Spencer's Crossing , developed by Michael Sabracos and BUILDERS One, achieves the nation's first Gold Level Project status with the U.S. Green Building Council LEED for Homes program, along with a Certified GREEN status in the homes inspired by GE's Ecomagination program.
A large group of green building advocates, representatives of GE Ecomagination and the U.S.G.B.C., and Baltimore County Officials celebrated the grand opening of Spencer's Crossing, the nation's first residential development to achieve both a Gold LEED status (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and a Certified Green status with the GE Ecomagination program. Developed by Michael Sabracos and the local firm BUILDERS One, these new carriage homes are guaranteed to cut home heating and cooling costs by 53 percent compared to standard construction.
Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith presented a Green Renaissance Citation honoring Sabracos and BUILDERS One for their commitment to providing the opportunity for homebuyers to purchase a home with superior energy-efficiency and minimal impact on the natural environment.
"These homes are not only the beginning of a beautiful new community, but outstanding examples of Baltimore County businesses taking their responsibility to our environment seriously," Smith said. "It is this kind of responsible innovation that will help us achieve our goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Baltimore County by 10 percent by 2012."
Homebuyers who purchase one of these homes will be eligible for a new Baltimore County tax credit that could save them 60 percent on their property taxes for three years. Green elements in these homes include eco-friendly tight construction methods, fresh air ventilation, dual flush toilets, solar panel options, energy-efficient appliances, highly efficient heating and cooling systems and more.
"Yes, we want to, and need to commit to preserve our environment for future generations. But in today's difficult economic times, we also need to put the green back in our homeowner's pocket," Sabracos said. "Because of our commitment to the GE Ecomagination program we can guarantee to reduce the heating and cooling cost in a Spencer's Crossing home by 53 percent. Because of Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith and the Baltimore County Council's commitment to high performance energy efficient housing and the U.S.G.B.C. LEED for Homes program, we are now also able to offer our homeowners a 60 percent property tax credit for a period of three years." Sabracos concluded by saying, "The homes at Spencer's Crossing are truly putting the green back in our homeowner's pockets. At Spencer's Crossing, green is not an option, it's built in."
To achieve this success, BUILDERS One is the first developer in the country to combine the GE Ecomagination program with the Gold Level LEED for Homes program. The GE Ecomagination Home Builder Program concentrates on the green elements inside the four walls of the house. The LEED for Homes U.S.G.B.C. program expands the scope to the green elements outside the four walls onto the property and its surrounding neighborhood. By marrying both programs, BUILDERS One was able to achieve substantial economic savings that are being passed directly to the homeowner.
"It's commendable to see a local builder like Michael Sabracos work with nationally recognized groups like GE and U.S.G.B.C to build one of this state's greatest high performance and energy efficient homes," said County Councilman Kevin Kamenetz. "It is truly amazing to see a home that can achieve such a high green status and yet maintain the aesthetics and integrity of a beautiful carriage home."
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