Lancaster County to Be Site of State’s First ‘Smart Growth’ Community

 Print Article

Walkable, environmentally friendly Millcreek to be built in West Lampeter Township
RISMEDIA, Oct. 21?A new community, to be unveiled this week, squarely places Lancaster County in the forefront of a national movement in Smart Growth practices. Millcreek, the latest new home community from Lancaster-based Charter Homes, promises to be Pennsylvania’s return to neighborhoods, a place that replicates neighborhoods of the past, with front porches and sidewalks that invite residents to interact and share their lives with one another. A special unveiling, open to the community, township officials and the media, will take place Monday, Oct. 28.

Nationally, the Millcreek neighborhood holds special relevance as one of only a handful of communities to fully embrace the practices of next generation land development. It is also particularly important to Lancaster County, serving as an example of how builders, townships and residents can collaborate to balance the demands of a growing population against quality of life issues.

“What’s been lost in current residential development is a sense of neighborhood,” says Rob Bowman, president of Charter Homes, which has been building homes in Central Pennsylvania for more than a decade. “We’re creating Millcreek as a place where people feel connected with one another and their community. We have been very fortunate to work closely with George Desmond of the Charlan Group, a developer whose vision and ideas closely match our own philosophy on smart land usage.”

So unique is the concept, that in order to build this type of community, it required West Lampeter Township officials to pass a new ordinance, specifically focused on the creation of neighborhoods.

“The project has proven to be an all-too-rare instance where all stakeholders, including the community, township and county officials, as well as the builder and developer, work together to create something that we hope will prove not only important to Lancaster County, but also to other towns across the nation that are facing rapid development,” stated Bowman. “We hope they will follow Millcreek’s lead.”

Millcreek, located on 87 acres along Mill Creek in the Lampeter-Strasburg School District, fits perfectly with the goals of West Lampeter Township, according to township manager Ray D’Agostino.

“We realize that there’s still a need for suburban growth, but at the same time we want to preserve the integrity of the remaining land in the township and provide spaces for public use,” he stated. “Millcreek offers us that opportunity.”

Designed to create a friendly neighborhood atmosphere, Millcreek is an alternative to most current residential developments, which often strips away trees and land contours. Millcreek works to preserve its setting as a starting point for a seemingly organic neighborhood.

With its design, Millcreek devotes considerable attention to what Charter Homes considers to be three important attributes of any neighborhood: architecture, social interaction, and the outdoors.

Architecture

n Interactive Neighborhood Design. Streets, trails, common areas and playgrounds are designed in scale and friendly to walkers, bikers and hikers, winding through and connecting a vibrant, living neighborhood.

n Missing are the straightaway streets so common in conventional developments.

n A “Sense of Place.” Streetscapes are being built, with homes designed in groups to assure that each plays well against the other, lending a sense of human scale and accessibility from street level. Many will have wooden front porches welcome passersby and garages are tucked in the rear to avoid visual disruption.

Social Interaction

n Community Amenities. The Old Barn at Mill Creek–complete with hand-painted neighborhood sign is being preserved and renovated as a gathering place open to residents for meetings, parties and other community-specific activities. “The Farmhouse,” a new building designed to replicate a typical Lancaster County agricultural home., is being built onsite to house the sales office and a general store.

n Heritage. Millcreek will borrow from its agricultural roots. Amish farmers are being contracted to sell fresh produce on site during the summer. Cindy Baker, the well-known owner of Merenda Zugs Cafe in Strasburg, will open a second location, MZ2, featuring coffees, bagels, newspapers and sundries within The Farmhouse at Millcreek.

n Diversified Housing. Residential housing will be the hallmark of the property. Single-family dwellings will co-exist with carriage homes and townhomes. Gathering places, including The Farmhouse, and open space will allow seniors, families and singles to mix easily.

The Outdoors

n Go Green First. The land use plan, developed by nationally renowned, Colorado-based Smart Growth residential planning firm Downing, Thorpe and James, began by first identifying significant open tracts of green land and preserving them. Development is clustered to reduce the environmental impact of infrastructure and preserve woodlands, waterways and wildlife habitat.

n Open Space. Some 31 acres, or roughly 36% of the community, will be open space, and 11.5 acres of that open space will be donated to West Lampeter Township. A half-mile, natural mulch pathway will hopefully serve as an impetus for additional trailway set asides along Mill Creek.

n Tree Conservation. Millcreek has hired a consultant to identify and preserve the property’s trees. More than $1 million is being invested in the community’s landscaping which will incorporate indigenous materials.

n Storm Water Management. Drainage easement and land use have been designed to utilize best management practices to minimize the effects of storm water runoff and decrease the potential for soil erosion. This practice effectively filters the runoff and reinstates it into the groundwater table. In addition, four ponds will create natural habitat and encourage social interaction.

“Lancaster County is a special place, and Charter Homes is committed to preserving the county’s heritage while at the same time helping it grow,” said Bowman. “Communities across the country are struggling to manage development in a way that is respectful to communities and families, and is environmentally friendly. Millcreek addresses the issues of development, conserving and enhancing the qualities that make our community great, while building a neighborhood where residents can feel connected again.”

He added, “Millcreek will be an example of how communities can work–and reflect well upon Lancaster County and the people working hard to preserve what we hold dear. All the design and planning that has gone into Millcreek was carefully considered to make sure that the community will be a return to the neighborhoods of the past. That is why Millcreek’s tagline is simple: Your day is different here.”

RISMEDIA welcomes your questions and comments. Send your e-mail to: editorial@rismedia.com.