Residential land development with clustered lots

Abstract

A residential land development that includes a contiguous area of land, a main road extending into the contiguous area and at least two extension roads accessible from the main road within the contiguous area. A prairie landscaping area is provided within the contiguous area and includes grasses having a height of at least about 18 inches. Habitable buildings are excluded from the prairie landscaping area. A plurality of individual lots are positioned to form a plurality of clusters. Each of the lots are suitable for building a single family dwelling thereon and are accessible from one of the extension roads. Each of the clusters includes a plurality of individual lots positioned in proximity to each other and is spaced from the other clusters by a portion of the prairie landscaping area.

1 . A residential land development comprising:
 a contiguous area of land;   a main road extending into said contiguous area;   at least two extension roads accessible from said main road within said contiguous area;   a prairie landscaping area disposed within said contiguous area, said prairie landscaping area including land planted with grasses having a height of at least about 18 inches, habitable buildings being excluded from said prairie landscaping area; and   a plurality of individual lots suitable for building a single family dwelling thereon, each of said individual lots being accessible from a respective one of said at least two extension roads, said plurality of individual lots forming a plurality of clusters, each of said clusters including a plurality of individual lots positioned in proximity to one another and each of said clusters being spaced from the other of said clusters by a portion of said prairie landscaping area.   
   
   
       2 . The residential land development of  claim 1  wherein said prairie landscaping area comprises at least about 15% of said contiguous area of land. 
   
   
       3 . The residential land development of  claim 1  wherein said prairie landscaping area comprises at least about 30% of said contiguous area of land. 
   
   
       4 . The residential land development of  claim 1  wherein said prairie landscaping area comprises at least about 50% of said contiguous area of land. 
   
   
       5 . The residential land development of  claim 1  wherein a plurality of single family dwellings are disposed on respective ones of said individual lots and wherein each of said individual lots includes a manicured lawn area proximate a respective one of said single family dwellings and a naturalistic area separating said manicured lawn area from a respective one of said extension roads wherein said naturalistic area includes land planted with grasses having a height of at least about 18 inches. 
   
   
       6 . The residential land development of  claim 5  wherein each of said individual lots has a boundary line and an outer perimeter of said manicured lawn area of each respective said individual lot is spaced inwardly from said boundary line along at least two sides of said individual lot. 
   
   
       7 . The residential land development of  claim 6  wherein said naturalistic area of each of said individual lots comprises at least about 20% of each respective one of said individual lots. 
   
   
       8 . The residential land development of  claim 6  wherein said naturalistic area of each of said individual lots comprises at least about 40% of each respective one of said individual lots. 
   
   
       9 . The residential land development of  claim 6  wherein said naturalistic area of each of said individual lots comprises at least about 60% of each respective one of said individual lots. 
   
   
       10 . The residential development of  claim 6  wherein said naturalistic area of each of said individual lots comprises at least about 80% of each respective one of said individual lots. 
   
   
       11 . The residential land development of  claim 6  wherein at least two of said individual lots are positioned adjacent to one another to form a common boundary line and wherein said at least two adjacent lots are planted with a plurality of woody plants having a height of least about 5 feet, said woody plants forming an irregularly positioned grouping with respect to said common boundary line and which extends over both of said at least two adjacent lots on both sides of said common boundary line. 
   
   
       12 . The residential land development of  claim 1  wherein said prairie landscaping area is defined by a plurality of landscaping features disposed in series outwardly from said extension roads, said landscaping features including a first section proximate a respective one of said extension roads comprising land planted with wildflowers, a second section positioned outwardly of said first section relative to said respective extension road, said second section comprising land planted with grasses having a height of at least about 18 inches and a third section positioned outwardly of said second section relative to said respective extension road, said third section comprising land planted with woody plants having a height of at least about 5 feet. 
   
   
       13 . The residential land development of  claim 12  further comprising a manicured drainage area disposed between said first section and said respective extension road. 
   
   
       14 . A method of developing land, said method comprising:
 identifying a contiguous area of land for development;   constructing a main road extending into the contiguous area;   constructing at least two extension roads within the contiguous area, the extension roads being accessible from the main road;   defining a prairie landscaping area within the contiguous area, the prairie landscaping area including land planted with grasses having a height of at least about 18 inches;   preventing the construction of habitable buildings on the prairie landscaping area;   subdividing the contiguous area into a plurality of individual lots suitable for building single family dwellings thereon, each of the individual lots being accessible from a respective one of the at least two extension roads, the individual lots forming a plurality of clusters, each of the clusters including a plurality of individual lots positioned in proximity to each other and each of the clusters being spaced from the other of the clusters by a portion of the prairie landscaping area.   
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising building a plurality of single family dwellings on respective ones of the individual lots wherein each of the individual lots includes a manicured lawn area proximate a respective one of the single family dwellings and a naturalistic area separating the manicured lawn area from a respective one of the extension roads wherein the naturalistic area includes land planted with grasses having a height of at least about 18 inches. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein each of the individual lots has a boundary line and an outer perimeter of the manicured lawn area of each respective one of the individual lots is spaced inwardly from the boundary line along at least two sides of the individual lot. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein at least two of the individual lots are positioned adjacent to one another to form a common boundary line and wherein the at least two adjacent lots are planted with a plurality of woody plants having a height of least about 5 feet, the woody plants forming an irregularly positioned grouping with respect to the common boundary line and which extends over both of the at least two adjacent lots on both sides of the common boundary line. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the prairie landscaping area is defined by a plurality of landscaping features, the landscaping features including a first section proximate the extension roads comprising land planted with wildflowers, a second section positioned outwardly of the first section relative to the extension road, the second section comprising land planted with grasses having a height of at least about 18 inches and a third section positioned outwardly of the second section relative to the extension road, the third section comprising land planted with woody plants having a height of at least about 5 feet. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising the step of providing a manicured drainage area disposed between the first section and the extension road. 
   
   
       20 . A residential land development comprising:
 a contiguous area of land;   a plurality of roads extending through said contiguous area;   a first and second clusters of lots, wherein each of said lots are suitable for building a single family dwelling thereon;   wherein each of said lots of each of said first and second clusters are accessible from at least one of said roads; and,   wherein said first and second clusters are separated from one another with a prairie landscaping area.   
   
   
       21 . The residential land development of  claim 20  wherein said lots in each of said first and second clusters are separated from said at least one of said roads with prairie landscape area, and wherein each lot includes a driveway extending from said at least one of said roads through said prairie landscape area to a single family dwelling area. 
   
   
       22 . The residential land development of  claim 21  wherein said prairie landscape areas include grasses having a height of at least 18 inches and habitable buildings are excluded therefrom.