"From 1990 to 2000, impervious surfaces (in the bay’s watershed) increased by 41 percent a rate five times greater than the 8 percent rate of population growth during that time."

www.chesapeakebay.net

Did you know? The Town’s Subdivision and Land Development regulations for road widths and right-of-ways are significantly worse for the environment (and out-dated) than the requirements of the Virginia Department of Transportation?

Since 2007, consistent with the Comprehensive Plan’s Environmental Goals, FRLP has encouraged the Town to adopt more Earth Friendly land development standards and regulations. For example, if we used V-DOT road widths and right-of-way standards instead of Town land development standards we have estimated that our community would create an additional 16.77 acres of open space and pave 14.5 less acres than if we were to develop under Town regulations. And that’s in the FRLP development alone – imagine the impact Town wide! Town Subdivision and Land Development regulations in dire need of improvements include (Click on any issue below to learn more):

• Street Widths. Design residential streets for the minimum required pavement width. These widths should be based on traffic volumes.


• Street Length. Reduce the total length of residential streets by examining alternative street layouts to determine the best option for increasing the number of homes per unit length.


• Minimize Right-of-Ways. Wherever possible, residential street right-of-way widths should reflect the minimum required to accommodate the travel-way, the sidewalk, and vegetated open channels.


• Cul-de-Sacs. The radius of cul-de-sacs should be the minimum required to accommodate emergency and maintenance vehicles. Alternative turnarounds should be considered.


• Vegetated Open Channels. Where density, topography, soils, and slope permit, vegetated open channels should be used in the street right-of-way to convey and treat storm water runoff.


• Parking Lot Runoff. Wherever possible, provide storm water treatment for parking lot runoff using bioretention areas, filter strips, and/or other practices that can be integrated into required landscaping areas and traffic islands.


• Open Space Design. Advocate open space development that incorporates smaller lot sizes to minimize total impervious area, conserve natural areas, provide community recreational space, and promote watershed protection.


• Setbacks and Frontages. Relax side yard setbacks and allow narrower frontages to reduce total road length in the community and overall site imperviousness. Relax front setback requirements to minimize driveway lengths and reduce overall lot imperviousness.


• Sidewalks. Promote more flexible design standards for residential subdivision sidewalks. Where practical, consider locating sidewalks on only one side of the street and providing common walkways linking pedestrian areas.


• Driveways. Reduce overall lot imperviousness by promoting alternative driveway surfaces and shared driveways that connect two or more homes together.