The planning and design of any community logically begins with the land and the site's natural characteristics. An understanding of natural systems and environmental processes is fundamental to any prospective development project. The Walsh Ranch planning team has made an extensive evaluation of the property and mapped the natural site features such as elevation, land forms, slopes, existing tree cover, streams, floodplains and wetlands. In addition, the site's man-made features have been located and studied including existing buildings, existing and planned roadways, pipeline easements, and utilities. Cultural factors have also been considered such as jurisdictional issues, neighboring uses, historic and archeological values, and school districts. Elevation Study The Elevation Study depicts the site's natural land forms and topographic relief. Walsh Ranch ranges in topographic elevation from the high point at elevation 1047 along the western property boundary to a low point at elevation 774 near the eastern property boundary (in the southeastern quadrant). This 273 foot elevation change occurs over a long distance (approximately 4.3 miles) indicating the gentle nature of the majority of the property's slopes. An important consideration in the planning of Walsh Ranch is that almost the entire property drains toward the east and into the Mary's Creek watershed. This allows for the logical and efficient extension of sewers to serve the development.
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Summary Site Analysis The summary site analysis is a composite of the natural and man-made site features. This exhibit illustrates the interrelation of the site's spatial, natural and cultural conditions. It portrays the site constraints including the 100-year floodplains and slopes greater than 25% and the site development opportunities such as future interchange locations and site access. This map indicates how the Ranch is divided into several distinct areas (A through G) and identifies the portions of the property that are most suited for development as well as the ecologically sensitive areas. It delineates the "natural land parcels" or "development envelopes" and serves as the basis for evaluating alternative concept plans. Elevation Study |
Summary Site Analysis |
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