Posts Tagged ‘NYSERDA’

Upstate Conference Highlights Hudson Valley Green Builder of Affordable Housing

Tuesday, September 27th, 2011

Syracuse, NY September 27, 2011. Often including green technology costs developers more although the cost savings can help keep affordable housing affordable over time. This was a central point made by Steve Aaron, Founder and Managing Member of Birchez Associates during a New York State Association for Affordable Housing session during the group’s Upstate conference. Birchez completed The Birches at Chambers earlier this year, an affordable housing complex for seniors, that is the first multifamily in the Hudson Valley to be awarded the presitigious LEED Platinum designation by the Green Building Council. The complex features both solar thermal and photovoltaic panels to offset domestic hot water, radiant heat and electric costs. The Birches at Chambers also received recognition from NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Agency) as an Energy $mart Building. Panelists are shown below.

Integrating Green Funding Sources
Moderator: F.L. Andrew Padian, The Community Preservation Corp.
Speakers:
Steven Aaron, Birchez Associates
Daniel Buyer, NYS HCR
Fred Fellendorf, Buffalo Energy
Nick Petragnani, The Community Preservation Corp.
Scott Townsend, 3tarchitects

Case Study in Excellence: The Birches at Esopus

Wednesday, May 4th, 2011

New York, NY: The New York State Association for Affordable Housing (NYSAFAH) honored Birchez Associates’ affordable senior community, The Birches at Esopus, as Case Study in Excellence at a reception and presentation held in New York City at the REBNY (Real Estate Board of New York) headquarters.

Already recognized by NYSAFAH as Project of the Year — Upstate for 2010, The Birches at Esopus served as a case study in successful public and private partnership, innovative financing, and green energy efficiencies. At its ribbon cutting, the community was also acknowledged as an Energy $mart Building by NYSERDA, in part because 70% of domestic hot water and 30% of the heat comes from solar thermal panels. Further, The Birches at Esopus was one of four national finalists for Senior Project of the Year in Affordable Housing Magazine.

The panel (shown to the right) was introduced by Jay Seiden, Seiden & Schein, PC, and comprised Birchez Associates Founder & Managing Member, Steven L. Aaron, The Honorable John Coutant, Supervisor of the Town of Esopus, John Kelly, Esq. of Nixon Peabody, Marian Zucker of New York State Homes & Community Renewal, Peter King representing the Federal Home Loan Bank – NY, and Rita Wyatt Esq., principal of Wyatt & Co. Judy Wells Aaron and K.J. McIntyre both of Birchez Associates also participated in the presentation. Available for the Q&A were the Town of Esopus clerk, Diane L. McCord, town council member Gloria VanVliet and chair of the planning board Roxanne Pecora (shown in the lower left photo from right to left).

Key topics introduced both by panel participants and the audience included:

Finding financing for affordable housing projects and how that has changed in today’s economic market

Creating market rate amenities to both attract residents and to fulfill aging in place goals

Structuring a public – private partnership and the political courage it takes to succeed in bringing quality affordable housing to a community

Changing environment in the now combined DHCR and nyhomes, now New York State Homes and Community Renewal

Attendees included developers, financiers, architects, attorneys and other members of NYSAFAH.

Redefining Affordable

Monday, November 15th, 2010

Kingston, 11-10 by Kim Plummer

Over the past few years there has been a dramatic decrease in the number of affordable housing developments being built throughout New York State. For aging boomers seeking affordable housing, the key is to start looking early, do your homework, and reach out to local agencies, sources say.

Ken Harris, senior policy analyst for New York Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (NYAHSA) says the decline in this sort of housing can be attributed to increased costs and zoning issues. “A lot of housing that needs to go through zoning changes is finding opposition from neighbors in many cases,” Harris says. “It’s a recent trend that’s difficult.” . . .

When looking for affordable senior housing, one should keep in mind that affordable housing can still be very competitive with market-rate housing as far as amenities go. A lot of people believe the more you pay, the more services you get, but that’s not always the case, Harris says.

