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

Open Space Residential Design

OSRD

Open Space Residential Design

OSRD

Andrea Cooper, Smart Growth Coordinator

Executive Office of Environmental Affairs

Massachusetts Smart Growth Toolkit

Massachusetts Smart Growth Toolkit Open Space Residential Design

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.


Percentage Change in LandUse vs. Population 1950-1990

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%120%

140%

160%

180%

200%

1950 1970 1990

Year

% I

ncr

ease

Increase inPopulation

Increase in DevelopedLand

Source: Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs


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


Green Neighborhoods Alliance

• Planning Boards• Conservation

Organizations• Developers

(Northeast Builders Assoc.)

• Regional Planning Agencies

• Federal Agencies

• North Shore Realtors Assn.

• State Agencies


“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”

“Boards are as much to blame as developers in causing costly delays in what too often results in an uninspired subdivision”

Preservation Profit

(town) (developer)


Open Space Residential DesignFour Step Process

1. Identify Conservation Value Areas

2. Locate House Sites

3. Align Roads & Trails

4. Draw the Lot Lines

1. Align Roads

2. Draw the Lot Lines

3. Locate House Sites

Open Space?


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:


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.


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.


Align roads and trails on the site to provide pedestrian and vehicle access.

3.


4. Draw lot lines around the homes.


Opportunities and Incentives• Density Bonuses

• Reduced infrastructure

• Pork chop lots

• Creative use of frontage requirements

• Creative use of various lot sizes

• Mixed housing types for low to moderate income

• Yard Setbacks

• Minimum Width at Building Line

• Maximum Impervious Surface per Lot

• Lot Shape


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


OSRD OR CLUSTER?

• 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

• Regulatory Focus• Early Financial

Investment• Concurrent Permit

Processes• Open Space

Percentage• Uncertain Timeframe• Involvement at the

hearing phase• Density Bonus Only


ORSD or Large Lots?

• Less covering of impervious surfaces

• Permanent open space• May contain mixed housing types

• Lots may be consumed by home, garage, pool, shed, patio, landscaping, etc.

• May or may not contain open space

• Usually reserved for upscale homes


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.

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.

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.

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.

BENEFITS of OSRD


Caldwell FarmCaldwell Farm

Newbury, MANewbury, MA

CASE STUDYCASE STUDY

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.


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


Documents

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