Our Philosophy

 One of the key goals of the East 1488 Community Association is to maintain the character of the area through the preservation of the natural vegetation. To raise public awareness and foster an atmosphere of co-operation between developers, businesses and residents, the Association is offering this Partnership Pledge to be signed and adhered to by those who wish to create a community in which people live, work, play and shop in harmony with the environment.

 The concept of living and working in an environmentally friendly community is one that promotes a win-win situation for all. It is to the advantage of both commercial and residential developers to preserve as much of the natural vegetation of the area as possible, thus creating an area that will draw people to it and retain them by providing visual as well as commercial and residential amenities. The forest is the most significant visual natural resource of the FM 1488 area. The objective of this Partnership Pledge is to ask all individuals to protect and enhance this natural native resource.

To this end, future land uses need to be carefully laid out to preserve and maintain vegetation while keeping both business and family requirements in mind. Retaining greenbelts around neighborhoods and businesses shields them from noise and traffic and improves the quality of life of both residents and patrons. Lowering and minimizing signs creates a more inviting atmosphere for all while still providing adequate direction and identification.

The E 1488 Community Association hopes that awareness of residents’ concerns will lead to better understanding and more thoughtful planning. More thoughtful planning will lead to a better environment for both businesses and residents.

Preservation of existing vegetation provides many amenities including:

                                                Shelter for wildlife

Water conservation

Flood Control

Energy conservation

Convenience

Privacy

Aesthetics

            Partnership Pledge

        PURPOSE

These guidelines, which incorporate our philosophy of encouraging the preservation of natural vegetation and wildlife, are being promoted by the East 1488 Community Association to raise public awareness about the loss of trees and vegetation throughout the area and to encourage cooperation and partnership among developers, business owners and individual home builders as they plan for the future.

They provide a set of practical guidelines that can be used to maintain and improve the character and quality of life in our area. When followed, the guidelines will help to:

Preserve the environmental quality & aesthetics of the area.

Prevent the deterioration of neighborhoods and businesses.

Uphold and improve commercial and residential property values.

Reduce the need for costly maintenance and remediation projects.

VALUE TO BUSINESSES

Preserving trees and natural landscaping make good sense for all. Developers and builders can realize an increase of 15-25% in house or lot values by the preservation of appropriate trees & shrubs (Council of Tree & Landscape Appraisers). For businesses and homeowners, the shade provided by mature trees can reduce air conditioning costs by as much as10-15 percent (USDA Forest Service) and overall energy consumption by as much as 30 percent (www.treefolk.org).

Trees with only a modest (35%) canopy can reduce runoff by 12-13% and help minimize local flooding and erosion (www.forester.net). Depending on species, this can result in reduced costs in storm drains and retention ponds if combined with restrictions guaranteeing the long-term preservation of the trees.

The Partnership Pledge

I/We pledge to partner with others throughout the community:

                                                            Landscaping

1. I will develop business and residential properties to blend into and preserve as much of the natural forest as possible. Native vegetation is the single most important landscape element in our area. It provides  providing visual and aesthetic enhancement and helps to minimize and control flooding.
    

2. To the maximum extent possible, I will preserve native vegetation. That includes the entire ecosystem of tree: canopy, under-story and forest floor.

Signs

I will follow all County and State regulations and, where possible, adhere to the stricter standards of planned communities nearby such as The Woodlands. The objective of signage standards is as follows:

1. To permit limited signage that aids in identifying activities and uses.

2. To restrict private signs.

3.To limit signs that hinder public safety, distract attention or obstruct vision.

4. To maintain aesthetics.

    Parking Areas

I will design and landscaped parking areas so as to break up the monotony of a single large paved area. I will do so without creating visual obstructions at the entrances and exits. I will meet the following minimum design requirements:

1. For every 10 parking spaces within a parking lot, some landscaped areas will be provided.

2. A landscape median will be provided for all double-loaded parking aisles

3. Landscaping islands will be provided along parking aisles at intervals of every 20 parking spaces.

4. For the standard size automobile, the minimum stall width is 9 ft.

5.  Parking areas and driveways will be paved with reinforced concrete or asphalt.

          Site Development Grading and Drainage:

With regard to site development, grading and drainage, I will accomplish the following:

1. Site grading will be kept to a minimum where practical.  Paving structures and improvements will be designed for maximum preservation of the natural grade and vegetation.

2. Drainage systems will be designed and constructed to minimize runoff, erosion, siltation and vegetation removal.

3. Surface drainage will be designed and constructed so as to not cause damage to adjacent properties or existing vegetation as a result of development either during or after construction.

4. Erosion and siltation control provisions will be employed during and after construction. Control devices will meet any applicable governmental requirements.

5. As many large hardwood trees (over 10 inches in diameter) as possible will be protected and retained by protecting their root systems from damage during construction.

                                                    Our Pledge to You

            In appreciation for your signing the partnership pledge and implementing the ideas put forward in it, the East 1488 Community Association will put your name and/or business name (and if available, a photo) on a special page on our web site. Your name will also be included in at least one E 1488 CA newsletter and submitted to local newspapers in at least one press release.

 In addition, you will have earned the respect of the other partners within the community as well as everyone’s thanks and the thanks of generations to come.

Please print name and/or business name and address:

Signed:                                                             Date: