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CRYSTAL LAKE –A playscape for small children, trails and increased access to the Fox River are all part of a recommended plan for the Fox Bluff Conservation Area.

The plans – a preferred one and three alternatives – are available for public viewing online and during an open house scheduled for 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Prairieview Education Center, 2112 Behan Road, Crystal Lake.

There will be another public viewing before the McHenry County Conservation District Board of Trustees votes on a final version at its June 20 meeting.

Conservation district staff members made their recommendation because they felt the plan best accomplished the district’s main goal of integrating natural and cultural resource preservation with meeting the needs of the public, regional planning initiatives and internal operations, spokeswoman Wendy Kummerer said.

All the plans proposed providing kayak and canoe access at the Fox River along with a paved trail leading to a pier, recognizing the Gillilan farmstead as a historical area, developing a pedestrian trail system and incorporating some elements from the historical original plan for the 20 acres that make up Camp Algonquin.

That plan, dated February 1911, was designed by the well-regarded landscape architect Jens Jenson. It includes 16 buildings, a swimming pool, a council ring, vegetable gardens and native landscaping.

While the recommended plan incorporates many of the elements that appear in the other alternative plans, different emphases are placed and different buildings saved in the various plans.

The alternative labeled option three proposes modifying the parking lot on the northern half of the 279-acre site to accommodate horse trailers and is the only one to provide for horses on a trail.

On the southern part of the property, on which the former Camp Algonquin buildings are located, the preferred plan suggests removing all but the recreation hall. The recreation hall would then be renovated and expanded to accommodate public assembly events for which the building could be rented out.

Another alternative suggests saving the dining hall, a newer two-story structure, and using it for public assembly events as well as education department programming.

The third option proposes saving the dairy barn, which would serve “as a visual feature of the past agrarian landscape,” the plan says.

None of the plans propose saving any of the three dormitories. The district had hired PHN Architects to draw up ideas of how the buildings could be renovated and provide rough cost estimates.

At its Feb. 3 meeting, Andy Dogan, a principal at PHN Architects, walked the board through its ideas for three of the buildings it recommended for further review, one of the dormitories, the recreation hall and the dining hall.

If you go

To see all the details proposed in the preferred and alternative preliminary plans for the Fox Bluff Conservation Area, go to the McHenry County Conservation District’s website, mccdistrict.org. They’ll be available through March 18.

An open house complete with a presentation on the plan and time for public comment is scheduled for 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Prairieview Education Center, 2112 Behan Road, Crystal Lake. Staff presentations will start at 6 and 7 p.m.

A revised version will then be presented to the Board of Trustees for approval at its June 20 meeting.

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Bellomy chairing 31st Bellaire Home Tour

This home at 4920 Cedar is among six on the 31st annual Bellaire Home Tour March 23-24. Proceeds from the event benefit the Nature Discovery Center.

Submitted photo

Bellomy chairing 31st Bellaire Home Tour

Bellaire Home Tour chair Betty Bellomy

Posted: Friday, March 1, 2013 5:00 am

Bellomy chairing 31st Bellaire Home Tour

By Examiner staff

Houston Community Newspapers

Bellaire resident and Realtor Betty Bellomy will chair the 31st annual Bellaire Home Tour, set for March 23 and 24.

Six of the area’s most unique homes will be open to tour from 1-5 p.m. both days.

“We have a wonderful variety of homes this year – and several absolutely gorgeous yards,” explained Bellomy, with John Daugherty Realtors. “We have been eager to showcase some of the marvelous landscaping in and around Bellaire, and this year we are able to do just that.”

This year the tour will also feature live demonstrations and seminars from chefs, interior decorators and other home experts.

“The Home Tour is a wonderful community event – providing an inside look at diverse decorating and landscaping ideas and supporting a local educational center. We are very fortunate to have Betty and her committee, our generous sponsors, and all the dedicated volunteers who turn out to help guide visitors through the homes,” said Sarah Flournoy, executive director of the Nature Discovery Center.

