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| Record Staff Writer, Monday, October 11, 2004 |
| By Erin Sherbert |
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| Mountain House proud to be green |
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MOUNTAIN HOUSE -- No thirsty plants and only trees that shed their leaves seasonally are allowed in Mountain House, a plan that helps the community save water and energy.
To cut back on household pollutants that might otherwise run off into nearby creeks and rivers, the developers created a drainage system with devices that catch pollutants.
Many of the homes in Mountain House are built from steel, not wood. It makes for an Earth-friendly community, putting Mountain House in the lead when it comes to developing a project that helps to keep the environment clean, community planners said.
Mountain House, which is being developed by Trimark Communities, has been recognized as the most environmentally friendly project of the year by the Sacramento chapter of the American Public Works Association. "It's the wave of the future, and Mountain House is ahead," said environmentalist Eric Parfrey, an urban planner with Stockton environmental consulting firm Baseline who is familiar with the Mountain House master plan.
The award praises the community for elements such as energy-efficient homes designed with gas stoves and zero-emission fireplaces. The award also recognized the community's strict water-conservation ordinance and the use of recycled pavement to rebuild a portion of Mountain House Parkway, said Paul Sensibaugh, general manager for the Mountain House Community Services District, the community's governing agency. It's costly to build an Earth-friendly town, but it means cleaner air and water, Sensibaugh said. But what sets Mountain House aside from other projects is its blueprint, building all homes within walking distance of schools, parks, grocery stores and businesses, project manager Eric Teed-Bose said. The goal is to create a community that's less reliant on cars to reduce air and noise pollution, Teed-Bose said, adding that eventually there will be jobs in Mountain House so people can live and work there.
Mountain House, with only 1,000 residents, has one commercial business and no town center and opened its first elementary school only this year. The town is expected to grow to 44,000 residents in the next 30 years but already, the residents are benefiting from the smart-growth design of Mountain House. There's not one day since school opened that I have driven my daughter to school," said Shane Nielson, a Mountain House resident. "The way it's set up, when it's completed, it will be extremely environmentally friendly." |
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