User:Gee Claremont/sandbox

Benefits of Cluster Development

It has several advantages for the environment and creates many economic leverages for developers. First, it results in increased open space and protection of critical areas. Second,  it provides a design review process that is generally much smoother, because the more thoughtful, site-specific design process often anticipates many of the potential problems that arise during the design review period. Third, developers incur lower infrastructure and engineering costs because utilities, roads, water, and septic systems are streamlined to accommodate homes located close together. Fourth, cluster development inherently creates a marketing and sales advantage, because greenways, open space, common areas, and wildlife are attractive amenities for potential home buyers. Beyond economic and environmental benefits, an argument can be made for the social and recreational advantages of cluster development. Fifth, preservation of critical areas and site-specific attributes gives a development a greater sense of place. Sixth, trail networks provide more frequent opportunities for casual interaction between residents than exist in a typical subdivision. Lastly, largely because of these two factors, residents of cluster development communities often report an increased sense of community.