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a Traditional 21st Century Pennsylvania Town
INTRODUCTION
Bryn Eyre [brin AIR] is
derived from a Welsh
phrase meaning Eagle
Hill. Bryn Eyre is named
for two bald eagles that
nest nearby and frequent
its hills and lakes.
Bryn Eyre –
In the next few pages, we will explore:
a Traditional 21st-Century Pennsylvania Town
The Vision for Bryn Eyre .................................................................................2
A new town is coming to Southern Berks County that will build upon the tradition
of Pennsylvania’s historic towns such as West Chester, Wayne and Doylestown.
Bryn Eyre will bring together homes, jobs, schools, houses of worship, parks,
services and shopping, all within a short walk of each other. With old town charm
and modern amenities, the town of Bryn Eyre will provide an exciting new community
choice for Pennsylvanians.
Bryn Eyre will offer significant benefits to the state, the region and the county. It will
reclaim a brownfield and an abandoned mine site, preserve hundreds of acres of open
space and concentrate new development within Berks County’s largest targeted growth
area. It will house more people on less land thus limiting sprawl and taking development
pressure off surrounding communities. Bryn Eyre’s close-knit town design will reduce the
cost of providing infrastructure (roads and utilities) and delivering services (police and fire)
while providing a mix of homes, retail and offices that will create a positive fiscal impact
for the borough, county and school district.
To create a distinctive, exceptionally livable town in Southern Berks County where
a variety of homes, shops and offices radiate from parks and plazas and where
pedestrian connections and amenities abound.
The Need for Bryn Eyre ..................................................................................6
With adjacent communities reaching completion and land becoming scarce in
Chester, Montgomery and Lancaster Counties, Southern Berks County is projected
to face significant development pressure in the coming years. The changing
demographics of the tri-county region’s housing consumers will require a variety
of different housing choices.
The Benefits of Bryn Eyre................................................................................8
This walkable town of homes, stores and offices built on a former Bethlehem Steel
site will provide a positive fiscal impact to the borough and the school district while
consuming far less land than conventional subdivisions. It will also reduce automobile
dependence and preserve permanent open space and animal habitats.
The Success of New Towns Across the Country ..........................................15
The Delaware Valley Smart Growth Alliance
(DVSGA) and the Berks County Smart Growth
Alliance have recognized the Bryn Eyre plan for
implementing smart growth principles through
innovative design. The DVSGA recognized Bryn Eyre
for fostering regional growth and redevelopment in
a manner that achieves important economic,
environmental and quality of life objectives. The
Berks County Smart Growth Alliance commended
the Bryn Eyre plan for innovative design elements,
including effective preservation of substantial acres
of open space, reuse of a former industrial site,
provision of mixed land uses and design of a
walkable community.
Several hundred newly constructed traditional towns prosper in communities across
the United States. From the Kentlands in Maryland to Celebration and Seaside in Florida
to Verrado in Arizona, they all share principles of planning and design that work to
create vibrant, compact, walkable communities.
The People Behind Bryn Eyre ........................................................................17
Arcadia Land Company based in Wayne, Pennsylvania, and Carlino Development
Group of Berks County have joined forces to develop Bryn Eyre. Arcadia is a leader
in building new, walkable towns and villages, and Carlino is one of Berks County’s
leading development organizations.
THE VISION FOR BRYN EYRE
Community Choice Convenience Conservation
To create a distinctive, exceptionally
livable town in Southern Berks County
where a variety of homes, shops and
offices radiate from parks and plazas
and where pedestrian connections and
amenities abound.
The town of Bryn Eyre will be a very special place — the
first new Pennsylvania town in several decades. Patterned
after Pennsylvania’s best-loved boroughs, this 21st-century
traditional town will integrate the key destinations of daily
life within a short walking distance, weaving together homes,
shops and offices to provide a complete community fabric.
A distinctive town center with a town hall, shopping and
restaurants will form the town core. Parks, plazas and town
squares located a short stroll from every home will provide a
place for neighbors to sit and read, walk with their babies or
just talk with friends. As the town develops its own events
and traditions, families will gather with picnic baskets and
blankets to enjoy a concert or cinema in the park or 4th of
July fireworks.
These long-standing, important elements of town building will
give Bryn Eyre the sense of community that was once the
defining characteristic of American small town life.
Bryn Eyre’s homes will be designed to satisfy the needs of all
ages and lifestyles. From single-family homes with deep front
porches, to brick-faced townhouses with quiet rear gardens,
to comfortable apartments with views of Bryn Eyre’s lakes,
housing options will be provided for a diverse mix of residents.
Sidewalks and bike trails will be part of virtually every road,
and nature trails will fan out across acres of preserved open
space making it not only possible to walk to school, shops
and work, but also desirable to do so. The beauty of the
community’s design, the attractive homes and buildings, as
well as the safe sidewalks and trails will entice Bryn Eyre
residents outdoors. From their morning newspaper and coffee
to the sunset over the lakes, they will find incentives
everywhere to get out of their cars and walk or bike.
While Bryn Eyre will have old-fashioned charm, its location
at the intersection of the Pennsylvania Turnpike and Interstate
176 offers extraordinary access to jobs, large retailers and
metropolitan amenities. Community, choice, convenience
and conservation will be four gifts Bryn Eyre will share with
town residents.
At Bryn Eyre, we understand that building community is
about more than putting up buildings: it is about bringing
people together. Offering a variety of attractive and inviting
destinations where residents can gather will foster this
strong sense of community.
