URBAN HYDROLOGY

and

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

Location

Project Overview

The property owned by EBSCO Industries consists of about 6000 acres

located on a heavily-wooded hilly ridge between Shelby County Highways 41

and 43, southeast of downtown Birmingham. The land is similar in size and

disposition to the collection of residential neighborhoods laid out primarily in

the 1920s on the ridge just south of downtown, including Homewood, Forest

Park, and Mountain Brook. The organization of these successful

neighborhoods, each approximately one-half mile across, has served as a

model for the regional planning of the EBSCO property, with the exception that

additional care has been taken to avoid building on the most difficult slopes

and to preserve natural greenways through the property. First to be developed

of the 6000 acre site is an area 560 acres in size, located on the western slope

of the ridge, against Highway 41. It consists of a flatter area close to the

highway and a hillside that increases in slope as it approaches the top of the

ridge. Slopes average around five percent in the flat area, increasing to about

fifteen percent on the low hillside, and jumping to thirty percent and above on

the upper third of the property.

Master Plan

600+/- acres

Over 40% of site left in natural state

600’+/- elevation change from Town Center to top of Double Oak Mountain

80,000 s.f. commercial/lease space

650+/- dwelling units

K-5 County School

RFD Fire Station

Development Facts

Development Goals

Grade as little as possible

Retain high points (topo)- don’t build on top of ridges

Retain as many trees as possible, even to the point of excessiveness

Keep Mt Laurel in Mt Laurel

Imprint the site as little as possible

Use the natural systems of Mt Laurel where possible (drainage, topo, soils)

Become a model for future growth in the region

Development Issues

Alignment of roads to meet County standards

forced excessive grading- subdivision regs

require adherence to AASHTO Greenbook

Curbs not County standard

Drain inlets not County standard

Lighting not County standard

Utilities under paving & in common trenches

“not done”

No streams/enviro issues

Development Reality

Limited Clearing and Grading

Limited Disturbance of Existing Vegetation

Limited Compaction of Land During

Construction

Limited the Use of Sod/Lawns

Worked with the Land, Not against it

Changed the Architecture to Fit The Land

USED THE NATURAL SYSTEMS TO OUR

ADVANTAGE

Pre-construction Aerial

Phase 1 Plan

Chipper Tree Spade

Sawmill

Site Development

Site Development

Site Development

Site Development

Site Development

Site Development

Comparison of development styles

Keep the trees Put the sidewalks next to the curbs

Stake the footprint of the house before clearing

Trench the edge of the foundation before clearing

Harvest the plant materials off the site before clearing

Clear/chip debris

Once construction starts, keep people off trees!

Use chips to cushion traffic around house (keeps mud off too!)

Replant

Developing Mt Laurel