The Town of Mt Laurel -- A Unique Birmingham Development
The town of Mt Laurel has a motto -- "We leave the trees" -- that sums up our core philosophy. There are 2 main ways the town of Mt Laurel differs from a typical suburban Birmingham development. First, it's a Traditional Neighborhood Development, or TND, which means, among other things, that it has a classic look with an old-world neighborhood feel.
Mt Laurel -- Not Just Another Suburb
The other main difference is that while suburban Birmingham developments are created by clear-cutting trees, removing native vegetation and then leveling the earth to make way for grass lawns and cookie-cutter houses, the town of Mt Laurel was built a little differently.
Mt Laurel was developed by a design and engineering team dedicated to preservation. This team preserved, whenever possible, the mature trees, native flora, rolling hills and natural topography of Mt Laurel's land by minimizing grading and retaining natural drainage corridors.
Sometimes the builders had to take great pains to save the trees, as demonstrated by the tree spade the developers purchased to dig up, relocate, hold and eventually return trees and large shrubs to those areas that had to be cleared during construction.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle -- 3 Words Integral to Sustainable Development
Because not all plants can be moved or preserved, Mt Laurel reuses the plants, plant materials, timber and stone removed during construction in landscape design whenever possible. The traditional methods for disposing of trees too large to move are to pulp or burn the debris. Mt Laurel makes a point to use the leftover lumber to build gazebos, bridges, shelters and signs. We use the wood chips for erosion control.
The land chosen for the town of Mt Laurel is blessed with a great diversity of small shrubs, bulbs, vines and wildflowers. Those plants that are native to Mt Laurel are featured in the community's landscaping. In keeping with this natural aesthetic, the planting design is less formal and features a looser, more casual feel. The landscapers have replaced the typical collar of evergreen shrubs around the foundation with plantings that actually change the landscape on a seasonal basis. In a typical suburban Birmingham development, native plants are cleared out to install grass lawns that suck up tons of water and necessitate the use of pesticides and herbicides. In stark contrast, and with a nod to sustainable development, Mt Laurel homes feature low-maintenance, native flora and fauna in front and the option of a grass lawn in the backyard.
A World of Possibilities in Your Own Backyard
Trees, hills and shrubs aren't the only things the town's developers preserved. A network of streets, rear lanes and foot paths take residents from their homes to the 11-acre Spoonwood Lake for fishing and canoeing.
The town of Mt Laurel also contains several other outdoor amenities, such as its 3 parks, community pool, hiking trails and the tot lot. There are plenty of natural areas throughout the community for relaxing and enjoying the breathtaking scenery.
We hope Mt Laurel will serve as a model for sustainable development -- in Birmingham and elsewhere. To learn more about what makes Mt Laurel different, call (888) 408-8696 to schedule a tour.