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2h Environmental Excellence Awa CITYOF 690 Cky Center Drive PO Box 147 Minnesota 55317 Phone 952.937.1900 General Fax 952.937.5739 Department Fax' 952.937.9152 Buildi,g Depam, e,t Fax' 952.934.2524 Web Site wwu:ci, cha,/;asse,, mn. us MEMORANDUM TO: FROM: DATE: Todd Gerhardt, Acting City Manager Jill Sinclair, Environmental Resource Specialist January 10, 2002 SUBJ: Environmental Excellence Awards At their regular meeting on January 9t'", the Environmental Commission reviewed the applications for the 2001 Environmental Excellence Award. The commission requests that the City Council select the award winners. They have the following recommendations for the City Council: Category A- Residential (individual or neighborhoods): 1. John and ReM Dragseth 2. Elaine and John Malakowsky 3. Jennifer and Marcus Zbinden Category B -. Business or Commercial: 1. General Mills, Chanhassen Plant 2. Bridal Beginnings Category C - Community Groups and Organizations, Schools: 1. St. Hubert's Catholic Church Based on the final decisions of the council, the awards will be presented by the City Council at their January' 28 meeting. Winners in Categories A and C will receive a $50 check. Category B winners will receive a plaque made from recycled materials. All recipients will be given window clings showing the Environmental Excellence Award logo and the word 'winner'. Staff Recommendation Staff recommends that the City Council approve the nominees noted above as winners of the 2001 Environmental Excellence Award. Attachments 2001 Environmental Excellence Award Applications 1. John and ReM Dragseth 2. Elaine and John Malakowsky 3. Jennifer and Marcus Zbinden 4. General Mills, Chanhassen Plant 5. Bridal Beginnings 6. St. Hubert's Catholic Church Environmental Excellence Award etc, ~002 Pag~ ~ of 6 $. Sreward~h/p Examples: Volunteering on behalf of the environment, environment advocacy, educational programs, rec. 4. Other Examples: Znnovotive solutions to environmental problems. ENITIR ONMENTAL EXCELLENCE A ~/ARD APPLICATION FORM ARlolication Deadline: Deeemfier 31, 2001 Address or' Location of Entry: ~o'o ~~ Contoct Per,on: Phone Number: Dote Submitted: Ca'l'egor'y:A ~f C~tego~y g, (business nome) certifies that it is in compliance with ~11 city, state, and federal regulations. Activity Description: htfn'/lwww, ci.cha n hassen, m n. us/env% 20excel%20awa rd, htm i2/31/2001 12/31/2001 18'37 FAX 612 288 9713 Environmental Excellence Award FISH & RICHARDSON ~003 Pacje 6 of 6 (Additional narratives, photos, or other formats to describe project ore encouraged. Ail documentation will be returned upon request) Release of Information The City of Chanhassen and the Chanhassen Chamber of Commerce reserve the fight to use winning entries for promotional pt~rposes thro_ ~h~e.wspaper articles, tours, or other means. I agree to allow the city to publish my add/~n~~, '" the project. This release is m~ly valid for wirming / Signature(- ~/' h~.o: l/www, cj. chanhassen.mn, us/env%20excel %20award. htm 12/31/2001 FISH & RICHARDSON ~004 2001 APPLICATION Residence ~ 2600 Forest Avenue- John & Ren~ Dragseth ' [2/31/2001 18:37 FAX 612 288 9713 FISH & RICHARDSON ~005 CI,,IANI.IASSEN EN¥1RONMENTAL EXCELI,ENCE AWARD © Joh~ md Rena' Dragseth 2600 Forcst Avenue Excelsior (Chanhassea~), Minnesota 55331 FISH & RICHARDSON ~006 Introduction SECTION 1 Overview SECTION 2 Site Plan and Layout ~ECTION 3 Project Mana[lemo.t SECTION 4 Buildin~l E.¥elope -~nd Mater|al5 SECTION Mechanical System~; 10 SECTION 6 Home Automation and Electronics 12 SECTION 7 14 [2/31/2001 18:37 FAX 612 288 9713 FISH & RICHARDSON ~007 ~t Ne~v Approach to Hometmi/dmg Charxhassen is a community wkh a wide mix o£ housing stock. From origi~at farmhouses ro lakeshore residences to lO0-house dcvcloptnents, &c dE!/ contains ~11 types of homes. It is necessary m -allow proper~y owners to build the type of hous/ng that they prefer, bat still encourage th_em to build enexg7- cffidenr homes chat fit in v-ell ~vith the ex/sting environment. Ir was our goal, hq_ approaching thc construction of ot~r first home, to identify ways in which we could bu/ld &e home wc wanted with a rvinimal disruption to the bu/lds~g site, to fl~e. ne/ghbofl~ood, and to the environmerxt m general. Often~ enviromr~ental efforts are too ambitious. Like the person who exercises for two hours each day soon after New Years Day but quickly stops because the pace/s too t/fin& extreme building projects often work well on a small sca/e but/nvotve too much effo~ and expense for mvaxy people to adopt over the long-ha~l. Ttmt is wlW we do not see many houses that ~e made out of hay b,-des or are operated entirely fi:om so -lin- For o'ttr project, we wanted to identify exreaxsive, but rc,-disfic, oppoz~mifies m help the emdron.ment. Out go~l in bugding a new home was to make derisions r_hat pzo,~4dcd fl~e most benefit for the envkomnent~ However, we wanted to produce a home kXe most othem m the commm~ity, and we did nor want to take on any work that recb&ed special sldlls. We generally followed the maxdm that 80% of the benefit from a project can be ad'fieved with only 20% of the cffozz; the importance is m identifying the appropmte 20% on which to focus one's energy. We believe that the app.roach we followed is significant becatue it c,-m be replicated by other homeowners r_hroughout flx¢ cormnunity, and as a result, could produce extensive benefits for the local envitonmmlt. 