• B.4 - Promote Common Stewardship Interests Problem: Development of Surrounding Land May Bring Negative Effects All of the land use issues related to stewardship and sustainability that face the College also apply to surrounding lands, and the success or failure of usage practices on those lands will affect the College in many ways ranging from viewscapes to effects of runoff to fire hazard and far beyond. For this reason it is in the interest of the College to take such actions of diplomacy or partnership as may exert a favorable influence on land use practices in these areas. Because such efforts enjoy the greatest chance of success when undertaken before property goes to market or work begins on development or changes of use, the College should be prepared to act quickly when opportunities are perceived. The events of the future are so extensive in their possibilities that it is difficult to make action plans, however tentative, in this area. Nonetheless it is advisable that a database be started to identify parcels, ownership, features, likely uses and known plans for lands surrounding the campus. This information is the grist of planning and negotiation, and to have it in hand and kept current is to be prepared to seize opportunity quickly when it arises. The second significant effort in this area should be to influence through success. Owners of surrounding lands should be kept advised of College land use practices, the philosophy and hard reasoning behind them and the effect they are having. Conversely, when concerns arise regarding neighboring usage practices the College should look inward to see what effects its own practices of comparable sorts are generating.
Action Item B.4.1 – Prepare a catalog of neighboring land that will identify and describe parcels in detail and characterize their potential value to the College as acquisitions or conservation commitments or conversely the impact of likely development events. Identify as critical those parcels that have the greatest potential impact on neighboring College land and develop action plans for proposing preemptive or enhancing solutions through acquisition or partnership.
Pattern Language: Stewardship of Shared Assets (LUPL1), Community Participation (ADPL5)
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