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Written by Steve Gaze
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Friday, 01 June 2007 |
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Integrates Extensive Recreation Opportunities
The concept of sustainability was originally concerned with the conservation and/or degradation of natural resources and environments. Increasingly, it is being linked to the physical and emotional health of individuals and their communities. However, the idea of sustainable recreational areas is not as “new” an idea as some might think.
Over 150 years ago, Central Park – in New York City – was designed by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead. At the time of its construction, New York City was experiencing an environmental crisis resulting from overcrowded tenements and urban neighborhoods lacking even rudimentary sanitation and social services.
Inspired by the People’s Park at Birkenhead in Liverpool, England, Olmstead envisioned a “great open space, a natural sanctuary that would provide respite from the conditions of the city and encourage a more civilized public life for city dwellers,” according to The Once and Future Park, Princeton University Press, 1992.
Central Park continues to be the urban park ideal. It endures as a symbol of how green space influences the evolution of a city and how a park can continue to meet the changing needs of a population for over five generations.
In the tradition set forth by Olmstead, who was essentially working under the guiding principles of sustainability 150 years before the concepts were put to paper, Douglasville Development is creating the Tributary at New Manchester – a master-planned community located just 14 miles from downtown Atlanta, in Douglasville, Georgia.
Homes in Tributary comply with the sustainable building criteria set forth by EarthCraft
House™, a voluntary green building program of the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association. The EarthCraft House program strives to promote energy efficient, healthy homes using environmentally friendly building materials and practices.
“We are the only multi-builder, master-planned community in the Atlanta metropolitan area that has all EarthCraft builders,” says Rick Mildner, COO and General Manager for Douglasville Development, LLC. “We require every one of our houses to be EarthCraft-certified.”
But the developers of Tributary, a 1,600-acre suburban live-work-play community, plan to go beyond sustainable housing and seek to create a sustainable community that will combine the “convenience” found in an urban high-density setting with the “ambience” of a suburban setting. When fully developed, Tributary will encompass 2,500 residences of single-family homes, condominiums, and townhouses; a commercial component consisting of 3- to 5-million square feet of office space; and 600,000 square feet of retail. There are also 13 historical sites on the property that have been deeded to a trust created and managed by the City of Douglasville.
This sustainable development is expected to attract a younger Generation X homebuyer who is interested in “moving up, without selling out – or the boredom of the `burbs,” according to Tributary’s website.
“We determined that there are many people who have participated in new downtown residences and are now undergoing a lifestyle change,” adds Mildner. “They were either young marrieds, childless or single when they lived in town, but now they’re starting to think about where their children are going to play. Where are the soccer teams going to practice? How are we going to live as a family? Yet they still want the features of urban neighborhoods.”
In addition to numerous nature activities, the master plan also includes swimming pools, tennis courts, fitness centers, neighborhood parks, and six playgrounds. The challenge faced by developers was to provide the recreational amenities demanded by buyers while keeping with the development’s own sustainability requirements.
Nature’s Way
Providing for outdoor recreation was not difficult. Tributary is adjacent to the Chattahoochee River and to the 2,500-acre Sweetwater Creek State Park. Approximately 35% of Tributary’s acreage has been dedicated to green space and recreation, with more than 500 acres of the original property already deeded to Sweetwater Creek State Park.
Nature-related activities include walking on nine miles of trails, mountain biking, fly-fishing, kayaking, camping, or enjoying the thrills provided by nearby Class IV rapids. There are plans for an outdoor adventure center on the riverbank where residents will be able to rent kayaks and bikes, as well as buy bait. Lessons will be offered in fly-fishing and “green” camping.
However, even though the property had such an abundance of nature activities at its disposal, providing for ease-of-use while remaining green did provide some difficulties.
“We get complaints that the nature trails are not stroller-friendly,” says Mildner. “While environmentalists would prefer us not to even touch one leaf, there are residents who would prefer eight-foot wide sidewalks through the wooded area.”
Outdoor areas and trails were left as natural as possible. No grading work done in these areas. Trails were delineated using natural fallen timbers and then filled with mulch created from materials from clearing operations of the residential sections of the property. Trails follow natural paths through the wooded areas. Only in a few areas where there was fear of erosion sections were backstopped using landscaping timers.
Activity Center
Recently completed, the activity center at Tributary also adheres to EarthCraft standards and features two swimming pools, a furnished clubhouse with workout equipment, a meeting area, and a kitchen. A large copper fire pit serves as the focal point of the center’s outdoor gathering place – with grills, dining tables and space for mingling. The space can be enclosed during cold or inclement weather.
The new activity center, tennis area, pools, park facilities, and nature areas all allow for numerous activities and programs that fall under the supervision of Rosa Trenkamp, Director of Community Activities.
One such is Camp Tributary, a summer program designed for children and filled with nature-based activities. In addition to traditional camp activities such as swimming, kick ball, and soccer, children learn about nature and are taught how they can take care of the planet. Even craft-time, a staple of every summer camp, features recycled materials and exercises purchased from Nature Watch. Kids are also taken on hikes and trips to local nature centers.
Throughout the rest of the year, children ages 7-14 are encouraged to attend monthly nature programs held throughout Tributary. These 90-minute educational programs include interactive lessons, handouts, crafts, and take-home fun. Recent themes include: Birds, Snakes, Plants and Weather.
Planned nature activities are not for kids only. This past Earth Day, residents were treated to a nature hike lead by a local naturalist – who had actually been involved in the design of the current nature trails. The hike included an ongoing discussion of local flora and fauna.
History Hikes for adults are a quarterly event and are a joint venture with Sweetwater Creek Park State Park. Each hike leads to a different location within either Tributary or Sweetwater Creek and is lead by an expert. The area has significant historical significance going back to the Civil War era.
Playtime is Family-Time
Other places for families to gather and children to play include three completed parks with playgrounds, with three others planned for future development.
Choosing a playground structure that would fit within the developer’s green and sustainable guidelines was not be as big a challenge as originally thought.
The playground structures were designed, manufactured, and installed by Safeplay Systems. As sustainable as they are fun, Safeplay play structures are built of EcoPlay – created from recycled HDPE plastic (milk jugs). The average playground structure provides for the reuse of approximately 50,000 milk jugs that would otherwise have made their way into landfill. The playgrounds are also PVC-free – the use of PVC in playgrounds is a hotly-debated health issue.
Not only made of recycled material, EcoPlay playgrounds are also recyclable – Safeplay Systems offers a “buy-back” option where they will buy back their old playground structures in the future and recycle them into new playgrounds. However, with a 50-year warranty, and a life expectancy that goes beyond that, the only possible reason to exercise this buy-back option would be if land-use plans changed.
Tributary at New Manchester – a community with a respect for and commitment to nature and the environment – is a project that is an example of how sustainable development should and will be done. It is also a development that Frederick Law Olmstead himself might have designed. SLDT
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