The Bellaire Home Tour benefits the Nature Discovery Center, a defining community resource that provides hands-on nature and science experiences for children, their families, teachers and scout groups. From programs for playgroups to a monthly lecture series for adults, NDC has something for everyone – and much of it is free.

Discounted advance purchase tickets cost $15 and will be available at the Nature Discovery Center, 7112 Newcastle, and are sold at Belden’s, Bering’s Hardware, Elaine’s Florist, Fioza’s, Magpies, and Whole Foods Market-Bellaire.

During the tour, full price tickets are $20 and may be purchased at any of the homes. Children age 12 and under may tour with an adult for free.

To learn more about sponsorship opportunities and/or advance ticket sales, contact Betty Bellomy at 713-561-6848 or bettyb@johndaugherty.com. For more information about the Nature Discovery Center, visit www.naturediscoverycenter.org or contact Sarah Flournoy at 713-667-6550 or sflournoy@naturediscoverycenter.org.

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Friday, March 1, 2013 5:00 am.

MASON CITY — The 22nd annual Home and Landscaping Show opens today at the North Iowa Events Center.

More than 120 home, lawn and garden exhibits will give visitors new ideas for the 2013 season; and a full seminar schedule will offer insights into gardening, grilling and other great home improvement ideas.

The show is open today from 3 to 9 p.m.

Hours for the rest of the weekend are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Detailed show information can be found at www.iowashows.com.

— By Deb Nicklay

• BLOG:

By Bill Kirby Jr.

Shani Gates, Phil Walters and Harold Brewington were among the many vendors with smiles on their faces and prospect leads in their pockets. And patrons were just glad Charles Allen and other gardening gurus were there over the weekend as part of the 14th annual Carolina Home Show at the Crown Expo Center.

“Great crowds,” said Gates, 43, who owns Curbing Creations.

Spring is coming, and this was a smorgasbord of ideas if you’re into landscaping or interior and exterior upgrades.

“It’s been really good,” Walters, 48, said outside of his Phil’s Home Improvement booth. “It’s that time of season when people want to renovate.”

Walters grew up in Massey Hill, has been in the remodeling business for 25 years and offered some insights on why updating an older home is an alternative to buying a new one.

“They like their neighborhoods,” Walters said. “They are comfortable. We just improve on what they’ve got.”

Brewington, who owns Carpet One of Fayetteville, said he had received several good leads.

The annual showcase is sponsored by the Home Builders Association of Fayetteville along with Carolina Mortgage and First Alliance Mortgage.

“We had 67 different vendors and 4,300 people attend,” said Natalie Fryer, 36, executive officer for the Home Builders Association. “Spring is coming and there’s a lot of remodeling.”

There was a time when I couldn’t get to the pub fast enough.

Sunday, I couldn’t get to the Crown Expo Center quick enough to explore everything from kitchen cabinets to storage sheds to pulling up that old, brown rug in the front bedroom.

“Hardwood floors are the thing now,” Brewington said, after I told him about the beautiful hardwood floors I hadn’t seen in years because of that rug.

Some sanding, staining and buffing, Brewington said, and the floors can be just like new and a signature of pride.

Trust me here.

There was something for everybody, from folks interested in bathroom makeovers to adding on sun rooms to swimming pools and spas to garage doors to heating and air-conditioning units to home security systems to purchasing and financing new homes.

And for folks who like working in the yard, people were there to offer advice and tips.

“They had a lot of good questions,” said Allen, 55, owner of Green Biz Nursery Landscaping, after conducting a seminar on lawn and garden care. “They wanted to know when to fertilize and such.”

Allen gave me tips on cutting back azaleas once they bloom, and anything and everything you would ever want to know about caring for indoor plants.

Spring is near.

I’ve got ideas.

I’ve got plans.

I’ve got dreams for this old house of mine, because there’s no place like home.

