elaine lazarus, director of land use, planning & permitting, town of hopkinton

Legacy Farms, Hopkinton

Low Impact Development

733 acres of former Weston Nurseries property

Partnership with developer Agreement on the type and style of

development Agreement on open space – 500 acres Sensitive site - culturally and

environmentally Design guidelines and low impact

development

Legacy Farms

Host Community Agreement item #1:

“The project shall be based on low impact design principles, a set of strategies that seek to maintain natural systems during the development process by creating a development that, to the extent feasible, is integrated into the landscape and not imposed on it.”

Signed May 1, 2008

Layers of Regulation

Zoning Bylaw Amendment – Open Space Mixed Use Development (OSMUD) Overlay District – adopted May 8, 2008

OSMUD established two-step approval process:1. Master Plan Special Permit for entire 733 acres –

including Design Guidelines2. Site Plan Review for Development Projects

Maximum 940 dwelling units; 450,000 sq. ft. commercial space

Layers of Regulation

Dated May 13, 2010 Adopted Design Guidelines – attached to

MPSP Design Guidelines require LID – two

principles: Design with topography and land forms in mind; Incorporate stormwater practices consistent with

LID techniques, in addition to DEP Stormwater Best Management Practices

Master Plan Special Permit

Street and Driveway Design:

Street design and layout shall complement the character of the District and its land uses by following existing topography, limiting site disturbance, avoiding environmentally sensitive locations and minimizing cuts and fills as much as possible. The Planning Board may consider flexibility in the street design and layout in order to accomplish the design intent of the District, the MPSP and these Guidelines. Flexibility in street design which is consistent with the intent of the District could result in differences to standards utilized elsewhere in Hopkinton with regard to street width, length, maximum grades, curbing and shoulder widths…

It is the intent that the Major Street be designed in accordance with the standards contained in the Subdivision Rules and Regulations, with the exception that it is the intent that waivers will be granted by the Planning Board in order to utilize the standards contained in these Guidelines instead.

Design Guidelines

Design Guidelines street layout

Public Way Minor Residential Drive (10-50 units)

Site Plan Criteria includes:

1. Site Plan must comply with Design Guidelines (LID)

2. Site Plan must comply with the MPSP (DG & HCA)

Site Plan Review

Waivers granted from Subdivision Regulation provisions to comply with LID principles: Curbing Maximum grade Construction of road & infrastructure on 25% or

greater slopes, to locate road in previously disturbed areas

Catch basin & manhole locations Drainage system – swales and other LID techniques

to be used Boardwalk sidewalk instead of paved sidewalk in

one area

Subdivision Plans

Alta Legacy Farms – 240 apartment units – nearly complete

Pulte Homes – 275 duplex and simplex units – under construction

Retirement Residence – construction begins summer 2014

282.80 acres open space

Permitted development to date

Legacy Farms Master Plan

Minimized grade changes

Bioretention area

Swales

Bioretention areas

Detention pond

Designed to fit the land

Series of three infiltration basins between apartment buildings and wetland/pond

Infiltration basins

Infiltration basins

Infiltration basins

Infiltration basins

Infiltration basin area

Bioretention area; Signage

Apartment complex - central preserved natural area

Wetland crossing

Wetland crossing

Wastewater treatment plant