The Ashland Planning Commission last month green-lit a project to fill the largest empty lot remaining in downtown with an 18,577-square-foot business and condominium complex.

Katherine Spierings, who owns a bed-and-breakfast on B Street, told commission members she is worried that the project will disrupt the quiet intersection of Lithia Way and First Street, where the city’s post office occupies one corner.

Land-use consultant John Knox, representing property owners and development group First Place Partners of Medford, responded that the proposed three-story building would make the neighborhood safer by putting more eyes on the street. The building is the first of three or four that First Place Partners wants to build on the site.

The land formerly held a Copeland Lumber outlet. After it was demolished, the planning commission rejected a proposal in 2005 for a 70,000-square-foot mixed-use complex that it said would be too large.

Associate Planner Derek Severson said that in 2007 an eight-lot subdivision was approved for the site, with two of the lots eventually being combined to accommodate a mixed-use building. Work began with demolition of existing structures and installation of basic infrastructure, Severson said. However, building permits expired before construction began on the first building.

Severson said the latest proposal reduces the number of lots and increases the number of condominiums. The project is being designed by of Ashland.

Construction projects are moving ahead in the city: Southern Oregon University is adding a residence hall, and a new fire station is being built to replace one that was torn down in May. Knox told commission members that he thinks the construction industry is rebounding in the community, and the time is right for First Place Partners’ downtown development.

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It was a sunny day in Ashland, and as I put out my hand to shake Allen Satterfield’s I noticed a look of puzzlement.  Allen, one of Southern Oregon’s greatest concrete contractors is the kind of guy who’s seen all projects great and small.

“Boy, you are a young little guy!” he said. “I mean, this isn’t an everyday project. I expected a big, old, hard-nosed kind of guy.”

Allen’s right. It’s not an everyday project. Green Hammer‘s Ashland house boasts more than 5,000 square feet of ultra-high-performance inspired living.  When completed, the structure will be the first and rated building in the United States.  Perched atop a golden hillside in Ashland, the home’s design exemplifies the precision of modern simplicity with breathtaking views, trimless detailing and elaborate artwork designed into the structure. What’s more unique is it’s building envelope: 17 times tighter than the code equivalent with energy loads of a home one sixth the size, giving it indoor air quality as fresh as an Ashland breeze.

Generally I champion the concept that small buildings have a greener footprint than large ones, yet I also believe every building has the potential to inspire a community. Each building we create is a reflection of values through a series of choices. At any scale these values can shine through. To quote Pink Floyd, “Money…it’s a drag.” But if we use money consciously and keep our focus on the well being of people and the planet, the positive effect will be powerful.

Sustainability is where economic, environmental and social priorities overlap harmoniously. One thing I’ve learned over my career is if we balance this trifecta, ultimately the larger investment inspires others to place confidence in social and environmental values, too.

In Ashland, this big, hard-nosed 5,200-square-foot house is proof. Values to promote prosperity for people and the planet have driven its creation, and it will survive generations beyond the people building it.

We are integrating expertise in construction, thermodynamics, biology and natural resource management against a backdrop of inspirational creativity. Sometimes it takes a not-everyday project to envision how to apply the same technology for the everyday. Can you imagine these ideas put into practice when building our schools and community centers? Our typical homes? Our shopping malls and grocery stores? Can you imagine living in a neighborhood where everyone has access to comfortable, healthy and inspiring buildings, while reducing our impact on the planet and carbon emissions?

This young little guy can.

Stephen Aiguier is a certified passive house consultant and CEO of , an integrated design, build and energy firm based in Portland. Contact him at stephen@greenhammer.com.

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The largest construction project in Ashland’s history, $40 million worth of student housing for , is expected to provide the city a major economic boost. Ground was broken last week, and city officials say the project will provide as many as 200 jobs for local contractors and draw more students to SOU.

“We get people in Ashland because of the quality of what’s being offered at SOU and because of the experience of living in this community,” Mayor John Stromberg said. “This will bring many benefits to the community.”

The university’s 600-bed Cascade dormitory will be replaced with two four-story buildings featuring larger living spaces, 100 more beds and greater energy efficiency. Jonathan Eldridge, vice president for student affairs at SOU, said the Cascade building accounts for 60 percent of the university’s annual energy costs. Sustainable design is expected to help change that.

Eldridge said the new dormitories, as well as a new dining complex, will help attract more students, which means more potential customers and employees for local businesses. He said the facilities also will help keep students on campus.

