Thursday, September 25, 2008

The Groves Park Commons plan is a leader in green initiatives



Press Release


Barge Waggoner Sumner & Cannon’s Community Plan for the Groves Park Commons, a Traditional Neighborhood Development, Receives the Outstanding Planning Award for a Green Development.

The Outstanding Planning Award for a Green Development is the first green award presented by TAPA. The judging panel selected BWSC as the recipient because, “The Groves Park Commons plan is a leader in green initiatives in Traditional Neighborhood Developments

Oak Ridge, TN. September 25, 2008: The engineering firm of Barge Waggoner Sumner & Cannon (BWSC) received the Outstanding Green Community Award from the Tennessee Chapter of the American Planning Association (TAPA) in Johnson City, Tennessee. BWSC received the award in recognition of their community plan for the Groves Park Commons, a Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND), that utilizes a macro-green planning approach by focusing on an overall mixed use of land development and conservation.



The awards ceremony was held on Thursday, September 25th and was the culmination of TAPA’s annual three-day conference. Other awards presented were: Outstanding Award for a Plan, Outstanding Planning Award for a Project, Program or Tool, Outstanding Planning Award for Implementation, Planner of the Year, and the Lifetime Achievement Award.



The Outstanding Planning Award for a Green Development is the first green award presented by TAPA. The judging panel selected BWSC as the recipient because, “The Groves Park Commons plan is a leader in green initiatives in Traditional Neighborhood Developments. It serves as a benchmark and sends a message to other developers that you can have a quality development and still preserve as much as possible.” said Angie Charles, TAPA Awards Committee Chairman. Groves Park Commons developers Walter Wise, Bill Kennedy, Christos Christopoulos, and Terry Wheeler selected BWSC to design this project because of their experience in outstanding design of neighborhoods “As the developers, we are extremely proud of this award and feel like everyone’s hard work has really paid off. This award emphasizes the exact reason we selected BWSC; they are the best at what they do.”



Located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, the Groves Park Commons is a mixed-use development utilizing TND design principles in an environmentally sensitive manner. The plan includes a total of 300 single-family detached homes and town homes and provides a wide array of amenities: a community pool, a 67-acre common park area, two regulation sized soccer fields, and retail space. “There is a real movement in construction where energy conservation is paramount in the design. Components such as the use of bio-swales, a natural rainwater drainage system that keeps run-off out of storm drains and away from local rivers and water sources, site selection and orientation of the homes on the site to facilitate energy focus, converting a landfill into a park, being within a mile to shopping venues and allocating trails and sidewalks for pedestrian traffic and alternative transportation methods made it possible to win this award.” said Daniel Boutte, BWSC representative and landscape architect intern on the project. “We visited several developments similar to this across the southeast in order to see what worked and what didn’t. We’re not original thinkers, we’re just good copiers.” added Wise.



“I’ve heard it said that the theme of the TND is to take the best aspect of the site and give it to the public-- so everybody can enjoy it.” said Kathryn Baldwin, Community Director for the city of Oak Ridge. “Groves Park Commons does that. It’s an innovative new product that is full of fresh ideas. To be a successful community, you have to have something for everybody. A healthy community serves everyone’s needs. GPC is going to move us a long way towards meeting the needs for our diversified market. I’m proud of the planning profession in that they recognized something that had become a tidal wave trend and wanted to recognize a good job when they saw it.”

Groves Park Commons is now actively selling homes. For sales inquires please call Sharon Power, REALTOR® of Realty Executives at (865) 482-3232.

