New residential developments find green is the way to go

It seems these days everyone is talking green. From reusable grocery bags to chemical-free cleaning products to the elimination of plastic water bottles, green is not just for tree-huggers and environmental activists. Real estate developers and builders are jumping on the green bandwagon and creating sustainable developments that meet strict standards for energy efficiency, recycling, location and the types of building materials used. North Charleston has become a hub of green activity, spurred in large part by The Noisette Co.’s efforts to redevelop the former Charleston Naval Base. It has refurbished existing buildings, upgraded infrastructure and created green space and parks while encouraging the local arts and cultural community. The Noisette Co. is managing the development of Oak Terrace Preserve, a 55-acre sustainable residential community owned by the city of North Charleston. The property previously was home to about 200 houses constructed during the early 1940s during the shipbuilding boom of World War II. The city bought the property and helped the residents relocate. The homes weren’t salvageable and were torn down because of asbestos, lead pain and substandard utilities, explained Elias Deeb, project manager at The Noisette Co. In their place is a new kind of neighborhood. “We made a wholesale, sustainable approach to the design of the neighborhood,” Deeb said. The entire project includes 374 homes and 17 parks. The first phase consists of 120 single-family homes and 32 townhomes. Nine builders were selected to carry out the community’s sustainable vision. Homes are $185,000 to $315,000, with the majority in the $200,000 price range. One of the biggest assets of Oak Terrace Preserve is the dozens of trees that were preserved during the planning phase. About 90% of the trees were saved. “We took considerable more time siting each house,” Deeb said. “You can’t take the postage stamp approach.” Oak Terrace is also a dense neighborhood with a minimum lot size of 3,200 square feet. These kinds of infill developments help curb urban sprawl and locate residents near existing businesses, schools, restaurants and transportation. “Oak Terrace is pretty much as dark green as you can get for the Lowcountry and probably for the state,” Deeb said. Other green initiatives include: • Job site recycling. • Insulation upgrades. • Dual-flush toilets. • Low-flow faucets. • Cork or bamboo flooring. • EnergyStar appliances. • Tankless water heaters. • Elevated concrete slab. Not having wood in the flooring system dramatically reduces issues of moisture, mold and termites. • Native, drought-tolerant plants, eliminating the need for an irrigation system. • A walking/jogging path around the perimeter of the development is lined with a product of recycled tires and rock, making it durable and porous. Creating an energy-efficient home can reduce the cost of utilities 20% to 30% and sometimes even 50%, Deeb said. “We’re starting to reach the tipping point where the objection that it costs too much doesn’t fly anymore,” Deeb said. “There’s so much you can do that makes a difference without spending a lot of money.” One Cool Blow Wecco of Charleston LLC is proving affordable housing options can be green. Wecco is putting the finishing touches on its One Cool Blow development in downtown Charleston off Morrison Drive near the foot of the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. The three-building complex includes a commercial building flanked by two other buildings with retail on the bottom and apartments on top. Eight residential units are available as work force housing set aside for tenants meeting certain income guidelines. Those units are less than $200,000; other units are sold at a market value of $240,000 to $340,000. The apartments come in two floor plans: 1,175 square feet and 785 square feet. They feature a number of green elements: bamboo flooring and stained concrete as well as some exposed concrete walls. Multiple windows make use of natural lighting. The buildings feature rooftop gardens and common areas that use porous pavers and native plants. The company is anticipating achieving a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design silver designation, said Brook Griffin, director of marketing for Wecco of Charleston. One Cool Blow is built by Wecco Construction of South Carolina using walls from Standard Precast Walls, a Wecco firm that produces the concrete walls for the company’s structures and for outside customers. The concrete walls make the structures more durable and insulated, scoring added LEED points for One Cool Blow. Wecco uses its precast walls for all projects, which also speeds up construction time. The foundation was poured in August 2007 and the first of the three buildings will be ready this month. Other green initiatives include: • Low-VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) paints and sealants. • On-site recycling center. • EnergyStar appliances. The green aspects of the project help set it apart, complementing the price and location, said Griffin. One Cool Blow is Wecco’s first Charleston project, but other developments in Savannah, Ga., are LEED certified. “With every single project we look to incorporate more green aspects,” Griffin said. Hunley Waters Even a development filled with modular homes is getting into the green act. Hunley Waters is a 36-home community on the marsh in North Charleston. Eight homes are under construction in Phase 1 and the first residents have just moved in. The homes are built to EarthCraft House standards, constructed to be energy efficient and green. Hunley Waters is proof modular homes can be high end, customized and efficient. “(These homes) are about 30% more efficient than code-built homes,” said Billy Shuman, a broker at Sandlapper Real Estate Group, the firm marketing the property. He believes offering an energy-efficient home is a real plus for a new development. “People in this current market are trying to find the best value,” he said. Buyers can choose from four floor plans ranging from 1,700 to 2,000 square feet. One benefit of going modular is the speed at which the homes are constructed. Built in a controlled environment by Haven Custom Homes at its facility in Ridgeland, S.C., the homes are shipped to the development site 80% complete. Old Man Construction builds the foundation and handles the finishing touches. It takes just 16 weeks from the start of construction to have the homes move-in ready, Shuman said, who recently moved his family into a new home at Hunley Waters. “I believe in what we’re doing,” Shuman said. “I believe in this area.” Mixson The I’On Group is implementing green in just about every facet of its latest project: Mixson, a residential and commercial development near Park Circle in North Charleston. The company is pursing LEED for homes. LEED, a designation of the U.S. Green Building Council, has previously been used to certify commercial buildings, but the new LEED for Homes designation promotes the construction of green and efficient homes. Mixson is the second-largest LEED for Homes development in the nation, following a development in Nevada, said Steve Craver, vice president of construction for I’On Build, the construction arm of the I’On Group. Craver noted the LEED certification is a stringent process and nationally recognized. “LEED has been around a little longer. We wanted to differentiate ourselves. We wanted to lead,” Craver said of the company’s decision to pursue LEED for Homes certification rather than the EarthCraft House designation. Residences at Mixson include one-, two- and three-bedroom attached and detached single-family homes. They are built using autoclaved aerated concrete or concrete infused with air, making it sturdy enough to withstand hurricanes and earthquakes and resistant to termites. The homes are equipped with tankless water heaters, dual-flush toilets and EnergyStar appliances. Low-VOC paints are used as are efficient HVAC units. Hardwood floors, tile in the bathrooms and recycled carpet in the bedrooms help foster a green home. “These homes are truly less money to operate,” Craver said. The development is also dense and close to transportation and shopping, dining and schools. “We’re trying to look at all aspects,” said Drew Grossklaus, director of public relations and marketing at the I’On Group. “People are often good at one or the other. You might have a great development, but the homes are not environmentally friendly. We’re trying to do both.” A number of large trees were protected and plenty of parks, green space and walking trails are incorporated into the project. Secondary streets are paved with cobblestone, a permeable surface that eliminates storm water runoff. The entire Mixson project will take about 12 years to complete with the current phase of construction done by the end of the year.

