shelburne

The Client
The Jackson family, owners of Shelburne Point, the rounded tip of a peninsula surrounded by Lake Champlain whose approximately 100 acres boast views of the Adirondacks, the Green Mountains, and the City of Burlington.

The Project
The Jacksons purchased the Shelburne Point land from the Webb estate over 30 years ago.  It remained completely undeveloped until a family member built a home on one edge of the peninsula in the late 1990s, leaving the rest of the land open.  Over time, property taxes on the open land became overwhelming.  The Jacksons had to find a way to reduce the tax burden.

The Challenges
• Hoping to avoid development altogether, the Jacksons first approached area land trusts and the town to purchase the land at a below-market price, but to no avail.
• Converting the property into a public park would retain the point's open space and beach access, but neighbors who lived along the road leading to Shelburne Point were concerned about the change in neighborhood character and increased traffic that might result.
• Selling the land to a developer would be the easiest solution, but the Jacksons couldn't bear the thought of a large subdivision on their beloved land.
• Some members of the public, to whom the Jacksons had allowed open use of the property for decades, also protested any construction on the land because it would close recreational access and create buildings visible to boaters on the lake.

The Solutions
• When it became clear that development was the only viable solutions, the Jackson family called White + Burke to create a land use plan that would maximize conservation of the land and include as little construction as possible, then manage the project's complex permitting process.
• We decided to let the land itself dictate the design of its next use.  We engaged a naturalist to study its natural communities and identify the most significant areas to protect.
• Armed with that information and working with a team of landscape architects, we walked the property for days with the landowner, studying the topography, wetlands, and forest to fully understand the property's natural features, views and other attributes.
• Rather than a large subdivision or clusters of condos, we determined that the point could support a small handful of private estate properties, a plan that would require comparatively little building and would minimize adverse affects on the land itself.
• In addition to the Jackson homestead, six lots ranging from 10-18 acres each were carefully arranged along a narrow, curving road that followed the existing contours of the land and avoided most major trees.
• Each lot included a designated home-building site precisely situated to maintain the homeowner's privacy from neighbors and provide a view of the lake while minimizing visibility to boaters on the lake.
• Outside of the designated home-building sites, limitations were imposed on cutting and other activities to protect the existing natural environment.
• Additional conservation restrictions were placed on the center of the point to create a preserved natural area, including wetland areas and one of the best beaches, to be shared in common among the home owners.

The Outcome
All six sites are fully permitted, surveyed, and ready for sale.  The design preserves the major natural features of the property.  The entry drive and utilities were constructed in 2007 and the first lot has sold.