360 Degrees Away from Mass Produced Conformity…


Allen's Montgomery Farm Preserves a Family Legacy


By Beverly Smirnis


The Williams family upheld their beloved farm in Allen as a place to be one with nature—their own private retreat for more than 65 years. Within the farm's 500 acres of pristine prairie and forest land, Francis Montgomery Williams and her daughter, Amy Monier, established the Connemara Conservancy as one of the state's earliest private land trusts — dedicated to the preservation and protection of open spaces in North Texas. Carrying forth the family's desire to share this refuge with others while preserving all that is poetic about the place, has led Francis' son, Phillip Williams, his development team, and ultimately the City of Allen to think far outside the box of traditional land development principles.


After consulting with an all-star line-up of national and international land planning experts, Emerson Partners, the development team led by Williams, embarked on an ambitious mission to create a non-polluting, energy-efficient, and sustain- able community.


Implementing the principles of the LEED for Neighborhood Development Rating System (LEED-ND),


The first task at hand was to create Bethany Drive which now winds through the heart of Montgomery Farm. As much art as thoroughfare featuring extra wide medians and earthen berms, it was designed by artists, environmentalists, and designers who specialize in green construction. Planted along the roadway, more than 600 native trees as well as native wildflowers and grasses beautify the landscape, conserve water, and require minimal maintenance. The berms soften the appearance of the throughway and reduce noise pollution while separating walking and biking paths from traffic.


20 GREATER DFW METROPLEX BUILDING SAVVY MAGAZINE Vol 4 2011 Roads and entryways are much art as thoroughfare.


The roads throughout the community neighborhoods as well as the extensive trail system connecting Montgomery Farm residents to schools, shopping and dining, support LEED's specification of “Good connections for pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles-both within a neighborhood and to surrounding areas.” Research shows that walking and physical fitness increase and dependence on automobiles decreases with greater street connectivity, measured by the number of intersections per square mile. Curving, suburban-style streets with long blocks and multiple dead-ends, on the other hand, require long, circuitous walking or driving routes to nearby destinations.


SAVVY NEIGHBORHOOD—Montgomery Farm Montgomery Farm® is now garnering a national reputation as


a model of 21ST Century smart growth, green building and environmentally-conscious neighborhood design.


Developed as a collaboration among the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), the Congress for the New Urbanism, and the Natural Resources Defense Council, (LEED-ND) guidelines say the first criteria of a neighborhood development must be a Smart Location. The virgin farmland conveniently fronting the western edge of Central Expressway in an area of rapid growth provided the perfect setting. And LEED-ND's requisite to Design with Nature was shared by all parties.


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