Evidence from Leading Green Affordable Communities: High Point Redevelopment

New Partners for Smart Growth Conference Tom Phillips, Seattle Housing Authority

Peg Staeheli, SvR Design Company February 4, 2010

Seattle, WA

Location: West Seattle

•  120 acres

•  1,700 households

•  Diverse –  Socioeconomic –  Cultural –  Generational

•  Mixed-use

•  8% of Longfellow Creek watershed

Project Timeline

May ’00 Begin Planning

July ’04 Begin Phase I construction

April ’05 First residents move into units

Oct ’05 First for-sale homes completed

Summer ’07 Begin Phase II construction

Summer ’08 First residents move into Phase II units

Spring ’09 Last rental home completed

2010-2013 Construction Completed

A Diversity of Housing Opportunities 1,700 mixed-income households

Integrated Design •  City of Seattle (SPU)

Surface Water Management Permit

•  Architect, Engineer, and Landscape Architect: Green experts

•  Seattle Transportation agrees to 25 ft streets, 56 ft ROW

•  City provides $2.7 million-the “delta” toward the natural drainage system

•  Financial Incentive Programs from the City of Seattle

Healthy Living Environment 60 Breathe Easy Homes

Healthy Living Environment Breathe Easy Homes

Challenges –  Lease

•  No smoking •  No furry pets

–  Determining cost effective methods

–  Funding: an additional $6,000 per unit

–  Resident education –  Maintaining

momentum

Healthy Living Environment Breathe Easy Homes

Benefits The image cannot be displayed. Your computer may not have enough memory to open the image, or the image may have been corrupted. Restart your computer, and then open the file again. If the red x still appears, you may have to delete the image and then insert it again.

Healthy Living Environment Breathe Easy Homes

Benefits The image cannot be displayed. Your computer may not have enough memory to open the image, or the image may have been corrupted. Restart your computer, and then open the file again. If the red x still appears, you may have to delete the image and then insert it again.

Energy Efficiency Hydronic Heating System and Building Envelope

–  Energy Star rated townhomes

–  Tight envelop with whole house fans

–  Advance framing walls built offsite

–  Baxi-Luna hot water heating systems with hot water on demand

–  Individual unit meters

Energy Efficiency Hydronic Heating System and Building Envelope

Challenges –  Correctly installing

the new technology –  Teenagers want

longer showers

Rent paid to SHA

Utility allowance kept by tenant

Energy Efficiency Hydronic Heating System and Building Envelope

Benefits –  Study results with

very large sample: •  35% lower utility

bills than units built to code

–  Increased rental income by $250,000

Storm Drainage – Natural Systems What Seattle Public Utilities Wanted in 2001

develop like be constructed & function try to make this… this… like this? like this…

soil compaction

The Deal A Win-Win Situation

City wins –  Chance to create a

Natural Drainage System (NDS) at 14-28 DU per acre

–  NDS for 8% of Longfellow Creek watershed

–  NDS in traditional neighborhood

–  Partnership for alternative surface water treatment

The Process Planning to Permit 4 years •  Visionary clients •  Interdisciplinary Design Team •  Senior level City staff •  City/SHA/Design Team Charrette •  City Interdepartmental meetings •  Contractor Breakfasts

Design Team and Participatory Agencies Owner: Seattle Housing Authority Seattle Public Utilities

Other agencies: US Dept of Housing and Urban Development Washington State Department of Ecology Seattle Department of Planning and Development Seattle Department of Transportation Seattle City Light Seattle Parks Department Seattle School District Seattle Fire Department Seattle Office of Housing Seattle Design Commission and Design Review

Citizen Groups High Point Citizens Review Committee West Seattle Chamber of commerce

Infrastructure Contractors: Gary Merlino Construction Company – Ph I T. Yorozu Gardening Co. – Phase I & II TriState Construction – Phase II

Integrated Consultant Team: Mithun Architects, Planners, Landscape Architects Design Team Lead SvR Design Company Civil Engineers & Landscape Architects Infrastructure, Natural Systems, ROW Landscape and Site Civil

Artist: Myersculpture

Resource consultants: Shannon and Wilson- Geotechnical McCoullough Hill PS- Land Use Attorney Bush Roed Hitching - Survey Stoneway Concrete NW Chapter ACPA Cedar Grove Composting Concrete Specifications Council Nakano Associates- Rental Landscape Design Urban Forestry Resources RW Beck- Hydrologic Modeling Herrera-Hydrological Modeling PRR- Public Outreach Fusion-Branding

