Beachfront with Panoramic Views - NOT FOR SALE!
Does responsible development sometimes require that the best highest use of land is to preserve it as open space? A growing number say yes!
For decades, glossy real estate ads have raved about vacant land with “waterfront”, “mountain view” or “sound view”, making many believe that the best highest use of such land was to develop it for human occupancy. Thankfully many now observe that due to the rapid development of the last 3 decades, the open spaces in Western Washington are shrinking. Many in the real estate development community now advocate that the best highest use of open spaces like waterfront and mountain views is to preserve them.
A recent and great example is the preservation of such precious spaces was accomplished earlier this month when a partnership resulted in the preservation of 94 acres in Puget Sound known as “Devils Head .” The acquisition of this land for $3.4 million was a joint venture with funding from government agencies, the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program the Salmon Recovery Funding Board and the Pierce County Conservation Futures Program and a big assist from the Cascade Land Conservancy.
The Cascade Land Conservancy reported that this acquisition could link trails with existing open spaces to create a trail system 20 miles long. A huge positive step considering that over the last 3 decades more than 2 million acres of open spaces have been subsumed by sprawling development. Ironic that the open spaces that drew people to these areas have in large part, vanished. The Conservancy has long been concerned that over development has intensified flooding and erosion and is contributing to warmer weather and other negative climate change. In 2005 the Conservancy launched a plan called the “Cascade Agenda” that over 100 years would acquire the conservation and preservation of 1.3 million acres of waterfront and mountain view open spaces.
This recent achievement also seems to be in sync with Governor Gregoire’s Smart Communities Award program that recognizes actions like innovative and wise land use and resource management, and that recently acknowledged Skagit County for its county wide urban growth area open space plan.
So it appears that due to responsible development, that the glossy real estate ads in the not to distant future may rave about homes that are just a short bike ride or walk away from forever preserved open spaces with “waterfront” or “mountain view” or “sound views.” Let’s hope so.
