What is it?

"Conservation development is a pattern of development that concentrates development on the site so that remaining areas may be left in a natural or unaltered state" (North Virginia Planning District) .

Conservation Benefits (from North Virginia Planning District)

• Concentrates runoff where it can be most effectively treated
• Creates larger urban wildlife habitat islands
• Provides a wider range of feasible sites to locate stormwater BMPs
• Reduces site imperviousness which increaces ground water infiltration
• Reduces stormwater runoff and pollutants
• Reduces potential pressure to encroach on resource and buffer areas
• Reduces soil erosion
• Reserves greenspace in developement

What does it include?

Conservation development includes increasing and protecting impervious areas by reducing size of streets and sidewalks, reducing the footprint of built structures, maintaining riparian buffer zones and setbacks, implementing water conservation measures for landscape and residental use, and planning for some stormwater treatment within the development (like retention ponds).