Housing is unique; amenities, transportation services, and communities vary quite a bit, even in the realm of affordable housing units. Harris suggests people do their homework when searching for affordable housing; one element he finds particularly important to seniors is an onsite service coordinator.

“The service coordinator is sort of like a linchpin between the resident and services in the community,” Harris says. “They can help the resident find resources in the community – everything from Medicare, Medicaid, help with information, and supportive health services.”

Currently, The Birches at Chambers in Ulster and the Birches at Esopus in Ulster Park are two ADA-compliant, affordable housing facilities resembling market-rate housing. Amenities in the average rental price of about $750 per month include fitness trainers in the onsite fitness studio, a movie theater, community rooms, a library, fully equipped computer labs with Internet access, and craft rooms. Additionally, The Birches at Chambers is anticipating LEED Platinum certification and has been certified as a NYUSERDA Energy $mart Building. “It’s not what people expect to see for affordable housing,” says K.J. McIntyre, director of marketing for Birchez Associates, LLC.

Most recently, Birchez Associates has received initial funding from the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York to build affordable senior housing onto the Elant campus, a nursing home in Fishkill. This will be another ADA-compliant facility. “With the service of Elant close at hand, we can offer additional home health and nursing care as needed, while our residents continue to live in their homes, as opposed to the nursing home environment,” McIntyre says.

Birchez Associates also owns and manages two additional affordable senior housing communities. Chambers Court, completed in 2004, provides cottage-style one- and two-bedroom apartments adjacent to The Birches at Chambers in Ulster. The Birches at Saugerties is another affordable senior community completed in 2006 with 60 garden-style apartments. . . .

Seniors who need assistance finding affordable housing can contact their local Office for the Aging, where they can be provided with additional consultation about affordable housing as well as Active Adult Communities that specially reserve units for affordable housing.

Photo: The Birches at Esopus

Excerpted from the full article, Affordable Housing Trends: Redefining Affordable, in the Boomer’s Guide to Living 2010 published by Schein Media (Kingston, NY)

The publication is currently available by clicking here.

Going Green: Affordable housing can also be sustainable

Monday, August 23rd, 2010

08/22/2010 12:38 PM YNN for the Hudson Valley by Terry Ettinger

Click here for link to broadcast

Affordable housing can also be sustainable, energy-efficient housing – case in point, a new 66-unit senior citizen apartment complex recently dedicated in Ulster County.“Radiant heat in the floors, 70 percent of our heat and hot water is produced with solar power, a 50 kw photovoltaic electric system, every single apartment is air-blower tested for air infiltration, the air conditioning systems have the highest efficiency ratings available, the heating systems are European in design and they know about saving energy over there because they’ve been paying more than we have. Our boilers, for example, are 97 to 98 percent efficiency,” said Steve Aaron, Managing Member of Birchez Associates. Birchez Associates was able to do this in part by obtaining state grants.

“New York State has a number of programs that help support builders and developers who are interested in trying to provide a sustainable approach to construction. I divide them into two groups; one is at the single- family level (individual homes) and the other is for multi-family homes and building support as well,” said Paul Crovella, Sustainable Construction Management and Engineering, SUNY-ESF.

Paul Crovella teaches sustainable construction management.

“The single-family home, New York State currently has a program for builders interested in going through Energy Star certification for the home. It provides money for the builders to do that and essentially offsets quite a bit of the cost,” said Crovella.

Similar programs are available for multi-family construction like senior citizen housing offering incentives for developers to think green when they’re in the design stage for upgrading the insulation, window quality and the efficiency of the heating plant, like they did at the new Birches at Chambers, and Crovella believes it’s a worthwhile program.

“It makes a lot of sense in that the individual who is building a project like that, if they know they’re not going to be paying the utility bills over the life of the building then they have very little incentive to put in a better window or improve the efficiency,” said Crovella.