'llzts application is organized according to the major COlnponenrs of om-building plan each of which was analyzed so as to find ways to help r_he environment. 71xese components include: · Site Pl~nnh~g and Layout · Project Manzgement , Bu{lding Envelop¢ and M.~tm_ials · Mechm'Hcal Systems · Home Aatom2tion mhd E]ectrordcs · Landscaping In d~2s application, we discuss each of dxe ways m which we m2de decisions before 2nd dum~ construction in a manner that ,,vas benefici~ to the en~AJ:onment. In gener~ each decision was made independendy of the others, so ti-mt or_her people tqrmg to learn f-rom our exq?edence cotdd implement any one oz 2 combination of idc~s m ttzis application. 21~¢se decisions include: Locating d~e home and &ivcway in a rrm~mer tlmt mmm4zes disruption to ~r~tu_re trees, ~rmintmns e:dsting cir,qinage pattems~ provides buffer for wetL-mds, and minimizes d~e visual effect of the project on the ndghborhood. M,'magLng thc project to prevent disruption of trees, to mzxhnize recycling of building rr2tefi~s, md to achieve s~vings dxat allow additional spending on energy efficiency. · Seleclmg low-maintenance and energy-efficient building matermls, inck~dmg bamboo floor{rog. Selecting mechanical sysmms that prodnce comfortable heating (d~:ough radiant heating and localized heating) and cooling without using much energy. · Designing a. home automation system that encourages residents to work (and pl~y) from home and tt~ercby bum less gasoline. - lKetmrfing any clisrupted land to a form better than d~e ombqn~ and prov/cling extensive natural, native planhngs. Each of these points is not difficult to address, but they are often overlooked/n many bm2ding projects, tither because they are seen by ~e builder as a disu:action or as a bad economic decision. 2-hey are neither, however, ,-md we hope that we have shown it through our project, 2/31/2001 18'37 FAX 612 288 9713 FISH & RICHARDSON ~009 Our home site offered both m'xique oppommifies and tmique challenges. It is a three-acre parceI bordered on the North side by four lots~each about one act-c---on which homes ~¢ere built from 20 years ago to 100 years ago. The lot is bordered on the East by anoflaer large lot. Access to the tot is from the West, on a dead-end street that rmas down the *Vest edge of flxe lot to Hertnan Field P,-ur_k. 'fl2e Southern portion of the lot is wctlmxd that extends into and abuts the Notch edge of Minnewashta Re~onal Park (see Figure 1, below). L~I Lot ~ ~ [ ~ ~., =.~. c =~;.~ = .... · . . .'~.~ ' / 5 I _ ~., ~ ~ ..... ~ j' ~ bler~n Field P~rk Mlnnew~ht~ ~eglon~l P~rk F~m~te 1, 21~e challenges were raised because our lot was tlxe only undeveloped lot in an established neighbodaood. Tlxerefore, any dcvdopmet2t had to be respectf-~ of dxe ~OlO existing neighbor_hood. 11.~e oppo=tuaities came 6om the fact ttmt the lot -,vas very ]m-ge, mosdy woode4 and kad no development to the Soud~ and West. The first positive enviroamental decision that we tried to make was J_n the siting of our borne. Becanse the Southern portion o£ the lot was wetland, we were compclled to locate the borne h~ the North I~alf of thc lot Given that reso=ic6on, tl~e most rational choice economically would have been to place tl, e home nc~r dxe Northeast or No.rd~wesr comer of the lot, so that one or more additional homes could be built on d~e lot in the future. The Northeast location w~ bad environmentally, how¢~ver, for several reasons. Fkst, it was or~ lower grocmd arid would have required addition~ backfill. Second~ the Northeast corner of the lot provides clraimge for the lots to r_he North, so that any constrnction and fill would have affected that ck~inage. Third, the two lY/estcrrm~ost border_hag lots to the North ~re largely grass, md therefore drahx quickly towmrd the wetLqnd---~ bad result environjnentally. The Northeast portion of our lot promdes a buffer before the drainage from the North r~ches thc wet,nd, mad thus prevents runoff {rom entering the wedand quickly. The No~hwesr comer of the lot also presented environmental problems. Akhough it would t-rove been dxe least expensive area in wt~ic_h to build because access to Ce lot is fi'om the \Wesn. it .