Sustainable Land Development Today - January 2008 - (Page 52) STORMWATER Sandhill Cranes, If you build it, they will come, (taken by the author) Conservation Development An Emerging Opportunity for Home Builder By Dennis Dreher In communities around the country, there is growing attention paid to stormwater, wetlands, and groundwater protection. This sometimes translates into “NIMBY” (not in my backyard) fears in some communities and places greater scrutiny on the environmental sustainability of proposed development projects. Many communities, in Illinois for instance, have responded with beefed-up comprehensive stormwater ordinances. Some are encouraging or mandating conservation development. wetlands and natural lakes, and land application of treated wastewater. Another emerging element of good conservation development is planning for the long-term. Local land conservancies and park districts are working with the developers to manage protected open spaces for the long-term. As a tradeoff for smaller lawns to mow, homeowners are asked to provide a revenue stream for this management, which often includes controlled burning as Native Americans did for centuries before Benefits to Developers While the intended focus on conservation development is resource protection, it can also provide a great deal of flexibility to developers who may be looking to do something other than the traditional “cookie cutter” subdivision design. In fact, conservation development can offer a number of potential advantages to builder/developers. Incorporating a Concept In essence, conservation development employs a combination of creative land planning and innovative stormwater management practices to protect water and natural resources, preserve open space, and enhance wildlife habitat. Conservation development starts with a thorough review of the property to evaluate potential development constraints – such as wetlands, streams, woodlands, and steep slopes. But where the traditional land planning process would find ways to minimize and build through these areas, a conservation design seeks creative approaches to preserving and enhancing them. The core tool of conservation design is “clustering” the same number of houses onto smaller lots. The results are less land grading and associated infrastructure construction, and more functional open space. Sustainable water management is another key element of conservation development. To counter concerns about groundwater supplies, water quality, and flooding, conservation design provides the tools to put clean water back into the ground rather than flushing it offsite in storm sewers and wastewater pipes. These tools include “bioswales” in lieu of costly storm sewers, detention ponds designed to resemble Save money. The National Association of Home Builders and others have identified substantial savings in infrastructure costs. Open space within a conservation development can provide a significant marketing advantage and generates the potential for lot premiums. Conservation designs can reduce permitting hurdles for wetlands and floodplains, significantly reducing approval times and costs. Some communities offer density bonuses as a reward for additional open space and other conservation design elements. And, conservation development projects can minimize conflicts and opposition from local environmental and watershed groups. These groups can become allies in promoting good project-designs to local governments and permitting agencies. An additional benefit relates to the evolving market for new housing. Some housing experts have identified growing markets for age-targeted and empty-nester categories. These indi- Questions and comments can be directed to Dennis.Dreher@cgl-ltd.com or Matt Bartol, Natural Resources Group Manager, at Matt.Bardol@cgl-ltd.com. An excellent source of regional information on conservation design principles and techniques is the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission’s Ecological Planning and Design Directory: http://www.nipc.org/environment/sustainable/content.htm#Conservation 52 January 2008 Sustainable Land Development Today http://www.nipc.org/environment/sustainable/content.htm#Conservation
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