Central Hudson’s Almanac Salutes Birchez’ Green Affordable Commitment

Saturday, August 21st, 2010

August 20, 2010: Paul Tesoro, Director of Communications for Central Hudson, hosts a daily broadcast called Almanac aired on multiple Hudson Valley radio stations. We were pleased that he featured The Birches at Chambers and The Birches at Esopus in today’s broadcast. Paul highlighted the amenities that our communities offer and how they contribute to the quality of life for our residents. In addition, the broadcast covered the green aspects that ultimately contribute not only to health but also affordability. To listen to the broadcast, click here (it takes a moment for the intro to kick in).

Rosendale Invites Birchez Associates

Friday, August 6th, 2010

August 6, 2010: On Wednesday, August 11, at 7pm, at the Rosendale Community Center on Route 32, members of the Rosendale community will have the chance to offer input on Birchez Associates’ recent proposal for affordable senior and workforce housing and a new town hall in the Town of Rosendale. Invited by the town to submit a request for proposal (RFP), Birchez looks to continue its track record of bringing top quality, affordable senior housing to Rosendale, while also providing a unique solution to the town’s need for a new base of municipal operations.

In an effort to maximize sustainability and provide the town with a long-lasting building, Birchez Associates hasproposed that the long-vacant Tillson School be rehabbed as the new Town Hall. The Kingston School District had vacated the Tillson School over 10 years ago and today it sits, on 8.4 acres, just attracting the occasional vandal. Instead, Birchez proposes transforming the existing school plant to a flexible and expandable Town Hall that could accommodate not only current needs but unforeseen needs in years to come (preliminary artist’s rendering pictured). In the interim, the Town could use 14,000 to 20,000 square feet of the structure and dedicate an additional 7,000 to 10,000 square feet to related town offices, community use and/or office rental, creating a Town Hall campus or complex. The site will provide plenty of parking, which may be an issue if the Creek Locks Road site is used for the Town Hall. Plus the location may serve as a magnet for Tillson businesses in this hamlet of the town of Rosendale.

Birchez’ proposal for the rehab of Tillson School envisions a LEED/sustainable approach to this adaptive reuse. “There’s no better way to recycle and be green than to reuse a building for something new,” said Judy Calogero, CEO of the New York Housing Conference and President of Calogero Partners who has participated in Birchez’ proposal. Ms. Calogero is former Commissioner of the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal, a key player in affordable housing in the state.

The Residential component in the proposal consists of the construction of up to 72 rental units. Some of the units may be designated rent to buy in the work force housing component; the majority are slated to be affordable senior apartments. The final composition is subject to further input from town residents. Landscaping plans incorporate public access to the Creek which hugs the property. This intergenerational housing concept would be LEED Certified and would incorporate extensive green and sustainable features such as solar photovoltaic, solar thermal, “green/living roofing” and pervious parking.

Birchez Associates recently completed its fifth affordable housing community in Ulster County, The Birches at Chambers, a 67 apartment complex adjacent to both the Chambers Elementary School and Chambers Court, a 72 apartment complex and the first affordable housing community Birchez built just six years ago. The Birches at Chambers, already certified by the New York State Energy & Development Agency (NYSERDA) as an Energy $mart Building, is on track to be the second largest multifamily – anywhere – to be certified as LEED (Leader in Energy & Environmental Design) Platinum by the Green Building Council.

Last year Birchez completed The Birches at Esopus, an 80 unit affordable senior community in Ulster Park. This was the first low-rise multifamily complex to be certified as an Energy $mart Building by NYSERDA. The Birches at Esopus garnered the 2010 Project of the Year – Upstate award by the New York State Association for Affordable Housing (NYSAFAH) and is currently one of four national finalists for Senior Project of the Year in a competition sponsored by Affordable Housing Finance Magazine (the winner will be announced in the November issue). Details on the existing Birchez Associates communities can be found on its website: http://www.Birchez.com.

The full proposal from Birchez Associates can be found on the Town of Rosendale’s website here: http://www.townofrosendale.com/forms/Birchez.pdf. The executive summary can be found at pages 18-19. The proposal includes summaries of the proposed Town Hall project at the Tillson School, the Residential project on Creek Locks Road, and the Sewer Upgrade & Backup Water Supply project to which Birchez has proposed contributing substantially to the cost of grant submissions. (Note: the file is large, and will take a few minutes to open or download.)