~o cont~ed thc most subsrmadal tree growtta on the lot, Fut-~hennore, it too provides a buffer between the lo~ to the North mad the wethnd. Finally, btRldmg on d~e x77estem portion of r_he lot xvould chra~ge the way in which the lot looked Rom the rest of thc ne/ghbod~ood. In p~ticular, tomy people access Hermmx Field Park a~d MLm~ew~shm Regional P~k from the street on the IX/est edge of our lot; and we d/d not want ro ch,rage r_heir u-ce-lined walk into one in xvt~i& tlxey faced a new home. _As a resuk, we located dxe house in the middle of rite lot, as shown in the sim pL~ in Figure 2. We identified a portion of d~e property that was L~rgely brash md smxmc, ~nd cid not require us to cur down many estnblished trees. Moreover, we spaced the house E~om e::ist{ng nmtu~e trees so ~ ro mi~hx~ize fl~e stress that the projec~ woo_Id place on dxose trees. We also picked the =ea so that the house would require minimal movemm:t o£ soil', as a resuk, few trees were disturbed and the narcu~al drainage was rrfi~hxazdly affected. The positioning of our home at irs para,dar location was also important. We located the home relative to mature oak, rrmple, and other deddnous trees so ttmr the home is largely shaded h~ the Surrm~er, but receives extensive sunlight m thc winter. We also placed the home so that thc whxdows on the back o£ the house--mclu~qi~g clerestory x~hadows that rake in extra sunlight--face South. _As a rzsulq the home en}oys extensive passive solar benefits. 2/31/2001 18'37 FAX 612 288 9713 FISH & RICHARDSON ~011 Lot ~t :tiP_ Lo't a:3 Lo-t; Her'man Field P6rk Mlnn~,wa~:h'ta P..eglonal. P o.r'k Fi_~e 1. Lot xx4flx Home, Lines_of Topog~.phy and Selected Tt.¢es hnportanfly, we also b~filt a rambler and sited the house lower m r_he ground flxqn is nonmaL This had two positive envirommeatal consequences. First, a rambler p=oduces less "visual pollution" for the neighborhood than does a two-story home. This is p~-fictzlarly 1;me in a wooded area, where a rambler can nestle down .into the trees. Second, by placing the hol2e lower, wc left less exposed surface, which shotdd enable us to heat md cool the house more easily. Selectiag a location for our driveway presented sim/hr/ssues. Although we could have avoided certain hassles by mnnJ~g the driveway r_hzou~h flxe interior of r}~e propetW., only the North edge of the lot was unwooded. Therefore, we chose to rrm the driveway along the North edge of t_he lot. As a resulg we were able to place r_lze driveway without having ro cut down a substantial number of trees (see Figtzre 3). FISH & RICHARDSON ~012 F'~m-ure 4. Excavotion for Walk-Ou.t Basement (Show~q proximity_ to ttc.e~ Overall, we b_ave sought to leave as much lm~d as possible undisturbed. Placing our home a_nd cldveway in locations that min/mize clisrupdons to rrmmre maes, to c,,isting &ainage systems, md to wetlands sec the stzge for tl4s goal. Landscaping xvt4ch is discussed in Section 7, completed tl4s goal 2/31/2001 18:38 FAX 612 288 9713 FISH & RICHARDSON ~013 While wc believe that most people who build a home could take ninny of the positive environmental, steps that we took our project was p~-fictdar_ly nnique in one major way: we served as our own general contractors. For two peopJe who both work f-ull times, this was a challenge but xve believe. that marly others could do the same md could receive the same benetqrs as we did. For example, by taleng mmxy responsibJlit/es on ot~rselves, we were able to save money that we could use on conservation, including on additional ms=ladon and e_nergy- saving appliances. One area in which we nmnaged the project differently than would a professional contractor was recycling. We were told tlxat we shoald expect to use at least several dampsters to haul away waste from r_he project. Not o~fly does c-ach dumpster tal~e up lnnd211 space, it also requires fuel for the track that hauls the waste, and t/me for the truck driver that could be better spent on something else~-all truly '%-vastc." We reco~m-Azed r_he rrmjority of the bulk/2 the dumpster was cardboard mainly boxes for ckywall compound and or_her things. Therefore, throughout our project we fished ~e cardboaxd boxes out of the dumpster, broke them down so tttey would lie fiat, and brot~ght them for recycling. As a resuk, we did not ~ren fdl up one dmnpster during the project, and were r_hm able to cut the volume of waste by more than 65%. We also found several areas in which we could save money because we were doing r_he xvork ourselves, ,-md could plow r_hat money into addifim~al energy' saving ideas. For example, we ordered .qlmost at1 of our faucets and sinks over the Intemet, getting pzSces lower, th,-m our. plumber could get. We also lea~med that fireplaces have an cnom~ous nmark-up and highm--than-nece.qsary mstall=fion costs. We bought fireplaces at dealer cost and instxlled them ourselves (1/2-day eacl=), and used the savings to p~chase an additional fireplace. We al~o learned dmz radiant flooring is very easy to imst~ll, so we installed it ourselves--saving several thousand dolling. We used the savings to h~creasc our use of insulation (see Section 4), effident radiant and local/zed point heating (see Section 5), and landscaping (see section 7). PISH & RICHARDSON ~014 ' I'll;~' I '11Jl"pIJm'7~'---- ' d' ' ' ~'" 'rllli'U]J' Il 'i" [' '{ /', Id L ,' I;,1 ' ,Ill [.,I/,i, Itt ' ~ 'il[[j I LIIi ,:]1 ,i!I' ,] ::1 Il'il [~,','~;17 '~ : ....... " ....