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IMAGES FOR THIS PRESS RELEASE:
3-D Renderings:
http://www.pr.com/company-profile/image-gallery-c/46057-1341

Groves Park Commons Logo / Identity:
http://www.pr.com/company-profile/image-gallery-c/46057-1317

Groves Park Commons Master Plan:
http://www.pr.com/company-profile/image-gallery-item/46057-2727

ABOUT:
Groves Park Commons (http://www.grovesparkcommons.com/)
A Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) developed by partners Walter B. Wise, Terry Wheeler, Bill Kennedy, and Christos Christopoulos. Groves Park Commons – a Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) is a 325 housing unit community currently being constructed on the Old South Hills Golf Course site located at 795 Tuskegee Dr. Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Blog: (http://gpctnd.blogspot.com/)

Walter B. Wise (Groves Park Commons Developer / Partner)
Founder of MidPark Business Park in Knoxville. In business since 1957. There is not much that Mr. Wise has not built. (865) 588-5717

Christopoulos & Kennedy Construction (http://www.ckgcinc.com/) (Groves Park Commons Developer / Partner)
Strive to produce a product that they are proud to present to you. Christopoulos & Kennedy was incorporated in 1995. Prior to this, Bill and Christos both worked as estimators and project managers for a regional general contractor. The majority of their projects were comprised of large retail franchises. (865) 330-3541.

Terry Wheeler (http://www.tkwheelerjeweler.com/) (Groves Park Commons Developer / Partner)
Terry Wheeler has been serving the Oak Ridge community with quality jewelry for past 30 years. Mr. Wheeler also develops commercial and residential properties in East Tennessee. (865) 482-3131

Barge Waggoner Sumner & Cannon Inc. (http://www.bargewaggoner.com/)
Barge Waggoner Sumner & Canon, Inc. is a professional services firm with offices spread across the eastern half of the United States. In business since 1955, the company has been employee owned since 1970. A true multidiscipline firm, the company offers civil, structural, environmental, transportation, aviation, mechanical, and electrical engineering services, in addition to architecture, planning, landscape architecture and surveying.

Tennessee Chapter of the American Planning Association (TAPA) (http://www.tnapa.org/)
TAPA is the local chapter of the American Planning Association (APA). TAPA is committed to furthering the education of its members and offers classes and workshops, certifications and other training resources, as well as providing information on local legislation and planning events.

American Planning Association (APA) (http://www.planning.org/)
A non-profit public interest and research organization committed to urban, suburban, regional, and rural planning, APA and its professional institute, the American Institute of Certified Planners, advance the art and science of planning to meet the needs of people and society.

Oak Ridge Community Development (http://www.cortn.org/ComDev-html/commdev.asp)
The Community Development Department is comprised of the Planning Division and the Code Enforcement Division, and also provides support for the following boards and meetings: Site Review, Environmental Quality Advisory Board (EQAB), Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission (ORPC),
City Council action, Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA), Board of Building and Housing Code Appeals (BHC), Board of Plumbing Examiners (BPE), Board of Electrical Examiners (BEE),The Planning Division guides growth of the City through application of the: Comprehensive Plan and Housing Design Program, Zoning Ordinance, Sign Ordinance, Landscape and Design Standards Ordinance, Subdivision Regulations, Recommendations for Capital Improvements Program projects such as new or expanded City parks or ball fields, City schools, or major utility or road improvements.

Builders and Sales Information:
Single Family Homes
Mike Stevens Homes (http://www.mikestevenshomes.com/)
As the premier homebuilder in the greater Knoxville community, Mike Stevens Homes knows that each decision and choice you make is important to creating a home that is perfect for you and your family. Mike Stevens has brought together a talented staff with over 115 years of combined construction experience to produce beautiful homes with exceptional value.

Town Homes
Christopoulos & Kennedy Construction (http://www.ckgcinc.com/) (Groves Park Commons Developer / Partner)
Strive to produce a product that they are proud to present to you. Christopoulos & Kennedy was incorporated in 1995. Prior to this, Bill and Christos both worked as estimators and project managers for a regional general contractor. The majority of their projects were comprised of large retail franchises. (865) 330-3541.

REALTOR
Sharon Power (http://www.sharonpowerrealtor.com/)
Sharon Power of Realty Executives Associates in Oak Ridge Tennessee has been a REALTOR® since 1980. She has consistently been a top producer year after year with and is a Certified Residential Specialist. (865) 482-3232.


General Information:
Abacus Creative Management (http://www.abacuscreativemanagement.com/)
Business, Marketing, Sales and promotional planning. For more information on this press release or the Groves Park Commons please call (865)386-7860.

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