Protect natural resources, including, but not limited to, those areas containing woodlands, unique or specimen vegetation, vernal pools, streams, wetlands, floodplains, aquifers and their recharge areas, wellhead areas and agricultural lands, by setting them aside from development;

Preserve cultural, historical and archaeological resources;

Protect recreational resources;

Provide greater design flexibility and efficiency in the siting of services and infrastructure, including wastewater disposal systems and wells, and to reduce length of roads, utility runs and the amount of paving required for residential development;

Provide for a diversity of lot sizes, building densities and housing choices to accommodate a variety of age and income groups, and residential preferences, so that the population diversity of the community may be maintained;

Implement adopted municipal policies to conserve a variety of irreplaceable and environmentally important resources as set forth in the comprehensive plan;

To provide reasonable incentives for the creation of a contiguous greenway system within the Town;

To implement adopted land use, transportation and community service policies, as set forth in the comprehensive plan;

Protect areas of the Town with productive agricultural soils to encourage continued or future agricultural use by conserving blocks of land large enough to allow for efficient farm operations;

Create neighborhoods with direct visual and/or physical access to open land, with amenities in the form of neighborhood open space, and with a strong neighborhood identity;

Provide for the maintenance of open land set aside for active or passive recreational use, stormwater drainage or conservation lands;

Conserve and create scenic views, to protect views along scenic roadways, and, where appropriate, to preserve the rural character of the Town; and

Provide a buffer between new development and existing streets, neighborhoods, active farmland and adjacent park or conservation land.

The Planning Board may approve a conservation development only in the following agricultural and residence zoning districts: A-1, A-2, R-1, R-2 and R-3. Within the R-2 and R-3 zones, in areas served by both water and sewer, the dwelling units within conservation developments shall consist of only single-family attached units or multifamily units (see subsection 11-3 (a) below).

Conservation developments are reviewed in accordance with the procedures and standards set forth in the land development and subdivision regulations (the "regulations") as either a major or minor subdivision, or land development project, as appropriate.

All major subdivisions, or major residential land development projects whether a subdivision or not, are required to be developed as a conservation development. The Planning Board may permit a conventional subdivision under the provisions of paragraph (e) below.

An applicant for a minor subdivision or minor residential land development project may submit a plan for either a conventional development or for a conservation development.

When a development or subdivision is required or requested by the Planning Board to be developed as a conservation development, and the applicant wishes to develop a conventional subdivision, the applicant shall submit both a concept plan for a conventional subdivision, also referred to as a "conventional yield plan", and an alternate concept plan for a conservation development. In determining which plan is most appropriate, the Planning Board shall consider the following:

Residential and related uses. The following uses are permitted uses on the developed portion of a conservation development site. Where there is a conflict between this section and that contained in the residential section of the Use Table, Article 4, this section shall apply.

Open space uses. The open space in a conservation development (see § 11-7) shall be devoted only to conservation purposes or for park, passive recreation, forest management and agricultural purposes as approved by the Planning Board. In all zoning districts where conservation developments are permitted, the following uses may also be allowed in open space areas if permitted by the Planning Board in accordance with the applicable provisions of the regulations:

To allow the construction of low or moderate income housing units (see Article 15).

To allow the preservation of an existing dwelling which is currently located on the property being developed for any of the following purposes: preservation of historic structures that contribute to the character of an area; maintenance of historic or traditional development patterns; preservation of streetscape features; design of public or common open space; or other design or site planning issues identified in the Cumberland Comprehensive Plan. In such cases, the Planning Board may allow the applicant to exceed the maximum number of permitted dwelling units in the development by one additional dwelling. Any dwelling, not located within an historic district, granted a density bonus under the provisions of this subsection shall be subject to deed restrictions prohibiting the removal or alteration of the dwelling except as may be approved by the Planning Board, with advisory review by the historic district commission, as a condition of approval.

For a proposed conservation development, the applicant may request a waiver for, and the Planning Board may permit, the following variations in lot frontage and lot width:

No more buildable lots shall be allowed using flexible lot frontage and width provisions than are allowed by using conventional frontage and width provisions, as shown on the conventional yield plan. This shall not prohibit, however, additional lots or units granted as a density bonus pursuant to § 11-4.