Working Through Special Challenges – Entitlements, Permitting, Costs

• Assisted with permit process

• Cost Delta Standard vs Natural Drainage Systems

• Seattle contributed $2.7 M (2002) toward construction

• Seattle Public Utilities paid for concept development

• Seattle Public Utilities had staff presence for project

• Benefits-

•  Neighborhood connection

• Helps sell the High Point Brand

• Improved storm drainage management

• Established a basis for maintenance

• Property offset @ $15 square foot market value ***

• Reduced Right of Way and Single Use Stormwater facilities changing codes $6,000,000 to $13,000,000

Working Through Special Challenges – Public Infrastructure

•  Green Infrastructure and water quality •  Right of Way width and Street width •  Quality Pedestrian Environment •  Existing trees •  Accommodating utilities •  Bidding…Cost •  Construction (on going) •  Maintenance (on going)

Mithun

SvR

SvR

Working Through Special Challenges – Site Design - Housing •  Minimizing footprint - discuss needs

•  Building spacing - and tight setbacks

•  Working with grade - it is not flat

•  Site drainage dispersal - aka ponding

•  Accessibility

•  Parking - affordable porous surfaces

Mithun

Working Through Special Challenges – Construction

•  Clearing and Tree Protection •  Soils and Earthwork •  Learning Curve for new way of working

–  Engineered soils –  Porous pavements –  Fine Grading –  Tree protection –  Protect installed work

•  Construction team •  Learning Curve for Inspections

Working Through Special Challenges - Maintenance •  Maintenance Guide •  Resources •  On going

communication –  Designers –  City staff –  Residents

•  Expectations

Importance of Reaching Out and Sharing ideas

•  Presentations •  Papers •  On line information - specs, details, photos and lessons learned •  University lectures •  Phone calls •  Tours: Over 120

–  Student Tours – gradeschool through university level

–  Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Seniors –  Tours Groups across the USA, Australia,

China, England, Sweden, Japan, Denmark, Korea etc

The Pond: An Asset, Not A Liability 1/4-mile walking trail

Green Infrastructure - Its Working

5.21 inch event 2007

3.9 inch event 2006

The Results: A Great Neighborhood

•  Sidewalks both sides of street

•  25 foot wide streets

•  Arterial as Complete Street +

•  2,500,000 gallons of water saved by efficient appliances

•  7000 lineal ft of grass swales

•  8000 lineal ft of vegetated swales

•  13,00 lineal ft of pervious sidewalks; 600 lf of pervious street

•  22 acre feet pond

•  1600 housing units/4000 residents

•  1250 children under 19 years

•  12.5 acres of parks

•  180 public art elements

•  35 breathe easy homes

•  15,000 lineal ft of swales

•  107 mature trees saved

•  Over 3500 new trees planted

•  80,000 groundcovers

The Deal A Win-Win Situation

The Deal A Win-Win Situation

Developer Wins –  25-ft wide streets with

parking on both sides –  Financial backing for

NDS construction –  Conventional

streetscape design –  Support during

entitlement process –  Streamlined permit

process –  Permit to build

Morgan/Sylvan Way

Emergency Access

15,000 Linear Feet of Swales Drain to High Point Pond Park

•  Receives 130 acres (53 hectares) of run-off (106 acres from High Point redeveloped areas)

•  Flow control for up to 100-year Storm Event

•  Water Quality Treatment in combination w/upstream NDS swales

•  Maximum Depth 15.5 feet (4.72 m) •  Volume 22+ acre-feet (27,123 m3)

•  Pond within 3.5 acre Tract (1.42 hectares) •  Wet Pool for Additional Water Quality:

–  Storage: 4.2 acre-feet (5,178 m3) –  Depth: 4.5 feet (1.37 m)

•  Live Storage for Flow Control/Detention: –  Volume: 11.8 acre-feet (14,546m3)

•  Remaining 3.2 acre-feet (freeboard and Dam Safety flow)

•  Conveyance system out of pond designed for 5,000 year storm event for Dam Safety (Two 8-foot (2.44 m) diameter concrete risers below pier)

… And people come from all over to walk around the neighborhood