us to wait for him to harvest before building houses on it. We said that might happen," Sherry says. "That's not something you run into in San Jose."

Lest anyone confuse the area with Hillsborough, Calif., Sherry points out that the houses in the Kunkels' development will be in the $100,000 range.

The homes will have two or three bedrooms, with the possibility of one or two more in finished basements, Sherry says. "You have to do basements out here; it's tornado country."

The Kunkels got the idea for the homes' style after Eldred Kunkel, Bruce's father, took some pictures of California Willow Glen homes and gave them to the project architect, Sherry says.

The couple's plans have been approved by the city council and the planning commission, and the developers hope to begin putting in streets and sewers in the project area in August or September.

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