Green Leaf Inn Gets The Green Light From Walworth County

July 21, 2009 - PRLog -- ELKHORN, WISCONSIN  – The Walworth County Board of Supervisors, following the unanimous recommendation made by the County Zoning Agency on June18, unanimously approved yesterday the zoning and conditional use permit for the Green Leaf Inn. This means that Fritz Kreiss and Catherine McQueen have now met all requirements of the town of Delavan, as well as of Walworth County, to begin the work that will make the midwest’s first purpose built net-zero bed and breakfast inn a reality.

“All that’s left at this point,” says Kreiss, “is to negotiate with about fifty different contractors and subcontractors, fill out a few reams of paperwork to apply for government grants, deal with the inevitable unexpected consequences of our test drillings, and negotiate with potential sponsors, from local organizations to multinational corporations.”

“We also have to make up our minds about the right color for the pillowcases,” he adds with a smile.

The Green Leaf Inn, which will feature 19 suites and will be home to the EcoVision Sustainable Learning Center, is designed to be both a luxurious vacation spot and a center for learning and discovery about green energy, sustainable building practices and the environmentally conscious lifestyle. If the initial approval process was any indication, it will certainly fulfill its role as a learning center. “This has been a learning process both for us and for the County,” says Kreiss. “The Inn introduced Walworth County to many of the issues and the technologies that will be part of America’s greener lifestyle in the future. The board had never had to consider issues like wind power, geothermal power, graywater recapture and aerobic septic systems. There were no ordinances on the books. Many of them are still being crafted as we speak.”

Emerging green technologies offer new opportunities and pose new challenges to small communities like Walworth County, which have traditionally limited land use beyond farming. Less than 24 hours after the Walworth board’s decision, the Wisconsin state appeals court struck down ordinances passed by Calumet County for the installation of wind turbines which were deemed arbitrarily restrictive. Wisconsin has set aggressive goals for renewable energy under the governor’s Clean Energy Wisconsin plan, with a target of 25% renewable electric generation by 2025. “Wisconsin has chosen to lead on this issue,” says Kreiss. “They have set a good precedent for the counties.”

For Kreiss and McQueen, who are both new to the hospitality industry, the approval process showed the importance of outreach and community support. “We have been immersed in the idea of the green lifestyle for so long that we just assumed everyone would follow suit,” said McQueen. “We realized very quickly that you have to be prepared to do a lot of teaching, and a certain amount of preaching, to get the widest support for new ideas.” By the final vote, they had accumulated numerous letters of support from Delavan residents.

Kreiss and McQueen sharpened their presentation skills by presenting the plans for the Inn at green conventions and conferences across the state. Many of the new technologies that will be featured at the Inn, including the onsite wind turbine, the water retaining landscaping and the environmentally friendly septic system are novel concepts for those who are new to the green lifestyle. “The face to face contact was very valuable,” says McQueen. “Many people see green as something that is going to really shake up their lives. Our mission is to show that the important things aren’t going to change all that much.”

With the zoning process complete, the couple will now turn their attention to the initial steps in the construction of the Inn. The goal is to break ground some time in the fall. “Right now, I’m saying that the fun part can begin,” says Kreiss. “We’ll see if I’m still saying that a few months from now.”    

About The Green Leaf Inn:

The Green Leaf Inn, scheduled to open in Summer 2010, will be a 19-room luxury bed and breakfast inn. The Inn is located in Delavan, Wisconsin, just off Route 50 and west of Route 67. The Inn will incorporate green energy sources, renewable and sustainable materials and practices, and environmentally responsible land and water use.

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The Green Leaf Inn will be the first bed and breakfast in in the midwest built green from the ground up. Breaking ground in fall of 2009, the Inn will achieve a net-zero rating for energy use through onsite generation using solar, wind, geothermal and biomass, and will be built and maintained using sustainable practices and materials, from the landscaping to the walls to the pillowcases. The 19 suite facility will offer both a continually evolving demonstration of the latest in green lifestyle and a luxurious bed and breakfast experience.