~"' 'llq ,l'l !it:i?!: 'II ,... [,' I! [ ,.'['i'll; ~ll I' 'r.,, [[ ....... ,'~ ""iI ':!i !111,? :1;,1';"", .......... .. ~ .,:...i..,..:. .... ~ Most homeowners ~e able to select their own ~nish bLffldmg mammd~. As a result, Chm~hasscn c~m best cncomage smut eavironmenmI choices by m~ people ~w~e of d~e ~v~ble choices. For e~ple, n~te~nce- ~ee exteriors help ~e em~om~ent hec~ ~cy don't req~e ~e repe~ted ase of s~s, p~n~, o~ o~ez chewers. Even beyond On;~h nmte~, there ~c ad,tonal opposites ~o pick mateL~s d~t ~c ~m~y to d~e en~romnen~both fo~ ~e ins~g of a home md for oth~ ~es m a home. Although b'£irmesom w/th im "category I" dassificarion--rec!uizes extensive insulation by code, there are additional oppommides ro pJ:o~4de even more insulation for a home. For exm~ple, we provided zdclidonal insuhtion for below-grotmd walls even though a walk-out rmnbi.er is inherently energy-efficient by being mosdy below ~ound. %Ye provided insc4ation m the below-ground walls by building false wood w2lls inside t_be concrete block walls, md by insttl~tmg the walls and providing them with a vapor barrier. We also provided additional insulation bdow all of the concrete slabs in the house. As will be discussed in Section 5, dxe house has energy efficient radixnt-12oor hea~g basement ~nd thc garage, \X/hem installing' radiant floo.r sys~'ems, k is importmxt to ensure tlmt dxe heat moves upward into the heated space rathea: than downw~d into the groined. To block dovmward heat flow, one generally installs rind foam insulation p,-mels below dxe heating pipe, It is eormmon~ however, to use panels r_hat are only tkick (espec¢lly when subcontractors do the work). Because we installed the radi=nt heating system ourselves, ~ve were able to pw:chzse 2" panels that double the insulation provided by rlxe 1" panels. XYvre akSO chose ro hlsu]ztc the garage to the same extent that ~e house is insulated. That revolved providing ftdl R-16 batte insulation in the walls, and also promding insulation in the g,q_rage ceiling. A_nd agaJ.% we installed 2"-inch thick foam mst~tmg panels bdow the heated floor. 12/'31/2001 18'38 FAX 612 288 9713 FISH & RICHARDSON ~ o15 Chemicals in home paints also create problems for the environment We d2arefore selected a no-rrmintenance, rmtural stucco exterior material for the home. Itl addition, we chose a ranted rome for the house r_hat helps it blend with its sun'otmdings. As a result, the house is lzxrd to notice from the rest of fl~e neighborhood. Again, savings from do-it-yoLtrself work helped pay for this more expensive option. In addition, we made extensive use of %ngineered" wood products. These products, ,snxch as sllucmml I-beams, can bc made froln .~'maller, faster growing trees amd from ps,~ts of trees that would otherwise be considered waste. Where possible, we tried to use engineered products rafl~er rlmn "nonml' wood products. The most unique mat~ choice for r_he home was the flooring, lVfaple mhd cherty are common flooring choices in Mhmesota, arid flooring is therefore a major consumer of wood products. As a result, we chose bamboo ms our "hardwood" floo~ug. Ir/s ~rm_nufacmr. cd much like ~gular wood flooring: byers of n~rrow strips ~e compressed and glued together to fo~m tongue-md-groove planks that can be installed easily. B,'umboo looks much like ma?l-c, bur it has a more contemporary look, wir_h no knots and little gr~in. Ir is also harder than maple. But most mxpom~mr, ir is made from a plant that is ve~7 renewable rather r_han from a slow-~owing amd disappearing tree. 18:38 FAX 612 288 9713 FISH & RICHARDSON ~016 Hating and cooling s.Tstems ,q_re r_he major consmners of energy for a hom~ espe&'dly m 1v[irmcsotx. We ~imed ro do what we cottld with those systems. Ar r_he core, we selected systems that were more effident even tl~an recluiremenrs for Category I buXlding. As a result, we purchased a higb- effimcncy furnace and central air condi~ord-,-zg system. Wc purchased "ordJ_na~' systems, however, because ex-pphmce has shown dxat newe~:, experimental med-mnical systems a_re often more rrouble thm~ they are worth. The raclkant floor headag system is dxe most si~fic:mt mechardcal system m the house. Radiant hea~_g s,vstems operate by