65809 Community Association July 2002 Meeting Notes Environmentally Savvy Development: Golden Oaks Village Lon Goff, Developer, Conservation Developer Located North of I-44 and East of Hwy. 65 at the intersection of Farm Road 189, Golden Oaks Village is Greene County's first residential planned development to be dedicated to conservation. Conservation development requires an effort on the part of the developer to appreciate and respect the natural features of the land. Preservation of the landscape and the sub-structure is basic to developmental decisions. There are 28 home sites occupying 49 acres, leaving 30 acres undisturbed and set aside as the conservation area. Restrictive covenants protect this common area from man made intrusion. There are established mulch covered walking trails. Preservation of trees is also a goal of conservation development. Extra measures must be taken to avoid damaging the root structure of trees during construction. This is a bold step as far as local development practice is concerned. A majority of developers say trees must be removed from a building site and replaced with young trees after construction is completed. They believe that the activities of preparing land for construction and the construction processes will cause trees to dye resulting in the necessity of removal anyway. Lon Goff is proving otherwise. Because these 79 acres are located in a very environmentally sensitive area, it was important that the developer know the carrying capacity of the land. Lon began working with Greene County's Planning Dept. and other conservationist, such as Dr. Thomson, to test the possibilities of building homes and protecting the environment at the same time. Would it be practical? Could it be done at all? What would the additional cost be, if any? Can conservation and development co-exists, are they a contradiction in terms? The location of each home site was chosen based on the best soil to support the homes and the septic systems. They carefully analyzed the land and its substructure to determine the best locations for the Water Well and the septic systems, which are "Individual Waste Water Treatment Systems". Each system is required to be tested annually and any other time there may be an indication for concern. The Water Well is the first State certified well in Greene County. While the natural setting is very appealing, and a great selling feature, it is the underground work that has County Officials and environmental awareness groups most excited about Lon's work. Golden Oaks Village was designated as the development of the year (2001) by the Water Shed Committee of the Ozarks. Out of this unique partnership between Lon Goff, Greene County planners, and conservation experts, new building regulations are being written to guide other developers and protect our water quality, improve human health, and preserve our beautiful natural landscapes. Lon's willingness to attempt a conservation development has made him a leader in his field. He is setting the standards for development in Greene County! It was a pleasure to meet Lon Goff and hear about his challenging and exciting work. Learning about Golden Oaks Village has put a nice practical signature on all of the environmental topics we have heard about this year. While he made it clear he was not accustomed to being a speaker, Lon did a great job. Two of those in attendance have large tracts of land that they are considering developing in the near future. We sincerely hope they took away a new way of thinking and a high standard for developing their land. Respectfully Submitted, Aleta For corrections or additions, contact Aleta at jadyer@swbell.net No meeting in August! See you in Sept. Our topic: The new Water Quality Report David Coonrod, Presiding Greene County Commissioner

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