Bryn Eyre residents will know their neighbors because:
Children will walk to school and play in the park together.
Town squares and plazas are good places to
make friends.
Ball fields, playgrounds, swimming pools and
recreation centers provide opportunities to socialize
while keeping fit.
By offering so many amenities, we will encourage people
to leave their homes, turn off the TV or computer and join
the community.
Bryn Eyre will offer all types of formal
and informal social interactions, as well
as the opportunity for residents to enjoy
their privacy whenever they desire it.
A sense of neighborhood reminiscent of bygone days
community
4
2
The Town of Bryn Eyre will include the Key Elements
of a Classic Pennsylvania Town.
The vision for Bryn Eyre
includes being a good
neighbor to our surrounding
townships, our county and
our region. The areas once
occupied by Bethlehem Steel’s
Grace Mine will be reclaimed.
Concentrated development
patterns will relieve
development pressure on
surrounding communities and
permanently preserve over
1,000 acres of open space
within New Morgan Borough.
Bryn Eyre also will create
economic growth through the
addition of a major new job
center with easy access to the
turnpike and much needed
new housing alternatives.
Bryn Eyre will benefit the
entire region.
Town Center:
Public and Civic Spaces:
Homes:
The plans for Bryn Eyre call for an architecturally
interesting town center with the Main Street feel of
West Chester, Wayne or Doylestown. The town center
will provide a diverse set of amenities from a town hall,
to a possible post office and library, to specialty and
convenience shops and restaurants. Housing will also
be placed above and beside retail shops for those who
like to be in the center of things.
Beautifully landscaped town squares, parks, community
centers, trails, lake walkways, athletic fields, pools and
playgrounds will offer residents unique opportunities
to interact with their neighbors a short walk from home.
These spaces will offer a place for reading, relaxing,
flying a kite, throwing a Frisbee and meeting and
greeting neighbors.
Real choices that have been absent from much of the
housing market will be provided. We will craft flexible
residential space – lofts, condominiums, townhouses
and apartments — to meet the needs of singles, empty
nesters and families who seek a more urban experience,
as well as detached, single-family homes for those
who seek the feel of a town with the added privacy of a
detached home. With a wide variety of housing types and
architectural styles, we will create interesting streetscapes
devoted to the pedestrian – with auto-dependent features
such as garages tucked behind the houses.
“Your home doesn’t
have to stop at the
end of the driveway.
A well-designed town
extends your daily life
and activities to the
dynamic community
around you.”
W. Joseph Duckworth, President
of Arcadia Land Company
3
choice
Community Choice Convenience Conservation
Network Of Walking Trails
And Pathways:
Walkable Schools:
District Center:
We have set aside four parcels of land for neighborhood
schools with adjoining athletic fields to meet the needs
of the community’s children. The three elementary
school sites, located within a half-mile radius from most
homes, along with the centrally located middle school,
will be a part of the respected Twin Valley School
District.1 Walkable schools, a common neighborhood
feature before 1980, will both decrease morning traffic
volume by 20 to 30% and add physical activity into the
children’s day — so necessary at a time when the
number of overweight children ages 6 to 11 has
risen 300%.2
To achieve a strong tax base, Byrn Eyre will need
employers. A later phase of construction in the
area closest to the turnpike exit will mix professional
offices, regional retail and residential homes into
an energetic district center. A neighboring area will
offer flex-office space and accommodate light industrial
uses. Bryn Eyre’s high quality of life, strategic location
with excellent turnpike access and complete on-site
facilities will attract a diverse employment base.
An extensive trail network will wind throughout Bryn
Eyre providing opportunities for healthy exercise while
increasing the safety and serenity of residents by
separating pedestrians from traffic. In time, Bryn Eyre’s
trails will connect to and include the state’s Horseshoe
Trail, which runs from Valley Forge Park to the
Appalachian Trail, and a portion of the County’s proposed
Hay Creek Trail, a 10-mile walking and biking trail that
would extend from the Chester County line to Birdsboro.
“Berks County neighborhoods have a distinctive character. In many
communities, the corner market, laundromat, church, and eating place are all
within walking distance, interspersed with residences. The County’s goal is to
keep that sense of close community and incorporate that philosophy into new
subdivisions.”
New Morgan
Borough’s
History
Bethlehem Steel originally assembled
the land that makes up New Morgan
Borough for iron ore mining. In the late
1940s, Bethlehem, using a new technique
called aeromagnetic surveying, originally
developed in World War II to hunt
submarines, located a large iron ore
deposit in the area. After drilling confirmed
the presence of the iron ore, Bethlehem
purchased several thousand acres of land
in Caernarvon and Robeson townships and
operated the Grace Mine there for 25
years before closing in 1977.
In 1986, a decade after the Grace Mine
closed, the property was purchased
from Bethlehem Steel and was later
incorporated as a new municipality
named New Morgan Borough.
In 2004, Arcadia Land Company,
known nationally for building traditional
neighborhood developments, and Carlino
Development Group, a leading Berks
County developer, formed a partnership
and bought this land to create a new town.
Vision 2020, A Comprehensive Plan for the County of Berks
4
convenience
Community Choice Convenience Conservation
An Exciting Mix of People
An Enviable Location
Powerful demographic and social trends are
reshaping housing market preferences. Housing
consumer surveys, as well as the experience of new
towns across the country, demonstrate a strong
and varied market for Bryn Eyre. Potential residents
include single professionals and young married
couples who appreciate the friendliness of the
community as well as the affordability of the homes;
couples who have children and like the safety of the
pedestrian-oriented setting and the opportunities
for companionship with other young families; and
seniors and empty nesters who appreciate lowmaintenance living.
