In our look at the Greenwashing of site plans, we opened our jargon-free discussion by examining the first requirement for the development and implementation of a sustainable site plan; preserving the site's soils.
Now consider the fact that the machines are closer to the camera, so due to the phenomenon of forced perspective, the dirt pile actually appears to be smaller than it really is!!! (As a reference, the technique of forced perspective is what Peter Jackson used in the Lord of the Rings films to make the Hobbits appear smaller than other characters!!)
If we recall our discussion, stripping the soils from a site adversely affects not only the site on which they are developing, but all of the sites in the area immediately surrounding the site.
On top of that, if we summon our sustainability mantra that everything is connected to everything else; there are going to be serious adverse impacts on sites that aren't necessarily contiguous with the Lowe's site.
If we look at a topographic map of the site before it was altered by the specifications set out in the site plan, we can begin to truly understand the impact that this type of development has on the land.
Many of you are now scratching your head and wondering, what the ##%! am I looking at!?!?! Simply put, each one of those lines on the map represents a contour or a predetermined change in elevation (or height). In this particular case, this map is showing contours in 2-foot increments. So very every line you encounter on the map, the height of the ground is 2-feet higher than the last.
If you look closely, there are a lot of lines stacked up on this site.What that tells you is that the site is very, very steep and most likely not very suitable for development. Certainly not for "big-box" commercial development that requires lots of flat terrain.
To demonstrate how steep this site was, let us take a closer look at the topo map.
The red line on this map connects the contour representing elevation 310 (feet above sea level) to the contour representing 370. The line measures 291-feet in length. If we use our highly advanced mathematical skills to determine the slope by dividing the difference in elevation (a.k.a. "the rise") by the distance between the two points we are measuring (a.k.a. "the run"), we determine that this are has a slope of just over 20%.
That may not mean much to many of you. Honestly, not many people besides Landscape Architects and Civil Engineers go around town guessing the slope of various sites.
To put this in perspective; if you have ever stepped foot onto a patio, you know that a patio is what we consider to be fairly flat. In reality, the slope of the patio is somewhere between 1-2%!!! Considering the fact that spring is quickly approaching, consider this example. The average slope of the outfield area of a baseball diamond is about 1%!!!
I think we can begin to see how significant a 20% slope is compared to the two examples of relatively "flat" surfaces.
Looking back, you may recall that an analysis using the USDA Soil Survey showed that over 90% of this site's soils were unsuitable for development based on the overall soil matrix. Add to the fact that a "big-box" commercial development requires a site that is in the 2%-5% slope range and we begin to reveal one of the most egregious hyper-capitalist driven greenwashing practices around.
Instead of adapting their use to the site (or even finding a site more suitable for their use), Lowe's and their site planner have adapted the site to their use.
Consider this; would you buy a pair of shoes which you knew didn't fit you and weren't the style you wanted; then spend a ton of money adapting those shoes to fit your foot and look the way you want?!?!
Of course not. But for some reason, Hyper-Capitalists don't share the same common sensibilities that you do.
No house should ever be on a hill or on anything. It should be of the hill. Belonging to it. Hill and house should live together each the happier for the other. -Frank Lloyd Wright
Posts
