LOOKS COUNT Series. Urban infill communities, What's True Green?
The headline read, " Urban Infill Project Embraces Green Building Guidelines." Intriguing, eh? First of all...what are they talking about? 1) What is an urban infill project? And 2) what is meant by "Green Building Guidelines"?
Seems GREEN is red-hot these days, especially right here in Asheville, N.C. But, let's face it, there's small-case green, my friend the author calls this "Faux Green"... and then, well, there's True Green. As Eco Certified® Real Estate Consultants, we are impressed with the WNC HealthyBuilt® Home program. It's checklist of Green Requirements encompasses all aspects of environmental design and construction including: site and landscape, materials, indoor air quality, heating and cooling systems, the building envelope, and water efficiency. Interestingly, an objective third party is required to check on and make sure buildings pass the WNC HealthyBuilt® inspection at various phases of building process. This tells us that we are looking at True Green possibilities.
There are a number of True Green urban infill projects in our town..
Today I will tell you about just one urban infill development where True Green building and community cooperation add up to a sustainable special find. This WNC HealthyBuilt® eco-community is within walking distance of downtown Asheville. Nineteen units (four townhomes and ten single family) equal True Green real estate for sale.....but this is not what might be considered "workforce housing". Prices range from the mid $400Ks to over $1M. And buildings are just over 1,000 to just under 3,000 square feet.
Proximity to downtown counts. And LOOKS COUNT! (I wrote about that earlier and this is the second in the series on that matter.) With views, stately trees preserved and cared for, top-of-the-line non-toxic finishes, common areas and outdoor living spaces, this is one example of an urban infill project that could thrill the home buyer. All this - a mix of condos, townhomes, and single family homes the interested person will find on just a 3.5 acre parcel, where literally dozens of 50-70 year old trees still stand because land planning and land use also count in this situation...and factor that into the cost..
"We felt compelled to honor this land, to do something that made sense for the neighborhood," said the eco-developer. And you will not find gates separating this green community from the rest of the area.
" We just want it to fit in, to have it feel like it's been there a long time, and we're hoping a variety of people, from young families to empty nesters, will appreciate our efforts. This will be home to people who make a conscious choice-to buy here because it's green and because it exemplifies a quality of life they desire."
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The opinions expressed by the Activerain Network and it's members and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of janeAnne "Greenolina" http://activerain.com/janeanne Broker/Owner of The ECO-Steward Real Estate Firm www.EcoStweardRealty.com which is not responsible for the accuracy or content provided by The Community.
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