Wylie project will
nurture nature
Developers of Palisades hope to land Audubon award for
habitat sensitivity
by
The developers of The Palisades are teaming with Audubon International to make the 1,500-acre golf course community on Lake Wylie a national model for environmental sensitivity and habitat preservation.
Rhein Interests of Charlotte believes it can become the world's first residential/commercial/golf course development to earn Audubon's Certified Gold Sustainable Development Award.
Only 16 projects -- primarily golf courses -- participate in the gold certification program worldwide.
Audubon International, which promotes environmental stewardship through education and conservation, is working with Rhein Interests on design, management and construction.
Ronald Dodson, president and CEO of Audubon International, has met with the developers and walked the site, earmarked for a 185-acre golf course, a community of more than 2,000 homes and a commercial town center.
Jim Medall, president of Rhein Interests of Charlotte, said, "We contacted them initially about our golf course, but as we worked through the process, we realized that a lot of what we were already planning to do at The Palisades would fit into their program."
The Palisades master plan had set aside about 300 acres of the community, off N.C. 49 near the Buster Boyd Bridge in southwest Mecklenburg, for preservation and recreation.
The project includes a seven-mile network of trails connecting neighborhoods, parks, an equestrian center and a regional soccer facility.
Medall said Rhein Interests has worked closely with Mecklenburg County's water quality program and conducted 18 months of preliminary research, including water testing, monitoring and modeling to minimize the effect on water quality and the lake's ecological system.
Rusty Rozzelle, Mecklenburg's water quality program manager, said this is the first time he's seen a developer go to such extremes to shelter the environment.
"Rhein has been very proactive ... and has developed new and innovative approaches to ensure the water quality of the lake," he said.
Dodson noted during his walking tour of the site that its proximity to Lake Wylie and steep terrain would be a challenge.
Medall said controlling runoff was a key issue in design and planning, and that will be apparent to anyone entering the community.
"The streets will not have curbs and gutters," he said. "That's for the protection of the watershed. Curbs and gutters increase the velocity of rainwater and concentrate the discharge in sort of a fire hose effect."
In The Palisades, Medall said, water will follow its natural course and, in some cases, be slowed by special devices designed to decrease erosion.
The development plan includes open spaces and naturally sustainable corridors for wildlife. To minimize the effect on aquatic creatures, for example, culverts that take carry water under streets will use natural streambeds for the bottoms instead of concrete.
"Everyone throughout the community will have the environment on their minds," Medall said.
"We will have controls on builders; they and homeowners will be educated on what they can do to protect trees and preserve the environment."
Audubon International, which charges fees for its services, will become part of the development team, providing planners and field scientists for on-the-ground research, wildlife studies and ecosystem management.
Medall said Rhein Interests also will incorporate other Audubon International practices, such as restoring landscape with native plants to promote biological diversity.
The project's master plan calls for structures such as the clubhouse, welcome center and internal shops to blend into the natural woodlands and conservation areas.
About 2,200 lots valued at an estimated $670 million will be developed in villages centered on the golf course.
Rhein Interests' initial group of selected builders will construct houses in the $200,000 to $800,000 range, Medall said.
The developers plan to start site preparation in 30 to 60 days, pending permit approvals, said Rich Reichle, project manager.
Rhein Interests earlier had projected a spring start.
"We knew that from the start our association with Audubon would commit us to a very lengthy and exacting process ... and our start of land preparation has been somewhat delayed," Reichle said.
The Audubon International team will continue monitoring the project throughout construction, he said.
Said Medall: "We believe in what they are trying to do; this gives us an environmental partner and an advocate."
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