Smart Growth - Georgetown Land Development Company

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"Georgetown Land Development Company has adopted every Smart Growth principle you can think of."
—Stephen Soler, President

What Is Smart Growth?

Development that simultaneously serves the economy, the community and the environment-that recognizes the connections between development and quality of life.

Smart Growth aims to reduce "suburban sprawl" by:

Building healthy communities that balance growth with open space
Spurring economic development and jobs that improve the tax base while providing local services and amenities
Creating strong neighborhoods that provide a range of housing options and a sense of community
Furnishing transportation choices that give residents other options besides driving-such as walking, biking and transit

According to the U.S. EPA: "Smart growth recognizes the many benefits of growth. It invests time, attention, and resources in restoring community and vitality to existing cities and older suburbs. Smart growth in new developments is more town centered, is auto-accessible but also accommodates transit and pedestrian activity, and has a greater mix of housing, commercial and retail uses. It also preserves open space and protects sensitive areas such as wetlands."

The 10 Smart Growth principles:

1. Mix land uses.
2. Take advantage of compact building design.
3. Create a range of housing opportunities and choices.
4. Create walkable neighborhoods.
5. Foster distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place.
6. Preserve open space, farmland, natural beauty and critical environmental areas.
7. Strengthen and direct development towards existing communities.
8. Provide a variety of transportation choices.
9. Make development decisions predictable, fair and cost-effective.
10. Encourage community and stakeholder collaboration in development decisions.

Georgetown and Smart Growth

MIXED LAND USE/DISTINCTIVE/STRONG SENSE OF PLACE The project's master plan includes diverse housing units, commercial space, a performing arts center, a health club, a bed and breakfast, and a train station. Seventeen historic buildings will be renovated; all new structures will reflect similar historic styles; tenant businesses that celebrate the area's rich history will be recruited.

WALKABLE NEIGHBORHOOD All buildings/areas will be connected by safe and attractive pedestrian trails (with alleyways for cars).

TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS The reopening of the old train station on the Metro North Commuter Railroad (New Haven Line) will connect Georgetown with New York City. No one will be more than a ten-minute walk from the train station—decreasing the number of car trips a development this size would normally generate.

COMPACT/DENSE BUILDING DESIGN/OPEN SPACE The Georgetown development will add 1,000 to 1,200 residents to the town without using up any open land. The buildings over the Norwalk River will be removed so the river can be "daylighted" and enjoyed.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT/JOBS The new village center will create 1,500+ permanent jobs and add approximately $5 million to the Town of Redding's tax base.

COLLABORATIVE PLANNING Due to the inclusive charrette process, the development meets the stated needs of the community and has the support of all the varied stakeholders: residents, government officials, local business owners.

FAIR AND COST-EFFECTIVE DEVELOPMENT DECISIONS The state legislature created a special tax district so that new residents and business owners can pay for their own quality-of-life services and not be a drain on the town coffers. A portion of the collected funds will be dedicated to environmental monitoring, reporting of site conditions and addressing any environmental issues—as well as long-term stewardship of the property, the enforcement of architectural standards and the management of controls involved with cleanup.

Town of Redding Receives National Award for Smart Growth Achievement In November 2005, the U.S. EPA presented the Town of Redding with the agency's prestigious National Award for Smart Growth Achievement (Small Communities category) for the Georgetown redevelopment, calling it a model for complex reuse projects.

There were 98 projects in 32 states nominated. The town was the only award recipient in the northern U.S. and one of two east of the Mississippi.

The commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection called the award incredibly significant for the state, as well as for its "ability to encourage and support Smart Growth development."

Senators Dodd and Lieberman, and Congressman Shays congratulated the town on the award, calling the GLDC project "a model of environmentally sustainable development and Smart Growth" [Lieberman], "a model for sustainable, community-based development nationwide" [Shays], and the town's achievement "a proud day for the people of Redding and the state of Connecticut" [Dodd].