HONOLULU, HI — Local and federal dignitaries celebrated the opening of a development at Fort Shafter, the U.S. Army Pacific Headquarters, that's being hailed as the greenest neighborhood on a military installation and the largest project of its kind for the Army.
The Simpson Wisser neighborhood is one of a handful of communities that are part of the pilot of the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standard for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND), which calls for integrating the principles of smart growth, "new urbanism" and green building.
Members of Army Hawaii Family Housing LLC were joined by project partner Actus Lend Lease, Army officials and city, state and congressional representatives for the ceremony held last week.
AHFH is a 50-year partnership between the Army and Actus Lend Lease under the Military Privatization Act. AHFH will have nearly 8,000 homes upon completion, one of the largest military family housing privatization projects. It also will be one of the world's largest solar-powered communities, incorporating photovoltaic and solar technologies with PV systems on new homes, the developers say. The PV systems are expected to supply as much as 30 percent of the community's power needs.
The soldiers and their families living in the new model community are required to attend a two-hour orientation that covers maintaining the resource efficiency elements and other environmentally friendly features of their homes and surrounding community. The residents are expected to incorporate green living practices into their daily routines.
Construction of the Simpson Wisser neighborhood began in summer 2008. The review for LEED-ND certification is expected to be complete in spring of 2010.
Photo by Mark Brown, Army Hawaii Family Housing, courtesy of U.S. Army.