Bryn Eyre is conveniently located at the crossroads
of Berks, Chester and Lancaster counties. It is situated
at the intersection of three major highways:
the Pennsylvania Turnpike (Morgantown exit #22),
Interstate 176 and State Route 10.
Market preference studies also show a demand
for walkable communities that far exceeds supply.3
A 2004 National Association of Home Builders survey
showed 49% of people surveyed prefer a small home
with more amenities such as parks and trails to a
larger home without these amenities.4 Over half of
seniors and young professionals age 24 to 34
preferred small-lot housing with access to stores
and doctors.
COMMUTE TIMES TO MAJOR JOB CENTERS:
5
Downingtown –
Great Valley –
King of Prussia –
13.7 miles 13 minutes
20.7 miles 19 minutes
28 miles 26 minutes
A Well-Designed,
Thoughtfully Planned
Community
Detailed community plans designed by one of
the nation’s premier planning firms — EDAW —
define the community and all its parts. Design,
planning and conservation experts have helped us
identify the scale, character, community infrastructure,
open space and civic buildings Bryn Eyre will possess.
Specifics as to how each individual parcel will be
used, the building materials and the exact mix of
houses, office and retail space will be determined as
development proceeds and the needs of specific
buyers are known.
The transformation of this
area into an established
town will take at least 20
years to complete. As each
new building is constructed,
each new home is filled and
each new common space
designed, the quality of life
that Bryn Eyre offers will
just keep getting better.
Berks County
Population and Projections
Need for 30,000 new housing units
From 1990 to 2000, Berks County grew by 11%
while Pennsylvania as a whole grew only 3.4%.
By 2030, Berks County’s population is expected to
increase by at least 20% to approximately 450,000
people. Almost 30,000 new housing units will be
needed to accommodate these new residents. This
means that 20% of the homes needed in 2030 do
not exist in Berks County today.5
00 01 02
6,068
0
446,582
400
Jobs Declined Since 2
While Population
Incr
2004
545
1,649
1,731
1,682
03 04
421,304
300
446,582
114
397,537
200
421,304
Berks County
Total New Units
373,638
0
100
In thousands
397,537
Developers,
recognizing
Southern
Berks
County’s
0
100
200
300
400
500
In
thousands
relatively low-cost land, proximity to Montgomery and
Chester
clusters and projected need for
73,000County
Newjob
Residents
new
housing,
begun
buying up land. In 2004,
Coming
to have
Berks
County
more residential subdivision proposals were submitted
to Berks County than in the past four years combined.
Berks County
Population and Projections
2000 2010 2020 2030
Berks County is projected to grow 20%
by 2030. The county’s challenge is to
accommodate this new growth without risking
its rural character and farmland to sprawling
development. To meet this challenge, Berks
County and its municipalities have made a
commitment to direct development to areas
that make sense for growth such as its cities
and boroughs and to invite compact,
walkable communities that use less land
and create “friendly living.” Bryn Eyre
shares that commitment.
2000 2010 2020 2030
THE NEED FOR BRYN EYRE
373,638
110
2003
108
106
2002
104
1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 102
Berks County Residential
Subdivision Proposals
Skyrocketed in 2004
500
Berks County E
Berks County P
112
100
2001
98
96
Caernarvon Township is growing so1993 1994
rapidly that township officials believe “this
explosive growth will likely continue over
the next few years until all developable
residential zones are built out.”
94
1,649
1,731
1,682
6,068
0
1995
1999
1998
2004
— The Southern Berks Regional Comprehensive Plan
1997
2003
1 0 21996
0 30 40
2002
1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000
Berks County Residential
2000
0 30 20 10
Southeastern Pennsylvania is the fastest-growing
areaBerks
of theCounty
state. Almost half of all homes sold
Total New Units
in Pennsylvania in 2004 were located in the
Philadelphia and Reading545
metropolitan areas.6
03 04
Berks County Vision Statement, Vision 2020,
A Comprehensive Plan for the County of Berks
Source: Berks County Planning Commission, 2003
00 01 02
“Berks County will protect its rich agricultural land and
open spaces from suburbanization, expand its parks
and trail systems and promote the settlement of its
burgeoning 21st Century population in a redesigned
Reading and in boroughs and townships planned to
emphasize higher density, more intimate walkingbiking [and] friendly living.”
73,000 New Residents
Coming to Berks County
61995
2001
The Consequences
of Sprawl
The additional environmental, economic and
social consequences of sprawling, fast-paced
growth are staggering. They include the
following:
Rising property taxes as infrastructure and
services must be extended farther out to meet
new development.7
Greater traffic congestion, increased asthma
and other respiratory ailments as a result of
poorer air quality and rising obesity as more
auto-dependent communities are built with
long distances between houses, stores
and offices.
Loss of forests, wetlands, animal habitats and
meadows – the elements that constitute much
of Berks County’s beautiful countryside.
Increased stormwater runoff and flooding as
impervious surfaces increase.
ounty
ion and Projections
Need for Planned, Predictable
Community-Building That
Protects Farms and Open Space
from Suburbanization
Need To Increase the Jobs
Available to Berks County
Residents
In the last 15 years, Pennsylvania lost 420,000 acres
of farmland to development at a time when there
were an estimated 10,000 to 12,000 brownfields
available for redevelopment.8 Why? Because it is
easier and less expensive to develop farmland than
to redevelop older industrial sites. The easy way,
however, is not the best way for Berks County and its
municipalities. In 2000, developers converted 2,700
acres of Berks County farmland to 545 residential
units – an average of five acres to each housing
unit.9 If we continue these patterns, it will
require 150,000 acres and the loss of 70%
of Berks County’s remaining 215,679 acres of
farmland to accommodate the 30,000 new units
Berks County needs.10
Need for Diverse Housing Choices
Since 2000, Berks County’s population has
continued to grow while employment has dropped.
