KTGY-Designed, Eco-Friendly Workforce Housing to Break Ground in Breckenridge, Colorado

June 25, 2010 - PRLog -- DENVER, COLO. - According to KTGY Group Inc., Architecture and Planning, a new residential development will break ground next month in Breckenridge, Colo. Designed to LEED® Silver standards by KTGY Group on the site of a former airport runway owned by the town, Valley Brook will provide high-quality, environmentally-friendly, transit-oriented workforce housing for local employees and their families. The new 4.5-acre infill development will consist of 42 two-story for-sale townhome units ranging in size from 1,150 square feet to 1,384 square feet and offering two to three bedrooms with attached garages.

"Affordable workforce housing is important for the economic vitality of the Town of Breckenridge and to preserve the character of our community,” said Laurie Best, long-range planner with the Town. “We are looking forward to the development of Valley Brook to create an affordable neighborhood that is ideally located close to schools, jobs, parks, shopping, trails and transit.”  

Located at 1100 Airport Road in Breckenridge, between Upper Blue Elementary School and the Breckenridge Police Department, Valley Brook will be built as an environmentally-friendly residential community promoting healthy living and sustainable practices. It is designed to  LEED® Silver standards. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and provides a definitive national standard for what constitutes a “green building” and is administered by the U.S. Green Building Council. The project  is an in-fill development site, and features solar photo-voltaic panel systems and ENERGY STAR appliances and light fixtures. Other green features include: high-grade energy efficient windows, water-saving fixtures including high-efficiency dual flush toilets, low flow faucets and shower heads, low-VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) paint and adhesives, carpet made from a high percentage of recycled content  and a community recycling program. Each home will also have a passive radon mitigation system, high efficiency hot water heaters, and indoor air quality exhaust system. Landscaping will be focused on native species that don't need long-term irrigation.  

The Valley Brook townhomes will also include large two-car tandem garages, attic storage, front porches and entries. The pedestrian-friendly site plan also provides a one-way loop road. The residents of Valley Brook can also take advantage of the adjacent Blue River corridor and connection to bike trails and walking paths. Recent improvements to the nearby path, which include the addition of a new bridge over the river, will make the neighborhood more easily accessible to the network of paths. The neighborhood will eventually include a playground and a common recreational area.

KTGY's Principal Michael Ohara, AIA, states that Valley Brook's mountain-Victorian style design, reminiscent of the mining heritage of the Colorado Mountains, will seamlessly integrate into the aesthetic fabric of the neighborhood and use the same high quality finishes and materials as surrounding market-rate properties. “Architectural integration is always a top priority for all of our residential projects,” Ohara notes. “We adjusted the roof planes on the various buildings to maximize solar exposure for the PV panels. The result was a pleasing variation in the building elevations that we accentuated with color and the use of varied exterior details.”

Of the 42 units, which will be built in phases, there will be 14 two-bedroom/two-bath townhomes available to those who qualify at the 80 percent area median income (AMI) level, priced at $165,000. Also at the 80 percent AMI level, there will be eight three-bedroom/two-bath units, selling for $187,500.

At 105 percent AMI, there will be 14 two-bedroom/two-bath townhomes, each selling for $267,000. Additionally, there will be six three-bedroom/two-bath units available for those at 105 percent AMI, which will sell for $302,000.

“The Town of Breckenridge is truly a leader in balancing the housing needs of both its year-round residents and its visitors,” says Ohara. The Town of Breckenridge offers a challenge to attainable housing that larger population centers don’t face. Breckenridge's basic industry, tourism, requires a large number of seasonal workers as well as full-time permanent workers, thus it needs all types of housing, from ownership to employee and short-term rental housing (six months or less).  Tourism also creates a diverse employment base of non-basic industries: retail, housing, utilities, public transportation, personal care, health, education, local government, finance, entertainment and social services.  

"If we cannot provide housing for those that work in these non-basic industries, it will be difficult, and ultimately, perhaps impossible, to sustain our basic industry – tourism," adds Best.

“Sustainable design and close proximity to jobs, services and education further increase affordability for residents who have few affordable housing options, especially for larger families,” says Ohara.  A family of four earning $69,760 (80 percent of area median income) will pay about $187,500 to purchase  a three-bedroom townhome at Valley Brook.  

Recognized as a leader in the region, KTGY continues its stride in producing award-winning workforce housing developments that integrate the latest urban design trends and green building technologies with the needs of the end user.  KTGY is well recognized for its designs in single family, affordable, senior and campus housing as well as retail, hospitality, mixed-use and related specialty developments.

For more information, call the Town of Breckenridge at (970) 547-3112 or the Summit Combined Housing Authority at (970) 423-7044 or (970) 423-7041 or visit www.summithousing.us.

About KTGY Group, Inc.
Established in 1991, KTGY Group, Inc., Architecture and Planning, provides comprehensive planning and award-winning architectural design services for residential communities, retail, hospitality, mixed-use and related specialty developments. KTGY delivers innovative solutions that reflect clear understanding of development, marketing and financial performance and takes particular pride in its highly motivated and principal led studios. Serving clients worldwide, KTGY maintains offices in Irvine, Oakland and Santa Monica, and in Denver. See www.ktgy.com.