Agenda - 03-06-1996 - X-B - Laserfiche WebLink

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33 ATTACHMENT B Provided with correspondence received from a citizen was a November 10 Wall Street Journal article concerning conservation oriented development. The focus of the article is the growing number of new communities across the country seeking to balance development and conservation. One source for the article was Urban Land magazine, and staff was able to collect (from Urban Land and the ULI Project Reference File) information concerning five of the 10 developments cited in the article. Summarized below is the information pertaining to those five developments. Wildcat Ranch Wildcat Ranch is a 6,500-acre development near Aspen and Snow Mass, Colorado, with 13 500-acre single-family lots proposed. Each lot would have a building envelope restricted to eight acres (2% of the tot area), and all improvements except driveways must be located within the envelope. As of March, 1995, eight of the 13 lots had been sold for an average price of $4.0 million. The development also includes a 34-acre commons and a ranch management and maintenance center with equestrian facilities. Total open space in the development is 98%, with most of it comprised of the land in individual ownership located outside the building envelope (98% of the lot area). Prairie Crossing Prairie Crossing is a 667-acre development located in Lake County, Illinois near Chicago. Original plans for a 2,200-acre development were rejected by Lake County, and litigation following the decision resulted in a neighborhood group purchasing 667 acres for$5.2 million. A total of 317 homes are to be clustered on 132 acres_(2.4 units/acre), with lots ranging from 7,700 to 24,300 square feet. Homes will range from 1,500 to 3,500 square feet, with costs varying from $190,000 to $400,000. Community amenities will include an animal barn, a farm market, a community center, tennis courts, a fitness center, a swimming beach, a village green, a six-acre community organic garden, and 25 miles of interior trails. Overall density is 0.5 units/acre (1 unit/2 acres) with approximately 75% of the development preserved as open space, including 350 acres of open land and 150 acres of working farm. Spring Island Spring Island is a 3,000-acre island development located near Hilton Head, South Carolina. 500 single-family home sites are proposed, consisting of 125 cottage sites, 300 estate sites, and 75 golf course sites. Lots vary in size from one to 10 acres, and sell for an average price of $280,000. Community amenities include an 18-hole, 7,200-yard, par 72 golf course, and tennis courts. 1,000 acres or 33% of the island area is to be preserved as a nature preserve.