The Oaks Tamarindo is leading the way. Here’s how…
First, you start with land that is not environmentally sensitive to begin with. You also buy enough land, in this case 31 acres, so that you can design a complete community for people, plants and animals, not just a lot on which to put buildings. You do not build in an estuary; you do not build on a beach for endangered turtles; and you do not cut down mangroves.
Second, you study the land so that, as you build, you do not create soil erosion; you do not clear the land in order to build your buildings. Instead you build around native trees, saving over 70% of them in the construction area, not just in a separate “nature preserve”.
Third, you study pathways of native animals, such as howler monkeys, and create biological corridors so that roads do not break up natural paths for feeding.
Fourth, you install utilities underground, including electric lines and fibre optic cables. The number one cause of death for howler monkeys is electrocution by overhead lines.
Fifth, you treat wastewater to 98% purity and use it for irrigation, so that you do not waste precious well water.
Sixth, you conserve water by designing rain water capture systems to conserve water from the rainy season into the dry season, offering low flush ecological toilets (high pressure) and front loading washers that are more expensive but save both water and wear and tear on clothes.
Seventh, you install fluorescent bulbs in common areas, reducing electricity usage and costs, and reducing maintenance fees.
Eighth, you keep thinking. Something new will come up.
Thoughts On An Environmental Community
The Land
To have a chance at creating an environmental community in an area that generally lacks strong zoning laws, you need to begin by considering the land.
Ideally, you want land that is not environmentally sensitive, meaning not on a nesting turtle beach, not part of an estuary or mangrove system, not located in a primary or secondary forest that you are cutting down, and not on a ridge where your construction will cause erosion.
Land that is healthful, “high and dry”, but still with good access to water. Also, enough land so that you can create your own land use plan, preserving biological corridors for animal life and avoiding the all too common problem of one small building site located next to another small building site.
The Natural Setting
Before you begin building, not only do you want a survey of the trees on the land, which is required by law, you also want to situate your buildings so that you build around the trees, preserving them.
You also want to build around existing biological corridors. The monkeys were here first, after all.
You also want to design your construction so that you do not adversely alter natural water flows, causing erosion.
Do No Harm
You want to leave natural areas natural, not dotted with houses. This means planning where you allow construction, and population density, so that you minimize the harm caused by all construction.
You want to design and build a waste water treatment plant that treats black water to at least 95% purity, so that it can be reused for irrigation, and not dumped into the ecosystem, eventually to pollute the bay.
You want all electric power lines and fiber optic lines underground. Electrocution is now said to be the number one cause of death of howler monkeys.
You want to conserve water and energy in your building designs (double-paned windows, low flush toilets and top-loading washers).
You want your pools cleaned by natural systems, not by chlorine or salt.
As A Buyer
You want to think about these issues, because if you don’t, neither will most developers. You are coming to Paradise to enjoy it, not to destroy it.