transferdqg energy directly to mhabkm~ts rad~er th,'m by heating the air an.d fl~en heating dm/nhabit~ts wi~ the air (lmown as convection heatMg). Radknt heating system can therefore provide comfor~ at a room temperatttre that is much lower than ordinary heating systems, In fl4s mariner, they can save lots of energy. We ,-dso desig-r;ed thc system/n a mxrmer that should save additional energy. First, as mentioned above, we provided addition,q_[ insulation below the healSng pipes for the system. Second, we rejected systems ~at used boilers or "combhxafion" water hearers dmt heat floors and potable water. Boiler systems are expensive and relatively Em_icky. Combination systems ~e ~vastef-~ both because they provide more hearing capacdty th~x is 2ceded m the Summer, and because the entire expensive system must be rcplxced xvhencver a part of the system breaks. Instead, we installed two separate h/gh- efficiency "power vetxt" water heaters---ag,'d_n purctmskqg them for dealer cost. We only operate ¢c second heater duhrug the wrater, so dmt we are not needlessly keeping extra water heated. Also, because ¢c md/xnt heating system olzIy operates p,q_rt-dme aBd cirozhres the smnc water over and over, ir should Last much longer than the potable hearer, whkh rams full-dine and takes in tmfiltered water a_ll the 15me. As an additional heating sot~rce, we insm]_lcd three efficient natural g~s firepLaces. These fireplaces save energy because they allow us to keep the th.ermostar in the house lower, and only heat the rooms that we are ush]g at any given time. Finally, we were able to use do-it-yourself skills to belp the indoor ak q,,.qlity of the house. In p~ticuLqr, we learned that it is not very hard to insu~'dl a central vacuum 10 12/31/2001 18:39 FAX 612 288 9713 FISH & RICHARDSON ~017 system m a house. Such a system pulis dirt and dust to a central locadork md does not spit out its exhaust Lq the rmddle of the home like a portable vacuum. Thc major central vacuum manufacturers provide easy-to-follow instructions, so that even homeowners working with a g~zncral contractor can easily install a system for little more than d~e cost of a portable vacumxa. 11 12/31/2001 18:39 FAX 612 288 9713 FISH & RICHARDSON ~018 Much of the plmmkag effort £or otb home ~dated to home automation. 13eczu,,.e vce both hzve jobs that allow us ro work from home on ccmq_m days, we w,q_nred to des'~n a system tlazt wottId make sud~ wod~ very ~_~sy. Again, using rrmrerkls that we po_rchased cheap off the Interact, we have been able to develop a system (not yet fully installed) that will allow us to cu[ back on dm4ng subst,mt/.ay. The full system integrates au&o distribution, ,4deo &srribution, telephone, and b. ome networkd, ng. Each of these systems is "home run" to a sit, glo locadon m the house. (The alternative, less-flexdble option is to "daisy chain" items, tnuch as telephones were wired together in older homes.) Our goal was to devdop a system d~t t ~ a S ' ' ~lc prOOF' aS possible without spending much money now. As a result, we provided wkhng (w/re/s cheap) to almost every point in the house, but have not yet purchased all of the componea~ts needed for full automation (d~ey are more expensive by orders of rrmgnlmde). 2-"ne ma/n step m orgm4zing the automation system was the w/ri~ of the house itself. We rmx over one n-file of low voltage ~ ourselves before the dry-.v~ was installed. 'Dfis included Yz-half mile of Catego~7 5 wiring for dxe computer netxvork mhd telephone systems, over 1000 feet of speaker wixe, a_nd over 1500 feet of RG-6 co-a_xhzd cable for telev/hon md seo.112thr applications. The wi_ting was very ~nc-consuming but cost 1-~s than $400. In conr_msr, a "professional" instdl.~don of the sa. me magnitude would have cost us thousands of dollars. The home nctxvork is stat¢-of-d~e-a_rt. It is dcs~ned to be fully complim~t w/th the IEEE 802.3u and IEEE 802.3.',b specifications for Ethernet, Fast Edxemet, and Glgabit Ethernet networldng. Each be&:oom has at least two lines of data sezx4ce (e.g., for a PC and a printer or other peripheral). The home office has right separate lines of se. n4ce, and the master bed_room has six lines of sepv-/ce (for high-speed access from bed). The deck and the rear patio also have two lines each of Ethernet network access to allow for weekend work outside in the Summer. In additiort, we installed boxes and 12 . .. 