Duluth UDC § 503.01

The purposes of a conservation subdivision include: a. To provide residential subdivisions which permit flexibility of subdivision design in order to promote environmentally sensitive and efficient uses of the land. b. To allow clustering of houses and structures on less environmentally sensitive soils, which will reduce the amount of infrastructure, including paved surfaces and utility easements, necessary for residential development. c. To encourage the development of residential communities that are density neutral based on standard zoning and development standards, but designed to preserve and protect environmental resources, scenic vistas, and natural and cultivated landscapes. d. To enhance land, water, air, and tree resources by minimizing the area of land disturbance, reducing impervious surface, optimizing stream buffers, preserving tree cover and encouraging the conservation of environmentally sensitive areas and the provision of open space. e. To reduce infrastructure maintenance costs due to efficient community design. f. To provide open space and pedestrian linkages among residential communities and to encourage recreation opportunities. g. To preserve and protect contiguous undeveloped areas within the development. h. To preserve in perpetuity unique or sensitive natural resources such as groundwater, floodplains, wetlands, streams, steep slopes, woodlands and wildlife habitat.