As most of you know, our firms have been responsible for what
others have termed the superb, resource attentive planning and development
of about 100 building sites/Individual Ranches in numerous locations on a limited number of clients’
larger ranch properties. Although those Ranches electing to take this preservation
oriented approach
to their overall ranch, agricultural, and resource
restoration and eco-sensitive development are in fact a small portion of our
total clientele, we are proud of our efforts in this regard, and many is the
occasion we’ve smiled when explaining to someone "oh yes, there are six miles
of roads up there, eight miles of underground utilities, and a number of large
building sites on which there’s already been 5 homes built,"
received a blank look in return, and the comment, "I can’t see anything."
That, of course, is the whole point. Our mission in these types of endeavors
is when it’s done, no one even knows we’ve been there. We are labeled with
disdain for these efforts by some detractors as "developers," without
recognition of our true role in such instances as land planners and resource
managers. The fact of the matter is, the goal of this type of undertaking
is always to accomplish an ultimate preservation objective by paying off debt
on the ranch (so future poorly conceived land use decisions are not forced
by debt service problems) create capital for basis and resource/agricultural
improvements and, when coupled
with Conservation Easements, preserving in perpetuity the huge preponderance
(generally 90% to 98%) of the restored working ranch property.
Country Roads LLC |