12/31/2001 18:39 FAX 612 288 9713 FISH & RICHARDSON 019 wiring so that we can plug laptops into the floor of our great room and thc c~.iling of o~ .family zoom, so that no one tdps over the wires. Finally, we also provided access in thc kitchen. The cost of wiriog each oudet was only a few dollars. Although we have got yet selected a broadband provider, the system is designed to easily adapt to DSL sexvice, a cable modc_~ or satellite-based Intemet access. The audio and video distribution is also extem4ve. Inco~mt, g video sign,ds are aggregated and amplified in a utility room in the basement. The signals are then made available ro any tdevision in the home. Although we only own two televisior~s, and m~rren~v pull our video ~dgnal from an alltelllla ill the attic, we ran approximately 20 sepa_mte co-axial lines throughout the house so that televisions cm be placed ah-host anywhere in the futare. We provided multiple lines to areas, such ~.q enmrtamment centers, tltar are likely to have mukiplc televisions or to use both video inputs and outputs. In addition, we mn power and co-ax to r_he middle of the ceiling m out- family room so that, in the future, we can hang a kigh-resoludon projector from the ceiling, We also located out entet~4nment center so tlmt we can install a retractable video screen in the ceiling. The audio syste~xa is also desigrted for the future. Speaker cables on the main level run to a single location on t_be main lev& while speaker cables on the lower level run to a single location on the lower level. A vertical riser connects the two locations so dmt whole-home audio will be easy to mst,oil in the furore. A Bose® System 40 system rmas tlxe main floor audio. The system ks capable of suppIymg sound to four separate rooms, and has a remote that works from ar~y room in r_he home. Outdoor speakers for the deck can be operated fi-om tlm main sys -tern. We also ran speaker wire from the centra/system to wall boxes (for independent volume controls) m the kS. tchen and tnaster bath and /nto the ceilings of those rooms so that we can install recessed speakers m the future. Overall, the system provides---at a very low cost--all the comforts that axe needed for extensive "cocoomng." As a result, whoever inhabits the home will not need to go out and bm~n as much gasoline. 13 lZ/31/2001 18'39 FAX 612 288 9713 FISH & RICHARDSON ~ 020 Tkis is d~e pzocess that never ends. Although r_heze is only so mudx that you can do w/th ~ house be£oze you ttave To succumb ~o a full zemodel, the~'e always mmlk medium, and L~ge hndscapmg p2:ojects that need doing. L-mdscaping goals to d,2te have been fair2y modest in vision but extensive in scope. At bottom, we have attempted to replace my vegetation r_h~t was affected by the building project, a~d to plm~t t~ees and or_hat plm2~ that provide yeaz-zound covet. In addition, we b2ve aknosc no laxvn; instead, we hax~e J.eft possible fully covered xvit_b_ kYTc tzave undertaken two ma.in pz'ojec~s m the fits~ season; ezosion control, and major tzee zeplacement. Aga~, we have done almost a]l. of d~e wozk ourselves to l~ve money foz ext~ rmt~.d~ls. Thc c~'osioa conU'ol has consisted m~ly of block z-e~ning walls. We t~2ve used both n,-~tural Wisconsin ~l,~t stones, mud nz~-nufactuted blocks._ Bott~ these products blend into the n~tuzal kndscape. In additioi~ they ~ow the 1.ot to zet,qJn n.~-off and p~event it fi:om entering d~c xvetlmd before it can soak in. (The good soil is very shallow in ottt azea and is undezlmd v,4th temble, non-dzaJning chy.) Tkis past FalJ, we planted fifzeen eight-foot mi2 conifexous u:¢es near the No,ah ed~ of the lot. These U:ees pzovide shek~' for d~c home fzom North winds. They also help hide the house from the zes~ of the n¢igl~bo~zhood. This Stormier, we pkn to dean out some of the dead tt.¢es in ou~ woods to pzovide additional space for. living trees to gow, \~e also intend to pl,q_nt a~ least 100 small t~ee~ tt2zoughout d~e lot, so tha~ azeas now covez-ed by smxz2c and otl~e.t' less-desirable vegetation will one day be covezcd m tel! pme, oalk and maple trees. 14 ])ec 29 O1 09:56p John & Elaine Halakowsk~ Shared 952-445-3425 p. 1 ENVIROiV ENTAL EXCELLENCE AWAI D APPLZCA T ON FORA Phone Number:_. 9 If in Category B, --~ kJ (business nome) certifies that it is in compliance with all city, state and federal regulations. Activity Description: 1. Landscaping - Turning much of the lawn to plants and shrubs attracting animals, birds and butterflies. Use mulch to reduce watering and to keep weeds such as Canadian Thistle, from spreading. Do not water the lawn during droughts. Use only organic fertilizer on lawn and garden, plus humus on the garden. Use almost no pesticides, instead, natural remedies, such as cornstarch for cabbage worms, etc. One acre is growing back to trees. Ridding our land of buckthorn. 2. Reduce water use through mulching. Compost house and garden waste. Recycle everything possible - have very little garbage. 