BluebirdGroup
Sections
Notes
"That land is a community is the basic concept of ecology...but that land is to be loved and respected is an extension of ethics."
-- Aldo Leopold, 1948
Overview of the Wildlife Stewardship Community Plan
Stewardship n.
1. an entity that manages another's property and/or
financial affairs;
2. administration or agent of another or others.
Background
In the not so distant past, rural counties experienced a random and chaotic residential growth pattern sometimes called "suburban sprawl." This has led to the degradation of the rural landscape and the loss of family farms and productive prime croplands as well as the widespread fragmentation of wildlife habitat and reduced diversity in flora and fauna. In many cases the natural quiet country setting and lifestyle that were the core attractions have been depleted and compromised. The Hudson Valley, and particularly Columbia County, is experiencing greatly accelerated growth in population and demand for houses. Following the boom in demand and prices of the 80's, the 90's were quieter. Then, beginning in 2000, the demand in Columbia County began to increase dramatically. We predict that Columbia's exceptional landscape might be at risk, poised for a decade of hyper- development and new construction.Columbia is the only remaining county on the east bank of the Hudson River that enjoys a largely intact pristine rural landscape. With suburban style developments encroaching from metropolitan areas to the north and south, the overriding challenge is to find a way to create new housing for Columbia County's population increase that will protect and nourish the qualities of rural country living that is enjoyed in the county.
The Bluebird Group Stewardship Model
This development model uses a community design approach and project implementation system to create a residential development that overcomes the shortcomings of recent developments and their negative impact on the surrounding countryside.The Wildlife Stewardship Model in Columbia County hopes to avoid the pitfalls of older patterns by providing a healthful and stimulating lifestyle for residents, while becoming a great neighbor and asset to the Columbia county community. At the outset, the Stewardship system defines the most important values and benefits of the Columbia county landscape and environs while incorporating strategies and policies in connection with the development process to help protect these features. This section outlines some of the strategies the model uses to accomplish this goal.
1. Lower Density, Higher Quality.
The Stewardship model creates a land plan with a number of home-sites at a fraction of the density allowed under zoning. Much of the lands of the Stewardship are dedicated to common use and quiet pedestrian enjoyment. For example, within the Stewardship on Millbrook Road, of the total 235 acres, 85 acres are owned by the Homeowners Association for common sustainable use and agriculture, and 65+/- additional acres are covered by individual deed covenants and restrictions as forever open or agricultural and never built areas. Additional acres are dedicated under arboretum management and Sea of Green forever crop and open land with no building improvement. (all acreage calculations are approximate) make the previous sentence clearer. Ultimately, a resident within a Stewardship is surrounded by the ever changing seasons of sustainable practice organic farm land.2. Protecting the Public and Neighbor View-Sheds
Stewardship plans protect land corridors along public byways by the implementing agricultural and open fields in the public view-shed. Homes are nestled inside the property with minimized visibility from public roads by using protecting screening vegetation wherever possible. Special care is taken to protect the view shed of neighbors who abut the Stewardship. Design restrictions will be suggested for house and security lighting to make sure we do not intrude on the neighbors or the neighborhood with spilled useless lighting.3. Continued Sustainable Agricultural Activity and Long Term landscape plans.
The continued and growing use of productive farmlands is a key strategy for a vibrant future in Columbia County. The Stewardship model calls for the productive use of lands whenever feasible. All activities are conducted with sustainable organic agriculture best practices. As with the other programs, the developers make a commitment to fund and launch the initial phase or phases of the plan, and then the active programs are handed off to the landscape and garden committee, arboretum, bird watchers club or other working group in the Homeowners Association. Here is a list of typical Stewardship programs:A. Organic Produce Farming
Stewardship plans always try to include CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) areas activities as part of the community. Stewardship homeowners are the founding members, supporting the CSA farmer by underwriting infrastructure like deer fencing, wells, sheds, and use of equipment. Yearly memberships are then required. The farmer is also free to include more members from the general community. We believe that if enough organic produce is produced that a critical mass can be achieved, with Columbia County becoming the branded organic breadbasket to the metro and capital district region.B. On Site Plant Nursery
Perennial flower, shrubs and tree nurseries are included in Stewardship developments. There are 2 specific nurseries:- 1. The short-lived 3-5 year project nursery: grows perennials and acclimating purchased specimen stock before it is moved into residential and common landscapes. (In the same area the project will store trees that had to be moved during the construction process.)
- 2. The 10-year Tree and Specimen Nursery: in the first and second year, the developers will invest in planting one and two year nursery stock. Over the following eight years, residents in the Stewardship will be able to move fully acclimated, mature and highly valued stock onto their residential landscape. The permanent Stewardship Nursery will be used as the maintenance and public space plant inventory for the project. For instance, in year two, 300 sugar maple slips are planted. In years five through seven, when the trees have achieved suitable girth and height, they will be transplanted in rows along the common road as it crosses field areas as an alley. (This replicates traditional Colonial era models where sugar maples were used for shade and maple syrup production along country roads.)
