Clark County seeks proposals for sustainable transitional housing project
Save money, the environment and Clark County’s homeless and mentally ill in one fell swoop?
It can be done, say county planners, and the key is green.
The Department of Community Services is on the hunt for proposals from nonprofit developers to build a green transitional housing project for homeless and recovering mentally ill people who may have substance abuse problems.
And going green has nothing to do with slapping a couple coats of green paint on the outside of a building and calling it good. The term refers to buildings that are designed, constructed and operated to boost environmental, economic, health and productivity performance over that of a conventional building.
When the transitional housing project is finished, the county hopes it will use no more energy than it produces, be constructed with sustainable materials and have edible or no-maintenance landscaping, said Michael Piper, Department of Community Services director.
"The whole region is just exploding with interest in this," he said. "This is one area that consumers are actually ahead of the marketplace."
Trent Rehfeldt, vice president of Rehfeldt Construction, said that statement is absolutely correct. Rehfeldt said he’s noticed the government pushing hard for green, but that consumers are also on top of its benefits.
Because the up-front costs of green building are higher than conventional construction, he said many consumers are adding aspects of sustainability to their projects rather than selecting a full-on green model.
Piper said the cost of building green is about 2 percent more, but Rehfeldt said it could be much higher. However, the costs are easily offset by lower operating costs once the building is up and running, they agreed.
Piper said he’s hopeful a developer will be eager to experiment with the county to find out what works in the business of sustainability.
"If Clark County wants to do this transitional housing green, it absolutely makes sense," Rehfeldt said. "It’s well worth the increased costs. I think it’s the future of building."
The longer the concept is out there and the more companies that jump on board, the cheaper it will be, he said. The county won’t know until October whether developers are interested, said Piper.
"Maybe because it’s publicly funded, we can take some of the risk of learning together," Piper said.
Clark County has a number of transitional housing projects, but none of them incorporate green aspects. Vancouver, however, is no stranger to eco-friendly architecture. The county’s Public Service Center is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified by the U.S. Green Building Council, and the Hilton Vancouver hotel is in the process of becoming certified, which will make it one of the first major LEED-certified hotels in the world.
The council’s green building rating system ensures buildings meet a variety of requirements that demonstrate environmental stewardship, and is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. The Bonneville Power Administration’s Ampere Annex, which Rehfeldt helped renovate in 2004, also is LEED certified.
For the transitional housing project, Clark County has stipulated the design must incorporate sustainable or green design elements, including passive and active solar systems, extensive energy conservation features, natural storm water bio-retention and use of sustainable harvested lumber and materials, and must utilize edible, organic or natural landscaping.
While no location has been locked in, planners hope to build in an area that minimizes car travel and is close to jobs and public transportation. The county may even provide residents with a couple of hybrid cars to pool.
One site being tossed around is the Veterans Affairs campus, but Piper said the department is open to other locations in the county. Depending on the amount of grant funding the department can secure, the project will be 24 to 40 units, from single rooms to three-bedroom apartments. Clark County has handed down $1.5 million through its grant program, and Piper said the department is working on other grant applications. The entire project will be grant funded, he said.
Piper said he toured several green homes in Portland and found them to be well-designed, comfortable and aesthetically pleasing. They were simple and elegant, he said.
"Green building is all over magazines right now," he said. "But it’s one thing to see it in a magazine and another to be able to see and touch it. Kick the tires, so to speak."
Clark County will form an oversight committee comprised of county personnel, social service providers and leaders in the industry to provide guidance to the nonprofit developer and design team. It is also expected that the oversight team will gain valuable green building experience that may apply to future county developments. By requiring the project to include green or sustainable aspects, the county hopes to promote a market for green buildings as well as provide a healthy environment for those seeking recovery.
More information about the proposal request is available at www.clark.wa.gov/general-services/purchasing/rfp.html or by e-mailing linnea.larocque@clark.wa.gov.
Green could mean better business
The U.S. Green Building Council and international developer Hines put their heads together to come up with the top 10 business incentives for green construction:
• In the event up-front construction costs are higher, they can be recovered through lower building operating costs.
• Integrating design features lowers ongoing operating costs.
• Better buildings mean better employee productivity.
• New technologies enhance health and well-being.
• Healthier buildings can reduce liability.
• Tenant costs can be reduced significantly.
• Property value will increase.
• Many financial incentive programs exist for green buildings.
• Communities will notice your efforts.
• Using the best practices yields more predictable results.
