Development eases around natural landscape
Source: CommercialAppeal.com, by Amos Maki
August 26, 2007
When a tree falls in the preserved portion of The Grove at Lakeland development, near the Oakwood Subdivision off Seed Tick Road, in all likelihood no one will remove it. Instead, the tree will be left to decay naturally, providing nutrients for the soil.
That's because 42 acres of the roughly 96-acre project, which will eventually feature 124 upscale, French country-designed homes, were placed in a permanent conservation easement. That makes The Grove at Lakeland the city's first "conservation development."
"We really took families into consideration here, and what they want are natural spaces, the feeling of being in the country," said Tammy Navarre, a Lakeland resident and part of the development team. "We give them that with this permanent conservation easement."
More projects like The Grove at Lakeland could be headed to the suburban city east of Memphis thanks to a conservation overlay the city implemented. Furthermore, the city hopes to have an interconnected system of preserved natural areas once more developers build in the overlay area.
The Grove at Lakeland was a collaborative effort between the city's natural resources office and the development team and preceded Lakeland's conservation overlay, part of the city's comprehensive land-use plan.
"This is our first stab at it," said Eric Bridges, Lakeland natural resources director. "I hope it's lucrative because that means other people would do it."
The preserved portions of The Grove at Lakeland feature a canopy of tall trees with a series of simple trails running through it. Wildlife sightings, including deer, are common. Small creeks dot the property.
"Isn't this beautiful?" asked Jeff Bennett, another Lakeland resident who is part of the development team. "But to have something beautiful like this you have to have a developer willing to sacrifice revenue."
The Grove at Lakeland features three lot sizes -- 65-feet wide, 100-feet wide and up to one acre -- that are typical of most suburban lots. However, almost all the lots back up to or face the conservation areas. Homes will range in size from 2,700 square feet to more than 5,000 square feet.
Without the conservation easement, the developers could have built much bigger lots. Called "clustering," the developers cluster home sites to take full advantage of the natural topography of the land.
"They may be smaller lots but for a lot of people it's worth it," said Bridges.
"Instead of mowing grass, they'd rather be playing in the woods," he said. "People really want and desire that."
Construction on The Grove at Lakeland is underway. Kenny Cook Construction, Affinity Homes LLC, Tabor Building Corp., Lakeland Home Builders, Tuscany Homes, The Frazier Co. and Trophy Home Builders have signed on to build homes there.
Meanwhile, Bridges will continue fine-tuning the city's Natural Resource Inventory, a base map of many of the city's important natural resources, and the conservation overlay.
"It's so we can help the developer understand on the front end what to expect and see where the priorities for conservation are," said Bridges.
As subdivisions are planned in the overlay area, they will be designed so that natural or preserved areas are linked, eventually creating a system of interconnected natural areas. The city will also try to link natural spaces in subdivisions on the overlay's periphery.
"What we call it is our green infrastructure," said Bridges. "Everybody understands road infrastructure and sewer infrastructure, but we're trying to put the green in front of it."
-- Amos Maki: 529-2351
Walking in the grove
Developers of The Grove at Lakeland placed 42 acres of the 96-acre site in a permanent conservation easement, which prohibits development.
The Grove at Lakeland is the city's first "conservation development."
Number of homes: 124.
Development team: Jay Luther, Tammy Navarre, Jeff Bennett, Alvin Banes and Allen Richardson.
Phone: 870-8193.
Other details: The city of Lakeland has created a Natural Resource Inventory, a base map of many of the city's important natural resources.
For more information on the NRI and the city's comprehensive land use plan, check out lakelandtn.gov.
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