Instead, the new development boasts ENERGY STAR appliances, extended on-site recycling services and a community garden. Greensboro-based Emerson Partners is an example of businesses that are trying to practice environmental responsibility, but could easily fly under the radar because they don’t carry LEED or other green building certifications.

“We think there’s a responsibility to take care of the place you live,” said Jay Robinson, one of the partners. “It’s easy to be green when you’re going to spend a lot of money. But how do you bring it down to the college or apartment level?”

Today, I took a brief tour of Spartan Crossing, where about 80 of the 116 bedrooms are pre-leased. It looks like a typical mid-market apartment complex (and the units even come with flat-screen TVs), but it has several notable features, including:

* The use of low VOC paints and the installation of carpets made with recycled material;

* Aerators on all water faucets and low-flow fixtures to conserve water;

* Energy efficient windows and ENERGY STAR rated dishwashers, refrigerators, and clothes washers;

* Compact fluorescent lightbulbs in every unit (the maintenance staff safely disposes of them); and

* A Green Energy Challenge to encourage students to reduce energy and water consumption.

The developer also used locally sourced materials, donated three of the homes that were originally on the site to charities, and preserved a portion of the trees on the site. Robinson said the company waited too late in the process to pursue green building certification, but they did consult with a LEED-accredited professional and would likely have earned enough points. And all this was done within the original budget, he said.

“When you bring green to the general population — Middle America — that’s when this stuff becomes successful,” Robinson said.

by Morgan Josey Glover for the News & Record, Greensboro, NC

[news-record.com]