Nicolle Costa 642 E Summit St Kent, Oh 44240 Phone: 631-9659882 E-Mail: ncosta@kent.edu
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Date: May 3 2013 Christine Craycroft Executive Director Portage Park District 705 Oakwood Street, Suite G4 Ravenna, Ohio 44266
Dear Christine Craycroft: The Towner’s Woods Park subdivision proposal is an opportunity to provide alternative funding for the Portage Park District. The proposed site for this subdivision is approximately 34 acres of the 175 acres in which the park consist of today. Within the 34 acres there are no sensitive areas. The subdivision would consist of 60 single family detached home of approximately .33 acres and 20 2,000sf /double story attached condos. The conservation subdivision would offer community open spaces, private area with a shelter and an area for a turf field. This then allows the subdivision to be marketed for for-sale middle rates because of the land as well as the site functions. However, the subdivision would not only allow for a good source of funding for the park district but also allow for the further education of the park characteristics as well as education of the idea of conservation and regulation of the site. The idea of a conservation subdivision instills the idea of keeping all the natural environment, ecosystems and vegetation. In the idea of development the same idea apply in which development should be designed as one with the land and around its existing features. Each single-family parcel is located so there is a area of clear land to be used for the dwelling and then a yard of natural vegetation. The same for the condominiums they are designed in a particular way so there are natural clearings and no vegetation is destroyed but added to the sites landscape. It is the goal to not disturb the natural surroundings but even to add plants, flowers, shrubs and trees to the landscape. With this then in mind the idea of draining and storm water needs to be understood and regulated. Allowing for more impervious landscape makes regulating and drainage more difficult. In the site where the subdivision is being proposed the soils allow for okay drainage but in the idea it would be preferred for a more pervious and natural use of regulation for any materials to be used in development. In the idea of circulation and conservation asphalt, which is not as of porous of a material, is unlikely to be the source of street pavement. Like the paths and trails consist of in the park already of limestone and asphalt, I think the best way to keep the idea of
conservation as well as thinking about draining and storm water is to keep limestone with added gravel to the path of circulation because, it is more porous and would allow for a more natural look and would help in regulation of storm water. Today the park consists of many different structures such as gazebos, bridges, old architecture projects from KSU and a few other structural pieces. All existing facilities of Towner’s Woods Park would be preserved and anything that is impacted would be replaced including trails. For an example, the portage hike and bike trail runs through the park. The area in which the subdivision would best fit is the existing path of where the bike and hike trail in located. To allow for better circulation as well as privacy from the subdivision and the trail is to be relocated on the old railroad track south of the subdivision but would reconnect to the original trails before the end of the park boundaries. This allows for a private trail and privacy of the public entering into the subdivision. However, even though there is a distinction and division of the public park and the private subdivision there are links disclosed from the public but the private subdivision has a path that connects all housing units to the public parks very unique sledding hill. The same goes for the parking that is located at the entrance of the park; a different arrangement and location of the public parking was designed for better location to the public parks trail entrance as well as define the public entrance to the defined tree-scaped and gravel road that leads into the new subdivision. All of these different design aspects allow keeping the natural or existing features of the site as well as claiming a more defined area for the park and the subdivision. Allowing this subdivision to be developed in the park would allow for many more opportunities for the Portage Park District and the Franklin Township itself. The idea of developing a subdivision not only allows for a steady funding strategy but it will give the opportunity for the new community to learn about the idea of how the subdivision was designed around conservation and also the different techniques used to study and regulate for storm water and draining of the site. With education and a new strategy for raising money for the Portage Park District there will be many more opportunities for the Park District to advance education in volunteers and in visitors as well as spreading the idea of conservation to other communities. Sincerely,
Nicolle Costa Kent State University College of Architecture and Environmental Desgin
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