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San Diego's Del Sur Community Earns State's Highest Award for Leadership in Sustainable, Smart Planning

Posted on: Tuesday, 20 November 2007, 15:00 CST

Governor Schwarzenegger has bestowed one of his most prestigious awards, the Governor's Environmental & Economic Leadership Award (GEELA), to Del Sur, a new master-planned community in north San Diego that exemplifies sustainable development practices and smart-growth planning. In a ceremony today at CalEPA headquarters in Sacramento, Fred Maas, president and CEO of Black Mountain Ranch LLC and developer of Del Sur, accepted the award honoring the new home community in the category of Comprehensive Land Use Planning. Earlier this year, the Ranch House information center at Del Sur earned California's first Platinum LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification for a private-enterprise, new construction building from the U.S. Green Building Council.

"This honor recognizes Del Sur's commitment to developing socially responsible and environmentally friendly practices that promote environmental protection and economic growth," said Linda Adams, California Secretary for Environmental Protection. "We applaud Black Mountain Ranch LLC for demonstrating an exemplary dedication to our families and community to protect our natural resources and environment for generations to come."

Del Sur was recognized in the category of comprehensive land use planning, which honors projects demonstrating "social equity and adequate housing; cost-effective infrastructure and transportation; water and energy efficiencies; and open space conservation to protect forests, agriculture, watersheds and other ecosystem values," according to judging criteria.

Designed over nearly 20 years in consultation with a variety of environmental and civic groups, the 1,800-acre community of Del Sur is planned to eventually include 2,500 market-rate homes, 469 low-income homes, business and commercial space, a transit center, fire station, two schools and more than 2,000 acres of dedicated open space shared with sister community Santaluz. The community's Platinum LEED-certified Ranch House is open as a public resource for environmental stewardship and sustainable building practices. Del Sur opened in June 2006 and is approximately 20 percent complete.

"We're thrilled that Governor Schwarzenegger has recognized Del Sur and the incredible design team of regional and city planners, environmental consultants, and community groups that are helping make this vision a reality," said Maas.

"Del Sur proves that planning for the needs of our present and future residents can successfully be accomplished in tandem with forward-thinking, resource-conserving practices that make economic sense," he added. "It's our hope that the next generation of community builders look to Del Sur as a model for development."

DEL SUR FACTS

The heritage-inspired homes at Del Sur echo the architectural charm of such eclectic San Diego communities as Mission Hills and Point Loma, and neighborhoods are linked by tree-lined streets and walkways to encourage pedestrian activity. Each neighborhood has a dedicated park, and a Town Center and large public park are planned for the heart of Del Sur to foster communitywide activities.

Del Sur is contributing more than $20 million toward infrastructure improvements along the I-15 and SR-56 freeway corridors. Additional investments include a 25-million gallon water storage reservoir shared with sister community Santaluz, plus reclaimed water system improvements for common area irrigation. Black Mountain Ranch LLC also is one of the largest private contributors to the county's Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP), and more than 60 percent of Black Mountain Ranch has been set aside as permanent open space, including an 18-mile network of hiking and recreation trails.

The developer set aggressive environmental mandates and innovative communitywide programs that meet or exceed municipal and state requirements, including an ongoing construction recycling program that successfully diverted more than 92 percent of waste from landfills in 2006 and established a new model for builders and developers across the region.

Builders are required to follow a core set of green elements for homes, and communitywide sustainable design, construction and living practices have been implemented to ensure that Del Sur is eco-conscious not just today, but well into the future. Nearly every home in the community incorporates significant energy- and water-saving appliances and practices that reduce the community's demand on local natural resources.

A minimum of 20 percent of homes must include photovoltaic (solar) systems, and the option to install solar energy systems must be available to nearly all homes; some builders are installing solar in 40 percent of homes. Tankless water heaters and weather-based irrigation systems are standard in almost every home, and at least half the landscaping must be drought-tolerant.

Drought-tolerant landscaping is also used throughout the community, and reclaimed water is used for irrigation of common areas. Close to 50 acres of wetlands have been created or restored so far at Del Sur, including a 400-foot-wide wetlands corridor and habitat for local animal species along Lusardi Creek, which also helps mitigate construction runoff and will positively impact local water quality in the coming decades.

Since 2000, GEELA has recognized individuals, organizations, and businesses that have demonstrated exceptional leadership and made notable contributions in conserving California's precious resources, protecting and enhancing the environment, and building public-private partnerships. GEELA is administered by the California Environmental Protection Agency and Resources Agency, in partnership with the Department of Food and Agriculture, Business, Transportation and Housing Agency, and the State and Consumer Services Agency. To learn more about the recognition program visit http://www.calepa.ca.gov/awards/geela. Additional information about the community of Del Sur is available at http://www.delsurliving.com.

Source: Business Wire

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