Preserving, protecting, and enhancing the unique natural landscape was the core focus of the planning and site design. Using the flexibility afforded by Stamford's Residential Designed District, a land use tool that encourages conservation oriented developments and the preservation of open spaces, the process started with the positioning of home sites relative to site topography and resource protection and not by an unrelated conventional standard. The use of narrower roadways with more forgiving alignments allowed for the preservation of mature trees, a reduced footprint of disturbance, a reduction in rainwater runoff, and an increase in green spaces.

The Habitat Management Plan for Windermere on the Lake is the result of extensive research and planning by a team of ecologists and environmental engineers. The final study of the property's topography and ecosystem determined the overall site plan-including the exact placement of each road and home for minimal impact on the natural environment.

The innovative site plan ultimately won permissions and endorsements from the State of Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of Water Management, the State of Connecticut Department of Public Health Source Water Protection Unit Drinking Water Division, Aquarion Water Company, the Stamford Water Pollution Control Authority and the City of Stamford Environmental Protection Board as well as the local Zoning Board, Planning Board, and Board of Representatives.