by Tim Bargainer & Philip Wanke, ASLA Richardson Vedoorn

The Barton Creek Community is one of the most controversial projects to have been proposed in the Hill Country in the past decade. It has been the source of intense and divisive political debate about where growth should occur and how it should be managed. In response to the controversy, Barton Creek Properties has made unprecedented efforts to learn more about the Hill Country's unique environmental setting and use that knowledge to form a master plan which balances development and preservation of the site's natural cycles.

A team of planners, landscape architects, environmental scientists, and engineers were retained to conduct research, build an information base, and develop a community master plan for the area. The research effort included an investigation of soils, vegetation, landforms, and history of land use within the area.

A critical part of the project, and one that sets it apart from other environmental planning projects, was the series of detailed studies conducted by the scientific team on a 73-acre portion of the project area. The 73-acre drainage basin was the focus for several investigations of soils and vegetation and their roles in runoff, sediment loss, and stream flow in the watershed. One set of studies focused on soils and local landforms and examined topics such as the rate of water movement through the soil and how infiltration is affected by steep slopes, vegetation cover, and soil thickness.

The results were surprising- steep slopes with tree or grass cover were found to have much higher infiltration rates than moderate slopes. The goal, then, was to locate these topographic features as well as to provide a development suitability model (using a geographic information system [GIS] and image processing software) to assist planners in deriving opportunities and constraints to development from all the environmental resources. The planners and engineers used this site-scale information about soils, hydrology, and vegetation developed by the project's scientific team to design roads, lots, and utilities, as well as environmental protection and management methods and devices. For example, road beds were designed to introduce runoff to the thicker soil bodies for maximum benefit, rather than draining it away to stream channels. In addition, native plant materials were identified and preserved; runoff water recycled for irrigation; and a long-term water monitoring program was implemented both on-site and off-site.

The research effort was followed by the Barton Creek Community Master Plan, which utilized residential clustering to protect the environmental resources of the area, as well as to maximize green space and minimize impervious cover. Approximately 55% of the project has remained as open space, buffer zones, and a golf course. To capitalize on the open space, the planning team incorporated nature trails as neighborhood connections in lieu of traditional sidewalks along the streets. Total impervious cover under the plan totals only 15% of the property.

The Master Plan has also given special attention to preserving undisturbed areas of natural habitat for the endangered songbird, the Golden-cheeked Warbler. Additionally, in a partnership with the Nature Conservancy of Texas, Barton Creek Community provided the funds to purchase 4,065 acres of open space in the Barton Creek Watershed, adjacent to Barton Creek Community.. This partnership not only permanently preserved endangered species habitat and undeveloped open space, but it also resolved the indebtedness of the Travis County Road District No. 1 and saved Austin taxpayers $8.3 million.

During the master planning process, Barton Creek Properties made extensive efforts to keep the public and the City of Austin informed through informative booklets and ad campaigns.

Through the use of detailed environmental studies, innovative communication techniques, sensitive master planning, and a diverse team of expert consultants, Barton Creek Properties has created a model for community development in an environmentally sensitive and picturesque region. LASN