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The Sixth Line Project. A demonstration of sustainable community development in the River Oaks Community. by Marvin Green Housing with a Future has been monitoring many of the people and profesâ€" sions in community planning and design who are trying to develop new ways to reâ€" spond to these issues. The River Oaks Group has also in the last number of years begun to develop plans to create projects that embody many of these ideas ang techniques such as the West Morrison Creek project, also known as the Sixth Line project. A number of recent developmentapplications throughout North America are now underway that raise quesâ€" tions about development practices, standâ€" ards, philosophy, and economics in such a way that many people have begun to take a great interest. West Morrison Creek is the first community plan to receive full approval in Ontario that has been designed entirely around the principles and techniques of what is sometimes called reform development. Almost two years ago, the River Oaks Group engaged a team of highly respected consultants to create an exciting new 1project that would ask serious questions about how we build communities. The team of urban designers, environmental designers, engineers, scientists and others includes as lead members Berridge, Lewinberg, Greenberg Ltd., Hough, Stansbury, Woodland Ltd., Cosburn, Patterson, Wardman Ltd. and Entra Consultants Ltd. A vibrant and highly interactive team process was developed to analyze problems oftypical development and seek creative ways to build communities that can respond to these problems. The plan that has emerged is one that is beneficial to the natural environment, pedestrian and cyclist friendly, supportive of public transit, economical in both the short and long term, and challenges conventional developâ€" ment standards. On January 11, 1993, Oakville Town council approved the zoning byâ€"law and draft plan of subdivision for the 6.3 hectare wedge shaped site. It is bordered by the Morrison Creek to the east, the new Sixth Line Road to the west, and the Transâ€"Canada Pipeline corridor to the south. At densities of approximately 15 units per acre, the project is one that while being largely composed of freehold private houses, is helpful in conserving land rather than "sprawling" all over the landscape. This lowers costs to the home buyer while at the same time reducing pressure to consume farmland at the edge of our towns and cities. Housing with a Future articles have featured many subjects in the last year rangâ€" ing from techniques of storm water manageâ€" ment to transportation, main street developâ€" ment to preservation of river systems. These articles are intended to introduce ways of creating communities that are sensitive to the environment, while being both practical and of value to residents. Architects are currently designing single detached, semiâ€"detached, townhouses and small multiplex apartment buildings. The houses will be built on lots that vary from 5.5 metres to 9 metres in width. Public laneways are provided for access to private parking at the rear of all house lots. In October 1992, the Oakville council voted to accept these laneways as public infrastructure to be owned by the municipality. The provision of parking at the rear frees the front of the house from the typical garage projection. Oakville council‘s inspired decision will allow the West Morrison Creek houses to be fronted by porches, fine gardens, and large windows rather than garage doors. As a significant number of Canadian households are now known to contain income producing activities, provisions have been made to allow residents to create small home offices or studios. The zoning byâ€"law and site configuration have made possible the construction of space designed for these purposes, most typically in a second floor over the parking area. The wide variety of house types, the attractive sale prices, accessory units, the beautiful design and the relationship to the street will provide much choice to people seeking housing. This diversity of options and the range of people expected to choose to live in West Morrison Creek will hopefully make it an interesting and vibrant place to be. Conventional storm water management techniques are aimed at removing rain water from public and private property as soon as is possible after it falls, By highly engineered systems including extensive paving, grading, catch basins, sewer pipes and Postâ€"war planning and land develâ€" opment have generated an environment that is now very familiar to most of us. Our suburbs and many parts of what is left of our cities have become automobile dependent places that are very expensive to build and maintain, have major impact on the natural environment, and in some cases do not offer appropriate housing to many of the people seeking a place to live. Housingw*«Future containment structures, water is removed so quickly that a generation of children have now been raised never having experienced puddles! The effect of all of this is to degrade the quality of receiving water courses and to cause the lowering of ground water tables. The first effect is caused.by fast moving waterâ€"borne pollution being deposited in the water course. The water has been warmed and polluted by contact with roads and roofs and then released to cause its damage. This of course alters and can destroy aquatic and plant life as well as causing significant riverbank alteration. The second effect is caused by the redirection of water by these engineered systems rather than allowing it to naturally recharge in to the ground and then on to the water table below. In contrast, storm water on the easterly half of the West Morrison Creek site is to be conveyed overland toward the Morrison Creek rather than in sewers. A wetland area is to be created through which the water will move and be naturally cleaned and filtered before final release in the the water course. Storm water quantity controls are to be constructed at various points on the site. These may include atâ€"source means such as cisterns (for reâ€"use of rain water), underground infiltration galleries, and landscaping and planting to encourage both recharge and plant uptake of moisture. A linear park and swale will be used as a medium for the direction of storm water towards the creek. By means such as these, the amount of expensive and environmentally obtrusive storm sewer pipe ban be reduced. a West Morrison Creek is designed to be pedestrian and cyclist and transit friendly. Houses are placed closed to the street edge to define a public realm that is reminiscent of traditional small towns. All streets and laneways are connected to each other and the existing community in a grid pattern in order to create easily navigable routes. A grid allows destinations to be reached a number of ways, enabling pedestrians and cyclists to make routing choices. Walking and cycling are always more pleasurable and interesting if one has the opportunity of experiencing one‘s neighbourhood in many different ways. If developed on a larger scale, housing built on connected streets at West Morrison Creek densities, will yield sufficient ridership to support public transit. Residential densities associated with conventional low density development cannot do so. The West Morrison Creek plan includes a corner store on the central green. A corner store can help to alleviate the "litre of gas per litre of mile syndrome". People will be able to walk to the store for routine purchases rather than being obligated to drive. The post boxes will be located near the store and park and will provide a place for residents to congregate. * i ts d s t A s P C Ad" Construction of services in West Morrison Creek will be underway in the next few months and house construction not long after. The project is an exciting and relevant expression of concern for the natural environment, the quality of life in our communities and many other important issues. It will be closely studied by governments, professionals, academics, home builders, developers and others. We expect it to be a great success and a useful model for future development. Small parkette on residential street in West Morrison Creek Illustration courtesy of Berridge, Lewinberg, Greenberg Ltd.