A competitive Berks County needs business growth
and job development. Bryn Eyre offers a strategic
location for office and light-industrial development
because of its close proximity to the turnpike and
its ready access to the Philadelphia and New York
City regions. In addition to the office and retail uses
proposed in the town center and throughout the
community, we are planning a mixed use district
center in the southernmost part of Bryn Eyre that will
accommodate a diverse set of employers and up to
15,000 workers. We are committed to bringing new
jobs to Berks County.
Source: Initiative for a Competitive
Greater Reading Data Report citing
Census Bureau and Pennsylvania
Department of Labor data.
Jobs Declined Since 2000
While Population Increased
114
Generic development that is scattered in a
random fashion on whatever land becomes
373,638
available.
397,537
Berks County Employment
Berks County Population
112
110
108
106
104
421,304
102
100
446,582
98
200
300
400
New Residents
7
o Berks County
500
96
94
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
Berks County’s changing demographics are creating
a need for new housing and community choices. For
50 years, families with children drove Pennsylvania’s
housing industry. But now, married couples with
children make up less than 25 percent of
Pennsylvania’s households. Pennsylvania’s fastestgrowing households are young professionals, empty
nesters, single parents, couples without children
and seniors. This diverse group of Pennsylvanians
needs a range of community choices with different
levels of density and amenities. At varying stages of
their lives, they may want a single-family, detached
home, a townhouse, a condominium, an apartment,
a loft, or a flexible live/work space. At Bryn Eyre, we
will provide these varied types of housing in a great
enough quantity to keep prices competitive.
Berks County’s growth presents an
opportunity and a choice. We can
build large-lot, suburban, tract homes
on farmland OR we can encourage
higher-density town development on
brownfields and infill properties that
use land and finite resources wisely.
We think the choice is clear, and the
choice is Bryn Eyre.
THE BENEFITS OF BRYN EYRE
Bryn Eyre will:
Bryn Eyre offers significant
benefits to New Morgan
Borough, Berks County and
the State of Pennsylvania.
Reclaim the county’s largest brownfield and
be located in a designated growth area.
Embody the Environmental Protection Agency’s
ten smart growth principles.
Offer diverse housing choices to
meet workforce needs.
Provide a positive fiscal impact to the state,
county and borough.
Preserve and protect the natural environment.
Reduce auto trips, traffic congestion
and impervious surfaces.
House more people on less land.
Conserve and contribute to the region’s rich history
and abundant natural resource amenities.
Create new recreational amenities
for Berks County residents.
Berks County’s Vision 2020 calls for smart growth development and Bryn Eyre answers that call.
Bryn Eyre will embody the EPA’s ten smart growth principles cited in Berks County Vision 2020.
Mix land uses:
The town of Bryn Eyre will include homes, stores,
office space and parks. The community will afford its
residents the opportunity to live, shop, work and play
within its borders.
Take advantage of compact building design:
An attractive feature of Pennsylvania’s towns
is the opportunity to live in proximity to your
neighbors, creating a stronger sense of community.
Create a range of housing opportunities
and choices:
We will provide housing choices that have been
absent from much of the market. We will craft
flexible residential space – lofts, condominiums,
townhouses and apartments – to meet the needs
of singles, empty nesters and families who seek
a more urban experience, as well as detached,
single-family homes.
Create walkable neighborhoods:
Foster distinctive, attractive communities with
a strong sense of place:
In Bryn Eyre, every street will be lined with pedestrian
sidewalks and a network of nature trails will weave
throughout the town. Perhaps most importantly, Bryn
Eyre will provide interesting pedestrian destinations
from schools to shops to offices.
Bryn Eyre will borrow distinctive traits from
Pennsylvania’s historic towns and add many of its
own. By blending old and new, Bryn Eyre will
introduce an attractive and exciting community
choice never before seen in Pennsylvania.
Preserve open space, farmland,
natural beauty and critical
environmental areas:
Of the 3,100 acres in Bryn Eyre, more than
1,000 acres will be preserved as open space.
Strengthen and direct development toward
existing communities:
New Morgan Borough, although barely developed,
has much of the infrastructure of an existing
community already in place from its turnpike access
to its underutilized water and sewer capacity.
Provide a variety of transportation choices:
In its initial phases, Bryn Eyre will offer the options
of automobile travel, walking or biking. As the
population grows, public transit may be extended and
private shuttle options created linking Bryn Eyre to
the area’s major employment clusters and attractions.
Make development decisions predictable,
fair and cost effective:
Bryn Eyre is a master-planned community. Built
within a Planned Residential Development (PRD)
zoning district, Bryn Eyre’s master plan offers New
Morgan Borough the rare opportunity to review at
one time all proposed future private and public
land uses, as well as plans showing the location
of buildings, open space, public facilities and
street patterns.
Encourage community and stakeholder
collaboration in development decisions:
In the course of planning the new town of Bryn Eyre,
we have had numerous discussions with state,
county and borough officials. We will continue to
actively seek out stakeholders to share our plans
and solicit their opinions.
8
Sidewalks and trees will line every
street providing walkers with safe,
sheltered and beautiful paths away
from automobile traffic.
