Model Homes On Grow Avenue NW

Residents of Bainbridge Island, Wash., led by Asani Development Initiatives, are re-imagining what a residential community could be.indeed.com Even more impressive than its community gardens and car share program, the Grow Community is on track to be the largest planned solar-ready neighborhood in Washington State. The housing development is designed to be a net-zero energy community, and is one of seven such endorsed projects by the One Planet Living program. Asani has also partnered with two Washington-based companies, BlueFrog Solar and A&R Solar, to develop an installation-ready solar package around which each home in the Grow Community is specifically designed.


The solar systems are intended to provide 100% of the energy demand of each house. The roofs of each structure were carefully designed to support the required number of solar panels. The installation package available to homebuyers features the Washington-based itek Energy‘s PV panels and APS America‘s microinverters. Model homes on Grow Avenue NW. "The variety of rooflines that make a project like Grow so visually interesting can be a challenge for solar systems, which rely on PV arrays being optimally oriented toward the sun," says Kelly Samson CEO of APS America. The project will be completed in three phases. The first phase, which is presently nearing completion, will contain 18 single-family homes, six town houses and 20 multi-family rental units.


Two more neighborhoods, referred to as "neighborhood 2.0″ and "3.0″ respectively, are still in the design stages. Homeowners have the standing option to install a solar system or not, providing customers with flexibile options regarding installation timing and financing. "The project is being constructed in three phases to reduce risk and to allow the development team to apply lessons learned in each phase to the subsequent phase," says Marja Preston, president of Asani Development. "We were confident that the solar community would work as we had a long interest list prior to placing the homes on the market. The first solar modules installed on Grow model homes. Phase II, containing neighborhood 2.0 and 3.0, will involve building 88 more homes.


Housing options will consist of a mix of two-story town houses, single-level houses and apartments in three-story buildings. Additionally, residential parking will be underground to maximize the community’s green space. The second phase is also going to include the community center building and a childcare facility in its construction. Every structure in the community is built solar-ready. The ultimate goal of the project was to design a repeatable model for a net-zero energy housing development, a task which, Preston says, was accomplished. "The biggest challenge for our team was to design a net-zero energy single-family home that could be built and sold for a reasonable price. The goal for the project was to demonstrate a profitable and therefore replicable net-zero energy residential real estate development. We absolutely met that challenge," Preston says. Bainbridge is an ideal location for such an innovative project, because tax rebates in Washington make possible an affordably-priced solar option. This is one of the reasons Preston sees a promising future for Grow and similar green community development in Washington.


Martin and members of his staff appeared before the Operations Committee Tuesday to smooth things out. He committed to returning to representatives should substantial cost overruns be identified once construction goes out to bid. "If the budget slips further, what does the city do? " asked Rep. Dennis Mahoney, R-20. 50 million Stamford police headquarters building is on budget, so I’m hopeful this will come in on budget, but I just don’t know," Martin said. If the cost projection for the bridge is too high, the project cannot proceed, he said. 20 over, we’re moving ahead.rock101.com If it’s a million and a half, we’re not," Martin said.


Representatives on this board, and several before it, have spent countless hours debating whether the bridge should be repaired for pedestrians or to carry cars. During the 20-year debate, the bridge has continued to crumble. Engineers fear it could wash away in the next big rainstorm. "We need to get moving," City Engineer Lou Casolo said, otherwise "we will have a situation where the bridge will have to close. As it is, the Engineering Department shuts the bridge during storms. "That in itself presents a safety problem," Martin said. Vehicles were banned 16 years ago, when it was deemed that the bridge cannot carry the weight. Rep. Benjamin Lee, D-15, wanted to know what a bare-bones bridge would cost."Something not pretty that would get people from one place to the next would be cheaper," Lee said.


"Do you have a point where you will abandon the historic preservation aspect of it? Martin said the city could not get approval for the project without preserving thebridge, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 213,000 temporary bridge so pedestrians can cross the river during construction, expected to take 18 months. "Do we absolutely need that? Rep. Nina Sherwood, D-8, said eliminating the temporary bridge "would create a hardship for a lot of people." Many West Side residents use it daily to get to work, grocery stores, and other destinations. Casolo said building a temporary bridge would still require that the city obtain permits from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, a costly and time-consuming endeavor. Rep. David Watkins, R-1, wrapped up the discussion saying certain things are apparent.


"We have to replace the bridge," Watkins said. If a new, higher estimate should come back to the board, members will have to figure it out, Watkins said."I don’t see an alternative," he said.linkedin.com On the nine-member Operations Committee, Watkins, Lee, Jacobson, Spadaccini, Mahoney and Rep. Terry Adams, D-3, voted for the project to proceed. Sherwood voted no. Rep. John Zelinsky Jr., D-11, abstained, and Rep. Elise Coleman, D-3, did not attend.buildzoom.com The full board is set to vote on the project at 8 p.m. Monday in Legislative Chambers, fourth floor, Stamford Government Center, 888 Washington Blvd. DERBY — What appeared to be a slam-dunk for the city could become a battle. City and fire officials and Griffin Hospital President Patrick Charmel urged the commission to approve the tank and alleviate low water pressure in the area. Similar support was voiced at a January public hearing in New Haven.


And last month the tank received approval from the Regional Policy Board of the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority. "I had sleepless nights worrying about water in that service area," said Charles Sampson, the city’s former fire chief and current Board of Aldermen president.glassdoor.com "There’s terrible water pressure. But on Tuesday night, Gregory Cava, a Roxbury lawyer representing a family who owns 116 Chatfield Street, challenged the proposal, claiming it violates state and Derby zoning laws. He threatened to sue if the proposal were approved. 500,000 donation to the city’s coffers. He said this would make up for the cost the city spent on supplying water lines to the middle school.


The tank, which would begin construction in June if approved, would serve about 13,000 customers in west Derby, Ansonia and Seymour. Several commission members, including Ted Estwan, the chairman, Greg Stevens, David Kopjanski and Raul Sanchez suggested the Water Authority consider additional buffering from trees to shield the Chatfield home from both the tank and vehicle headlights. The commission tabled the matter late Tuesday night and continued the public hearing. Cava said the tank, which would be in what is Coon Hollow Park, does not meet the special exception or accessory use allowances in an area zoned for parks. He said it exceeds the building height limits by at least 6 feet and would violate state law because a separate required hearing on park land reuse was not conducted. "Anytime you are taking park land and using it for public use" a separate hearing is required, the lawyer said.


He said state law requirements comparable replacement land be offered in exchange. The Water Authority is offering land adjacent to Witek Park as well 1.25 acres of land owned by St. Peter and St. Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church in Ansonia, which is near the construction site. The church’s land would be purchased by the Water Authority and used as a construction staging area. Once the construction was completed it would be paved and turned over to the city for use as a parking lot for the for the now vacant VARCA building which Derby wants to sell. WALLINGFORD — Aldi will reopen its newly remodeled Route 5 store late next month.


The store, located at 1248 S. Broad St. in the Kohl’s plaza, closed on March 17 to expand from four to five aisles in addition to other changes. 1.9 billion Aldi initiative to expand more than 1,300 stores nationwide by the end of 2020, according to a statement. Aldi will host a ribbon-cutting at 8:30 a.m. April 25. Gift cards will be given to the first 100 shoppers, who will also have a chance to enter a contest to win a year’s supply of produce. The new store layout will provide additional refrigeration space to accommodate more products. Stores will also feature open ceilings, natural lighting and environmentally friendly building materials, according to the statement. The store will be open daily from 9 a.m.