Posts Tagged ‘Ulster County’

Birchwood Village: Take the Video Tour

Thursday, February 23rd, 2012

Birchwood Village recently invited potential residents to an Open House. If you were unable to make it, you can take a brief tour here.

Property Manager, Patrice Steigler, welcomes you and shows off not only a three bedroom apartment, but also some of the amenities: community room and laundry room among them.

Opened in 2006, Birchwood Village is well maintained and during the  tour some potential residents remarked that the two- and three-bedroom units looked brand new! In addition to full time maintenance on site, 24/7 emergency maintenance is also provided. Heat and hot water are included in the state-capped rents.

Centrally located near the malls, major employers, schools and churches, Birchwood Village also offers a bus stop for CitiBus so residents can get around the City or connect to UCAT (Ulster County Area Transit).

If you are a Veteran, make sure to check out our Veteran Preference Policy. In addition to the townhouse, 2 story style, there are also some first floor units for handicapped accessibility.

For more information, please call 845-331-8232 for your personal tour. And you may download the preliminary application on this site (go to the Contact tab). Patrice looks forward to hearing from you.

Valentines from loving hands

Monday, February 13th, 2012

Seniors give to other Seniors

Pictured is one of two hundred Valentine cards made by The Birchez at Esopus Crafts Club.

Birches at Esopus resident and crafter Barbara Fidow shows off a card.

For the last several weeks, a dedicated group of crafters at The Birches at Esopus have handcrafted some two hundred Valentine’s Day cards. And where have they directed Cupid’s arrows? The Golden Hill Health Care Center, Ulster County’s nursing home, located off the Boulevard in Kingston. Started 65 years ago, Golden Hill provides both rehabilitation services and long-term health care.

A range of materials were creatively incorporated in these one of kind cards. Ribbons, jewels, doilies, wallpaper, whatever these clever crafters had at hand. Designs varied from whimsical to modern, something for everyone’s tastes.

According to Crafts Club member Marie Shultis, this is the third year the Esopus seniors have created Valentine’s Day cards for the seniors at Golden Hill. “If we had one thing to do over, we would have started earlier,” she said. But with a new target of 200 cards this year, their highest to date, they made it with a few days to spare.

Some Birches at Esopus Crafts Club members in the final stretch (seated: Janis Loring, Rae Skinner, Barbara Fidow, Ruby Sterling,
standing: Senior Advocate for Birchez Associates communities Alice Tipp.)

At Golden Hill, Marie Shultis tells Resident Virginia Burhans how the card was made; Ruby Sterling looks on.

On Friday, February 10th, a contingent of the crafters met with a few residents of Golden Hill to present the cards. The intent is that the cards could be used to brighten the resident’s room or to give to a loved one.

Golden Hill resident Ralph Hayner shows off his pick as Ruby Sterling and Barbara Fidow smile with approval.

As The Birches at Esopus group chatted with the residents, there was some sharing of techniques and materials used. Marie Shultis talked about some exacting measurements used in various crafts to make sure the results look as best as possible. Looking at the results, one might even say professional!

(More text below photos.)

Resident Ken Hyatt has his choice of cards presented by Janis Loring and Marie Shultis.

The Crafts Clubs keep busy year ’round at both The Birches at Esopus and The Birches at Chambers. Chambers has had two annual collaborative events knitting hats for children with cancer.

At Esopus, the crafts room has shown off holiday gifts ranging from cards, kissing balls, knitted scarves and hats, and at this time of year, lots of red cards.

Every now and then the public gets a chance to check out the crafts at The Birches at Esopus. Last year, during the Town of Esopus Fall Festival, the tour bus made a stop at this senior affordable community so interested purchasers could browse the Crafts Club’s creations. We’ll let you know when the seniors have newly created crafts to share.

The Birches gets ‘green’ recognition

Friday, July 15th, 2011

KINGSTON — As Ulster County’s population ages and energy resources grow scarcer and more expensive, there will be a need for more affordable housing, especially for those on a fixed income and the working public.

The Birches at Chambers in the town of Ulster is a 62-unit senior affordable housing complex and is the first multi-unit facility in the Hudson Valley to be given a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) award for its green building technology.

