Open Space Criteria

Open Space Criteria

• Feel of Open Space (Subjective: more "open" than its surroundings, e.g. a picnic table in a garden in a commercial area) and Scenic Quality (The view from the outside looking into the property) - are used where appropriate.
• Recreational Value - Possibilities for active or passive recreation (may be no value).
• Wetlands - Parcels with wetlands that qualify for Yorktown wetland ordinance protection.
• Connectivity to other open space - Adjacent to other open space, via trail or biotic corridor .
• Physical Features and Constraints - Steep slopes, streams, lakes, open views.
• Biodiviersity - All parcels within the identified high biodiversity value areas.

Location Dependent

Priorities are dependent on population density. We take zoning to be equivalent to population density. Those areas zoned for 1 acre or less are high density. The rest are low density, except all commerical zoning and age restricted zoning is high density. Already protected lands are not considered either high or low for these purposes. Here is a  simplified zoning map (Draft) using the post Comprehensive Plan zones where commercial and high density residential is shown in pink, low density residential in yellow, and protected land in green.

Prioritization based on High vs Low Density Area