Small Area Plan 1995 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Land Suitability Analysis A suitability analysis is a process used to determine the appropriateness of a given tract of land for a specified use. When viewed collectively, the environmental and physical features of an area- - such as the hydrology, geology, and biology- -yield insights into the types of uses suitable for a particular parcel of land. Suitability analyses can be conducted for any type of land use being considered for an area. For the purposes of this project, the suitability of land for residential uses was the primary concern. The following steps were employed in developing the suitability analysis for Stoney Creek Basin: Step 1: Map the land available for development, including: • land not included in established subdivisions • large unused parcels • parcels with minimal existing development (one building) that are at least 10 acres in size and contiguous to large undeveloped tracts. Areas unavailable for planning purposes were masked with a gray screen on the planning map (see Map 3). Using the above criteria, it was determined that 1,999 acres were available for development. Step 2: Map the various physical and environmental features to see where they are located in the area. (see Map 4).These include: • Duke Forest • Stoney Creek Step 3: Identify which of these land features may constrain development and develop a Primary Constraints Map for use by all three design groups. The primary constraints include: • Streams and ponds • 100 -year floodplains and wetlands • Steep slopes (greater than 15 %) • Natural areas and wildlife corridors • Soils unsuitable for septic systems Once all of these features were included on the Primary Constraints Map (see Map 5), the areas without any constraints were shown in white and were considered optimal for development. Step 4: Map specific development constraints and opportunities for each design group. All three design groups were concerned with general constraints such as floodplains and steep slopes. Differences between group objectives, however, required varying Stoney Creek Basin Area Plan, 5