Use natural features in development design, planning director says

By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
HOWLAND -- Taking advantage of natural features of the land should be more of a consideration in development, a township official says.
A concept known as "conservation development design" allows for the design of housing developments by first taking into account such features as woods, streams, slopes, swales, ravines, cliffs and wetlands.
Mark Zuppo Jr., Howland Township planning and zoning director, explained the homes are constructed around these features to preserve them and to retain character.
This also reduces development costs because there is less engineering and lower storm sewer construction costs, Zuppo said.
In conventional residential development design, he explained, a decision is made where the streets will be, then individual lots are cut in along them.
Zuppo said conservation development design would be less expensive to the developer because it takes advantage of swales -- natural or man-made -- in controlling storm water.
Wetlands and wooded areas could also be used to control storm water.
It may be necessary to change zoning regulations because the lots are sometimes narrower and vary in shape, street widths are narrower, and houses are closer to the streets -- creating shorter driveways and smaller lawns.
"There is no reason we can't do it here," the planner noted.
Zuppo has called a meeting of developers; URS, the township's engineering consultant; and Trumbull County Soil and Water Conservation District at 9:30 a.m. Thursday at the township administration building.
"We're not instituting this tomorrow," Zuppo cautioned.
Kim Mascarella, director of environmental planning for Eastgate Regional Council of Governments, endorses the conservation design concept.
She said the real savings to developers is in decreased maintenance costs of the storm water system because if there is less infrastructure, there won't be as many culverts to repair or lines to enlarge.
Instituted near Akron
Bath Township near Akron in Summit County has been using conservation planning since 2001.
"You have to have the interest of the community" to make it work, said Don Jenkins, a Bath Township trustee.
Jenkins explained this included changes in township zoning regulations and Summit County Planning Commission subdivision regulations.
It's a matter of picking out natural resources first and then determining where the houses are located.
To do this, Bath Township worked with a consultant and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to survey the township to determine where the natural spots were.
The issue was "hotly debated" but it required that houses must be built 70 feet from the natural spots.
Also, the degree of natural slopes was taken into consideration. If a slope is eliminated, it must be replaced.
Opposition came from developers "who were not happy" because they wanted to build more houses on their properties. Although planning can permit clusters of 10 houses, developers must compensate with more open space.