Saddlehorn meets with workers, explains 'green'

By ALEX STRICKLANDBigfork Eagle

They may have shown up for the beer, but a crowd of about seventy workers from the Saddlehorn project were given a crash course on what it means to be "green."Doug Averill, Saddlehorn's developer, said he called the meeting in an attempt to get the on-the-ground workers at the project to gain a better understanding of green building and the type of low-impact project Saddlehorn is designed to be."We put into the plan a lot of things we thought any good Montanan would do," he said, arguing that outdoors-loving Montanans were the best "environmentalists."Averill and his team of builders, architects and consultants have molded Saddlehorn into what some consider to be the premier green building project in the country, if not the world. Low impact building methods, energy efficient home designs and a long list of environmentally friendly decisions from recycling to responsible road construction have contributed to the green reputation.And, Averill said, while it isn't easy being green, it's the only way to go if you want to have investors back the project."That's the first thing they look for now," he said.The project has the only Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified builder in Montana onboard and has caught the attention of international programs and their leaders.Bozeman-based consultant and past president of the World Green Building Council, Kath Williams, has acted as a consultant on the project and spoke briefly at last week's meeting.Williams explained to the crowd that LEED and green building was begun in Bozeman and has spread around the world before really coming back to Montana."I found out the whole world was watching Montana," she said of the formation of the U.S. Green Building Council and LEED.Williams stressed the need for sustainable communities and said that in many ways sustainability was rooted in survivalist instinct.Clint Walker, a spokesman for Saddlehorn, said the project's emphasis wasn't so much on doing things the "green" way so much as the right way. It just happens that doing things correctly are often environmentally friendly, he said.Saddlehorn employs a sustainability officer, Casey Dudley, who can certify the LEED building process. For a portion of the project to get certified, Dudley can't just look at the finished home or building to determine its compliance; he has to be along for the ride, watching to ensure the whole process had adhered to LEED standards."Only individual aspects of a project can be certified," Walker said. "We can't say this is a LEED project, because there is no such thing."The project is, however, being documented by Williams and Dudley as a sort of template for the establishment of a green rural community. Thus far, Walker said, only suburban developments have been certified by LEED.Because the project could one day be certified as guidelines change and incorporate more types of developments, Walker said it's important that many of the processes are implemented now.Because the process is so important, the Saddlehorn Discovery Tower in downtown Bigfork couldn't be certified because the construction was already too far along, Walker said. To gain LEED certification, the process must be OK'd from the foundation on up.One part of the project Saddlehorn is looking to make an example of is the welcome house, a reconstructed 100 year old log house that will serve as a kind of entryway and welcome point to the community. For that structure, Walker said, Saddlehorn is trying to obtain LEED's platinum certification, something he said only a handful of buildings around the country have done."In the nation, you could count the number of platinum certified buildings on one hand," he said.Saddlehorn's commitment to preserving the ideals of the "Old West," which includes going green, has encouraged them to explore going one step further and gaining institute status for the project."It would be in terms of educating people on the character of the old west and preserving," Walker said. "We'd be acting as a curator for the image of the cowboy and the western pioneer-themed life."Walker said there would also be courses in things like botany and sustainable initiatives and that some instructors have already been hired for a program this summer.But no matter how many classes are being taught or how many certifications the project has garnered, Saddlehorn is still a development and selling homesites and homes is paying the bills.Walker said sales for 2007 were below expectations, but still strong compared to similar developments around Montana. Walker said Saddlehorn had 21 closings on 2007, nine short of their goal of 30. "We couldn't physically sell property until the end of August because we were waiting for final plat approval," he said.But despite that shortage, Walker said other high-end community resorts like The Club at Spanish Peaks near Bozeman and The Wilderness Club near Eureka were far below that number for the same time frame. The next closest development had five closings, he said."When we looked at it that way, we did really well," he said. "And they all have current amenities their residents can enjoy now."Among the slated amenities for Saddlehorn is an equestrian arena and a remodeled marina in Woods Bay.