Excerpt from the the Urban Design Award Submission
By Lane Brugman

The Georgetown Gardens were constructed as an HOA Demonstration Garden. The project showcased a combination of xeriscaping and permaculture design principles aimed at solving the HOA community goals: increase resident benefit, cut resource use, increase building longevity, and build community through gardening. The project consisted of converting 11,000SF of the original 1979 turf grass landscape to diverse xeric gardens. A full sprinkler replacement - designed in conjunction with the new landscape and to maximize water savings - was also installed. The Gardens have an extensive plant list, more than 400 water wise plants across 90 species, were planted. With Spring Creek babbling just 50 yards to the south, the gardens and plant selections have reclaimed pollinator and bird habitat by essentially widening the natural area and wildlife corridor. The gardens also provide herb and food production for residents and have added shadow planted trees to increase the forest understory. Finally, pathways for enhanced circulation and two community gathering spaces were added.

The project was funded through HOA funds and three awarded grants from the City of Fort Collins Xeriscape Incentive Program, Nature in the City Planning Grant, and the Larimer County Small Community Grants. A grant through Northern Water was submitted but was not awarded. Apex Futures LLC wrote all four grants and managed the three awarded grant submissions.

In all, the project was a large success. Wildlife of all trophic levels have increased in the landscape. Soil health is improving, pollinators are abundant, bird song is loud, fruit and vegetable production has been added, and neighborly connection has deepened. The community is healthier, stronger, and more resilient.

The Georgetown Gardens project not only serves the residents of the 24 townhomes in Fort Collins but also provides real-world data and demonstration capacity for similar developments in Northern Colorado. The project stands as a powerful case study in goal oriented, community driven landscape design, the incredible power of plants, finding creative solutions to the challenge of executing capital improvement projects within HOA structures, and how to reduce resource use while increasing community and ecological benefit.