C. Protected crop and silage fields
"Sea Of Green" areas are protected pasture and field areas that stay in field crop use and cannot be developed. Many fields are in hay or are in an abandoned state typical of farmlands in the county. As these fields are renovated and brought on line, several additional crops are being explored, including oat, rye and lavender. . Along the outer edge of these pastures and in hedgerows and corners, wildflower and songbird seeded plants will be introduced. This Sea of Green area will have mowed paths that traverse and connect to residences and the main pedestrian trails winding through the Stewardship.D. Community Gardens
Wherever possible, the Stewardship plan includes a community garden. This facility is available to all residents, includes individual plots as well as a small orchard, and a vineyard and perennial flower gardens. Gardening can be a great friendship generator.The plan will also call for the establishment of an arboretum for the majority of the woodland. These woodlands will be managed under Timber Stand Improvement for Wildlife programs, and in particular, areas of forest under story and depleted food sources for songbirds will be addressed. The miles of pedestrian and activity trails that meander through the property will include some interpretive signage, not unlike those in a natural history museum or habitat.
E. 100 year Horizon Landscape and Horticulture Plan
Since the community landscape will not mature for the better part of a century, the landscape and horticultural plan has to use this longer term horizon as the planning end point. This approach is in stark contrast with conventional developers who use the end point of the sale of the final house as the longest point on their planning templates. The plans focus on staged goals with results over 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100-year horizons. This approach is inspired by the activities of the wealthy river estate patrons of the 17th through 20th centuries Frederick Law Olmsted's Central and Prospect Parks in Manhattan and Brooklyn, respectively, are part of this model. In the Stewardship, this long term vision is an important ingredient in creating successful communities and extraordinary horticultural results.4. Wild Bird Sanctuary
With their high metabolism and wide-ranging habitats,, wild birds are early indicators of overall environmental health and habitat success within any given property. In the Stewardship, there is an underlying project commitment to wildlife from the developers and from the homeowners who become long-term residents. By taking practical steps to protect and enhance the habitat for wild birds, we are committed to making Stewardship a more sustainable and healthy place to live. From the installation of the first house on a wildbird trail to the planting of a forest habitat, the songbird variety and population will be enhanced and become a permanent part of the ecosystem. As with other programs, the developers start the process, and then hand this program off to the wildlife committee or birding club established by the Homeowners Association. The 5 year goal of the program is to be nationally certified as a songbird sanctuary by a national not for profit third party.5. Creation of a Homeowners Association for governance of the Stewardship
The Stewardship uses a Homeowners Association that is registered and reviewed by the Attorney General of the State of New York. Through this association, members provide the funding for all internal infrastructure, the common amenities areas and, programs like wildlife and horticulture plans. This approach allows the Stewardship to include many more community assets than regular subdivisions, with a tried and true legislative method to operate under. This governance model is superior to similar driveway and road maintenance agreements used in less progressive developments.6. Reduced Municipal Costs and Burden
The Stewardship takes care of capital costs, maintenance, insurance and other ongoing expenses of the infrastructure through paid costs of the developer and Homeowners Association maintenance fees. In this manner, the town and/or county are not responsible for these added burdens for infrastructure. In exchange, the internal roads will stay private the Stewardship may ask municipalities for more natural specs for slow speed roadways designed for pedestrian safety. Additionally the Stewardship land use density is a fraction of the density contemplated for town roads in the specifications used by the town. Finally, the use of open faced gravel roads that absorb precipitation is much more nature friendly than a sealed oil and stone or moto-paved surface.7. Common Facilities and Amenities.
Amenities such as the Pavilion House, the Trail Network, Observatory, and Community Gardens are all designed to create easy opportunities for neighbors to interact in their daily activities at the Stewardship. The four-mile trail system is designed to offer a connective route between the various neighborhoods. This is in stark contrast with the suburban style subdivision that encourages isolation and anonymity. Much of the lands of the Stewardship are dedicated to common use and quiet pedestrian enjoyment. Of the total 235 acres, 85 acres are owned by the Homeowners Association for common sustainable use and agriculture, and 65+/- additional acres are covered by individual deeds as forever open or agricultural and never built areas. Another 60+/- acres are dedicated under arboretum management and Sea of Green forever crop and open land with no building improvement.8. The Design and Style of the Stewardship Home and Community
The Stewardship Model employs a pattern and method to imprint the aesthetic of the historic Hudson Valley vernacular into the project. The goal is to create a zeitgeist of farmhouses on quiet country roads. All community buildings and homes in the Stewardship are based on the simple understated style of historical farmsteads and classic architecture of the county. Historic houses in the neighborhood of the Stewardship project are studied, and inform the architecture within the development. These vernacular forms are combined with more open floor plans appropriate for today's lifestyle. The total quality approach brought to the project will create homes of competitive value combined with craftsman quality all with the resonance of comfort only historical forms can provide.Stewardship homes are energy efficient, and use natural materials. They are designed to be constructed with minimum waste and with minimum impact on the ecosystem. Homes may include facilities to use stored rainwater as the primary source for watering lawns and gardens.
