Located in the historic Long Ridge area of North Stamford, Connecticut, Windermere on the Lake (WOTL) is a 74 acre conservation community with 24 lakeside homes and gardens. The community includes a gatehouse, a field house with a pool and tennis court, walking trails, and a floating dock. To prevent fragmenting the land and to maximize the continuous open space, a “design district” was established. Site development incorporated sustainable design features to protect and enrich the natural habitat. Windermere showcases eco-friendly practices, such as solar powered street lighting, balanced site development, and a holistic habitat management plan to promote the growth of the natural surroundings.

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Led by Mark Robbins, an extensive plan was developed with a team of environmental engineers and ecologists to have minimal impact on the natural environment, including low-impact siting of each structure. The wetlands, woodlands, emergent marshes, meadows, and naturalized lawns were restored through removing invasive species, while also planting native plant species. Twenty-six bluebird nesting boxes were installed and box crib habitats were submersed in the lakes to enrich the habitat for spotted salamanders, wood frogs, and box turtles. The wetlands are protected with raised boardwalks. Vegetated buffers and water quality swales create a natural drainage system for stormwater management and filtration. The use of pesticides and other pollutants is forbidden within the community.

The planned unit development (PUD) zoning, with shared amenities, allowed for the donation of 25 acres of land trust to the Stamford Land Conservation Trust – the largest donation in the Trust’s history. Windermere on the Lake was featured in the New York Times and on CNN. It is home to the first LEED certified luxury home of it size in the Northeast.