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The New Urbanism - Part II

Forget Suburban Sprawl

When it comes to finding a new place to live, many of today’s home buyers are looking for something very different .

The past decade has seen the rise of “live-work-play” communities, or mixed-use New Urbanism developments that combine offices, housing and retail space. It’s not a housing fad, it’s a growing trend, and one that has arrived in the Lowcountry with gusto. You might say that New Urbanism is a better use of resources intended to benefit a larger number of people. It’s a concept definitely here to stay.

For years, the search for a new primary or vacation home for retirement or semi-retirement has been tied to weather and leisure. States like South Carolina, Arizona and Florida have captured the largest share of transplants. It’s not hard to figure out why – warm weather, plenty of golf, tennis, water sports and lots of sunshine abound in each of these states. But today, while weather and leisure remain important, baby boomers and retirees are expressing an interest in finding a community where they can make friends and connections quickly, pursue a second career or adopt a new sport. Many have spent their careers navigating suburban sprawl and are now drawn to the idea of a small community, village or town with friendly faces and congenial “hellos”. Moving to a mixed-use community allows people to get to know one another, from the next-door neighbor to the owners of retail establishments to children playing in the park. Kyle Ezell, an urban planner in Columbus, Ohio, has coined the term “ruppies” – retired urban professionals who are excited about their involvement in a variety of neighborhood activities, all within walking distance of their homes.

New Urbanism is beginning to have widespread impact on conventional development in the Lowcountry. Mainstream developers are adopting new urban design elements such as garages in the rear of houses, neighborhood greens and mixed-use town centers. Projects that adopt some principles of new urbanism but remain largely conventional in design are known as hybrids – such as the community of Westbury, near highway 278 in Bluffton, and the new Village at Verdier Plantation, located close to the intersection of highways 170 and 278 in Bluffton. Hybrids or not, these communities represent a positive step forward from conventional suburban development. As Randolph Stewart, a designer of New Urbanist communities in the Lowcountry states, “We’re getting urban and if we don’t continue to think of things like this, sprawl is going to continue”.

Planting the Seed: New Urbanism Communities Take Hold in Bluffton

Tabby Roads

The Tabby Roads development is taking shape on the ground and on the drawing board. The community is all about dreams, opportunities, small business, jobs, public enjoyment, protecting the May River, allowing kids to ride bikes safely, providing a wide variety of affordable housing and encouraging residents to meet their neighbors, walk to the coffee shop to meet friends or read the newspaper. Tabby Roads is, according to the designer, Randolph Stewart, about “The Bluffton State of Mind”.

One of the foremost concerns and goals of Tabby Roads and the Reeves Family, owners and developers of the community, is the protection of the May River watershed. To that end, the Low Impact Development (LID) method will be integrated into the development plan as well as written into the deed and covenants of the individual homesites. In short, Low Impact Development is a more environmentally sound technology and sensitive approach to developing land and managing stormwater runoff. It is also a more economically sustainable approach to addressing the adverse impacts of urbanization. Many traditional neighborhood housing developments turn to Low Impact Development to help protect their waters and natural resources.

The plan for the 52 lots on 13.51 acres was approved by the town Planning Commission in 2004 – all homesites have now been sold. The infrastructure construction is being built, including natural gas lines, side-walks, irrigation systems, landscaping and street signage. The street design, outdoor playground, public and pedestrian facilities are all designed with “user friendly” and environmentally-sound elements in mind.

Housing and retail construction in the development are now underway and to date, the Bluffton Historic Preservation Commission has approved a commercial building and a post office. Tabby Roads will include a variety of residential and mixed-use structures, all of which must be approved by the developer and the project designer.

• General Residential that provides for single-family homes in a variety of sizes with a detached garage.
• Mixed-use structures in a variety of sizes and locations. One may be a live-work-home or used solely as a shop, office or apartment.
• Zero Lot Line homes that are smaller and permit affordable housing or rental. They may be mixed-use or residential.
• Carriage Homes designated to take advantage of the smaller homesites with no separate garage – trellis or shed parking is encouraged and fencing will be required.
• Mixed-use/Condo structures with larger lots that may be used for mixed-use, retail, multiple office or residential condo.
• Liner Buildings that provide a specific function, like the Old Mercantile building on Calhoun Street. The buildings are long and narrow with mixed-use, professional, residential or apartment capabilities.

Creating Work Opportunities

In addition to being a very unique, enjoyable and friendly community, Tabby Roads will create a base for small business development. First, it will provide a shop or an office, either through ownership or rental for the small entrepreneur. Secondly, it will provide a job market base for residents of Bluffton, a place of work that can be accessed by walking or biking from their home or by riding the school bus or other public transportation – residents do not need to own an automobile. The creation of new businesses and jobs will help enhance Bluffton as a destination community and will definitely enhance the “Bluffton State of Mind”.