Sunbeam Subdivision Achieves Green Building Award
Hailey’s Sunbeam Subdivision First in the Nation to Achieve NGBS Four-Star Rating Under New 2020 Standards
Press release issued February 17, 2022
HAILEY, IDAHO –– Local developer, along with dedicated team of individuals, set out on an ambitious venture; apply for the National Green Building Standard (NGBS) Green Certification for Land Development for the Sunbeam Subdivision Phase 1. The NGBS is an American National Standard eco-friendly certification program. The rigorous rating system covers the design, planning, and development of residential and mixed-use green communities. The NGBS offers four levels of certification for land developments, one- to four-stars. The NGBS Land Development certification is based on a point system with a minimum number of points needed for each certification level which encompasses practices of Project Team, Lot Selection, Lot Design, Lot Construction, and Innovative Practices sections. The Sunbeam Subdivision Phase 1 was awarded with a total of 191 points, surpassing the minimum of 176 points needed to achieve the highest performance level rating of four-stars. The four-star certification was the first given in the state of Idaho, and the first in the country, under the new NGBS 2020 standards.
The Sunbeam Subdivision was originally configured to host 108 lots; at the request of the City Council, the applicant team increased the density to 147 lots by dividing half acre lots, altering cottage lots, and allocating smaller lots throughout the property. Sunbeam incorporates various lot sizes with 70 residential parcels ranging from 0.13 to .75 acres and three cottage townhouse sites for 18 residential units. Sunbeam Phase 1 incorporates a large 4.5-acre park which will feature passive play equipment, such as boulders and wooden structures, native and low-water use vegetation, and a hill for sledding. The park will abut Curtis Park and offer paved bike path connections to Old Cutters Subdivision and Quigley Road, creating neighborhood connectivity and encouraging alternative forms of transportation.
Conservation of water and energy were the guiding principles of Sunbeam. Approximately 60-70% of the land area of each residential lot will be either hardscaped or drought tolerant to reduce watering needs and residents will be required to follow regulations that limit time of day watering, pesticides, and species of grass planted. According to the Sunbeam Developer Agreement, residents living on lots greater than 14,000 square feet can only have turf on 25% of their total land area. Moreover, the developer intends to prewire each unit for the future installation of a solar energy system.
“The range of lot sizes and configurations will offer options to diverse income categories and greatly aid the ongoing housing deficit in the Wood River Valley”, Hailey’s Community Development Director, Lisa Horowitz, commented. “We have a tremendous need for housing in Hailey, particularly for full-time employees and workers… Our Council is looking for diversity in housing stock and they are looking for projects that are progressive on the environmental and sustainability front, so this project hit both of those goals.”
The four-star NGBS rating for the Sunbeam Subdivision is an incredible honor and feat for all parties involved in the project’s success. Sunbeam will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of Hailey, setting the City on an equitable and sustainable trajectory for current and future generations to come.