3. Stewardship - John was part of a group that worked on the Bluff Creek Watershed Management Plan in 1996. Elaine attended the 3 Neighborhood Wilds sessions in December on the Seminary Fen. Am interested in what can be done to preserve the Fen below us. 4. Other - use and encourage others to use environmentally safe laundry and cleaning products. ,,Release of Information The City of Chonhossen and the ehonhossen Chamber of Commerce reserve the right to use winning entries for promotional purposes through newspaper articles, tours, or other means. Z agree to allow the city to publish my address, name and de-ccription of project. This release is only valid for winning entries. Si_qnotur , ~ EnvironmentaI Excellence Award Page 5 of 6 . 4~ (such as windbreaks, planting trees on east and west sides of. h°me, etc.), c~eating habitat through plantings, using native plants, erosion and ~edimtnt control, preservation of wetlands, forests and open space, etc. Reduce, Reuse and Recyc/e 5xamples: Implementing an expanded or new recycling program, purchasing, and use of r'¢cycling content products, reducing the use of toxic ap hazardous cleaning supplies, etc. Examples: Volunteering on behalf of the environment, environment advocacy, educational programs, rec. Other~ Examples' Innovative solutions ?o environmental problems. ENVIRONMENTAL EXCELLENCE A WARD APPLICATION FORM Application Deadline: December $1, 2001 Address or Location of http:// ci ' ' /e %20 l%20aw "· · . /'. -.~, r,, , , ,~ ~,sen.mn.us nv exce ..................... , ,, ,~. ,~,,,,,, Environmental Excellence Award Page 6 of 6 Zf Category B ..... (business name) ceptifies that it is in compliance with all city, ~tate, and federal regulations. Activity Description: (Additional narratives, photos, or other formats to describe pro~ect are encouraged. Ali documentation will be returned upon request) Release of Infonuation The City of Chazfftassen yard the Chanhassen Chamber of Conunerce reserve the right to use winning entries for promotional purposes through newspaper articles, tours, or other means. I agree to allow the city to publish my address, name, and desczSption of rite project.. This release is only valid for wizming entries. .Signature_, ~ http//; ..... iv ci ' ' ' us/env% 20excel%20aw ,~ 1 ', : . .~,,. ~,,.sen.mn. ,,, , Activity Description Hazardous waste generated from my house is managed in an environmentally responsible manner. Hazardous waste such as paints, paint thinners, cleaners, and automotive products contain substances that are flann-nable, corrosive or poisons need to be kept out of the garbage. I try to buy the amount of products that i need and not purchase in large quantities that would need to be disposed of later. If I do have extra products, I try to find a neighbor or flfend that could use them. If I can not find a way to reuse the products, I bring them to the Carver County Household Hazardous waste collection site. Brush generated fi'om trees and shrubs m'om~d my house m'e brought to the City of Chanhassen brush day or to the Carver County recycling center where it is converted into a valuable mulch. I also help neighbors properly manage their brush and yard waste rather than causing air quality problems by bu_ming, APPLICATION SENT VIA E-MAIL ENVIRONMENTAL EXCELLENCE AWARD APPLICATION FORM Application Deadline: December 31, 2001 Name: General Mills, Chanhassen Plant Address or Location of Entry: 8000 Audubon Road, Chanhassen MN. 55317 Contact Person: Community Relations Committee Phone Number: 952-279-7576 Date Submitted: 12/31/01 Category: B If Category B, General Mills (business name) certifies that it is in compliance with all city, state, and federal regulations. Activity Description: Environmental Stewardship Employees of General Mills, Chanhassen Plant have organized and participated in community clean-ups since Earth Day week of 1993. General Mills's employees, family members and friends have accumulated approx. 1035 volunteer hours during this annual clean up of Audubon Road, Coulter Drive and Bluff Creek walking trail. In 1993 through 1995 a little over 2,000 lbs. (one TON) of trash was collected annually. Since 1995 evidence of improper dumping of tires, mattresses and other household debris has been greatly reduced to the point that our average collection is now less than ¼ ton per year. General Mills has provided pizza, pop and pictures with the Pillsbury Doughboy for company community volunteers. The city of Chanhassen has provided the collection truck and disposal service. Carver County Environmental Services has provided back-yard compost bins, radon testing kits and many education items to enhance the post clean-up celebration. In 1999 the employees of the General Mills Eden Prairie Plant joined Chanhassen plant volunteers in a project to ~Restore the Forest" along Bluff Creek. Chanhassen Environmental Resource Specialist, Jill Sinclair acquired dry root trees and shrubs from the DNR. From 1999 to 2001 180 shrubs and 120 trees have been planted. General Mills volunteers have contributed approx. 