Meadow Ranch takes home top national building awards

When Dennis Cunningham and his family moved to Coeur d’Alene nine years ago from Carlsbad, Calif., he wasn’t interested in just building ‘green’ homes. He had a greater vision of creating a friendly, easily-accessible, diverse neighborhood where every home would be LEED (Leader in Environmental and Energy Design) certified, and where the land would be cost-effectively utilized terrain in an urban setting, while maintaining a strong sense of community. His vision of a sustainable community has become reality in the last five years in the form of Meadow Ranch, a “55-plus and Better” active adult community. “This neighborhood is really efficient, and not just from an energy standpoint,” says Cunningham. Meadow Ranch is the first development of its kind in Coeur d’Alene and only one of two such neighborhoods in Idaho which integrate Smart Growth principles, urbanism and Green building. In 2009, it joined 240 other such projects nationwide in a LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED ND) Pilot Program, the first national program of its kind for neighborhood design. The community and Cunningham’s company ActiveWest Builders have received several state and national awards and designations since breaking ground five years ago, but recently received impressive recognition from the National Association of Home Builders: two Gold Achievements for Best Green Community and Best Detached Home under 2,100 square feet, plus a Silver Achievement for Best for Sale up to 200 homes. “At the ceremony, we were told there were quite a few entries for Best Green Community; two of the finalists were Energy Star and one had energy efficient features but when our project was reviewed, being a LEED ND project, we clearly kind of raised the bar on the ‘green community,’” he said. “It’s nice to have a larger scope that gives credibility outside of where we are building. To me, it’s all about being certified and credible…talking the walk, and walking the talk, so to speak.” Last October, ActiveWest was recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council as the winner in the Outstanding LEED-Home Production Builder category for Meadow Ranch and was also a finalist in the Outstanding Commitment category. “We were against some pretty big builders, so for us to get Production Home Builder really surprised us,” said Cunningham. Other accomplishments for Meadow Ranch have included receiving LEED Platinum certification (the highest level of LEED certification from the USGBC) for the neighborhood’s first cottage-style home, which was North Idaho’s first and only home to receive this honor. Shortly thereafter, Meadow Ranch received the Idaho Smart Growth and Green Building Award in 2009, meeting all Smart Growth principles. The organization also recognized ActiveWest for building on a site formerly zoned as light-industrial, which protected farmland and other “environmentally critical areas” from possible industrial pollution. Nate Kredich, USGBC’s vice president, residential market development, said Active West is doing a lot of things correctly. “Healthy, high performing residential projects don’t have to cost more, and that is evidenced in many of this year’s winning projects,” he said. “LEED builders continue to push the envelope in areas of innovation and affordability, and so we tip our hats to the dedicated leaders in this year’s winners circle.” Sharon Patterson, past chair of the USGBC board of directors, was a great resource for ActiveWest during the first couple of years building Meadow Ranch. “ActiveWest is at the forefront of quality and sustainable homebuilding in Idaho, and it is exciting to see them recognized as leaders on a national level by two of the largest building organizations in the country,” said Patterson. “Their example can help us all to live better by reducing our impact on the environment, cutting our utility bills, and coming home to a healthier place to live.” Meadow Ridge currently consists of 22 town homes and 58 1- and 2-story cottage-style homes ranging from 800 to 2,200 square feet. Nine of these homes are LEED Platinum, 14 Gold, and 13 are pending LEED Certification, either Platinum or Gold. Some homes are Energy Star certified, which is verified by a third party. Prices start at $139,900, with most cottage-style homes selling for $239,900. There are eight lots currently available to purchase and build upon, and come this spring, 19 additional lots will be available. Regardless of their efficiency rating, Cunningham said all Meadow Ranch homes are designed to be extremely energy and water efficient, only using Energy Star lights, appliances and windows. Homes also feature advanced heating and cooling equipment—including radiant in-floor “bone-warming heat”—compact plumbing design, low-flow plumbing features, drip irrigation and drought-tolerant landscaping. All building materials are recycled, local and non-toxic. Paints, adhesives and sealants are low-VOC, and wood floors are reclaimed. Front doors are manufactured locally from wood reclaimed from Idaho barns. Wall panels and trusses are built by Federal Construction of Post Falls at an off-site factory, where the automated process produces a waste factor of less than 5 percent. Other neighborhood amenities include shopping and a public bus stop just a half-block away, and easy access to state highways and Interstate 90. There’s also a community library, apple orchard, organic garden, greenhouse, walking and biking trails, and during warmer weather, “The Barnyard Market”—its version of a farmers market. “What you’re getting with one of these homes is a cleaner, more durable home for your money,” said Cunningham. “We don’t do a lot of this because we have to; we do it because it’s our choice.” Although he says sales could be better in a stronger economy, the unique niche Meadow Ranch caters to—55 and older residents looking to downsize—provides advantages. Sharon Cunningham, director of sales and marketing, agrees. “It’s hard to think right now of real estate as an investment because of what we’ve been seeing, but Meadow Ranch is positioned so uniquely because it’s a small community and because of its age target and location,” she said. “Once the community is built out, I think people will go to sell and see the value in it.” Active West recently finished a LEED Platinum three-story co-op housing project at Gonzaga University, and is currently involved in the planning phases of LEED home and neighborhood design projects in Spokane, Montana, and Idaho.