| Sustainable Site Planning & Development |
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Initially, the two predominant objectives in site planning were 1) to minimize overall site disturbance, thus preserving existing mature specimen trees and naturally existing site flora and fauna, and 2) to develop a land use plan that minimized disrupting the natural site hydrology and non-point source pollution). During the course of planning, the project evolved in scope to incorporate energy efficiency, alternative energy sources, water quality/conservation and sustainable construction practices. Planning began with the recognition that site proximity, located along a virtually pristine tidal creek marsh corridor, dictated a low density, well thought out development. Original zoning would have allowed the construction of 57 new residences; the site plan calls for 35 new residences and the preservation and adaptive reuse of one original structure, however rezoning was required to accommodate the unique ownership structure and other aspects of the site design. Through the use of aerial photographs, a detailed tree survey and topographic mapping and extensive site inspection, Bill Dempsey, Dempsey Land Design, was able to strategically place home sites (fingerprinting) in a manner that accomplished tree preservation and provided marsh view corridors while protecting the natural riparian buffer. 
Once the home site locations were established, the roadway of pervious concrete was designed to connect the home sites, all the while taking great pains for tree preservation. This extensive use of pervious concrete is unprecedented. While significantly more extensive, the benefits outweigh the costs. Pervious surfaces allow water to percolate into the soil, allowing soil bacteria to decompose roadway pollutants and maintain storm water on site where it recharges the soil moisture levels. Storm water runoff is a major source of water quality degradation due to non-point source pollution and stream temperature increase. The use of a pervious road made the installation of curb and gutter unnecessary – again allowing development while minimizing site disturbance. Additionally, the road system width has been narrowed to 20 feet. This encourages slower driving habits, reduces the materials used in roadway construction and reduces the impact of surrounding trees and soils. |