Bethel Estates
Community Partners : Back Bay Mission, Mississippi Development Authority, Alembic Development
Back Bay Mission, Alembic Development Company, the Mississippi Development Authority, and the Gulf Coast Community Design Studio (GCCDS) teamed together to create the first affordable housing development in Pass Christian, Mississippi. The 34-unit development is currently under construction with the first houses anticipated to finish construction in early 2010. The development is the first project that has gone through full Smart Code design and planning reviews by the City of Pass Christian, which recently adopted the New Urbanist ordinances.
The development breaks new ground in stormwater management for new developments in coastal areas. Watersheds along the Mississippi Gulf Coast rely on wetlands during rainwater events to capture, hold, and allow stormwater to infiltrate into the ground. Wetlands are crucial to managing the surface water during hazardous weather, central to ecological habitats, and increasingly encroached upon by new developments. This project will use a combination of rain gardens (which act as small wetlands on a site) and indigenous plantings to mimic the natural infiltration methods of wetlands and avoid heavy infrastructure such as concrete retention ponds and large stormwater drainage pipes. Additionally, water-permeable walkways, driveways, and alleys help maintain ideal water infiltration rates on the sites.