Willie Janeway, regional director for the state Department of Environmental Conservation, said that as housing remains in demand for baby boomers and the workforce, The Birches at Chambers fits the bill.

“The state is encouraging and doing all it can to support housing such as the housing we are celebrating today that is affordable for seniors and is also built ‘green,’” he said.

Steve Aaron, founder and managing partner of Birchez Associates, which operated The Birches at Chambers, thanked U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-Hurley, and Ulster  County Executive Michael Hein for helping to create a climate that’s conducive to going green on a mass scale.

Hein, in turn, praised Aaron’s efforts to combine pressing needs to build more affordable housing that have minimal impact on the environment.

“It’s an enormous undertaking that you’re meeting the highest standards of building (technology),” Hein said.

Hear Us Live, talking about LEED Platinum

Thursday, July 14th, 2011

Kingston, NY. MyKCR hosts Fred Wadnola (Chairman of the Ulster County Legislature) and Fred Teetsel (Former Alderman, City of Kingston) welcomed Steve Aaron, Founder & Managing Member of Birchez Associates LLC and K.J. McIntyre, Director of Marketing. Fred Wadnola, who was a guest at the presentation of the LEED Platinum award to The Birches at Chambers on Monday, opened the program with his comments on how impressed he was that this certification, the only multifamily in the Hudson Valley, had come to Ulster County.

Steve Aaron and K.J. McIntyre spelled out what it took to achieve LEED Platinum and how few affordable communities have received it.  To hear the radio broadcast, click here and hit listen. The broadcast starts about 5 minutes in and lasts for a little more than 20 minutes and we suggest you turn up your sound especially in the beginning. MyKCR (Kingston Community Radio) broadcasts from 7am to 9am each weekday on WGHQ 920AM.

Maurice Hinchey salutes Hudson Valley LEED Platinum award winner

Tuesday, July 12th, 2011

Kingston, NY, 7-11-2011  At a panel on “Green Housing & The Baby Boomers,” U.S. Representative Maurice Hinchey (D-NY 22nd District) spoke of the significance of healthy green buildings, especially so when it is provided at the affordable senior housing level. At the presentation held at The Birches at Chambers, Hinchey spoke with pride that his district now has a LEED Platinum award winner in the multifamily category, the only one in the Hudson Valley.

Hinchey is shown here with Steven L. Aaron, the Founder and Managing Member of Birchez Associates LLC, the developer and management company for The Birches at Chambers. Hinchey addressed an audience of elected officials, business and civic leaders during the presentation at Birchez’ latest senior community in the town of Ulster.

The event, “Green Housing & The Baby Boomers” covered issues of health and dignity for seniors, especially with the start of the  impact of the burgeoning Baby Boomer wave upon the country and the county. Hinchey honed in on how important LEED Platinum is to The Birches at Chambers, a 66-unit community adjacent to Chambers Court, the 72-unit original Birchez’ senior housing community completed just seven years ago.

The Birches at Chambers is now in an elite international group that has achieved LEED Platinum, developed by the US Green Building Council. The largest East Coast affordable low-rise multi-family housing project, this is the third largest in the US or Canada to earn this certification. Additionally, The Birches at Chambers is:

  • One of only five multi-family Platinum projects in the state of NY.
  • Third largest affordable project in the state of NY.
  • Ninth largest low or mid rise multi-family (including custom and market rate) in the US and Canada.
  • Only multifamily project in the Hudson Valley to achieve LEED Platinum.

In addition to using local workers on the construction, Aaron pointed out the local sourcing of the solar panels which both helps the local economy and decreases the use of fossil fuels in transporting materials.

Other panelists were Greg Watson, Assistant Commissioner for Regional Affairs, NYS Homes and Community Renewal (NYS HCR), William C.  ”Willie” Janeway, Region III Director, Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Michael Hein, Ulster County Executive Officer, LaMar Hasbrouck, MD, MPH, Director of Public and Mental Health for Ulster County, Joseph Malcarne, LEED AP, member of the US Green Building Council and President of Malcarne Contracting, and the host of the event, Steven L. Aaron, Founder and Managing Member of Birchez Associates.

