By Brad Smith PLA, AICP, ASLA

& Lauren Colunga PLA, ASLA

INTRODUCTION

In early 2019, Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis kicked off major water policy reforms by signing Executive Order 19-12 (Achieving More Now for Florida’s Environment) to increase water conservation for homes, businesses, and communities1.  At BSA Place Creation, we believe sustaining our freshwater supplies to meet future needs is an integral part of smart community planning and design. When done on a state-wide or federal scale, water conservation can have a measurable and significant impact on the quality of life for humans and wildlife by reducing demands on Florida’s water-dependent ecosystems such as springs, rivers, lakes, and wetlands.

In our work as landscape architects and planners, we often work with clients trying to balance a desire to make a profit, design beautiful communities, and to meet water conservation requirements in counties with necessarily stringent water conservation policies.  Finding this balance can be overwhelming, and every stakeholder has a different point-of-view they are advocating for.  The solutions we develop for our clients blend the macro and micro views by designing prototypes for lots able to collectively meet water conservation requirements and provide standardized yet customizable landscape designs.  This strategy breaks down larger regulatory conservation requirements into smaller, more manageable, goals viewed on a lot-by-lot basis.

On Top of the World Communities, LLC. (OTOW) in Ocala, FL is a client whose 13,000-acre community is on the cutting edge of implementing what may eventually become mandated design and water conservation requirements.  They are preparing for the future while meeting their bottom line by designing communities that fulfill promises for a more ecologically sustainable future.  According to their website,

OTOW believes the smart way to grow is to create environmentally sound landscape practices that ensure a sustainable future for ourselves and future generations. By cultivating native landscapes that boast the natural beauty of our community, OTOW isn’t just providing good-looking backdrops for our homes, we are protecting our natural resources while preserving our region’s unique beauty.

 Combining these prototypes with initial planning that addresses wildlife conservation, encourages resource management, and fits in with regional planning goals yields a development that makes good business sense.  We believe that not only is this the right way to develop the land, but that if done well, the property values will be higher than those developed using the more typical approach.

PROCESS

To help OTOW achieve its ambitious goals, we began by creating a series of basic landscape design templates for each planned building type.  These were developed through the use of ecologically sound landscaping practices outlined by the University of Florida’s Florida Yards & Neighborhoods (FYN) Program which helps homeowners reduce water pollution and conserve water resources.  The prototype templates provide flexibility by listing several species able to be chosen by the installer for each category of plants, thus avoiding a static “cookie-cutter” appearance to the streetscape. 

Each design was also modeled for water usage, and the designs were optimized for irrigation efficiency.  These designs achieve a significantly lower water usage per capita than is typical for Florida landscapes.

The developments of OTOW are already surpassing their competition by developing strict irrigation standards so every home constructed will incorporate the highest quality, conservation-oriented irrigation system available.  The goal is to go beyond meeting the requirements and to design with the larger issue of long-term sustainability in mind.  

THIRD-PARTY FEEDBACK

BSA Place Creation and OTOW also met with representatives from two Water Management Districts to show them the streamlined design and permitting approach we had proposed.  They loved its simplicity, clarity, and adaptability.  At the end of the meeting, they asked for information about how to replicate it elsewhere throughout their districts.  It is simple, effective, and tailored to the needs of production builders looking to balance business and sustainability goals while meeting mandated requirements.

Learn more

Contact us to discuss how our knowledge and innovative practices can be implemented in your community.