DURANGO, Colo. - Back in February 2004, Brad Cochennet, then CFO of Mercy Regional Medical Center, referred to Three Springs as an “incredibly powerful development.”

Though at the time still “on paper” and at the tail end an extensive process of annexation to the City of Durango, Three Springs had indeed already established itself as something new, different and a tad bit mysterious. Traditional Neighborhood Development or “TND” was being introduced into the local vernacular, and “sustainable building” was emerging as a hot topic.

To take a step back, Three Springs is the community being developed by the Southern Ute Indian Tribe’s Tierra Group on the north side of Hwy 160 east of Durango proper, in what has been traditionally known as the Grandview area. From the beginning, the project furthered Durango’s reputation as a forward-thinking community, as perhaps no where else in the country had entities as disparate as these –  an Indian tribe, a city, a non-profit hospital, a county and a state highway department – successfully come together for the good of the whole. 

In total, Three Springs stretches across 681 acres, and a good portion of that is designated open space. The hospital and adjacent medical office building encompass some 60 acres, and land has been reserved for elementary and middle schools, as well as a 75-acre regional park. Quite a bit more, however, will be housed on the property upon completion of the build-out in some 20 to 30 years.

The Conceptual Plan calls for 2,200 homes and 800,000 sq.ft. of commercial space in three villages, but at this juncture only the first 100 or so homes and one commercial section along Mercado Street have been built – but it is enough to get a glimpse of the future.

Tim Zink is the General Manager of Three Springs.

“We would have loved to be to market two years ago, but I think we’re focused on the bigger picture,” said Tim Zink, Three Springs general manager, acknowledging the slowdown in the real estate market. “We know things come in cycles. There are going to be ups and downs. The thing that we’re doing is delivering a quality product. As part of our development agreement we’ve adopted a sustainability plan. It covers the whole gamut.”

“There’s so much that’s not necessarily obvious, that you don’t see in terms of sustainable development, site development, and all our quality, storm water management and practices,” added Sue Morris, manager of neighborhood services. “When we began this we felt we really had to create a model for responsible development. We set up principles, guidelines and standards that should prove to be a very useful tool for smart growth throughout Durango in the future.”

Three Springs – named for the three active springs on the property – is indeed blossoming in “traditional neighborhood” fashion. Sometimes referred to as “New Urbanism,” the TND is developed utilizing a number of principles that incorporate a variety of housing types, clustered to allow for ample parks and open space; an emphasis on non-motorized travel through an extensive trail system; and a well-developed plan that capitalizes on the neighborhood and live-work-shop concepts.

Though a variety of residential products is available at Three Springs, all are constructed to “Built Green” standards. Tierra Vision Homes, the development’s premier builder, was named the 2007 Colorado Built Green Builder of the Year for its efforts. Built Green Colorado is one of oldest and largest green home building programs in the nation, and is designed to encourage home builders to use technologies, products and practices that result in homes that are better built and better for the environment. The Built Green Builder of the Year award recognizes a company whose commitment to sustainable, high performance home building is clearly evident in every aspect of their business.

According to Adam Wiener, Tierra Group Realty sales associate, ‘There’s a tremendous level of pride in all the fine details that have gone into the homes and every aspect of construction.”

Energy efficiency in the homes is achieved through strategic and sealed ductwork, tankless on-demand water heaters, low-E windows (which also protect fabrics and carpets), Energy Star appliances and higher efficiency gas furnaces (93 to 95 percent efficient) – plus the builders have created a tight structural “envelope.”

“They do a blower test. They pressurize the entire house before installing the insulation, then check for leaks,” explained Weiner, noting a similar test is made on the heating duct system. “And because the home is so tightly sealed, to circulate air, they’ve installed a spring-loaded vent system in the crawl space, which automatically opens and closes based on the temperature. They really looked at every little detail to ensure that the home is energy efficient.”

Three Springs homes are sustainably-built and energy efficient.

“We target 15 to 20 percent better (in increased efficiency) than code for these buildings,” said Morris. “On the residential side, they’re getting better than 25 to 30 percent. And then our drought tolerant vegetation should cut down on 25-30 percent of water irrigation.”

Beyond the energy efficiency in the homes, which promises year-after-year payback to owners, the residences are non-toxic. To avoid “off-gasing,” carpeting is made from recycled material, and low VOC paint is used throughout.

“They’ve also taken huge steps in sustainability of natural resources,” said Wiener, citing smaller home design, efficient space planning, efficient framing, composite exterior siding and durable, longer-lasting roofing products.

Phoenix Recycling, now located at Three Springs, is playing a key role in the recycling effort, and according to Morris, the entrepreneurial company is able to recycle 60 to 70 percent of the new home construction waste. Even the mulch, which covers the drought-resistant landscaping and water reclamation system in each residential yard, is the remnants of wood used in framing the homes.

“Traditional Neighborhood Development is also about building a community that will last over time,” said Morris, “where people are involved and engaged in the health and well being of the community. To that end we will have a sustainability coordinator who will bring the community together.”

Initial plans include a community garden and orchard, with residents able to enjoy the literal fruits of their labor. Education on “green” or sustainability efforts will also be offered. The future community center will provide an opportunity for residents to gather, but, as is part of the TND concept, meeting neighbors on the trails or in the common parks and open areas allows for interaction and community-building.

“I think it will be a highly engaged community both on the business district as well as the residential side,” said Morris, noting that initial homeowners range from young, first-time homebuyers to families to seniors. “And we’ll integrate the hospital as well.”

On the commercial side (incorporating commercial within walking distance of homes is also considered a TND principle), the first two buildings on Mercado (including a new Alpine Bank) are LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified, with the third built incorporating the standards. The community center will also be LEED certified.

“One of the components of our sustainability plan is a monitoring process to understand what is working,” said Zink, noting that they hope to weigh Three Springs buildings against comparable buildings in Durango. “We should be doing better, but it’s going to be interesting to see how the scorecards measure up.”

“We have not inherited the earth from our ancestors, but borrowed it from our children,” or so goes the ancient proverb. This philosophy is evident upon entering the Three Springs Information Center, where the Southern Ute Tribe is honored for making decisions with the development that will endure for at least eight generations.

The Three Springs Information Center, located at 175 Mercado Street, is open Monday-Saturday. To learn more, visit www.threespringsdurango.com.   

 indiana@durangodowntown.com

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