What does the site tell us?

Over the last year I have had the joy of spending sometime on the property. I have come to appreciate the calming affect of the grasses in the meadow blowing in the breeze, the mysterious quality of the wooded shadows and the stark effeciency of the crop land. The Site Analysis is a summary of what the site suggests and how those ideas can be incorporated into the Master Plan. Since the text is much to small to read on the graphic I have copied it here for your understanding.

Open ridge tops suggest that a tree planting program should be
completed to provided visual screening of the adjacent farm field.
The tree planting should be evergreen species to create an
effective wind break from cold northwest winds. The tree
planting will also enhance a sense of remoteness of the
southern ridge top. Primary drainage from the
adjacent farm fields may contain fertilizers and
pesticides. A constructed wetland should be
created to clean and filter the water prior to it
flowing into the intermittent stream. Ground
water seeping from the hillside should be
intercepted and diverted to the wetland area
to increase the flow of the stream. This may
also reduce the area of wet hillside effectively
increasing the useable area of the site. The
southern ridge is composed of a visually
enclosed meadow with wonderful long views
to the east. The foreground is primarily framed
by the existing hardwood forested hillside, the
middle ground is the Muddy Creek valley and the
background is the wooded and rolling hills east of
the creek.

The bottomland generally sits within the floodplain and is unbuildable,
however, the soils are loamy and fertile, well suited for crop production. The
land has been conventionally farmed for several decades and will require a
resting period in order to qualify for organic farming. A stream channel was cut
along the base of the slope to redirect the intermittent stream to the low area
along the south property line. Periodic flooding has caused this channel to
breach allowing the water to flow into the fields creating a significant wet area.
It would be appropriate to open up the original channel and enlarge the existing
pond area into a larger pond. This additional water surface could allow for the
creation of fish habitat and higher water quality. The larger pond could also be
used for water storage allowing for minor irrigation of crops adjacent to the pond
during times of limited rainfall. Along the steeper slopes of the wooded hillside
there are isolated outcroppings of limestone. The limestone could be used to
create retaining walls, face bridge abutments and be incorporated into the
architectural character created for the site. Along the ridge tops lies the Kansas
City formation while the valley is predominately the Pleasanton formation. Both
are acceptable as a building material. At approximately elevation 830 to 840
there appears to be a lens of shale. This impermeable layer directs groundwater
to the surface. Within the proximity of the shale layer the higher ground water
elevation becomes a limitation to development of subsurface facilities. The
existing hardwood forest creates an opportunity to harvest lumber for use in
on-site improvements. The county forester recommends that the locust be
removed, and the underbrush cut down in order to allow the existing oaks to
seed. Larger, less productive oaks can be cut for use as lumber. All cut woody
material should be used for on-site heating or chipped for mulch. The wet
areas at the base of the slope are ideal for planting black walnut trees. These
should produce a harvestable crop as they mature.

The relatively warm summers and cold winters suggest that it will be important to reduce both heating and cooling loads through proper orientation of windows and primary entry doors. The wide range of sun angles (approximately 82 degrees in summer and approximately 28 degrees in winter result in a terrific opportunity to create window overhangs that provide shade on the windows in the summer yet let the sun into the buildings in winter. Building design should minimize windows on the north and northwest elevations.

The vast majority of the wind speeds exceed 5 mph which creates the opportunity for vertical axis wind generators for energy supply. Towers should be located at the high points of the site to capture as much wind as possible.