The Experience of Living
in Bryn Eyre Will Most Closely
Homes will b
distance of s
shop, work a
Like those historic places we admire, our
neighborhoods will be walkable places with
a mixture of home types and modern
amenities covering a broad price range.
Resemble our Experience in
Pennsylvania’s Traditional Towns
Families strolling down Main
Street … workers eating lunch
in nearby parks … children
walking on sidewalks to and
from schools …
a community
in which we
live our lives.
Bryn Eyre will be built upon the fine tradition of Pennsylvania’s histori
9
be within walking
schools and places to
and recreate.
Centrally located parks will form the heart of the
community. These parks will be a neighborhood
meeting place — at times a quiet contemplative
space and at other times filled with activity.
Offices will be included within the
community, reducing some residents’
commute to work to a pleasant walk.
Bryn Eyre will be built in part on industrial
and mining land. By reclaiming mine land
and by concentrating development in closeknit neighborhoods with modest lot sizes,
Bryn Eyre will preserve more than 1,000
acres of open space within the borough and
reduce development pressure on farmland
and open space in neighboring communities.
The town will be nestled within green
space and woods. Natural features will
create a border around the town offering
many homes extraordinary views of the
town’s lake, woods and ridges.
ic towns.
From neighborhood schools to a town hall, Bryn Eyre will
have all the attributes of a small town.
A network of peaceful trails and
paths also will run throughout the
natural landscape at Bryn Eyre.
Bryn Eyre will be built for
people but will accommodate
cars. Wherever possible,
garages will be tucked
behind homes and parking
lots behind businesses to
invigorate street life.
10
Bryn Eyre will be located in the
largest designated-growth area in
Berks County and will reclaim the
Grace Mine brownfield site.
Planners, not developers, chose New Morgan Borough
to accommodate the county’s growth needs.
Reclaiming the Grace Mine brownfield site will
unlock the economic potential and natural beauty of
thousands of acres of land. Abandoned mines are part
of the legacy of Pennsylvania’s industrial past. Left idle
and unmanaged for decades, these brownfields
represent a significant loss of economic opportunity
and in many cases harm the quality of life in
surrounding communities. At Bryn Eyre, we are
committed to cleaning up the past and building the
future. We will transform the Bethlehem Steel
abandoned mining site into an economically
productive, environmentally healthy and socially
vibrant community center.
11
Bryn Eyre will provide a positive fiscal impact to the
state, county and borough.
The town of Bryn Eyre will produce an estimated
32,000 new jobs and will inject millions of dollars in
wages and tax revenue into the local economy. The
20-year construction phase of Bryn Eyre will generate
approximately 17,400 jobs, producing close to $570
million in wages and $290 million in local, state and
federal taxes according to a respected economic
impact tool created by the National Association
of Home Builders.11 The town center and mixed-use
campus within the district center will house
16,000 permanent office, lightindustrial and retail
jobs as well.12
New property and job gains will provide positive
revenues to the Twin Valley School District. The town
of Bryn Eyre at completion will include an estimated
12,500 homes and 3,600 public-school children.13
Given the mix of house types and the inclusion of
retail, office parks, open space and smaller units
designed for households without children, Bryn Eyre
will provide an annual net gain to the school district
of over $20 million at completion.14
In addition, the close-knit development patterns
planned for Bryn Eyre will limit the expense of
providing and maintaining infrastructure and services.
Extensive research tells us that town development
saves up to 25% of the cost to build roads, utilities
and schools compared to large-lot, suburban
subdivisions.15 Taxpayer expense to provide
government services such as police and fire is also
reduced where development is concentrated near
existing infrastructure rather than being scattered
throughout the jurisdiction.
Berks County Vision 2020
The Future Land Use Plan
1995
1999
Mall
Town Grid Street Patterns
1994
1998
Apts
Houses
1993
1997
School
Bryn Eyre will reduce auto
trips, traffic congestion and
impervious surfaces.
Apts
Mall
School
1996
The answer is to bring our daily destinations, work,
schools, church, day care and shopping, closer
together
2004so that many needs are fulfilled within the
community.18 Transportation planners estimate that
40% of residents’ trips will be “internally captured”
2003
and will no longer need to leave the community.19
Bryn Eyre will minimize impervious surfaces and
cause 40% less runoff than conventional suburban
subdivision development.20 Paved surfaces such as
parking lots, rooftops and roads do not allow water
to permeate the surface so that soil and vegetation
can filter out contaminants. As a result, pollutants
pool on these surfaces and then run off directly
into our streams. The best prescription for limiting
runoff — combining dense development with large
open spaces and integrating permeable surfaces
with paved areas (such as placing a rain garden in
2002
2003
the median of larger roads) — forms a key design
element at Bryn Eyre.
Source: Presentation of Allen D. Biehler, Pennsylvania
Transportation Secretary to the Pennsylvania
Environmental Council (June 14, 2005).
In order to increase safety, Bryn Eyre’s neighborhood
streets will be narrow. Studies have shown that
optimum street safety — the lowest number of
traffic accidents and fatalities — is achieved when
the street is 24 feet wide. Narrow streets cause
drivers to instinctively slow down. Wherever possible,
we will narrow our neighborhood roads to ensure the
safety of our residents.
