Black Mountain is a showcase community that complements the unique nature of the existing site while providing much-needed housing. The sustainable design approach and high-performance homes benefit residents with comfortable spaces to live, work and play.
Designed to be a Sustainability Showcase
The project directly supports many elements of the City of San Carlos Climate Action Plan through its sustainable design approach. This includes all-electric buildings, advanced building technology and materials, as well as low-impact construction practices. Traffic, noise and duration of construction will be minimized through use of innovative building techniques.
Long-term impacts will be minimized through preservation of open space, trees and views and addition of landscaping; energy-, water- and waste-saving solutions; promotion of alternative modes of transport; and use of durable and healthy materials.
SUSTAINABILITY
Key elements of our sustainability strategy
Environmentally-Responsible Construction
Veev acknowledges and respects the surrounding neighbors, flora and fauna of the Site, and will implement forward-thinking construction practices to mitigate negative impacts associated with typical construction such as noise, traffic and ecological disruption.
Mobility
The Project is designed to create a welcoming and accessible atmosphere to the surrounding community. First and foremost, the Project includes a network of publicly-accessible trails designed to connect with existing public trails, bike lanes, sidewalks and paths adjacent to the property. This will help to connect the Project to the existing nearby amenities to the immediate west of the Site, which includes Highlands Park, and east of the Site, which includes St. Charles Elementary School and Brittan Acres Elementary School. Dragonfly will also explore the addition of a crosswalk across Alameda de las Pulgas at the Project with the City's Public Works Department and the local transit authority to increase accessibility and safety to and from the Site.
Water Efficiency
Water efficiency measures to reduce runoff and recharge the local water table include green roofs, rainwater harvesting, pervious paving, bioretention planting and smart development clustering, in addition to water-efficiency building systems, appliances and fixtures. We will also explore options for re-use of the naturally-occurring spring water for landscaping.
Trees & Open Space
The Project design approach aims to retain and/or enhance the trees and open space of the existing Site. This approach helps provide a sense of place, promotes casual interaction and enhances overall well-being, as well as active and passive recreation, while providing needed housing supply. The Project has been designed to preserve the majority of the existing 384 trees. The Project's arborist found that a total of 59 trees were not suitable for retention for the Project, as they are in poor health or contain significant defects in structure that cannot be abated with treatment. A significant number of new trees (at least equal replacement for any removed) and other landscaping will be added, and the existing groves of trees will remain largely intact.
Energy Efficiency
The Project will incorporate energy efficiency to achieve a Net Zero Energy Building rating including high-performance building envelopes, energy-efficient systems, appliances and fixtures, green roofs and renewable-energy systems.
Healthy Materials
Sustainable building certifications now include material selections guidance and criteria, as do Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). This project will pursue healthy materials for the benefit of future occupants and the surrounding community.