Sustainable Land Development Today - June 2008 - (Page 31)

president of a Southwest Florida business that specializes in helping businesses build green, was brought in as another consultant. Florida Power & Light was approached for its input on energy issues. The Florida Yards & Neighborhoods program proposed common areas that use native landscaping and drought-tolerant plants that require less water while providing wildlife habitat. The public was involved early. The developers researched the local history of the land and worked with county and local leaders to create a project that would blend in and be accepted by residents. Surveys and assessments were taken, which resulted in an 11-page “Green Commitments” document that outlined the steps the company would take, including responsible site development, conservation and green building. Educated on the green building process, the homebuilders agreed that all single-family model homes would be built to the Florida Green Building Coalition standards and work to reduce the environmental impact of their homes. Some homes use up to 35 percent less energy than a home built to standard Florida building code. They conserve water and provide a healthier indoor environment by using materials that don’t off-gas potentially dangerous volatile organic compounds. “We had one builder who put in a solar array on the roof. There are times he actually sells electricity back to the power company,” Church said. Builders also participate in Florida Power & Light’s Build Smart program and use trees to provide shade – a move that reduces solar heat gain and energy demand by 40 percent. Rather than go with the Mediterranean-themed architecture popular in Florida, designers chose traditional southern vernacular-style, which is related to the coastal architecture that is historic to southwest Florida. The design includes breeze-welcoming transom windows, French doors and porches, and deep roof overhangs to reduce solar heat gain and reliance on air conditioners. Among the list of options, builders offer higher efficiency windows, tighter building shell, and air quality features. “We are continuing to ask the builders to raise the bar in their buildings,” Church said. “A lot of that is driven by the builders. Let them - and ultimately the buyers - decide which features they want.” Meanwhile, excess building materials during construction are handled by a local business which can recycle 90 percent of the waste that would otherwise go to a landfill. Rather than burn organic debris after clearing land, it is chipped into mulch and composted and used as a soil amendment. Xeriscaping principles also reduce the community’s reliance on irrigated water and have been incorporated into the landscaping around single-family model homes. Habitat and eco-restoration Verandah was designed to accommodate the natural features of its 1.75 miles of river corridor, much of which had Innovative Stormwater Management Products Media Filtration Underground Retention/Detention The Complete Stormwater Management Products Provider Hydrodynamic Separators Specialty Applications Course of Construction Site Controls Contact us today to learn more about these exciting systems for complete stormwater management. Call 1-800-579-8819 Visit our web site at: www.kristar.com Circle 136 • or www.SLDTonline.com/webcard www.SLDTonline.com 31 http://www.kristar.com http://www.kristar.com http://www.SLDTonline.com/webcard http://www.SLDTonline.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Sustainable Land Development Today - June 2008

Sustainable Land Development Today - June 2008 Contents Our Voice Editorial Board SLDT Resources Where Rubber Meets the Road Integrated Planning: The Key To Developing Sustainable Planned Communities Win-Win For College and Community Industry Spotlight: Transoft Unique Organization, Unique Opportunity New Preferred Provider Comments from the Austin Conference Welcome New Members New Knowledge Project Articles Books Going Green Business Management Risk Management Surveying and Mapping Industry News Products/Services Showcase Advertiser Index Classifieds The Last Word

Sustainable Land Development Today - June 2008

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