Southern California Green Real Estate Blog

THE GREENEST GOLF COURSE GETS AUDUBON CERTIFICATION

August 28, 2009 on 12:37 am | In Curious, Green Building, Uncategorized, all, the bright side | 6 Comments

THE GREENEST GOLF COURSE GETS AUDUBON CERTIFICATION

By Jodi Summers

Who has a great voice, umpteen million dollars, their own golf course and is socially conscious? Justin Timberlake, mega successful solo artist and all around good guy has opened up the nation’s first eco-friendly golf course in Memphis, Tennessee.

Originally called Woodstock Hills, the golf course is said to be the first place golf-enthusiast and former member of ‘NSYNC learned to hit a golf ball.

“…Last year we found out they were going to auction it off and turn it into a development,” Justin revealed. “So we thought it was such a landmark for the community, we’d scoop it and save it. And we did. We were able to before it was auctioned off.”

A couple of decades and $16 million later, the newly renamed Mirimichi Golf Course is the “greenest” golfing destination in the U.S….

“I’m excited about every aspect of the course,” Justin confessed. “We basically created a whole new course. It’s a completely different track and doesn’t look anything like what it did. It’s exciting. There’s literally a creek around the whole course. We’ve dug 7 new lakes—the construction we’ve done lengthened the course by almost 1000 yards. We’ll have a great first tee program for kids and families. We’ll have a 9-hole executive course, but it’s really to use for the first tee program out there. We’ll have junior tournaments to get more young people into the game. I like the values the game teaches like honesty, patience, focus, and tenacity. Also, it’s close to my house. And my parents had their wedding reception there.”

The Mirimichi Golf Course is the first project in the U.S. to receive the Audubon International’s Classic Sanctuary certification.The course features irrigation systems that maximize the use of rainwater, native landscaping and solar-powered electric golf carts.

“I love my new course Mirimichi,” Justin confessed. “I love it for so many reasons. I feel like we did something great for the community. And we ended up doing something great for the world—a lot of people will pay attention to how eco-friendly this establishment is and I hope it will make some waves.”

When asked about who his idea golf foursome would be, Justin confided,” Bobby Jones because he never took a dollar for the game and always loved the purity of the game. Tiger Woods because he’s without a doubt the best golfer of all time. And has taken every dollar for the game! And my dad because he taught me how to play. He’s my favorite person to play golf with.”

http://www.justintimberlake.com/news/a_quick_9_with_jt_a_golf_qa

http://earth911.com/blog/2009/07/23/justin-timberlake-opens-first-eco-friendly-golf-course/

http://allfunmusik.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/justin_timberlake_01.jpg

http://www.wreg.com/media/photo/2009-07/48038279.jpg

http://ontheredcarpet.typepad.com/.a/6a010536c12963970b0115723cb64c970b-pi

http://media.commercialappeal.com/mca/content/img/photos/2009/07/25/22mirimichi1.jpeg

MALIBU GOES GREEN UNDER PRESSURE

August 21, 2009 on 12:27 am | In Act Locally, Curious, Green Building, Green Cities, LEED, Solutions, Uncategorized, Water, all | 9 Comments

MALIBU GOES GREEN UNDER PRESSURE

By Jodi Summers

Malibu should be ashamed of itself, acting like conservation is not for the wealthy. Santa Monica has been heavily into the green movement for years – aiming to become a net zero city, Our mother city, Los Angeles, is very motivated to become one of the greenest cities. Meantime the gilded village of Malibu is only turning green because of upcoming deadlines for compliance with state-mandated sustainable development standards.

Under pressure by state mandates, Malibu is finally getting around to developing a sustainable development program. This comes more than a year after the City of L.A.’s green building ordinance to reduce the City’s carbon emissions by more than 80,000 tons by 2012. Motivated only by state regulation, Malibu is planning to require larger projects to be LEED certified. Money is green; Malibu will get the hang of it.

Grudgingly, in late summer, Malibu began to comply with mandated standards addressing water use for landscape irrigation. Additionally the fabled city on PCH will comply with other statewide requirements, such as weather-proofing, formaldehyde content in wood products, air conditioning refrigerants, and outside air ventilation, not to mention finally getting collection areas for recyclables. (Hello! If that’s an issue for you guys, just bring in some homeless, and they’ll recycle for you.)

As Malibu has been so late to get on board the green bandwagon, the city is panicking about meeting residential construction standards effective Jan. 1, 2011, benchmarks that are already in place in neighboring Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood and Los Angeles.

The January 2011 requirements call for sediment and runoff protection from construction sites; diversion of at least 50% of construction waste; low or no use of volatile organic compounds such as indoor adhesives, paints and coatings; low formaldehyde indoor finish materials.

Looking further forward, as of July 1, 2011, residential construction projects will be required to be more water efficient – insisting on a 20 percent reduction in indoor water use.

Not to be berated for being totally arrogant and antiquated, Malibu does already have mandates in place for water conservation landscaping – though some city residents are insisting that is not enforced.

“I think our biggest problem is water in Malibu,” planning Commissioner Regan Schaar noted, more than a year after Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a statewide drought. “The issue of people submitting plans [development applications] without any landscaping plans is a way for them to get around the issue. We need to put landscaping plans in place and make sure they’re low water usage.”

