Sustainable Land Development Today - November/December 2008 - (Page 14)

tems for critical areas, led to significant water savings for the community and its residents. “We worked backwards and said, ‘Here’s the trees. Here’s the drainage ways. We have some major roadways,” Morton said. “How can we work those through? What’s left over and how do we turn those into our development parcels?’” Owner/Developer %! # #% # Key Consultants/Financial ' "' %%# " " &" #)" " #%$ Mid-sized builders were being bought out by the national firms and soon, the developer found itself in negotiations with large, production builders, which posed challenges. “A lot of the things we asked them to do were difficult for them because they had to make changes to their standard plans,” Morton said. “In the end, I think they wanted to be in Tallyn’s Reach. Even today, it is the second best-selling master plan in the Denver-Metro area and its price points are the second highest there as well.” Sources ' Key Bank %## &#(% & #%$#% ' #" #% * #% &' % " %' !& The Community Connection %#$ %' & Green Building Tallyn’s Reach was the first new development in Colorado to require all its builders, before adhering to such standards became fashionable, to meet the standards set by the Colorado Built Green program. A design review committee works to assure the level of quality in the look of the homes and the materials that are used. In the early days of the development, Carma-Colorado relied on mid-sized home builders who could adapt their building practices to meet such guidelines. Then terrorist attack of September 11, 2001 exacerbated an already weak economy which significantly affected the local building industry. Community outreach has been a priority. For seven years, Morton said % #% &' he made it a point to personally attend meetings, large and small, that involved the project. The effort showed leadership and a willingness on the part of the developer to keep the lines of clear communication open. “When we go into a project, we are a little different than some developers that are true speculators,” Morton said. “We are into our projects to the end. We bought it in 1997, and here it is 2008. We’re still actively involved in the community.” An example of that integration is the relationship with the local YMCA, which the developer invited to manage a range of programs and services in Tallyn’s Reach, from swimming and hiking classes to daycare. “The Y integrates programs that really make the community hum. Whatever the community wants, they are there for them,” Morton pointed out. The developer also makes a point to be active in local government initiatives, clubs and organizations, which include financial support and volunteer hours contributed by staff. There is also the physical interface with the local community. Adjacent to the development are local and regional shopping opportunities, office and regional recreational facilities. Meanwhile, to bolster communication within Tallyn’s Reach, residents have access to a community intranet that allows them to keep track of community events, discuss topics of community concern and follow development activities within the community. Visionary Vision Tallyn’s Reach was envisioned to be a development that would tread lightly on the land and would not sacrifice the natural environment for the sake of shortterm profits, while holding the potential to be quite profitable. It embraces low- 14 November/December 2008 Sustainable Land Development Today

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Sustainable Land Development Today - November/December 2008

Sustainable Land Development Today - November/December 2008 Contents Our Voice Editorial Board SLDT Resources The BottomLine Go Forth and Tread Lightly on the Land It’s About Name Recognition Managing Risk in the Sustainable Building Frontier Industry Spotlight Achieving Sustainable Land Development Worthy of Recognition Stormwater Wastewater Erosion Control Innovation Classifieds Advertiser Index Last Word

Sustainable Land Development Today - November/December 2008

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