Contact: K.J. McIntyre, Director of Marketing, Birchez Associates, 843-532-7528 or kjmcintyre@birchez.com

Low-income senior housing planned

Monday, July 26th, 2010

HVBiz June 25, 2010 by Terra Thompsen

Affordable independent living for low-income seniors is the aim of a proposed $15.4 million development slated to be built on the property of the Elant-owned nursing facility in Beacon.

The project, called The Birches of Fishkill, would provide housing for seniors age 62 and older who are at 50 percent or less of median income. The facility would offer residents the prospect of independent living outside full-time nursing homes.

“It’s a real opportunity for a chance of community and a chance of a home within the communities these seniors have lived in their whole lives,” said Steve Aaron, managing member of Kingston-based Birchez Associates LLC.

The facility is to be built on the present Elant property at 22 Robert R. Kasin Way off Route 9D in Beacon. Elant at Fishkill partnered with Birchez Associates for the development of this facility and to provide health care in the communities they already serve.

The facility would provide 62 one-bedroom and 10 two-bedroom apartments for low-income seniors. The cost of buying into the community had not yet been determined.

The main building will consist of apartments, amenities and nursing offices. Two separate cottage-style buildings will provide for more apartments. All 72 apartments will be handicapped-accessible and meet the standards set forth by the American With Disabilities Act.

Amenities will include a theater, media room, community room, game room and a library.

Registered nurses and athletic trainers on the premises will provide care weekly with no additional charge to residents.
“We continue to push the envelope to provide amenities that make this home,” Aaron said.

The facility’s design is also intended to provide energy efficiency to reduce costs. A similar design at The Birches of Esopus in Ulster County was awarded a 2010 New York State Energy Research and Development Agency’s Award for Excellence.

“There are certainly not many models of affordable independent living in the country,” Aaron said.

Currently there is demand in the Fishkill community for 1,169 units of independent senior living apartments based on the waiting lists for similar facilities. The Birches at Fishkill would ease this demand, Aaron said.

The project recently was awarded $1.4 million from the Federal Home Loan Bank of America and its member Rhinebeck Savings Bank.

The grant will help fund the construction, which is expected to begin in the fall pending final approvals.

Seniors Finalists – The Birches at Esopus

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

SPECIAL FOCUS

Readers’ Choice Finalists

AFFORDABLE HOUSING FINANCE • July/August 2010

The Birches at Esopus is one of four national finalists for Senior housing in the magazine’s annual Readers’ Choice competition. The excerpt for The Birches at Esopus follows.

ULSTER PARK, N.Y.— The Birches at Esopus is the first affordable housing community in the town of Esopus, an area encompassing 40 square miles with about 9,500 residents.

Overlooking the Hudson River, the new development provides 80 one- and two-bedroom apartments for seniors earning no more than 50 percent and 60 percent of the area median income.

Birchez Associates, LLC, an experienced Hudson Valley affordable housing developer, built an amenity-rich development where residents can age in place, says Steven Aaron, managing member.

Eight units are handicapped accessible, and all units are handicapped ready with roll-in showers installed. All units have emergency pull cords so seniors can call for help.

The development encourages an active lifestyle, with ample outdoor and community space. An exercise studio is staffed with a fitness coach. Understanding that isolation is a common issue for seniors, Birchez Associates also funds a senior advocate to lend a sympathetic ear and guide residents on services.

To assist in the residents’ heath-care needs, the firm has teamed with nonprofit Elant, Inc., on the “Nurse Is In” program, which brings a nurse to the property for regular office hours.

The development is also notable for its green design. It has been recognized by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority for achieving more than 30 percent savings over the state energy codes. Solar panels provide about 70 percent of the domestic hot water for the building and 40 percent of the heat.

The $18 million development was funded largely by bonds from the New York State Housing Finance Agency, enhanced by the State of New York Mortgage Agency and low-income housing tax credits syndicated by First Sterling.

