Project Highlight
For Ivy Trails, site of the HOMEARAMA 2004 New Lifestyles Edition, Nordyke Development enlisted Bayer Becker’s integrated “one-stop” design service capabilities. The Ivy Trails subdivision consists of approximately 166 estate and lifestyle home sites on 136 wooded acres, with approximately 56 acres reserved for open space and hiking trails. Located on steep terrain in both Clermont and Hamilton Counties, Bayer Becker’s design had to account for the various grades, maintaining utility services to all residents and bringing an existing dam up to Ohio Department of Natural Resources specifications.
To help with the steep terrain two different retaining walls were included in the project’s design, one alongside the ascending entry drive and one to help control any future soil settlement issues underneath the covered bridge entrance. Because of the steep grades, utility design for the development was also an issue. To ensure utility service from one side of the development to the other a pump station was included in the project design. A surge tank was also included to accommodate the development during peak events.
Ivy Trails’ location in both Hamilton and Clermont County and Miami and Anderson Township also affected design. The project’s multi-jurisdictional location meant securing design approval from multiple agencies. Bayer Becker had to execute a jurisdictional boundary change for the Metropolitan Sewer District and Clermont County to help with sanitary sewer service for the project. Bayer Becker also provided an interconnection between the Greater Cincinnati Water Works and Clermont County Department of Water and Sewer, which allows each county to supply service to the other during times of high demand.
In addition to the project’s overall site design, Bayer Becker’s also worked to develop an aesthetic scheme to unify the subdivision through features, such as a covered bridge and decorative sign posts, unique to Ivy Trails. Bayer Becker’s extensive experience in residential design was a vital component of a successful project for Nordyke Development. This experience combined with our familiarity with the area and knowledge of the multiple jurisdictions’ regulations resulted in a project that is unlike any other in the area, with over 56 acres reserved for open space and hiking trails.
