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2/19/1999 DRAFT COPY OF PROPOSED NSA ORDINANCE
<br />(g) T'he conceptual preliminary plan shall demonstrate that the proposed development will satisfy
<br />the following objectives, as more particularly described in the remaining provisions of this chapter:
<br />1. Protects and preserves all floodplains, wetlands, and steep slopes from clearing,
<br />grading, filling, or construction (except as may be approved by the Town for
<br />essential infrastructure or active or passive recreation amenities).
<br />2. Preserves and maintains mature woodlands, existing fields, pastures, meadows, and
<br />orchards, and creates sufficient buffer areas to minimize conflicts between
<br />residential and agricultural uses. For example, locating houselots and driveways
<br />within wooded azeas is generally. recommended, with two exceptions. The first
<br />involves significant wildlife habitat or mature woodlands which raise an equal or
<br />greater preservation concern, ad described in # 5 and # 8 below. The second
<br />involves predominantly agricultural areas, where remnant tree groups provide the
<br />only natural azeas for wildlife habitat.
<br />3. If development must be located on open fields or pastures because of greater
<br />constraints in all other parts of the site, dwellings should be sited on the least prime
<br />agricultural soils, or in locations at the far edge of a field, as seen from existing
<br />public roads. Other considerations include whether the development will be
<br />visually buffered from existing public roads, such as by a planting screen consisting
<br />of a vaziety of indigenous native trees, shrubs and wildflowers (specifications for
<br />which should be based upon a close examination of the distribution and frequency
<br />of those species, found in a typical nearby roadside verge or hedgerow).
<br />4. Maintains or creates an upland buffer of natural native species vegetation of at least
<br />100 feet in depth adjacent to wetlands and surface waters, including creeks,
<br />streams, springs, lakes and ponds.
<br />5. Designs azound existing hedgerows and treelines between fields or meadows.
<br />Minimizes impacts on large woodlands (greater than five acres), especially those
<br />containing many mature trees or a significant wildlife habitat, or those not degraded
<br />by invasive vines. Also, woodlands of any size on highly erodible soils with slopes
<br />greater than 10 percent should be avoided. However, woodlands in poor condition
<br />with limited management potential can provide suitable location for residential
<br />development. When any woodland is developed, great care shall be taken to design
<br />all disturbed areas (for buildings, roads, yazds, septic disposal field, etc) in
<br />locations where there are no large trees or obvious wildlife areas, to the fullest
<br />extent that is practicable.
<br />6. Leaves scenic views and vistas unblocked or uninterrupted, particularly as seen
<br />from public roadways. (For example, in open, agrarian landscapes, a deep, "no-
<br />build, no-plant" buffer is recommended along the public roadway where those
<br />views or vistas aze prominent or locally significant. In wooded areas where the
<br />sense of enclosure is a feature that should be maintained, a deep "no-build, no-cut"
<br />buffer should be respected, to preserve existing vegetation.
<br />7. Avoids siting new construction on prominent hilltops or ridges, by taking
<br />advantage of lower topographic features.
<br />8. Protects wildlife habitat areas of special species listed as endangered, threatened, or
<br />of special concern by the state or federal government.
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