janeAnne's article Real Estate Development, a Perspective where she talks about   "development, improvement, progress " from a whole different vantage point" got me thinking.  It's obvious that there are many of us who realize the relevancy of the information about good stewardship of the land. http://www.hat.bc.ca/stewardship.htm

The land provides us with our food as well as our shelter. There are many conversations happening and it is imperative that each of us speaks up when necessary. The saying "Think globally, act locally"  coined by David Brower, founder of Friends of the Earth, back in the late 1960s seems to me to be  especially relevant with the unprecedented surge in building across our country, perhaps driven by the Baby Boomers as an article in the October, 2006 Washington Times  points out.

So it seems that one of the first places to "good stewardship" begin is in one's own back yard.   PICTURE coming 

My 'back yard' is the new "affordable" development I am living in. On my daily walks along the trails that are integrated into the development, I noticed the downspouts/leaders were depositing rainwater up against the building foundation instead of draining away from it. Also the sediment pond   at the rear of the last building was not doing its intended job. The brisk flow was a rich vermillion color as it rushed out of the parking lot area. Good Stewardship called for.  As a concerned home/condo/owner I reported these problems to the city several weeks ago. The inspectors expressed appreciation for bringing the problem to their attention and assured me they would contact the developer. Obviously they did since several items have been remedied.

However not all has been taken care of. Shall I wait and trust it will be? . Probably not the best idea. I contacted the building representative and took a walk-about with camera in hand. My plan is to visit the inspectors, thank them for the improvements made and then present the updated photos and ask for a time frame for the completion of the remaining items. Do I have time for this? No. However if someone doesn't deal with this now there will be a greater cost in the future.

What's happening in your backyard that you could be pro active about?

                                                                                   CONDO:This is a gem that only comes along once in awhile. A sunny one bedroom unit with open floor plan. All appliances including washer/dryer. The balcony has long range views of the mountains.

CONVENIENT: Just 5 minutes from downtown Asheville, shopping and the Biltmore Estate. Close to amenities yet with trees and walking paths feels like the country.

AFFORDABLE: One of the best priced condos on the market. $120,000.  

ASHEVILLE: One of the 10 best places in the world to live according to Barron's. A city with the culture, music, art, movie festivals, great organic food & restaurants amid the natural beauty of the mountains.

And all of this is waiting for you when you make Asheville your home.

Regarding the comment that janeAnne at the eco-friendly group made: "green building" is the only viable way for real estate to continue in the future. This makes perfect sense.  More than ever people are becoming aware of the delicate condition of the planet. There is a saying that "there is no more land being created".  So we need to pay attention to how the land we have is being affected by our actions.

It is important that we educate ourselves as well as developers to integrate our social and community concerns. I think we all yearn to live in a neighborhood like the one in which we grew up.

I know I do. How about you?

Update on 3/13/07

I was feeling as if I was 'jousting with the wind' in dealing with the development company. But I persisted in taking photos to document the drainage and erosion problems. And....I heard that the HOA board has scheduled a walk-about for next week. The officers of the HOA will walk around all the buildings and note the problems so they can be fixed. Hurrah!