The setback reductions are consistent with the purpose statement as they allow for a much <br />better site layout, The garages are designed intently and aesthetically therefore creating an <br />appealing architecture that looks as though it belongs there on the site. The residual space, if <br />there were a setback, would collect weeds and trash at those unused portions of the site and <br />serves no one. The back wall of the garages will be a beautiful CMU wall with a colored parge <br />coat. (Please refer to "West Property Line" documents in the Dropbox folder for illustrations <br />and more info,) The wall will therefore block headlights, reduce noise, allow forfire-safe future <br />development on neighboring land, enhance the aesthetics, and create the opportunity for a <br />"green wall," Espaliered plants will be planted to grow on the west side of the fence for a <br />pleasant, visual "green wall." The cohousing community will plant and take care of the <br />espaliered plants if that is what the neighbor wants. <br />The surfacing of gravel is consistent with the purpose statement as they allow slow traffic <br />pulling into and out of parking stalls and therefore calms traffic and contributes to making it <br />safer for children and everyone. (Please refer to "West Property Line" documents in the <br />Dropboxf older for illustrations and more info,) It was also chosen to allow for water <br />infiltration, which reduces overflowing storm water sewers and therefore is a more sustainable <br />solution. Perhaps even more important is the image. There is already an exorbitant amount of <br />asphalt in the river Road neighborhood. The gravel parking area reduces pollutants from <br />entering open water systems where they, in concentration, can overwhelm microbes. "Local" <br />microbes can digest pollutants infiltrating the ground at its source and in low concentrations. <br />Gravel also reduces the "heat-island" effect and albedo, compared to asphalt paving. Please <br />refer to "Illustration 03" in "West Property Line" documents in the Dropbox folder - this <br />solution is more successful than the more typical gravel-over-dirt design because it is 2" of 3/4" <br />- 1-1/2" crushed gravel over drainage fabric over 4" of AB-II. Therefore it does not generate <br />dust. We understand that when gravel is used as a drive surface, it can create dust and noise <br />issues. That is why we have chosen to only use gravel in the actual parking stalls where these <br />issues will not be a concern, We will agree to whatever performance agreements are <br />necessary, for example a group consensus on keeping a broom in the parking lot area to keep <br />the gravel within the gravel parking area. <br />The landscaping noncompliance is consistent with the purpose statement as it allows for <br />avoiding the residual space, if there were a setback, would collect weeds and trash at those <br />unused portions of the site and serves no one, The back wall of the garages will be a beautiful <br />CMU wall with a colored parge coat. (Please referto "West Property Line" documents in the <br />Dropbox folder for illustrations and more info.) The wall will therefore block headlights, reduce <br />noise, allow for fire-safe future development on neighboring land, enhance the aesthetics, and <br />create the opportunity for a "green wall." Espaliered plants will be planted to grow on the west <br />side of the fence for a pleasant, visual "green wall." The cohousing community will plant and <br />take care of the espaliered plants if that is what the neighbor wants. Flanking the garage and <br />carport. structure are open parking stalls where the gravel is located. If the parking lot were to <br />move 5-7 feet to the East, that would entail shifting everything and encroaching more into the <br />1479 <br />