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Business World |
July 2015
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set to feature roughly 215 building lots that
will each contain a large amount of designat-
ed green space that's "basically untouchable."
"The concept behind this subdivision is land
conservation and open space," saysNorwood.
"Our lots are starting at approximately an
acre to an acre-and-a-half in size, and they go
up from there. You're allowed to develop 20
per cent of each lot for the home, meaning
80 per cent has to remain untouched."
According to Norwood, this mandate will
produce "a lot of green buffer and natural
green boundaries" between the homes, pro-
viding numerous benefits for residents to en-
joy. These benefits include: improved priva-
cy; picturesque views; conservation of plants
and wildlife; more efficient natural drainage
to reduce stormwater flooding and soil ero-
sion; preservation of the "rural character"
of Porter's Lake; a retention of undisturbed
green belts for outdoor activities such as hik-
ing; and an enhancement to long-term real
estate values.
Nature Ridge Homes is currently developing
the first of eight phases for the development,
which will yield 36 of those building lots.
Each home will also feature a wide variety of
energy efficient products and systems − an
aspect of building they "really don't com-
promise on." To back that up, the company
has each of their builds professionally tested
for energy consumption and rated by Ener-
Guide in order to ensure optimal energy per-
formance.
"What we're doing with the Nature Ridge
subdivision is pretty much as environmen-
tally-responsible as you can be, especially in
terms of conservation," Norwood explains.
"We've had an at-risk species study done to
make sure we weren't putting any endan-
gered plants or animals at risk by developing
the area. We're also working around the wet-
lands, which are great to have on the prop-