Viridian - Viridian Achieves Gold Signature Certification From Audubon International

ARLINGTON, TEXAS, February 16, 2015 -- Viridian, the 2,000-acre, award-winning, master-planned community in North Arlington, has been named as a "Certified Gold Signature Sanctuary" by Audubon International. The certification is awarded only to new developments that are not only designed and constructed, but also maintained according to Audubon International's standards for planning and environmental stewardship.

The gold level is the highest level of certification and is reserved for projects complying with Audubon International's most exacting of these standards.

Viridian is one of the largest infill master-planned communities in the country developed in the last several years. If offers homes priced from the $225s to over $1 million, and offers a broad range of home types, including town homes, zero lot line homes, and detached single family and estate homes.

Viridian's certification is the end result of innovative development methods designed to use flood control areas to enhance and preserve wildlife habitats. Fifty percent of Viridian has been restored and set aside for perpetuity as open space.

"Viridian represents our commitment to creating communities while preserving and honoring the environment," said Robert Kembel, president of JCKPL. "We are very pleased to have earned Gold Audubon International Signature Sanctuary certification and are proud they have recognized the time and work we have invested in building a community like Viridian," he continued.

Audubon International confirmed Viridian's certification following a thorough on-site examination of the community by the staff of Audubon International. "This is an exceptional achievement," said Nancy Richardson, director of Audubon International's Signature Program. "Only new developments that strictly adhere to Audubon International's precise planning standards and environmental disciplines are awarded Signature certification."

Audubon International will monitor Viridian to guarantee new sections of the community continue to adhere to Audubon's strict principles of environmental sustainability, and will conduct an annual recertification audit at Viridian.

"Throughout the building process, Viridian's developers have paid particular attention to sustainability and environmental issues," said Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck. "This can be seen in the design of the development; technology used to handle stormwater; water conservation efforts and plantings. The City of Arlington is proud of Viridian and what they have achieved and we are excited about this latest honor for one of Arlington's premier neighborhoods," he continued.

Some specific measures taken to achieve Audubon International Signature Sanctuary Gold certification include:

Natural Areas and Wildlife

• Half of Viridian's 2,000 acres are or will be in protected natural areas
• Protected natural areas include bottomland hardwoods, wetlands, grasslands, lakes and shores, two streams, and the West Fork Trinity River
• Current and future restoration work includes planting emergent wetlands and native Texas trees
• Lake Viridian and nearby ponds are stopover habitat for ducks, grebes, herons, egrets, shorebirds, and other waterfowl and water birds
• Exceeds City of Arlington standards for pollution prevention (SWPP) during construction
• Exceeds City of Arlington standards in using retrofitted hydrodynamic separators for sediment and phosphorus removal
• Future development will manage stormwater with treatment train technology to protect water quality

Water and Solid Waste Conservation

• Use drought-resistant plants and perennials
• Use drip irrigation system in all boulevards
• Common open space irrigation is automated and calibrated to rainfall
• Irrigation water drawn from the lakes and replenished by runoff, infiltration, and groundwater
• Ongoing monitoring of irrigation and participation in recycling indicates over 99% of households do not over-irrigate and 70-80% of households recycle

Transportation and Energy

• Located adjacent to commuter rail
• LED lighting on key streets
• Community center built to high energy efficiency standards
• Home-builders achieve high energy efficiency ratings for their units

Turf and Integrated Pest Management

• Turf management addresses high salinity and carbonates in soil with adjustments to irrigation and soil amendments
• Only four pesticides are used to control white grubs and fire ants, all with low toxicity
• One combination herbicide-fertilizer is used (phosphate only)

Partnership and Outreach

• Protected natural areas eventually will be owned by the Viridian Municipal Management District and River Legacy (part of the City of Arlington)
• Several miles of trail connect to River Legacy Park's trail system
• City of Arlington collects water quality data at several locations in and near Viridian as part of its city-wide stormwater monitoring program
• The Resource Advisory Committee includes, in addition to biologists and other natural resource specialists, City of Arlington and River Legacy staff

About Viridian

The Viridian community includes Viridian Elementary School and the Viridian Lake Club, which offers an array of family-focused swimming and entertainment programs.

Certification of Viridian as a Gold Audubon International Signature Sanctuary is the most recent achievement earned by Viridian and JCKPL.

The Greater Fort Worth Builders Association recently recognized JCKPL as Developer of the Year for 2014, and Viridian recently won several sales and marketing awards from the Texas Association of Builders. Viridian was selected as the site for the Greater Fort Worth Builders Association 2014 Kaleidoscope of Homes®.

About Audubon International

Audubon International is a non-profit environmental education organization with certification programs for businesses, golf, schools, hotels, and communities. More details here.

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