Open Space Residential Design

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Open Space Residential Design OSRD
Andrea Cooper, Smart Growth Coordinator Executive
Office of Environmental Affairs Massachusetts
Smart Growth Toolkit
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Land Consumption

• 16,000 acres of land is developed each year in
  Massachusetts.
• Current 4.97 persons/acre
• 1950 11.19 persons/acre
• More than twice as much land has been developed
  since 1950 than was developed in the previous 300
  years.

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Percentage Change in Land Use vs. Population
1950-1990
200
180
160
140
120
100
Increase
80
Increase in Population
60
40
20
Increase in Developed Land
0
1950
1970
1990
Year
Source Massachusetts Executive Office of
Environmental Affairs
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Growth Pressures

• Rapidly increasing sprawl development
• Loss of open space and community
  character
• Lack of economically
  viable housing
• Social isolation
• Threat to natural resources
  and water quality

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Green Neighborhoods Alliance

• Regional Planning Agencies
• Federal Agencies
• North Shore Realtors Assn.
• State Agencies

• Planning Boards
• Conservation Organizations
• Developers (Northeast Builders Assoc.)

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I think the most important thing we accomplished
in the first three years was getting beyond
staring suspiciously at each other across the
table and often treating each other with less
than courtesy
Preservation Profit (town)
(developer)
Boards are as much to blame as developers in
causing costly delays in what too often results
in an uninspired subdivision
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Open Space Residential DesignFour Step Process
1. Identify Conservation Value Areas
2. Locate House Sites
3. Align Roads Trails
4. Draw the Lot Lines
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The process begins with determining how many lots
could be developed under conventional zoning
this is the base yield of the property. From
that point, the plan development process follows
four basic steps
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Identify Conservation Value Areas on the site
such as wetlands, significant trees or tracts of
forest, habitat, cultural resources or buffer
zones. Remove these from the developable area.
1.
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Place houses in the remaining area in a way that
would maximize residents enjoyment of
these areas by providing access to open space and
preserving views.
2.
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3.
Align roads and trails on the site to provide
pedestrian and vehicle access.
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4. Draw lot lines around the homes.
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Opportunities and Incentives

• Mixed housing types for low to moderate
  income
• Yard Setbacks
• Minimum Width at Building Line
• Maximum Impervious Surface per Lot
• Lot Shape

• Density Bonuses
• Reduced infrastructure
• Pork chop lots
• Creative use of frontage requirements
• Creative use of various lot sizes

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Density Bonuses

• Towns may choose to give Density Bonuses
• Based on a over the minimum of open space set
  aside
• To encourage a specific age demographic
• To promote town planning goals
• To promote low to moderate income units
• Based on the sensitivity of resources or the
  protection of resources
• Reduction of bedrooms to minimize school impacts

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OSRD OR CLUSTER?

• Regulatory Focus
• Early Financial Investment
• Concurrent Permit Processes
• Open Space Percentage
• Uncertain Timeframe
• Involvement at the hearing phase
• Density Bonus Only

• Creative Partnership
• Pre-Application Mtg (Four Step Process)
• Special Permit Early in Process
• Conservation Values
• Streamlined Process
• Early Stakeholder Involvement
• Creative Incentives
• Alternative to Comp. Permit

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ORSD or Large Lots?

• Lots may be consumed by home, garage, pool, shed,
  patio, landscaping, etc.
• May or may not contain open space
• Usually reserved for upscale homes

• Less covering of impervious surfaces
• Permanent open space
• May contain mixed housing types

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BENEFITS of OSRD
Municipal - Reduces infrastructure and
maintenance costs - Reduces demand to acquire new
public parkland - Maintains local character
Used in conjunction with affordable housing
provisions, OSRD bylaws can expand housing
opportunities in a community.
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BENEFITS of OSRD
Environmental - Protects unique or fragile
habitats - Reduces the pollution impacts of
stormwater runoff - Promotes aquifer recharge -
Provides opportunities to link wildlife
habitats - Conservation values are part of the
planning process - Can further goals of open
space and community development plans
The planning process for OSRD inherently protects
natural resources and promotes recharge to
underlying aquifers.
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BENEFITS of OSRD

• Social and Recreational
• - Reduces isolation and sprawl
• - Enhances New England community character
• - Promotes community involvement
• Provides neighborhood connections with an
  interconnected
• network of trails and open space
• - Can be combined with 40B, the Local Initiative
  Program, to be
• an alternative to comprehensive permit to
  achieve
• affordable housing accreditation

OSRD also preserves significant cultural and
historic resources early in the planning process.
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BENEFITS of OSRD
For the Developer and Realtor - Streamlines plan
review process reduces time and costs - Adds
valuable amenities that can enhance marketing and
sale prices - Increases resale value homes in
OSRD subdivisions have shown to appreciate
faster than those in conventional subdivisions -
Provides flexibility to encourage developers to
create Green Neighborhoods - Decreases site
development costs by designing with the terrain
The OSRD permitting structure encourages smart
growth and facilitates a permitting process that
is clear, easy to understand, and cost-effective
to developers.
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CASE STUDY
Caldwell Farm Newbury, MA
Caldwell Farm is a 66-unit housing project, 100
of the 125 acres being maintained as open space
including fields, forest, freshwater, and
saltwater wetlands.
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Island Co-HousingWest Tisbury - 2000

• 49.4 acre site purchased by South Mountain
  Company
• Subdivided into four parcels
• 30 acres for 16 unit co-housing development
• Pedestrian-oriented
• Streets and vehicles on perimeter only
• Community center, communal responsibilities
• Comprehensive permit to cluster housing on 6
  acres
• 24 acres left as open space

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