Licensure/Legislation

By Buck Abbey, ASLA

 

The Massachusetts model establishes a four-step design process for laying out new development around the central organizing principle of land conservation, with emphasis given to preserving a community-wide network of interconnected open spaces.

D.G. “Buck” Abbey, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture at Louisiana State University, is LASN’s Associate Editor for Legislation.

Arendt’s site sensitive approach reduces lot sizes, arranges development in compact groupings, and provides significant open space. These conservation areas may be either “common” or “non-common”, such as lands belonging to a land trust, a farmer, or an estate owner.

Conservation subdivisions have been around since the 1970s and have been called by various names such as cluster developments, open space neighborhoods or planned unit developments. Only recently have community zoning ordinances been altered to better define how conservation subdivisions are different from traditional single family development regulations.

Noted planner Randall Arendt offers a framework for conservation subdivision design that encourages the preservation of open space and unique natural areas, while reducing the cost of development and maximizing market value. Arendt’s model reverses the typical standard subdivision review process that focuses first on zoning, streets, lot size, drainage, utilities, lighting and public services and last on site design. By focusing first on the conservation of natural areas, Arendt?EUR??,,????'?????<

There are other model ordinances available for any community wishing to adopt such a revision to their subdivision ordinance. All model ordinances are similar in some respects and can be used by landscape architects to design greener communities. The Attorney General’s Office in the State of Massachusetts furnishes a typical example.

As with all ordinances, this Massachusetts model states purpose, applicability and review procedures. The review procedures consist of four steps, each of which are sections of the model code that lead to a successful design. These sections include regulations for the creation of a mandatory development plan that designates the site use, locations of building sites, lot lines and street layout. Sub-sections of the model ordinance provide regulations for lot frontage, lot yards, number of dwelling units, utilities, buffers and open space percentage. Perhaps the most important part of this ordinance is how it allows for the creation of a conservation trust to make sure that all open space is held in perpetuity as common open space. No permit fees are mentioned.

Several site design principals drive the design of conservation subdivisions and should be addressed in every community conservation subdivision ordinance. They include saving farmland and woods, preserving wetlands, replanting prairies, recycling sewer water, controlling storm water, minimizing roads, maximizing views, clustering buildings, establishing gardens and providing common open space.

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This model may be seen at https://www.doa.state.wi.us/dir/ listed under Division Documents.