May 10, 2010 – The site of a waterfront townhome community located on the banks of the 
Indian River in Millsboro, Del. is the first on the East Coast and only the fourth nationwide to earn a 4-star land development certification under the new National Green Building Standard, the National Association of Home Builders Research Center (NAHBRC) announced today.
Developed by Craftsmen Developers, a Glen Burnie, Md.-based land development firm, the site known as “Wharton’s Bluff Parcel B” will complete the waterfront Sussex County community that will have a total of 130 homes when finished. Wharton’s Bluff features walking trails, a community swimming pool and pool house, a gazebo and direct access to the water from a crabbing and fishing pier and a nature preserve located at the tip of a peninsula. Phase 1 of Wharton’s Bluff is fully developed with the majority of the 84 homes and townhomes now occupied, while the 49 waterfront townhomes in Phase 2, or “Parcel B,” which received the 4-star land development certification, are currently under construction with a grand opening of a model planned for the July 4th 2010 weekend.
Developed by NAHBRC and the International Code Council, the National Green Building Standard is the first such system to be approved by the American National Standards Institute and is recognized for its stringent benchmarks in lot and site design, as well as energy, water and resource efficiency and indoor environmental quality. The certification covers single-family homes, apartments and condos, residential land development and home remodeling projects and is administered by the NAHB Research Center, which also accredits local verifiers around the country.
“The National Green Building Standard provides a rigorous and verifiable definition of residential green construction, whether it be for single-family homes or multi-story apartment buildings,” said Michael Luzier, president of the NAHB Research Center. “As the first and only existing national green building rating system that can be used for every type of residential project, the standard allows the Research Center to be a ‘one-stop shop’ for builders, remodelers and developers who want third-party validation for their green projects.”
In planning Wharton’s Bluff, the project team from Craftsmen Developers protected environmentally sensitive areas throughout the site, including a buffer zone around the habitat once occupied by a bald eagle, preservation of existing trees and vegetation, creation of a 60-foot tree buffer and three-acre conservation area, avoidance of steep slopes to minimize erosion and the impact on the river, and creation of bioswales and a trench infiltration system to capture and channel rainwater. The Craftsmen Developers application was 13 points beyond the 175 points required for 4-star certification.
“Achieving the 4-star certification is an important industry recognition of our core values and mission to be an environmentally sensitive green land developer,” said W. Dennis Gilligan, president of Craftsmen Developers. “It’s an honor that the way we do business has been documented and verified by a program with such high standards.”
Subdivisions and developments can be rated from one to four stars, depending on the environmental challenges of the site. The first single-family home – in Tucson, Ariz. – was certified under the standard in January 2009, while the first 4-star certified development – in Burns Harbor, Ind. – was certified in March 2009. The two other 4-star certified residential developments in the country are located in Arkansas and Michigan.
About the NAHB Research Center
Located in Upper Marlboro, Md., the NAHB Research Center promotes innovation in housing technology to improve the quality, durability, affordability, and environmental performance of homes and home building products. Created over 40 years ago as an independent subsidiary of NAHB, the NAHB Research Center has established itself as the source for reliable, objective information and research on housing construction and development issues. Through its various testing and certification services, the Research Center seal is internationally recognized as a mark of product quality and an assurance of product performance. Since February 2008, the NAHB Research Center has been administering National Green Building Certification using the NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines; in January 2009 the option to have a project scored to the National Green Building Standard became available when the Standard was approved by ANSI.
.About Craftsmen Developers
Founded in 2008 by CEO Dennis Gilligan following 30 years in the real estate industry, the Glen Burnie, Md.-based Craftsmen Developers is a land development firm that acquires, develops and sells residential and commercial real estate properties in the Mid-Atlantic region and also provides consulting services to third-party clients. Operating under the principle that it can improve the environment by creating “Green Neighborhoods,” the firm strives to demonstrate a commitment to green development, experience and maturity, maintaining existing and building new partnering relationships, and ensuring the highest level of confidentiality and professionalism. For more information visit www.craftsmendevelopers.com
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