briarchapel.blogspot.com - Misconceptions about Briar Chapel

[Gene Galin]

Saturday, May 10, 2008
Misconceptions about Briar Chapel

http://briarchapel.blogspot.com/2008/05/misconceptions-about-briar-chapel.html

The other day, I was talking with somone who wasn't all that thrilled about Briar Chapel. As I listened, it quickly became apparent that they had several misconceptions about the development, which were a result of some of the rumors that were floating around Chatham County during the planning stages.

Here are some facts I shared with them about Briar Chapel, which helped to clear up some of the confusion:

    * developers have preserved more than 50% (900 acres), including steep slopes, stream beds, significant tree stands, and several historic structures found on-site
    * it is the first (and largest) community in the Triangle to require homebuilders to comply with the rigorous new home construction requirements and third-party testing of the N.C. Green Building Initiative, creating high performance, healthier homes with measurable cost savings for residents and contributing to an improved quality of life
    * contrary to earlier rumors, Briar Chapel will NOT include a golf course
    * 30 percent of the homes face south to increase efficiencies and solar capabilities
    * the clubhouse will be LEED-certified
    * the developers convinced Thompson Contracting, who is handling site development, to use biodiesel in some of its earth-moving equipment
    * 64 units will be made available for affordable housing
    * Newland Communities has already donated over $1 million to our local Habitat for Humanity
    * all stone used in Briar Chapel is native to the site, including its beautiful masonry walls, roadbeds and trails (but excluding the gravel in the parking lot at the Info Center)
    * meandering, bifurcated roadways were designed to maximize the tree canopy for the native birds
    * 24 miles of trails connect the entire community
    * a $10 million sewage treatment plan was constructed allowing for spray irrigation and the use of reclaimed gray-water irrigation for all open space
    * the developers have created and funded a foundation that will support local artists and various green initiatives (more on this later)

I could go on, but I think you get the point. Although no housing development is perfect, I hope you'll agree that Newland Communities is striving to be responsible and make a positive difference in the world by creating enduring, healthier communities.

[WolfpackFan]

This should go well.

[NCRecruiter]

**getting popcorn and ready to watch the fireworks here...who needs to wait until the 4th?**

[whatsup]

Newland Communities has already donated over $1 million to our local Habitat for Humanity

Altruism at it's best? or was it a condition of approving the plan. I believe Mike Cross was very active in getting a firm commitment on this.

Were any of these habitat homes built within Briar Chapel?

[seavey]

64 units of affordable housing?  Gee, it looks like they told planning that there would be 120.

http://www.co.chatham.nc.us/dept/planning/planning_dept/Planning_Board/attachments/2004/BriarChapel/Revisions/FIGURE%2011%20copy.pdf

[Beckysews]

What constitutes "affordable?"  (I really have no idea.) 

So what if they are creating a habitat friendly green community!?  Makes no difference in the overload it will cause on our roads and schools.

[VAHeel]

Which is our commissioner's fault, not Briar Chapel's.

[Beckysews]

Absolutely vaheel

[Keith_Brown]

Not to mention their lies in 2002, denying the push polling that they were doing, while they were doing it.

[randy]

Great PR presentation, but the only confusion or problem is the amount of homes your putting in there.  I hope there will by 5 acres lots a family may buy and biuld on there own, it's going to be harder to do that in Chatham county sooner than we think.  Now that would be green, one house per 5 acres

[VAHeel]

one house per five acres is NOT green, it is an inefficient use of resources.  I think people should be able to build on whatever size lot they want, but the most efficient thing would be for us to be living in little apartments all stacked on and around each other, and then leave the rest as open space.  Lawns, for instance, are nothing but a waste of time, and having other apartments around you makes heating and cooling MUCH more efficient.

It's going to be harder and harder to build on large lots anywhere, soon, because there are just so many of us!  As the world's population gets larger and larger, there's just less room to go around.

[Greg Stafford]

The other point is energy efficiency. You cannot sustain mass transit without dense population. 5 acre lots equals lots of cars and few buses. To be true conservationists we should require much higher population density. Look at it this way, if we had population density like that of Hong Kong in Chatham we could fit the entire population inside of Bynum, the rest of the county would remain natural and we could run a bus to Chapel Hill every 15 minutes no problem. Instead we intentionally spread out the population with large minimum lot sizes. Put more pressure on wildlife, force folks to drive and pretty much spoil the natural landscape. It is a lifestyle choice that we have made. I moved here to live in the woods. Good for me but bad for the environment.

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