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The term 鈥渃onservation subdivision鈥� sounds like an oxymoron.

In what way is a new development conserving anything?

Yet we鈥檙e intrigued by the first neighborhood in Conway to receive that designation.

If successful, this development could serve as a guide for other local communities.

The "conservation subdivision" is coming to a property that spans nearly 810 acres off Collins Jollie Road in the northern section of the city.

Years ago, the land was zoned for low/medium density residential development. In fact, the underlying zoning would allow 1,743 homes to be built on the property without any changes.

But developers pursued the idea of creating a 鈥渃onservation subdivision,鈥� which preserves land by allowing smaller clusters of lots 鈥� and smaller lots 鈥� thus sparing more open space.

This design choice has been supported by city officials. They point out that a new agreement ensures the preservation of conservation areas and wetlands on the site for 10 years. They also like the idea of keeping the density in specific areas. But the biggest factor in the decision is that this property could have been developed in a very different way.

Simply put, if it was going to happen, it's better this way.

鈥淚t really is kind of the best course of development that we can offer in the city,鈥� Conway City Administrator Adam Emrick told the council.

鈥淥ne thing this is not about is the actual development of the property. This property can be developed by right. And again the development plan that we have is the best case scenario for development from a flooding standpoint, from a land conservation standpoint and for basically the design standards even. It鈥檚 a really good development plan.鈥�

At the county level, planners have spent years talking about the importance of density. This is a growing area and people will continue to move here. No one is building a wall, so managing growth is critical.

County officials have said it鈥檚 important to keep density in the urban areas where people are already living. Large lots in the country might sound better, but those projects create urban sprawl, which reflects poor planning.

What鈥檚 happening in Conway could prove to be a model way for handling growth.

While we share neighbors鈥� concerns about additional traffic and the potential strain on public safety services, any development would create those challenges and, as we've noted, this property could have already been developed without a zoning change.

We're hoping the "conservation subdivision" turns out to be for the city's good, not just the lesser evil.