9. The Stewardship House and Private Garden
In many cases the "conventional" suburbs of the 50's and 60's were great places to grow up, with scores of kids, a multi-generational population and an active neighborhood community. Of late, these suburban patterns have morphed into a trend to ever larger houses, and increased isolation between the residents. The giant homes or "McMansions" in these developments have offered a premium on sheer volume over quality, with homes topping 5, 6 or even 7,000 feet of living space for a family of four. The family priced and achievable ranch house of the original suburban model has been replaced by the artifice of extremely large homes priced out of reach for most families.The Stewardship pattern replaces these large houses with a return to a more moderate scale and massing. Stewardship homes typically have less than 3000 square feet of living space. The homes are sighted to provide maximum privacy, and they are scaled to nestle into the land rather than dominate it. Borrowing from a centuries old pattern from Europe, the home includes the creation of a courtyard on the private side of the residence for an enclosed family compound and private garden. There are a broad selection of accessory structures and additions available as accessories to the main house. A partial list includes a detached carriage house, home office, green house, conservatory, artist studio, indoor exercise pool, a screened gazebo and detached car shelters.
This offers the homeowner and the developer the opportunity to landscape the courtyard with perennials, ornamental trees, and other horticultural specialties, creating an outdoor living area that integrated into the daily life of the residents. The outside perimeter of the compound is landscaped with native plants and low maintenance perennials. This Stewardship model replaces acres of suburban lawn with a residence that encloses a private garden and courtyard.
The accessory buildings such as a studio, a garage or a guest house are placed carefully on the property and do not constitute over 2500 combined square feet of living space. If a customer chooses not to build the accessory buildings on a given lot, they are restricted in the future to building in the described location for the accessory buildings, and must follow guidelines that assure the massing, fit and finish meet Stewardship standards and the overall architectural design of the community.
10. Building the Stewardship in Columbia County.
In order to compete with the national developers and homebuilders poised to enter Columbia County with tremendous resources and scales of operation, the Stewardship System has to deliver impeccable product and services at a competitive price. In order to help achieve this goal, the Stewardship Model prioritizes the "Buy Local" philosophy: being situated in the heart of Columbia County and having access to the top local vendors and craftspeople, the Stewardship can unequivocally guarantee competitive, professional results. That said, it is a given that if the resources are not available locally, then the Stewardship, will widen its radius of search and selection.11. Living in a Stewardship
As a dynamic organism, community life and life within the Stewardship will always be changing and evolving. These initial universal goals for the community have been created as a framework for continuous growth.A Sense of Place
We want to create the feeling of a small farm community along a meandering country road. Hay fields and mature forests separate neighborhoods. The residential buildings and shared facilities are scaled within the 'less is more' style, where homes defer to the landscape, rather than dominate and impose..A Conservation Value Community
In the belief that community and conservation can go hand in hand, the trails, gardens, ponds and public meeting areas of Stewardship are designed to offer a range of 'destinations' within the community. The interwoven walking, biking, bridal, cross country skiing and electric cart trails are designed to offer accessibility to all residents. Enjoyment of the wild bird sanctuary, blue bird trail, astronomy at the observatory, and informal gatherings at the Pavilion house leads to neighborly interaction.A Community that Welcomes all Ages and Lifestyles
The developers believe that a mix of incomes, races, lifestyles and ages are critical ingredients for the vitality and success of the community. Their goal is to include cost efficiencies while building homes of different sizes and values combined with an impeccable quality approach in the hope that a broad range of families can enjoy purchasing a home in the Stewardship.Encouragement of Lifelong Learning and an Appreciation of Nature
The Stewardship offers an environment that encourages the enjoyment of the natural world. The surrounding organic farmland and wildlife preserve, the miles of trails, our star gazing observatory and the overall layout of the community are designed to foster environmental awareness, social interaction between neighbors and mentor relationships between generations.Conclusion
It's a fact of life: there will be a continued and growing demand for new housing in Columbia County. As of this writing, some of the largest builders in America are shopping for opportunities in our county. It's no wonder with all this activity and pressure that there is growing distrust between residents and developers. The Blue Bird Group shares the frustration of seeing high impact "McMansion" subdivisions coming to the fore...The downsides are becoming more & more apparent:
- The public view shed is often compromised.
- Good farmland is forever turned into weed free lawnscapes.
- The financial burdens on municipalities and school districts multiply.
- Homeowners in these developments never enjoy the magical and revitalizing lifestyle of living within a vibrant ecosystem and wildlife sanctuary.
We hope to have a dramatically positive effect. We live in one of the most beautiful rural landscapes in the country. It will take the best efforts and intentions from everyone with a stake in the outcome: concerned residents, volunteer local boards, town and county government, the developers, and finally the customers who become our new neighbors.