Sustainable Land Development Today - June 2008 - (Page 32)

Nature set the stage for Verandah, with its neighborhoods, homes, common areas and pathways designed to accommodate natural environmental features, while allowing passive enjoyment of waterways and preserves. to non-motorized boats to protect manatees in the Orange River. Birdhouses designed for specific species have been installed throughout the community. Approximately 1,000 acres of land has been set aside for natural preserve areas, parks, wetlands, lakes, golf course and a riverfront conservation buffer. Verandah has more than nine miles of walkways, paths and fitness trails. been altered for farming. An extensive study of the eco-system was undertaken. The area’s agricultural roots reached back to the 1920s when much of it was citrus groves, hence the name, “Orange River.” “They actually had small steam ships that ran up the river. There were packing houses on the property,” Church said. Later parcels of land were converted to pasture or to grow row crops. “The clearing that they did is not something you can repair, but there were ditches and agricultural roads that bisected the natural flow way that ran through the property,” he said. “They were trying to get rid of water in the farming operation.” Extensive work was done to re-establish the waterways which had been altered to move water quickly off of the site. The restoration of the more natural flow has resulted in the creation of an extensive series of lakes - corridors which promote wildlife diversity. The design of the community also included 128 acres of foraging habitat for the wood stork and a designated gopher tortoise preserve. Watercraft are limited implemented into the design, it was marked for relocation. “Over a two-year process, we root pruned those trees and used them as signature landscape elements throughout the community,” he said. The site for the River Village amenity center was chosen because it had the highest concentration of these very large oaks right on the Orange River. The design called for it to be the location of a clubhouse, which typically contains a restaurant, golf shop, locker rooms and fitness center. “We broke that up into smaller, separate buildings, and with the base information of the tree surveys, we nestled those in among the oaks,” Church said. “We also put the parking in a natural open area.” Public education Key to the success of Bonita Bay Group and Verandah is the public awareness campaign on the value of sustainable housing and land development. Bonita Bay Group and its public relations firm, Gravina Smith & Matte, used agency-produced newsletters; newspaper feature stories and Verandah’s community newsletter and website to convey the green message. Positive press also advances the cause. From the official ceremony commemorating Verandah as Florida’s first Green Land Development to the relocation of hundreds of trees, the media was invited to document major environmental milestones in the community’s development, which were picked up by national publications. The community has earned a number of local, state and national accolades for its attention to the environment and served as a case study at the U.S. Green Building Council’s annual Greenbuild Before the development, exotic and invasive species, such as Brazilian Pepper and Melaleuca had moved in. “They take over all native plants because they grow faster and shade them out. So there were the exotics to remove,” Church said. Preserving the existing stands of native trees was a goal. Planners spent hundreds of hours creating and altering the design of Verandah to accommodate existing sabal palms and live oaks, some of which were nearly 100 years old. “I spent a lot of time personally out there, identifying what were the most beautiful parts of the community and which parts needed to be saved,” Church said. When a tree could not be 32 June 2008 Sustainable Land Development Today

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Sustainable Land Development Today - June 2008

Sustainable Land Development Today - June 2008 Contents Our Voice Editorial Board SLDT Resources Where Rubber Meets the Road Integrated Planning: The Key To Developing Sustainable Planned Communities Win-Win For College and Community Industry Spotlight: Transoft Unique Organization, Unique Opportunity New Preferred Provider Comments from the Austin Conference Welcome New Members New Knowledge Project Articles Books Going Green Business Management Risk Management Surveying and Mapping Industry News Products/Services Showcase Advertiser Index Classifieds The Last Word

Sustainable Land Development Today - June 2008

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