Nature 'burbs.

• Author: SAMESHIMA, NIKKI

THE BIRDS, THE BEES, THE BUZZWORDS

IS ECO-AWARE DEVELOPMENT A KEY TO SMART GROWTH?

Dennis Carruth glides his hand over an array of charts and renderings spread across his conference room table. Surrounded by pictures of what will eventually fill another Colorado vista, he describes his vision for Meadow Ranch, a 383-home community rising on the fringe of Ken Caryl Ranch.

"I really care a lot about the land and the environment," Carruth says softly. "Sometimes that seems so distant from what a developer does."

Colorado's vistas and vitality mean more rooftops on the horizon and a lot less room to roam. The question for environmentally conscious developers is how to find common ground with nature. The question for the rest of us is, is "environmentally conscious developers" an oxymoron, like "airline food" or "Microsoft Works?" If it is, is it at least a pretty good marketing concept? If it is not, has someone at last discovered the grail called Smart Growth?

Zippy marketing slogans -- "The Pride of Colorado," "The Best Kept Secret," "The Last Great Place" -- long have lured homebuyers here. But growing numbers of developers are taking the notion of environmentally friendly living a step further, building subdivisions where the deer and the antelope may proudly play, and where Colorado's flora and fauna may grow.

Tallyn's Reach in Aurora hired a forestry expert to preserve the site's Ponderosa Pines and planted another 1,000 trees, besides. Meadow Ranch's Carruth plans an alliance with the National Wildlife Federation. In Gunnison, Eagle Ridge Ranch developed after a series of meetings with wildlife biologists, environmentalists and others.

Then there's the indoor environment: "Green" developers like Boulder-based McStain Enterprises' subdivisions offer sweeping views, argon-filled windows and recycled insulation.

Even a Colorado golf course has gotten into the act, with Basalt's Roaring Fork Club combining a Jack Nicklaus Signature course with "biological islands" to attract beneficial birds and insects, not to mention 45 $1 million log cabins.

To critics, environmentally friendly bedroom communities just add up to sprawl with a smile. "Some developers are doing a good job and are concerned," said former Colorado Gov. Dick Lamm. "But the growth issue is a more cover-your-butt issue than a sincere attempt to come to grips with the problem."

Carruth argues that developments like Meadow Ranch go beyond marketing dazzle. His plan, he said...