SPA initiates 'Pledge for Growth'

Monday, June 9, 2008 The State Ports Authority launched a public awareness program Monday that calls on businesses and community leaders to look at ways of enhancing growth and the environment. The agency's "Pledge for Growth" initiative includes a Web site — www.PledgeforGrowth.com — that offers suggestions and allows users to commit to one or more efforts related to land, air, water and people. The SPA said a pledge "can be something simple, such as expanding a recycling program, or a larger effort, such as ... replacing equipment and vehicles with newer, more environmentally sensitive models." The Charleston Motor Carriers Association was one of the program's first participants. It pledged to continue working with the SPA and the state Department of Health and Environmental Control to determine additional ways to save fuel and reduce air emissions. The Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce said it would encourage its members to join the effort.

Johns Island-based Staffordshire community rural, yet just 20 minutes from downtown

A tight economy spurred Scott Hagan to action. The builder chose a Johns Island tract to construct houses with features such as the stainless steel appliances and granite countertops found in upper-crust homes while charging more moderate prices. The neighborhood, Staffordshire, will have 130 homes when built out, including 44 in a first construction phase. There are seven floor plans, both ranch and two-story, ranging from 1,204 to 1,560 square feet. Home prices are $209,900 to $224,900. Scott Hagan Builders of west of the Ashley launched the neighborhood last October and unveiled the first homes this spring. The contractor had visited local home shows and picked up tips on what families were looking for in a starter home, as well as what would attract professionals eyeing an economical living space and seniors moving into smaller digs. Foremost, he came away convinced that interiors are important, notably kitchen appliances. So Hagan, a custom builder, decided to install as much as practical and affordable in each home rather than build a basic house and charge extra for options. "He wanted them to walk in and say, 'Wow,' " says Kitty LaTorre, Realtor with Coldwell Banker LaTorre Realty, who is heading up marketing and sales. "I wanted to put in everything first," Hagan says. The neighborhood footprint is set out, and sidewalks are built on both sides of the street to link homes. Houses, meanwhile, are full of standard attractions. They come with garages, 6-foot privacy fences surrounding large backyards, smooth ceilings, fireplaces, brushed-nickel hardware, ceramic tile and laundry rooms. Most master bedrooms have tray ceilings, and many bathrooms come with garden tubs; otherwise, they are combined tub/showers. The stylish kitchens come standard with a range, microwave, dishwasher and refrigerator. In fact, one of the few options is a side-by-side refrigerator, which is $500 extra, Hagan says. According to LaTorre and Hagan, Johns Island in particular has a shortage of midpriced housing. Developers have focused on the island as an extension of the pricier resorts at Kiawah and Seabrook islands, or as a country getaway from urban and suburban Charleston. Hagan says he was zeroing in on a group of buyers of more modest means. "I was thinking the first-time homebuyers, retired, (people) downsizing," Hagan says. To make homes as easy to move around in as possible, he is building a lot of single-story homes, or houses that "for the most part have everything on one floor." LaTorre says Staffordshire also benefits from a central location. "It's so close to downtown, Kiawah and Seabrook," she says. "It's 20 minutes to the medical complex: We timed it." Hagan says the neighborhood should work out the way he and its backers planned because the houses are well-valued. "I've been building for 10 years," says Hagan, who comes from a family of home contractors. "This is a good price." To get to Staffordshire from downtown Charleston, cross the Ashley River bridge heading west. Turn left onto Folly Road and cross the Wappoo bridge. Make a right at the traffic light onto Maybank Highway. Follow Maybank across River Road and continue for about two more miles. Turn left on Staffwood Road. Staffordshire is ahead on the right.