This rendering, showing the proposed west end of Buchert Ridge Community, depicts the Creekview Apartments in dark brown. New units would be in the building closest to Buchert Road at lower right.

SANATOGA PA – What is being touted as one of the first development projects in Montgomery County (PA) that would include housing units created to meet the latest standards of a national organization which rates the energy efficiency of buildings has been proposed for Sanatoga. It was introduced Thursday night (Oct. 22, 2009) to the Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township Board of Commissioners.

To say board members liked the idea is putting it mildly. They publicly praised developer J. Wilmer Hallman for plans he presented, and gave their permission to begin work on adapting the already commission-approved and partially constructed Buchert Ridge Community to reflect  added housing that would be certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Hallman must return to the commission and obtain its final approval, once changes to his plans are made, before the housing units can be built in the community at 2011 Buchert Rd., Pottstown PA.

The proposal represents an expansion of Phase 2 at Buchert Ridge Community by eight more units than originally approved. The units would be part of a revamped garden-style apartment building of three floors, but it replaces three single story buildings planned for the same location with only a 6-percent increase in the land square footage covered by its foundation.

Retirement development representative Gary Gearhart, left, explains the apartments' energy efficiency during the commissioners' meeting, as township Solicitor R. Kurtz Holloway listens.

The units, Hallman said, would be fully certified under the council’s internationally recognized Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System. The units would qualify for the council’s LEED For Homes certification, and would allow their owners to save up to 60 percent on electric and gas utility costs, and would cut the community’s water usage by as much as 37 percent, Hallman estimated.

According to the council, LEED certification provides independent, third-party verification that a building project meets the highest green building and performance measures. “This is good for everyone,” Hallman told board members. “It helps us sell units. It benefits our people by reducing their costs. And it helps the township” by reducing resource consumption. “We’re pretty excited,” the developer said.

So, too, were commissioners. They asked Hallman and Gary Gearhart, a representative of Wil Hallman Retirement Development, about how the new building – to be known as the Creekview Apartment Homes – would be constructed and positioned. They heard details on the various levels of LEED For Homes certification for which the project might qualify. They declared themselves impressed.

“I think this is super,” Commissioner James Phillips said. “You’re seeing a lot of nodding heads up here,” he said of those at the board room table. “I applaud the fact that you’re taking this initiative,” added Commission Vice President Jonathan Spadt.

Although no official motion was made, commissioners – at the recommendation of township Solicitor R. Kurtz Holloway – ensured their written minutes of the meeting reflected unanimous agreement that Hallman could engage his engineer to re-design the existing Phase 2 plans to be considered for future approval. Board President Bruce Foltz was absent from the meeting.

Related (to Buchert Ridge Community):

• Commissioners Warm To Energy-Saving Apartments
• Commissioners Get An Early Start Tonight
• Meeting Moved Up For Buchert Ridge Presentation
• Buchert Ridge Unveiling Final Phase

Related (to the Lower Pottsgrove Board of Commissioners’ meeting of Oct. 22):

• PennDOT Offers Sanatoga Bridge Work Timeline
• Commissioners Get An Early Start Tonight
• Meeting Moved Up For Buchert Ridge Presentation

Sign up to get The Sanatoga Post delivered free daily by e-mail.
See our galleries for photos that appear in The Post. Got news for us? E-mail The Post.