24-foot-wide
streets are safest
10 20 30 40 50 40 30 20 10
500
Jobs Declined Since 2000
Residential density is the number one determinant
of Population
Bryn Eyre’s
grid street pattern also will noticeably
While
Increased
household vehicle-miles traveled. By locating homes,
reduce traffic congestionTown
by providing
alternate
114
Grid Street
Patterns
1994
Berks County
Employment
shops, schools,
parks and offices within walking112
routes
in and
out of the community rather than
Berks County Population
distance, Bryn Eyre gives residents the option to110
connecting a series of cul de sacs to one collector
108
walk or cycle to complete errands with safety and
road. By reducing travel delay and engine idle time,
1993
106
convenience. As a result, town residents will be
the community will improve air quality.
104
able to minimize their car travel far below the national Apts
Mall
102
average of 13 car trips a day.16 The answer to our
School
100
Houses
active, overscheduled lives is not to adopt the car98
as the central family meeting place as Chrysler 96
spokeswoman Lauren Vidovich suggests: "Just as94
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
the dining room table used to be the main place to
meet… the vehicle itself is [now] the meeting place.17
Houses
Street Typology and Injury Accidents:
Raw Data and Regression
10
Source: Residential
Street Typology and
Injury Accident
Frequency, Swift and
Associates (1999),
examining the safest
residential street form.
8
10 20 30 40 50 40 30 20 10
2002
0 7000
Accidents/Mile/Year
1995
Conventional Suburban
Cul de Sac Street Patterns
6
4
2001
2
2000
0
20
22
24
30
32
34 36 38 40
Street Width (ft)
42
44
46
48
50
1999
12
Mall
1998
Apts
hile Population Increased
Berks County Employment
Berks County Population
1993
We will build an average of five homes on
each acre. Compared to Berks County’s recent
1994
1995
1996
1999
development
patterns,1997
this will1998
conserve
up to 2000
four acres for each home built as well as additional
acreage that is typically paved to service these
large-lot homes.21
10 20 30 40 50 40 30 20 10
10 20 30 40 50 40 30 20 10
Mall
A football field is roughly one acre. Suburban
subdivision development typically places one house
on each acre. There are no public amenities or civic
spaces. Any green space is the owner’s responsibility
and only that one household can use it. In contrast,
Apts place five to ten homes per acre
traditional towns
Houses
with sidewalks on each side of the street and still
have plenty of room left over for a playground or park.
Conventional Suburban
13 Patterns
Cul de Sac Street
School
Bryn Eyre will preserve and protect the Bryn Eyre will conserve and contribute to the region’s rich history and
natural environment.
abundant natural resource amenities including Bryn Eyre’s lakes and
Bryn Eyre has an environmentally sensitive site plan.
streams, Joanna Furnace, and Pennsylvania’s Horseshoe Trail.
Over 1,000 of the 3,100 acres will be preserved as
2002
2003
natural
landscape
or green civic spaces. Our plan
also calls for state-of-the-art environmental design
practices to:
The largest of Bryn Eyre’s three lakes is an important
birding area valued by the Pennsylvania Audubon
Society. This lake, originally created as a tailings pond
for Grace Mine, is an attractive breeding ground and
feeding area for several bird species. We will work to
protect much of this critical bird habitat.
2001
Preserve ecosystems and endangered species’ habitat.
Conserve wetlands.
Street Typology and Injury Accidents:
Set aside land for open spaces/greenways/trails.
Raw Data and Regression We also are committed to the preservation
10
and enhancement of the Joanna Furnace, a
Restore and enhance damaged lands.
key historic asset listed on the National Register
Create energy-efficient buildings.8
of Historic Places. This cold-blast, charcoal
iron furnace built in 1791 borders Bryn Eyre.
Limit auto-dependence.
6
Faithfully restored by the Hay Creek Valley Historical
Use progressive stormwater-management practices
Association, the site is a beautiful spot for gatherings,
to preserve the watersheds.
4
including the popular Fall and Apple Festivals.
Design landscaping to enhance the environmental
qualities and beauty of the site. 2
In addition, Bryn Eyre proposes to include portions
of two long-distance trails within its borders, the
longstanding Horseshoe Trail and the proposed Hay
Creek Trail. Pennsylvania’s Horseshoe Trail is a 140mile trail that offers walking and biking access from
Valley Forge National Historic Park through Berks,
Chester, Dauphin, Lancaster and Lebanon counties
to where it meets up with the Appalachian Trail just
north of Hershey. The proposed Hay Creek Trail would
stretch from Elverson to Birdsboro along the bed of
an abandoned railway.
Accidents/Mile/Year
Bryn Eyre will house
more people on less land.
Minimize impervious surfaces such as asphalt that
0
reduce the ability of the ground to
absorb
20 22rainwater
24 30
and the ability of streams to maintain their proper
life cycle.
Every year, Pennsylvania loses 1,200 acres of
sensitive wetlands to development. At Bryn Eyre
we will work to preserve much of our wetlands in
recognition of their importance for flood control,
species habitat and pollutant removal.22
32
34 36 38 40
Street Width (ft)
42
44
46
48
50
c o n s e r va t i o n
Bryn Eyre will create new residential
amenities for Berks County residents.
Bryn Eyre will offer diverse housing
choices to meet the tri-county area’s
workforce needs.
Homeownership, a cornerstone of suburban life, is out
of reach for an increasing number of working Chester
and Lancaster County households. In these counties,
home sale prices are often too high for young families,
teachers, police and other professionals to afford. Bryn
Eyre will offer a range of homes at competitive prices
that much of the tri-county region's diverse workforce
can buy or rent.
How wonderful it would be to live in the kind
of beautiful and serene place that people come
to visit on weekends! Bryn Eyre is that kind of place,
offering a weekend retreat for Berks County residents.