“They don’t go off campus because it’s more convenient or even because it’s that less expensive; they go off because most of our facilities are the traditional double-room, cramped spaces,” he said. “The overall experience is important for them, so by having top-notch accommodations, in addition to a strong academic program, we can provide a richer campus experience.”

Stromberg said the project will help prevent many Rogue Valley contractors from going out of business. Each year, the city examines how many building permits are issued. During the recession, the number of permits issued was down significantly. So far for this project, the city has issued permits for $30 million worth of construction; comparatively, the city issued permits for $15 million worth of construction for all of 2011.

“I was talking to a contractor … and this guy has been a very prudent manager, but he’s gotten so close to the edge, he’s almost shut his business down,” Stromberg said. “The people in the construction business have really been hurting here, so this is a boon to us.”

Stromberg said the city is benefiting financially from system development charges associated with the project’s permitting; the money will go toward the city’s general fund and help support other construction projects. He added that many observers, including the project’s general contractor, Ashland-based , doubted whether the city could handle such a project because of its size.

“Nobody believed that the city of Ashland could handle the permitting process, and we did it,” he said.

Brandon Goldman, a senior planner for the city, said the project will help the city meet its housing demands. A housing needs analysis completed by the city demonstrated a lack of studio and one-bedroom apartments, largely because of the student population. Additional on-campus beds will help relieve that pressure and ensure that future population growth can be accommodated, Goldman said.

“I think SOU building on-campus housing really makes sure the impact of additional students and the growing university can happen without having people drive up and down the valley,” he said.

Money for the project is coming from a partnership with , an organization that loans money to educational institutions for new construction. In this case, once SOU’s project is done, dormitory fees and dining complex revenue will go to ACC until the loan is repaid. Then ACC will donate the building to the school.

Stromberg said this is the first time this development method has been used for a university in Oregon.

“Something very creative and complex was done here,” he said. “As we look to other projects in the future, we may look into using this method again.”

Construction is expected to finish in time for the start of the 2013-14 school year.

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The seismically deficient, 1960s-era Fire Station No. 2 in Ashland will be torn down and replaced next year, thanks to a $3 million bond approved by voters.

The new, two-story, 10,500-square-foot facility will be designed to fit in with other civic buildings in Ashland, said Hans Ettlin, a principal with .

“They are trying to make their stations look similar; people can readily identify a civic building,” he said.

The new station will be along a major avenue of transportation: Ashland Road. The building will have a front entry and improved street presence, Ettlin said.

Though the team had initially planned a brick building, a budget reduction resulted in stucco being chosen. The building also will have large windows to add verticality, Ettlin said.

The interior will include a training facility, offices and traditional elements such as a fire pole. The apparatus bay will hold up to six fire engines.

A Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating won’t be pursued; however, green elements are planned. These include a photovoltaic system and a solar hot-water system. Also, 75 percent of the old fire station will be reused, mostly as fill material.

In addition, the design calls for an automated “tap-out” system that senses what is happening in the building. For example, when a company leaves suddenly, the system will regulate heat and lighting to conserve energy.

Ettlin, Jay Fesler, Jeff Bringenberg and Diony Lopez are part of Peck Smiley Ettlin Architects’ design team. Other project team members include , electrical and mechanical engineering; , structural engineering; , civil engineering; and , landscape architecture.

Ettlin expects the project to open to bids from contractors in late January 2012.

“On the Boards” is a weekly feature that spotlights local firms’ best design work. Submissions from architectural and engineering firms are encouraged. Please email ontheboards@djcoregon.com or call 503-802-7240.

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The city of Ashland is looking for a contractor to evaluate a leaking underground storage tank site at a former Standard Oil Company facility built in 1928.

The area was placed on the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality‘s Leaking Underground Storage Tanks, or , database in 2000, but no subsurface investigations of soil or groundwater have happened since then.

In 1988, the city decommissioned three single-walled steel underground storage tanks in-place at the facility. They included two 1,000-gallon tanks that held gasoline and one 2,500-gallon tank that held diesel fuel.

In 2000, an analysis from an excavation 50 feet down found gasoline and diesel fuel in subsurface soils and benzene in groundwater in a trench down gradient from the site.

The city uses the area, at 1097 B St., as a municipal yard. According to its request for proposals, which are due on Dec. 22 by 2 p.m., the goal is to get a “No Further Action” letter from DEQ for risk-based closure of the site.

Proposals can be sent to the city at 20 E. Main St., Ashland, OR 97520, or dropped off at the office at 51 Winburn Way. Call James Olson, the city’s engineering services manager, at 541-552-2412 for more information.

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