When Denise and Greg Bayley sit in their backyard, they are surrounded with quiet and a 50-acre apple orchard.

The view from their lawn chairs is row upon row of gnarly trees set into gentle rolling hills.

"You can breathe here," Denise says. "We both love it because of the open space."

(Photo: Denise and Greg Bayley)

The Bayleys do not own an estate. Nor do they own an apple orchard. They are a typical couple, living in a not-so-typical suburb.

"I have half an acre, here," said Greg. "I feel like we live on fifty acres." As concerns about open space increase, developments similar to the Bayley's reflect a growing trend. They live in the Ponds at Woodward — a development that actually has a pond and woods-a good example of Conservation Design.

John Snook, a senior advisor with the Brandywine Conservancy's Environmental Management Center— a charitable land trust — helped plan the development.

"Southeastern Pennsylvania needed other tools besides the traditional zoning and land acquisition approaches. We are losing land too quickly," said Snook. "Development is going to happen. The question is how."

Conservation Design incorporates conservation considerations into the development process and municipal ordinances to create great places to live like the Ponds at Woodward.

Simply put, Conservation Design arranges the development on a parcel so that half or more of the buildable land is permanently set aside as open space. The same number of houses can be built — just on smaller lots — so landowners and developers are not financially penalized.

First, designers identify the natural and cultural features of the land to be developed. The most significant of these features are set aside for conservation — as are hard-to-develop areas like steep slopes and wetlands. Housing is then carefully situated to take advantage of good views and the open space.

What happens with the protected open space depends on the qualities of the particular parcel. It can be farmed. A homeowners association can use it for passive recreation by residents. The municipality or land trust could be involved. The bottom line is the land is conserved.

Conservation Design differs from traditional cluster developments in that it establishes higher standards for both the quantity and quality of open space. It places conservation planning at the beginning of the development process rather than at the end.

To read the remainder of the story go to the PA Land Trust Association website. To read more success stories, visit this PLTA webpage.

11/29/2008