Go bird-watching at the lake. Hike on nature trails
through beautiful countryside. Come fly a kite or sit
and enjoy a day in the park. Bryn Eyre will provide
exciting new recreational amenities to the county.
Bryn Eyre has been carefully
designed to enhance the fiscal,
environmental and social
health of the borough, state
and county.
14
THE SUCCESS OF NEW TOWNS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY
New towns, while still a tiny percentage of
suburban development, are prospering in
communities across the United States.
Several hundred of these traditional towns
have been built or are under construction,
and they all share principles of planning
and architecture that work to create humanscale, walkable communities within the
architectural styles of their regions.
New towns have proven market strength.
Because new towns offer a rich community lifestyle
that subdivisions cannot, homes and properties in
well-designed new towns have sold quickly and
appreciated at a faster rate than standard tract
housing.
Where the town offers street connectivity, mixed
land use, neighborhood parks, nearness to transit,
and housing, shopping and jobs in close proximity,
homeowners have experienced up to 21% higher
appreciation than owners of similar houses in
conventional suburban subdivisions.23 This is not a
new phenomenon. In Pennsylvania, we have always
valued our towns. In fact, our highest median-value
homes are located in our older first-class townships.24
Seaside:
Seaside, Florida, was developed by Arcadia's Robert
Davis and designed by architects/new urbanists
Andrés Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyber in 1981.
On 80 acres of Panhandle coastline, Seaside has
become internationally famous for its architecture,
the quality of its streets and public spaces. Today
demand is so high that Seaside’s larger homes sell
for over $1 million.
http://www.seasidefl.com
15
Kentlands:
Celebration:
I'On:
Verrado:
Kentlands offers 1,500 residential units on 353
acres. Located 11 miles northwest of the Washington,
D.C. beltway in the city of Gaithersburg, Maryland,
Kentlands is perhaps the most-studied new town
in the world. Researchers have documented how
living at Kentlands improved residents’ lives by
creating a stronger sense of community and
reducing auto dependency.
Florida’s Celebration was founded in 1994 on Disneyowned land used previously to house alligators caught
near Disney guest areas. The town drew its design
and feel from attractive, appealing towns such as
Savannah, Georgia; Nantucket, Massachusetts;
and Charleston, South Carolina. The Walt Disney
Company developed this planned community to
offer townhouses, apartments, condominiums,
bungalows and estate homes within each
neighborhood. Celebration also has its own
health center and charter school.
I’On, a traditional pedestrian-oriented neighborhood
located 10 minutes from historic Charleston,
South Carolina, offers 759 housing units, as well
as commercial and public spaces. I'On was given
the 1999 Stewardship Award by the South Carolina
Department of Natural Resources for its wildlife
habitat protection and environmentally sensitive site
plan and was selected as Best Community in the
Nation by “Professional Builder” magazine.
Verrado, an 8,800-acre master-planned community
in Buckeye, Arizona, opened in January 2004. The
community centers around a Main Street composed
of shops, restaurants and a golf course. Many homes
are within walking distance of the town center, and all
homes are within two blocks of a park.
http://www.kentlands.org
http://www.verrado.com/index.php
http://www.ionvillage.com/
http://www.celebrationfl.com/
Examples of new towns built on the same principles as Bryn Eyre
16
THE PEOPLE BEHIND BRYN EYRE
Arcadia Land Company is a national leader in
building new towns.
The People Working
To Create Bryn Eyre
Are National Leaders
In Building New,
Walkable Communities.
Arcadia Land Company “Town Builders & Land Stewards,
was formed to create walkable neighborhoods in harmony with
nature. Inspired by great old towns like Annapolis, Santa Fe and
West Chester and great new towns like Seaside (developed by
Arcadia’s Robert Davis), Celebration and Kentlands, Arcadia
develops distinctive, master-planned, mixed-use communities.
W. Joseph Duckworth is the Arcadia partner overseeing the
development of the new town. Joe was named National Builder
Of The Year by “Professional Builder” magazine in 1992. Joe
knows about good planning and strong communities. He was
formerly the Chairman of the Chester County Planning Commission
and sits on the Board of Trustees of the Natural Lands Trust and
10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania. He is the former President and
CEO of Realen Homes, one of largest builders of residential
communities in the Philadelphia and Chicago markets. Joe also
understands the need to create great civic spaces, as he is on the
Board of Trustees of the greatly acclaimed National Constitution
Center and was chair of the Architectural Design and Selection
Committee that was instrumental in the creation of Philadelphia’s
new great civic amenity.
Clay L. Chandler, a Vice President with Arcadia and President
of Arcadia’s Bryn Eyre Division, is responsible for planning,
development and project management. Clay received a degree
in architecture and planning from the University of Pennsylvania
and has more than 20 years experience in real estate
development, most recently as Director of Heritage Building
Group’s Premiere Properties and as Principal of Chandler &
Associates, a real estate planning and development firm. He
is also a member of the Urban Land Institute.
17
Carlino Development Group builds
communities that have a unique and
distinctive sense of place.
Carlino Development Group, based in Wyomissing, Berks County,
is a respected real estate development company specializing in the
creation and development of planned residential communities and
commercial office properties. The company has been active with
numerous commercial and residential development projects
in southeastern Pennsylvania since 1982. Carlino Development
Group focuses on creating planned communities that integrate
civic, recreation, office, retail and homes allowing people to learn,
play, work, shop and live all within their community.
