Articles | Case Studies | Concept Tour

There are three different approaches to development that should be implemented together in order to achieve a balance of conservation
and development within a community. They are:

1) the Town Center Zone, areas where we want to enhance development potential;

2) the Preservation Zone, areas where we want to maximize land preservation; and

3) the Conservation Development Zone, areas where partial land conservation is the appropriate approach.

Over the last five years, the Countryside Program has developed a base of information about how we can incorporate residential development into a balanced plan for our communities. Now we move on to ask some parallel questions: How is commercial and industrial development best incorporated into a balanced plan? What form should these projects take? What standards should we strive for? What good ideas are being implemented here in our region, and elsewhere, that could greatly add to the value of these properties? What best development practices make sense where we are working to enhance the overall quality of our environment? The Countryside Program is just beginning its exploration of these questions, but there are a few issues we can identify at the outset.

From a land use perspective, commercial and industrial development projects in rural and suburban communities can be thought of as falling into three categories:

1) campus-type development, including office parks, light industrial subdivisions, and research-oriented developments;

2) roadside commercial, including large and small shopping malls, individual commercial businesses, and big box retailers; and

3) small town development, which creates a small town fabric to provide commercial and office space in a pedestrian environment.

Our first job is to ask the question: where do each of these types of development belong in our community? The small town development approach is very effectively applied near our town centers, where hopefully we are working to enhance and maximize development potential. There we have an opportunity to create a vibrant office and pedestrian retail environment that will add to the quality of life for those living and working in the town center. There, too, we can provide higher density housing that will allow our older and younger community members access to the basics of life, including transportation, without having to rely on the automobile. Two examples of this type of development in our region are Medina City, and Chagrin Falls. The cities of Brunswick and Barberton are working on new development areas that will meet these objectives. There are many more communities that have the potential to head in this direction.

Campus-type developments lend themselves excellently to the Conservation Development zone. The arrangement of buildings and parking in a park-like setting make a number of environment-enhancing practices possible, including protecting stream corridors, wetlands and woodlands; keeping stormwater on-site using low-tech methods; and reducing the water quality and runoff impact of parking lots. All of these provisions can be done in a way that enhances the value of the property, by providing scenic views and recreation for employees, and contributing to the positive image in the community of the businesses sited there.

The last category, roadside retail development, provides us with a challenge. Here the businesses are spread out and often paving stretches from one end of a parcel to another. As many of the businesses involved originate outside the community, the emphasis is on repeating a standard pattern, rather than responding to and enhancing the site itself. And yet, these projects have a significant impact on the image of a community, as they are often the first views we have upon entering. We do not have a lot of good examples of projects that take a more sensitive approach; but this is a category that could certainly use some attention as we develop our philosophy. Here are a few possibilities:

Perhaps more of these businesses could be encouraged to locate in the “Town Center” zone in the first place. What if we could harness their retail vitality to enhance our town centers? We also need to take a hard look at the amount of retail our community really needs, now and in the future, to ensure that we are not left with “ghost town” properties a few years hence.

A campus approach, where development is interwoven with open space and recreational opportunities, might help to mitigate the water impact of the project, allow for consolidated parking and driveways, and allow for screening of views of parking from the road.

Some communities have implemented zoning ordinances that require a percentage of each site be undeveloped. Similar benefits could be achieved as from a campus approach. Other zoning approaches involve requiring that parking be located behind buildings, and reducing the amount of parking required.

Finally, the design of buildings and parking lots themselves can be changed to reduce the impact on the environment. Green building techniques, buffer and filter strips, and proper use of vegetation can go a long way toward mitigating the impact of commercial development projects.

These are just a few ideas acout how we can incorporate commercial and industrial development into a balanced plan for our communities. Over the next year, we will be looking at ways to implement these ideas and others, from a community’s, landowner’s, and developer’s perspective. We are convinced that many good ideas will result in lower costs and a better market for the developer, and an enhanced quality of life for all of us.