Groves Park Commons is TN’s First Certified Green Subdivision
Development deemed ‘game changer’ for homebuilding industry.
Oak Ridge, TN, October 22, 2009 --(PR.com)-- Groves Park Commons subdivision in Oak Ridge was certified as Tennessee’s first certified Green Subdivision by the National Association of Homebuilders, Research Center during the Parade of Homes last weekend. Only seven other certified Green Subdivisions exist in the United States.
“The standard and the certification process provide the home buyer with assurance that this community has been inspected and verified to be authentically green,” said NAHB Green Building Subcommittee Chair Eric Borsting, a builder from Stockton, Calif. “I congratulate the builders and developers of Groves Parks Commons for their leadership in sustainable design and construction.”
Housing developments that meet the requirements of the National Green Building Standard are designed protect environmentally sensitive areas, meet energy efficiency standards and preserve the native vegetation as well as natural water and drainage features on the site. Site improvements can include additional storm water management features and infrastructure that encourages the use of walking, biking and public transit while minimizing the addition of impervious surfaces.
Groves Parks Commons fits a unique gap in Oak Ridge’s housing market as Oak Ridger’s recruit a growing workforce. Oak Ridge National Lab hired more than 400 new staff members in the past 12 months, and they still have open requisitions for nearly 300 more. This emerging workforce in Oak Ridge will be looking for a place to live.
“Grove Park Commons is one of several new residential developments being built to appeal to the next generation of professionals coming to live and work in Oak Ridge,” said Parker Hardy, President and CEO of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce.
Hardy was joined by the President of the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB), Ted Bard; the VP of NAHB, Research Center Tom Kenney; Mayor Tom Beehan, ORNL director, Dr. Thom Mason, developer Walter Wise and builders Mike Stevens and Bill Kennedy during the certification presentation.
At the certification presentation last weekend, Thom Mason, Director of ORNL, noted that residential electricity consumption in Tennessee is higher than in every other state except Alabama.
“But it’s also terrific that these houses are being built to the highest possible energy standards,” said Mason. ” This saves money for homeowners, and it also reduces the environmental impact of these houses.”
The homes at Groves Park Commons will be tested by a third party Energy Star Certified Energy Home Rater. The minimum designed unit will be 20%-30% more energy efficient than the standard home.
Mason also noted over the past several years, ORNL has used partnerships to move toward a key Department of Energy goal: houses that produce as much energy as they consume.
With the kind of energy efficiency and efficient building material science advancement coming out of ORNL, “in 2030 houses should be able to produce as much energy as they use, while keeping us comfortable and reducing the demand for electricity from fossil fuels.”
Oak Ridge High School football coach, Scott Blade, was the first to purchase a home in the Groves Park Commons subdivision in Oak Ridge.
“We love it, everything is first class,” said Blade, 35. “I just felt like this was a great opportunity for me and my family.”
What attracted Coach Blade and his family to Groves Park Commons was the construction, the high-end amenities, and the energy efficient homes.
For more information on Groves Park Commons visit:
http://www.pr.com/company-profile/overview/46057
www.grovesparkcommons.com
Images: http://www.pr.com/company-profile/image-gallery-c/46057-1409
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“The standard and the certification process provide the home buyer with assurance that this community has been inspected and verified to be authentically green,” said NAHB Green Building Subcommittee Chair Eric Borsting, a builder from Stockton, Calif. “I congratulate the builders and developers of Groves Parks Commons for their leadership in sustainable design and construction.”
Housing developments that meet the requirements of the National Green Building Standard are designed protect environmentally sensitive areas, meet energy efficiency standards and preserve the native vegetation as well as natural water and drainage features on the site. Site improvements can include additional storm water management features and infrastructure that encourages the use of walking, biking and public transit while minimizing the addition of impervious surfaces.
Groves Parks Commons fits a unique gap in Oak Ridge’s housing market as Oak Ridger’s recruit a growing workforce. Oak Ridge National Lab hired more than 400 new staff members in the past 12 months, and they still have open requisitions for nearly 300 more. This emerging workforce in Oak Ridge will be looking for a place to live.
“Grove Park Commons is one of several new residential developments being built to appeal to the next generation of professionals coming to live and work in Oak Ridge,” said Parker Hardy, President and CEO of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce.
Hardy was joined by the President of the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB), Ted Bard; the VP of NAHB, Research Center Tom Kenney; Mayor Tom Beehan, ORNL director, Dr. Thom Mason, developer Walter Wise and builders Mike Stevens and Bill Kennedy during the certification presentation.
At the certification presentation last weekend, Thom Mason, Director of ORNL, noted that residential electricity consumption in Tennessee is higher than in every other state except Alabama.
“But it’s also terrific that these houses are being built to the highest possible energy standards,” said Mason. ” This saves money for homeowners, and it also reduces the environmental impact of these houses.”
The homes at Groves Park Commons will be tested by a third party Energy Star Certified Energy Home Rater. The minimum designed unit will be 20%-30% more energy efficient than the standard home.
Mason also noted over the past several years, ORNL has used partnerships to move toward a key Department of Energy goal: houses that produce as much energy as they consume.
With the kind of energy efficiency and efficient building material science advancement coming out of ORNL, “in 2030 houses should be able to produce as much energy as they use, while keeping us comfortable and reducing the demand for electricity from fossil fuels.”
Oak Ridge High School football coach, Scott Blade, was the first to purchase a home in the Groves Park Commons subdivision in Oak Ridge.
“We love it, everything is first class,” said Blade, 35. “I just felt like this was a great opportunity for me and my family.”
What attracted Coach Blade and his family to Groves Park Commons was the construction, the high-end amenities, and the energy efficient homes.
For more information on Groves Park Commons visit:
http://www.pr.com/company-profile/overview/46057
www.grovesparkcommons.com
Images: http://www.pr.com/company-profile/image-gallery-c/46057-1409
###
Contact
Groves Park Commons
Harvey Abouelata
(865) 386-7860
www.grovesparkcommons.com
Abacus Creative Management, LLC
(865) 386-7860
Harvey Abouelata
(865) 386-7860
www.grovesparkcommons.com
Abacus Creative Management, LLC
(865) 386-7860
Contact
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