Peter M. Carlino founded and serves as Chairman of Carlino
Development Group. He also serves as Chairman and CEO of
Penn National Gaming, Inc., a public company trading on the
NASDAQ market. Peter is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State
University and serves on the boards of the Milton S.
Hershey Medical Center and Mooring Financial Corporation.
Stephen J. Najarian is a Director of Carlino Development
Group and has been active with the company since 1988. He is
a graduate of the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University.
Steve serves as Chairman of the St. Joseph Medical Center
Foundation Board. He is a former Board Chairman of the Olivet
Boys and Girls Club of Berks County and a founding member of
Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Steve also serves on the Board
of the Lancaster Country Day School.
The information in this publication is accurate to the
best of our knowledge as of the time of printing. We
anticipate that certain plans and facts may change
during the development process. Please go to our
website at www.bryneyre.com for updated information.
The materials represented herein are proprietary
in nature and may not be reproduced without the
express written consent of Bryn Eyre, L.P. Bryn Eyre
is a service mark of Bryn Eyre, LP.
Author: Karen Black, May 8 Consulting, Inc.
Photographer: Blair Seitz
Design: Maskar Design, Philadelphia
1
2
3
4
5
Seven municipalities in Berks and Chester counties
form the Twin Valley School District. In Chester
County it serves Honey Brook and Elverson boroughs
and Honey Brook and West Natmeal townships. In
Berks County the district serves Caernarvon
Township, Robeson Township and New Morgan
Borough.
Center for Neighborhood Technology Update (June
2005).
Myers and Gearin, Future Demand For High Density
Living, Housing Policy Debate, Volume 12, Issue 4
(2001).
Housing Facts, Figures and Trends, National
Association of Home Builders (2004).
Southern Berks Regional Comprehensive Plan; Arthur
C. Nelson, Toward a New Metropolis: The Opportunity
To Rebuild America, Brookings Institution (Dec 2004).
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
U.S. Housing Market Conditions 1st Quarter 2005,
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Office of Policy and Research (May 2005).
County And Municipal Real Estate Tax Levies For
2000 Rise By 2.4 Percent Since Last Year And By
37.7 Percent In The Past Five Years, Pennsylvania
Economy League - Central Division (May 2000).
Brownfields, Patriot-News (February 16, 2004).
In 2000, developers requested permits to build 545
housing units on 2,729 acres with an average of five
acres per unit according to Berks County Planning
Commission Annual Subdivision Reports.
United States Department of Agriculture 2002 U.S.
Census of Agriculture.
Housing’s Direct Economic Impact, National
Association of Home Builders Website
http://www.nahb.org/generic.aspx?sectionID=138&g
enericContentID=543 downloaded October 21,
2005.
Projections of Job Creation prepared by David C.
Babbitt & Associates, LLC (October 2005).
13
14
15
The demographic multipliers (school-age children per
unit) are taken from the American Housing Survey as
reported in the 1994 ULI book Development Impact
Assessment Handbook. The demographic multipliers
are then further modified by subtracting 10% to
account for those students who will attend private
schools or be schooled at home. The multipliers for
the age-targeted dwelling types are further reduced
by 75%. In general, the demographic multipliers from
the AHS are too high, but they are the best figures
available.
Twin Valley School District Fiscal Impact Analysis
prepared by David C. Babbitt & Associates, LLC
(September 2005); Timothy W. Kelsey, Fiscal Impacts
of Different Land Uses: The Pennsylvania Experience,
Penn State (1997).
The Costs of Sprawl in Pennsylvania, Clarion
Associates for 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania
(2000).
16
17
18
19
Steven E. Polzin, The Relationship Between Land
Use, Urban Form And Vehicle Miles Of Travel: The
State Of Knowledge And Implications For
Transportation Planning, Center for Urban
Transportation Research at University of South Florida
(March 2004); Cristina Rouvalis And Laura Pace,
Moms Spending More Time As 'Taxi Drivers' Average
Mother Of School-Age Kids Spent 74 Minutes A Day
In Car In 2001, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (August 4,
2004).
Rouvalis and Pace.
John Holtzclaw, Using Residential Pattern and Transit
to Decrease Auto Dependence and Costs, Natural
Resources Defense Council, San Francisco, CA
(1994); F. K Benfield, Matthew D. Raimi, Donald D.T.
Chen, Once There Were Greenfields, Natural
Resources Defense Council & Surface Transportation
Policy Project (1999).
Estimate calculated by Orth-Rodgers & Associates, a
Pennsylvania transportation engineering and planning
firm.
20
21
22
23
24
Why Smart Growth: A Primer, International
City/County Management Association with Geoff
Anderson.
http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/pdf/WhySmartGrowt
h_bk.pdf
Costs of Sprawl.
Costs of Sprawl.
Yan Song and Gerrit Knapp, Land Use Regulation,
Urban Form, and the Price of Single Family Homes:
A Preliminary Assessment of Portland’s 2040 Plan
(2002).
Bruce Katz, The Broader Context for Vacant Land,
Presentation to the Flint Land Bank Authority Forum,
Brookings Institution (April 7, 2005).
http://www.brookings.edu/dybdocroot/metro/speeche
s/20050407_VacantLand.pdf
Construction of the town of Bryn Eyre is scheduled to begin in 2007.
At Bryn Eyre we will provide the best of small town life: safe sidewalks, public
parks, civic buildings, neighborhood schools, walkable retail and a strong sense
of community.
WELCOME TO A TRADITIONAL 21ST-CENTURY
PENNSYLVANIA TOWN CALLED BRYN EYRE!
www.bryneyre.com