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While it is quite clear that the majority of town citizens in Pinetop-Lakeside do not want any development to occur within the Woodland Lake Park Tract, it is also quite clear there exists the possibility that some development may occur. Should the non-development acquisition strategies prove impossible, it is best that the town be prepared for it by having a development plan established for the tract. This development plan should represent the town's vision of how the land should be developed and should have the political support of the town. Having such a plan established and supported by the town would allow them to clearly, concisely, and with confidence communicate their goals and wishes from any future development that may occur. By being proactive and aggressive the town can help dictate any future development rather than simply react to it.
A good starting point for this development plan would be to identify those areas within the park tract that the town would like to see protected in their current state. These should be areas which have high ecological and/or cultural importance to the natural systems and town at large, not just a few individuals. Within the Woodland Lake Park Tract it is sufficient to say that three such important areas exist which need to be preserved in their current state: Big Springs (40 acres), Woodland Lake Park (103 acres), and Walnut Creek and associated creek buffer (40 acres). Big Springs and Walnut Creek and associated buffer area have high ecological importance within the existing natural systems at work in the tract. While the creek buffer is not impenetrable it should be acknowledged and respected. And the third area the Woodland Lake Park, has a high recreational value and is consistently enjoyed by town residents and visitors alike. That leaves 400 acres of land which could be considered suitable for future development.
While 400 acres of land within the tract have been identified as suitable for development this does not mean that all 400 would need to be developed in order for the developer to make such a profit return. Just how much of that land would be developed is strongly dictated by the type of development occurring on the property: conventional suburban development or non-conventional development (new urbanism).
Conventional Suburban Development (CSD) is typified by having larger lot sizes and separation of uses. The ratio of open space to developed space in any given project most often ranges anywhere from 60-40, to 50-50, to 40-60. Of the 583 acres contained by the Woodland Lake Park Tract that means that anywhere from 250-350 acres would be developed. Finding developers who would develop in a CSD fashion is easier due to its high degree of familiarity with banks and investors. Other characteristics of CSD include:
- more private open space (due to larger lots)
- increased dependency on automobile
- greater amount of infrastructure
- conditioned belief that larger lot size equates to higher value
Non-Conventional Development is typified by higher density settings where stores, restaurants, offices, and other conveniences are close by. This higher density allows for more public open space. There is more focus on creating communities that are pedestrian-oriented, often organized around a town center. Due to higher densities and smaller lot sizes these developments typically take up less acreage than CSD. In the case of Woodland Lake Park this might amount to 120-160 acres of development. Other characteristics include:
- more human scaled design
- strong sense of community and place
- focus on the public realm
- seamless experience between residential, commercial, and open space
- the town needs to complete a market analysis
- if the town is to enter into a public-private partnership the town's money would be best spent on macro-infrastructure improvements (ex: water and sewer lines, streetscape improvements)
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