Develop with Care Case Studies

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Develop with CareCase Studies

• De Mamiel Creek Estates, Sooke

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Site Location
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Site Description
Rocky Creek

• Residential subdivision in the Capital Regional
  District (CRD)
• 52 hectare (129 acre)
• 3 phase (30 lots), 4th phase ( 20) underway

De Mamiel Creek
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Environmentally Valuable Resources

• De Mamiel and Rocky Creeks
• - significant salmon streams on Vancouver Island
• Second growth forest (Douglas-fir and cedar)

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Guidelines Site Design

• Avoid development in areas with environmentally
  valuable resources. Instead, cluster development
  in less sensitive areas by using density
  bonusing, density averaging, or density transfer
  provisions (p 3-15)
• Identify and avoid areas where landslides,
  rockfalls, or avalanches may occur (p 2-43)

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Guidelines Riparian Buffers and Setbacks

• Establish buffer areas around environmentally
  valuable resources. Buffers should be wide enough
  to protect the ecological integrity of the
  environmentally valuable resource(p 4-23)
• Work with an appropriate qualified professional
  since conditions vary on a site-by-site basis.
  The appropriate buffer width will depend on its
  purpose(p 4-23)

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Site Design and Riparian Buffers

• Study of environmentally sensitive areas
• Geotechnical survey
• Minimum 30 m no-development buffer around the
  creeks

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Rocky Creek
Covenant area
De Mamiel Creek
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Guidelines Conservation Covenants

• place conservation covenants on buffer areas
  that are on private land, but these covenants
  must be enforced to prevent intrusion into the
  buffer area. (p 2-30)

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Conservation Covenants

• Three-way covenant
• Third party accountability (photopoint
  monitoring, penalties)
• Endowment fund

• Covenant prohibits
• Cutting or pruning of live or dead trees
• Building of structures
• Alterations to watercourse
• Deposition of fill or removal of soils or rocks

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Conservation Covenants cont.

• Time and costs
• Initial community resistance to covenant
• Longer- term protection

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Guidelines Stream Protection

• Avoid or reduce the number of stream
  crossingsDesign the development layout so that
  lots do not straddle watercourses and riparian
  zones. (p 4-30)
• Limit access to aquatic and riparian habitats
  (p-3-23)

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Stream Protection

• Lot layout designed for single stream crossing
  (emergency access provided)
• Covenant allows only for a single trail of
  limited width

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Future park land
Emergency access
Covenant area
Stream crossing
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Guidelines Stormwater Management

• Use swales and pervious surfaces rather than
  pave and pipe (p. 3-16)
• Ensure that the natural (pre-development)
  hydrological cycle will be maintained after
  developmentFollow the guidelines set out in
  Stormwater Planning A Guidebook for British
  Columbia and the Water Balance Model. (p.4-30)

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Stormwater Management

• Stormwater management plan to protect the creek
• Homeowners encouraged to use permeable paving
  materials
• Registration of SWMP with local government

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Guidelines Homeowner Stewardship

• Use signage and other educational tools to inform
  people about the ecological importance of
  environmentally valuable resources. (p 4-39)
• Check your property title (Fact Sheet 8)
• Respect buffer areas (Fact Sheet 8)

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Homeowner Stewardship

• Homeowners manual provides information on

• The creek and salmonids
• Onsite stormwater management and water pollution
• The covenant and TLC
• Tips on naturescaping and invasive species
  management
• A summary of the Development Permit

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Guidelines Restoration

• If an environmentally valuable resource is
  already disturbed, hire an appropriately
  qualified professional to prepare and implement a
  restoration plan. (p 4-40)
• Consider opportunities for restoration (p 3-19)

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Restoration

• Summer rearing habitat
• Enhancement or habitat compensation in future DP
  applications

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Benefits

• Residents guaranteed that forested nature of the
  subdivision will be preserved in perpetuity
• Riparian area and salmon habitat are protected

• Conservation covenant provides security with
  ongoing monitoring.
• Covenants also protect Rocky Creek.