Additional financing partners include the New York State Housing Trust Fund through the Division of Housing and Community Renewal and the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York. The town of Esopus and Birchez also contributed to the deal. —Donna Kimura for Affordable Housing Finance; Photo: John Halpern

Developer: Birchez Associates, LLC
Architect: Kurzon Architects
Major Funders: New York State Housing Finance Agency; First Sterling; New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal; State of New York Mortgage Agency; Federal Home Loan Bank of New York; the Town of Esopus

Affordable, sustainable senior housing in Kingston

Saturday, July 10th, 2010

By: Beth Croughan for YNN News, Hudson Valley

KINGSTON, N.Y. — “We’ve met lots of friends, we have lots of fun.” click here for the video

Clara McGill has lived at the Birches at Chambers with her husband for the past two months. And her experience has been more than she expected. ”I’ve rented most of my life and I’ve never seen anything so beautiful, it’s beautiful. And it has everything,” McGill said.

Everything, for just about $770 a month. The 66-unit apartment complex is one of Ulster County’s newest in affordable housing.

“People’s incomes have dropped who perhaps have put money away for retirement and perhaps they’re forced out of their houses or apartments because they can’t pay market rent. People are living longer and the baby boomers are coming of age. So it’s a significant need,” said Steve Aaron of Birchez Associates.

And while the newest of Steve Aaron’s four affordable senior housing complexes tries to fill that need, it also aims to meet others. According to Michael Colgrove, a representative from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, “this building will use about 25 percent less energy then had it been built with normal construction practices.”

The main building in the complex was recognized as being a New York Energy Smart building. It also qualifies for Platinum LEED certification, which is the highest achievement in sustainable construction. ”Which makes it a building that has been adhering to best practices is the type of mechanical equipment that’s used. For example the boiler is high efficiency boiler that modulates, it has a brain to it so to speak,” said Joseph Malcarne, an energy consultant.

The building also features a radiant heating system in the floors and plans are in place to install solar panels to heat the buildings water supply and offset some electricity costs.

“This construction shows that it can be done, you can meet the highest standards of environmental construction while still building affordable housing,” said Ulster County Executive Mike Hein.

And for resident Clara McGill, green meant much more than just lowering her electric costs.

“The trees, the flowers, everything is so beautiful,” McGill said.

NYSERDA Recognizes Birchez Associates Outstanding Sustainability Efforts

Friday, July 9th, 2010

Birchez Associates is constantly pushing itself to stay on the forefront of sustainable building practices. But what does that mean?

Simply put, sustainability is all about keeping energy consumption in line with energy resources. And thanks to solar thermal panels at two Birches communities — Esopus and soon-to-be-installed at Chambers — the company has been recognized for their efforts. (Click here for video on sustainability.)

On July 8, at the official dedication ceremony of The Birches at Chambers, Birchez Associates was presented with a plaque from Michael Colgrove, the Director of Energy Programs with the New York State Energy & Development Agency, or NYSERDA. The building in the Town of Ulster is expected to use over 40 percent less energy than a building constructed under normal practices. This number is an improvement over the energy savings found at The Birches at Esopus, which uses 30 percent less energy than a typically constructed project, a no less impressive feat.

“Not only does that mean lower energy bills for all the tenants who live here, but also a much more comfortable environment to live in as well,” said Colgrove as he handed the plaque over to Steve Aaron, the founder and managing member of Birchez Associates.

The panels at The Birches at Esopus provide 30 percent of the building’s heat, and a whopping 70 percent of the energy for the building’s domestic hot water. And it’s expected that The Birches at Chambers will go beyond the already high bar set by Esopus.

“It’s NYSERDA’s mission to provide incentives to folks like Steven who have the vision and the dedication to the environment to make these steps, to go out of the box and do things that other people are not doing,” said Colgrove, who declared that The Birches at Chambers would join its predecessor at Esopus as a New York Energy $mart building. “Because of their effort they’ve earned somewhere around a $200,000 grant from NYSERDA for this effort.”