210 hours to enhance the environment in the community in which we work. We wish to take this opportunity to thank the City of Chanhassen and the Chanhassen Chamber of Commerce for encouraging environmental stewardship by making this award available. (Additional narratives, photos, or other formats to describe project are available upon request. Release of Information The City of Chanhassen and the Chanhassen Chamber of Commerce reserve the right to use winning entries for promotional purposes through newspaper articles, tours~ or other means. I agree to allow the city to publish my address, name, and description of the project. This release is only valid for winning entries. Signature: General Mills, Chanhassen Plant ENVIRONMENTAL EXCELLENCE A WARD APPLICATION FORM Application Deadline: December 31, 2001 Name: Bridal Beginnings Address or Location of Entry: 4~o Lyman Blvd. ehanhassen, ~N Contact Person: Bobbie Pothier Phone Number: 952-938-5512 Fax Number: 952-938-5512 Wcbsit¢: www. bridalbeginnings.net Date Submitted: December 31, 2001 Category: B If Category B, Bridal Beginnings, certifies that it is in compliance with oil city, state, and federal regulations. Activi~ Description: Z receive many mailings throughout the month; updates, price changes, manufacturer discontinuations, service center notifications, etc. Because of this 1] have tried over the first year of my business to find ways to reduce some of the waste or find other useful ways to use this paperwork. ]~ have notified businesses that send information to me to reduce the allocated quota of materials (ex: Brochures), requested changes and updates to be emoiled to me. ~Ensteod of maintaining o library of forms, I am in the process of making these forms available electronically on my website for customers to fill out & emaii bock to me. This will help reduce massive amounts of papers being sent to myself, to my customers, bein9 foxed to and from my customers, and allows easier updating of the current forms I hove on file. Release of Information The City of Chanhassen and the Chanhassen Chamber of Commerce reserve the right to use winning entries for promotional purposes through newspaper articles, tours, or other means. I agree to allow the city to publish my address, name, and description of the project. This releas~ is only valid E, or winning entries. ,/1 / ~' ' // i ENVIRONMENTAL EXCELLENCE A WARD APPLICATION FORM Application Deadline: December 31, 2001 Address or Location Contact P~rson:,~&; ~ ~C-~/~/~ Phone Number: Date 5ubmitted:/~-~ Category: Zf Category !~, ~ (business name) certifies that it is in compliance with all city, state, and federal regulations. Activity Description: (Additional narratives, photos, or other formats to describe project are encouraged. All documentation wi!l be returne, d upon request) Release of Information The City of Chanhassen and the Chanhassen Chamber of Commerce reserve the right to use winning entries for promotional purposes through newspaper articles; tcitirs;-Or--Oth~ means. I agree to allow the city to publish my address, name, and description of the project. This release is only valid for winning entries. Greetings, My name is Loretta Stoltz. I have been a resident of Chanhassen for seven years and an avid gardener for most of my adult life. During the gardening season of 2001 I continued work on a project that has been in progress for over three and a half years. It's a meditation garden located on the grounds of St. Hubert's catholic church. I had a vision of a beautiful garden space for people to gather and reflect from the first day I saw the church grounds. To my delight the priests, deacons and several parish members also believed in my vision. My goal when designing the garden was to invoke a sense of calm and peace for all who visit. I selected a color palette that ranges from butter yellow, white and peach to dusty rose, and blue. Roses with a gentle fragrance of spice, lamb's ears, a soft to the touch groundcover, awaits the exploring £mgers of young children and the wispy branches of dwarf willow shrubs sway in the breeze. Plants were selected not only for the color and beauty of their flowers but also for the beauty of their foliage. Many of the plants in the all-organic garden are very drought tolerant but a layer of bark mulch has been added to help conserve water as well. There is a very special area in the garden that I call the children's planting bed. It seemed to me that it would be wonderful to work with school age children and teach them how to start plants from seed. They could plant the young seedlings and observe their progress during the growing season. A group of 5th and 6th grade students from St. Hubert's school did a fine job this year. They were very eager to learn about how plants grow. The rose colored, creeping zinnias were beautiful all season long. Sincerely, Loretta Stoltz