Following the panelists remarks and the presentation of the LEED Platinum award to Steve Aaron and his wife Judy who contributed to design work (both interior and exterior), attendees were treated to tours of the building including mechanical rooms to see how the solar thermal  and photovoltaic panels, high efficiency condensing boilers and state of the art circulating pumps all came together to help towards the LEED Platinum designation.

The tours of the building included the fitness studio with a specially trained senior fitness instructor, crafts room, library/game room, computer lab, and much appreciated on a hot day, the state of the art theater which cooled visitors after spending time in the warmth of the mechanical room. To the left is a partial view of the array of solar thermal and photovoltaic panels on the roof of the main 62-unit building which received the award. (LEED Gold was attained for the cottage units and caretaker’s home.)

County Executive Mike Hein Meets with Senior Residents

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

Town of Ulster, 8/30/2010: Mike Hein joined the Senior Residents of The Birches at Chambers in their Community Room for a lively and informative discussion on senior resources and programs that are available through Ulster County. “Too often these resources are untapped, and the people who need them the most don’t know how to tap into services,” said Hein. (Alice is shown to the right of Mike Hein in the lead photo.)

Organizer of today’s event is Alice Tipp, the Senior Advocate for Birchez Associates, who services their four affordable senior communities in Ulster County. Alice works to coordinate services with the over 325 seniors who live at The Birches at Chambers, The Birches at Esopus, The Birches at Saugerties, and Chambers Court. Alice Tipp served as a county legislator for thirty years and is not shy in getting the right resources to “her” residents. “I am delighted that the County Executive took the time to be with us today. His enthusiasm is contagious and I know we all learned a great deal today,” said Ms. Tipp. Also welcoming Mike Hein were Steve and Judy Aaron the principals of Birchez Associates who built and manage The Birches at Chambers.

The Q&A portion of the program hit some topics outside the scope of strictly senior resources. Mike Hein in response to questions about taxes spoke of the need to consolidate services that are now duplicated between towns and the county. Following the formal presentation, the County Executive had the opportunity to speak briefly with many residents. Included was Joe Vanacore, a World War II Vet, who is concerned about the level of veterans’ benefits especially as he is dependent on a wheelchair these days. (Joe was recently featured in the book The Liberators: America’s Witnesses to the Holocaust by Michael Hirsh for his work with General Patton’s Tank Corps in liberating death camps in Germany.)

Harold Schumann, another resident, spent eleven years bouncing from hospitals to nursing homes before finding the appropriate ADA compliant, fully handicapped accessible home at The Birches at Chambers. He spoke to the County Executive about how happy he is now that he’s settled in his own apartment.

The Birchez Associates website, www.Birchez.com, has links on their communities pages to the resources Mike Hein spoke of in the Ulster County Care program, in addition to a variety of senior related, local recreational, historic sites, and more. To visit one of the links pages, click here.

Editor’s Note: Michael P. Hein, Ulster County Executive, was one of the presenters at the dedication of The Birches at Chambers on July 8th. For a video of his remarks, click here.

Esopus senior housing project up for award

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

Published: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 ESOPUS — The Birches at Esopus is one of three developments financed by state of New York housing agencies* to be named finalists in Affordable Housing Finances’ sixth annual Reader’s Choice Awards.

The Birches at Esopus is the first affordable housing community for senior citizens in the town of Esopus and provides 80 energy-efficient apartments for low-income seniors. Units are accessible to people with disabilities, and the development includes outdoor and community space, craft and media rooms, an exercise studio and an on-site nursing program, which provides services like physical and speech therapy, health and wellness programs and health aides.

Nationwide, 33 projects were chosen from 140 nominations on the criteria of community impact, cost-effective or innovative design or construction, and energy-efficient and sustainable development.

The other New York finalists are the Atlantic Avenue Residence, a 107-unit development in Brooklyn; and the 24-unit Nelson Hopkins Apartments, the Elizabeth Pierce Olmsted Center for the Visually Impaired, in Lockport, near Buffalo.

The winners will be announced at the 2010 Affordable Housing Developer’s Summit in November in Chicago.           Photo and asterick information added for website.

* nyhomes and DHCR (Division of Housing & Community Renewal)

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.