1. Open Space Residential Design OSRD
Andrea Cooper, Smart Growth Coordinator
Executive Office of Environmental Affairs
Massachusetts Smart Growth Toolkit

2. Land Consumption
16,000 acres of land is developed each year in Massachusetts.
Current: 4.97 persons/acre
1950: persons/acre
More than twice as much land has been developed since 1950 than was developed in the previous 300 years.

3. Percentage Change in Land
Use vs. Population
200%
180%
160%
140%
120%
% Increase
100%
80%
Increase in
Population
60%
40%
20%
Increase in
Developed
Land 0%
1950
1970
1990
Year
Source: Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs

4. Growth Pressures Rapidly increasing sprawl development
Loss of open space and community character
Lack of economically viable housing
Social isolation
Threat to natural resources and water quality

5. Green Neighborhoods Alliance
Planning Boards
Conservation Organizations
Developers (Northeast Builders Assoc.)
Regional Planning Agencies
Federal Agencies
North Shore Realtors Assn.
State Agencies

6. “I think the most important thing we accomplished in the first three years was getting beyond staring suspiciously at each other across the table and often treating each other with less than courtesy”
Preservation Profit
(town) (developer)
“Boards are as much to blame as developers in causing costly delays in what too often results in an uninspired subdivision”

7. Open Space Residential Design Four Step Process
1. Identify Conservation Value Areas
1. Align Roads
2. Draw the Lot Lines
3. Locate House Sites
Open Space?
2. Locate House Sites
3. Align Roads & Trails
4. Draw the Lot Lines

8. The process begins with determining how many lots could be developed under conventional zoning; this is the base yield of the property. From that point, the plan development process follows four basic steps:

9. 1.
Identify Conservation Value Areas on the site such as wetlands, significant trees or tracts of forest, habitat, cultural resources or buffer zones. Remove these from the “developable area”.

10. 2.
Place houses in the remaining area in a way that would maximize residents enjoyment of these areas by providing access to open space and preserving views.

11. 3.
Align roads and trails on the site to provide pedestrian and vehicle access.

12. 4. Draw lot lines around the homes.

13. Opportunities and Incentives
Mixed housing types for low to moderate income
Yard Setbacks
Minimum Width at Building Line
Maximum Impervious Surface per Lot
Lot Shape
Density Bonuses
Reduced infrastructure
Pork chop lots
Creative use of frontage requirements
Creative use of various lot sizes

14. Density Bonuses Towns may choose to give Density Bonuses:
Based on a % over the minimum of open space set aside
To encourage a specific age demographic
To promote town planning goals
To promote low to moderate income units
Based on the sensitivity of resources or the protection of resources
Reduction of bedrooms to minimize school impacts

15. OSRD OR CLUSTER? Creative Partnership Regulatory Focus
Pre-Application Mtg (Four Step Process)
Special Permit Early in Process
Conservation Values
Streamlined Process
Early Stakeholder Involvement
Creative Incentives
Alternative to Comp. Permit
Regulatory Focus
Early Financial Investment
Concurrent Permit Processes
Open Space Percentage
Uncertain Timeframe
Involvement at the hearing phase
Density Bonus Only

16. ORSD or Large Lots?
Lots may be consumed by home, garage, pool, shed, patio, landscaping, etc.
May or may not contain open space
Usually reserved for upscale homes
Less covering of impervious surfaces
Permanent open space
May contain mixed housing types

17. BENEFITS of OSRD Municipal
- Reduces infrastructure and maintenance costs
- Reduces demand to acquire new public parkland
- Maintains local character
Used in conjunction with affordable housing provisions, OSRD bylaws can expand housing opportunities in a community.

18. BENEFITS of OSRD Environmental - Protects unique or fragile habitats
- Reduces the pollution impacts of stormwater runoff
- Promotes aquifer recharge
- Provides opportunities to link wildlife habitats
- Conservation values are part of the planning process
- Can further goals of open space and community
development plans
The planning process for OSRD inherently protects natural resources and promotes recharge to underlying aquifers.

19. Social and Recreational
BENEFITS of OSRD
Social and Recreational
- Reduces isolation and sprawl
- Enhances New England community character
- Promotes community involvement
Provides neighborhood connections with an interconnected
network of trails and open space
- Can be combined with 40B, the Local Initiative Program, to be
an alternative to comprehensive permit to achieve
affordable housing accreditation
OSRD also preserves significant cultural and historic resources early in the planning process.

20. For the Developer and Realtor
BENEFITS of OSRD
For the Developer and Realtor
- Streamlines plan review process; reduces time and costs
- Adds valuable amenities that can enhance marketing and sale prices
- Increases resale value; homes in OSRD subdivisions have shown to
appreciate faster than those in conventional subdivisions
- Provides flexibility to encourage developers to create
“Green Neighborhoods”
- Decreases site development costs by designing with the terrain
The OSRD permitting structure encourages smart growth and facilitates a permitting process that is clear, easy to understand, and cost-effective to developers.

21. CASE STUDY Caldwell Farm Newbury, MA
Caldwell Farm is a 66-unit housing project, 100 of the 125 acres being maintained as open space including fields, forest, freshwater, and saltwater wetlands.

22. Island Co-Housing West Tisbury - 2000
49.4 acre site purchased by South Mountain Company
Subdivided into four parcels
30 acres for 16 unit co-housing development
Pedestrian-oriented
Streets and vehicles on perimeter only
Community center, communal responsibilities
Comprehensive permit to cluster housing on 6 acres
24 acres left as open space