Malibu has been an ostrich, hiding its proverbial head in the sand while other local cities have been proactive on conservation measures. Lifestyles of the rich and infamous.

http://www.malibutimes.com/articles/2009/06/10/news/news3.txt

http://pleinlesyeux2.ifrance.com/ocean/inside%20out,%20baja%20malibu.jpg

http://www.socalgreenrealestateblog.com/?p=75

http://www.north-cyprus-properties.com/places/malibu-beach/photos/Malibu-Beach-(01).jpg

http://www.triyoga.com/Galleries/images/malibu_point1.jpg

http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/835/images/malibu_sportfishing_pier_sign.jpg

http://www.beaumondevillas.com/images/cities-malibu.jpg

http://www.imagekandi.com/photo/images/Malibu-Beach-Houses.jpg

http://www.destination360.com/north-america/us/california/images/s/malibu-beaches.jpg

http://www.city-data.com/picfilesv/picv7812.php

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HUD AND DOT WORKING TOGETHER FOR MORE LIVABLE CITIES

August 7, 2009 on 12:09 am | In Solutions, Trends, U.S. Government, Uncategorized, all | 7 Comments

By Jodi Summers

Government statistics show that the average working American family spends nearly 60 percent of its budget on housing and transportation costs - making these two areas the largest expenses for the average household. Now the government wants to help.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) are working together in hopes of helping American families gain better access to affordable housing, more transportation options, and lower transportation costs by creating affordable, sustainable communities.

Like putting in our light rail system, this is a long process. Over the next four years, every major metropolitan area in the country will do an analysis of integrated housing, transportation, and land use planning and investment.

Recently, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan and DOT Secretary Ray LaHood presented the official vision for sustainable communities at a U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation and Housing hearing titled, “Livable Communities, Transit Oriented Development, and incorporating Green Building Practices into Federal Housing and Transportation.”

“One of my highest priorities is to help promote more livable communities through sustainable surface transportation programs,” offered Secretary LaHood. “This partnership will help expand every American family’s choices for affordable housing and transportation,” said Secretary Donovan. “HUD’s central mission - ensuring that every American has access to decent, affordable housing - can be achieved only in context of the housing, transportation, and energy costs and choices that American families experience each day.”

DOT and HUD have created a high-level interagency task force to better coordinate federal transportation and housing investments and identify strategies to give American families:

• More choices for affordable housing near employment opportunities;

• More transportation options, to lower transportation costs, shorten travel times, and improve the environment; and

• Safe, livable, healthy communities.

The HUD/DOT task force has the goal of enhancing integrated regional housing, transportation, and land use planning and investment. Planning grants will be made available to metropolitan areas, and create mechanisms to ensure those plans are carried through to localities. DOT will encourage Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) to conduct this integrated planning as a part of their next long-range transportation plan update and will provide technical assistance on scenario planning, a tool for assessing future growth alternatives that better coordinate land use, and transportation planning.

http://www.hud.gov/offices/cir/test090318.cfm

http://www.inman.com/news/2009/03/19/partnership-targets-affordability-transportation

FINANCAL IMPACT OF WIND AND SOLAR ON YOUR BUILDING

August 2, 2009 on 12:17 am | In Good Advice, Green Building, Green Cities, Solar, Solutions, Statistics, Trends, all, the bright side | 7 Comments

FINANCAL IMPACT OF WIND AND SOLAR ON YOUR BUILDINGS

By Ernst Diener

People are asking for hard numbers on how wind or solar energy can impact building

and business values.

Financial Impact of Wind or Solar on your Building

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Increase Earnings with Wind Power

For Office Buildings:

Each dollar invested in energy performance improvements in commercial real estate

at a 20 to 30% savings rate, is equivalent to increasing Net Operating Income by

3 to 4% and increasing Asset Value by $2.50 to $3.75. So consider the impact if

you produce $250,000 per year for your building, with wind power.

For Supermarkets:

A 10% reduction in energy costs for the average supermarket is equivalent to increasing net profit margins by 15%, increasing Earnings Per Share by $.06, and increasing sales per square foot by $71. Consider what it means if you produce $250,000 per year for your super-market in power savings.

For Churches:

If your church can create $48,000 in electricity savings through wind power or renewable energy it is equal to increasing your church membership by almost 50 members. If your church can create $250,000 in renewable energy it is equal to increasing your membership by 228 members.

For Convenience Stores:

A 10% reduction in energy costs for your store, is equal to your increasing your

net profits by at least 15%, plus the wind turbine will drive in additional traffic,

and increase your gross sales within a range of 11% to 19%.

For Schools and Universities:

2 80 kwh wind turbines that can produce a total of $120,000 per year in energy savings

can allow you to hire additional teachers, buy books, increase educational potential.

(note: None of the above take into consideration tax credits, incentives, grants,

or carbon credits, all of which increase your financial gain with renewable energy)

For Hospitals:

Each dollar saved in energy costs is equivalent to generating new revenues of $20

for hospitals, or $10 for medical offices and nursing homes. So if you produce $250,000 per year with a wind turbine it is equal to generating $5,000,000 in new annual revenues for hospitals or $2,500,000 for medical offices and nursing homes.

For Hotels:

A 10% reduction in energy costs for the average full service hotel is equivalent

to increasing Average Daily Rate by 2.6% and increasing Occupancy Rate by 4.3%.

For the average limited service hotel, a 10% reduction in energy costs is equivalent

to increasing Average Daily Rate by 1% and increasing Occupancy Rate by 2.4%. Now consider, what this means to your hotel if you can produce$250,000 per year of electricity per year with a wind turbine.