Environmental features such as stone walls, specimen trees, water bodies or other outstanding natural or man-made features shall be retained insofar as possible, and incorporated into the design of the subdivision or land development project so as to preserve the character of the land. The Planning Board shall ensure that, to the extent practicable, plans accomplish the following:
A. Protect 100-year floodplains, wetlands, and steep slopes (greater than 25%) from clearing, grading, filling, or construction.
B. Preserve and maintain mature woodlands, existing fields, pastures, meadows, and orchards;
C. Create sufficient buffer areas to minimize conflicts between residential and agricultural uses.
D. In cases where development must take place on open fields or pastures because of greater constraints in other parts of the site, site dwellings at the far edge of a field as viewed from existing road(s).
E. Maintain naturally vegetated wetland buffers of sufficient width to protect the wetland from adjacent land use. In general such buffer shall be no less then 100 feet, but may be more or less depending on topography, soils, and wetland characteristics.
F. Preserve existing stonewalls, hedgerows and treelines.
G. Leave scenic views and vistas unblocked or uninterrupted, particularly as viewed from public roads.
H. Avoid siting new construction on hilltops.
I. Protect wildlife habitat areas.
J. Preserve sites of historic, archaeological or cultural value.
K. Protect rural roadside character.
L. Provide landscaping for common use areas comprised of native or non-invasive plant species.
M. Provide active recreation areas in suitable locations.
N. Include a pedestrian circulation system which provides access to open space from lots not directly adjacent to the open space as well as to open space on adjacent properties where possible.
O. Provide open space that is reasonably contiguous, both within the development and with open space on adjacent land.