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• This grade change is often best done best by dividing steps into groups: with steps at the side walk and steps at the home, employing fill at the structure to decrease the impact of all the grade being taken up by one row of steps alone. Transitions to at-grade back-to-back townhomes must be accommodated with grading and retaining and landscaping. 12. Multi-family Variety: The larger, bigger footprint 8 plex, back-to-back product make up almost 2/3's of the ownership products. This density of homes, their closeness to the street, their visibility from both garage courts and streetscapes and park-greens, places special emphasis on the importance of the attractiveness and variety of these buildings. 13. Access to Amenities: The site plan,however, recognizes that no matter which uses are near amenities and how the buildings are placed, sidewalks or no sidewalks, without connections to view amenities most conventional subdivisions create "haves and have nots", locking up attractive amenities behind buildings and lots. Scenic overlooks positioning, along the wooded slope facing the large wetland openspace to the north. Connecting them to both nature trail below and sidewalk network above, the per- ception is created that "even if I live in the middle, I can get to the amenities, just as if I paid • the higher price to live next to it". It "franchises" the internal lots, home locations and, in so doing , will raise either their value or sales pace, or both. This only works, however, if these connections are respected, amplified, and not narrowed, compromised and reduced by the "normal" process of design refinement, engineering, build- ing design, and all the other "opportunities" that exist to cause an idea to become only a token, to die the death of 1000 cuts. If each one of us recognizes and embraces the practical and significant role these connections make in gaining public approvals and buyer approvals, both financial value and civic values will be gained, at once. Sidewalks must be provided on both sides of most streets, one side on some streets. The continuous trail system must be installed, asphalt, min. 6' wide. There will, no doubt be, utility, stair and access issues, retaining wall , feasibility issues that could be used to attempt to justify dilution of the pedestrian connections & overlooks and the park-greens size. However,the positioning of buildings and roads,pipes,etc., along the wood- ed slopes and paths/parks within the site must respect and enable the pathway connections shown on the land plan, both in number, ease of access and perception of adjacent space and visibility from roadways. • Mdy 22,2001 Page 4o 6