Open Space Residential Design Ordinance (OSRD):
Saving Open Space in New Subdivisions

What is OSRD?

It is a Beverly ordinance, co-written by Scott Houseman, which has among the strongest open space preservation requirements for new subdivisions in Massachusetts. OSRD delicately threads the needle between protecting the private right to develop land and the public interest in preserving open space.

Scott Houseman understands the deep connection between our quality of life and the quality of our outdoor spaces. Simply having places for recreation and to enjoy the natural world are basic amenities that attract all people. In 2000, the Beverly City Council adopted a development Master Plan. Two years in the making, it set out a vision and goals for Beverly. It called for writing a new subdivision ordinance.

Scott took up the challenge to achieve that goal. It took two years of considerable technical, legal, and political work. The work of both co-author John Thomson, Vice Chair of the Planning Board, and Tina Cassidy, the Planning Director, was indispensible. OSRD was unanimously passed in 2005 by City Council.

The two pictures above show the likely difference between traditional development and OSRD development.  Conventional waterfront development did not preserve open space along the water. The development along the ridgeline above Bass River was influenced by OSRD principals. (It was permitted before OSRD was adopted.) The wooded ridgeline and scenic views, that could otherwise have been house sites, were protected.