Next: Mama’s asparagus fern

A new park with a panoramic view of Mukilteo’s waterfront is in the city’s future.

A longtime Mukilteo family recently donated a parcel of land and a 1919 two-story house on the 600 block of 4th Street for use as a city park.

The 0.36-acre parcel has an unobstructed panoramic view of Lighthouse Park and the waterfront.

The owner of the property, Robert Byers, transferred ownership of the land to the city free of charge on the condition that it be used as parkland. Byers said he’d like the community to be able to enjoy the view.

“It would be a neighborhood park to come and sit, relax, maybe eat lunch, and enjoy the view,” said Jeff Nicholson, commissioner of the Park and Arts Commission. “It’s the perfect location to watch the sunset or the sunrise.

“It will be a valuable asset to the community.”

The Parks and Arts Commission is hosting an open house from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, March 2, at Rosehill Community Center to go over plans for the future Byers Family Park. A tour of the Byers property at 601 4th Street starts at 9 a.m.

Those in attendance may contribute ideas and ask questions of the architect and city staff.

“We welcome any citizens to comment,” Nicholson said. “Citizen input is a good thing to have, especially when it comes to a community park.”

The Park and Arts Commission has worked with Byers through the transfer process, and also has been brainstorming park and landscaping ideas. A landscape architect has provided the city a conceptual plan for free that incorporates many of those ideas.

Nicholson estimates it could cost anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000 to transform the property into a park. It will cost about $13,000 to demolish the house. No city funds have been budgeted for the project.

With the land, Byers is including a $10,000 donation and the promise of $1,200 a year for on-going maintenance of the site, up to $10,000 more.

Landscape architect Nicolas Morin of Barker Landscape Architects has drawn up a plan that includes a raised boardwalk around the perimeter of the property, a central patio, benches and gardens. The plan includes the removal of some trees to improve the view.

There are also plans to install a bench in memory of the late Jim Byers and a commemorative plaque signed by the Byers family that says, “We all enjoyed the view, we hope you do, too.”

The city has about 10 parks, including the 14.4-acre Lighthouse Park and 24.3-acre 92nd Street Park. Most of the parks are less than an acre and are what many call “postage stamp” or “pocket” parks. The Byers Family Park would be another.

“There are very few parks there, and so if I can contribute to another park for the city, I’ll be glad to do it,” Byers said.

Three generations of the Byers family lived on the site for more than 90 years. Robert Byers, himself, was there for 27 years. Byers, 57, now lives in Texas.

Byers’ grandmother, Janie Byers, bought the vacant lot on Fourth Street in 1919. She ordered the house out of a catalog and had it delivered by railroad car.

“She liked the view,” Byers said. “Everybody likes the view.”

The house and land was passed down from Janie to her son James and his wife Rayoma, and then to their sons James Jr. and Robert. Neither Jim nor Robert had any children of their own to leave it to, so they decided to donate it to the city.

Jim Byers died unexpectedly in 2010 at age 60. He had lived at the house for 55 years.

Jim used to mow the yard around his driveway and trim back the blackberries so that visitors to the Lighthouse Festival could picnic in his yard during the fireworks show.

“We always thought it was a good idea to turn the old place into a park,” Robert Byers said. “We’re the only people that ever lived there. It will be a good memorial to the family.”

Above: Promotional image of San Diego Spring Home/ Garden Show at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

The San Diego Spring Home/Garden Show is returning to the Del Mar Fairgrounds for a 3 day extravaganza of ideas, inspiration, hands-on demonstrations, educational seminars and one-stop shopping for everything pertaining to the home and garden.

Spring Home/Garden Show has hundreds of different exhibits including home improvement products, furnishings, decorating remodeling ideas, garden displays, flower and landscaping… plus art and pets.

Dates:
Friday, March 1st from 11am-6pm
Saturday, March 2nd from 10am-6pm
Sunday, March 3rd from 10am-5pm

Location: Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Boulevard, Del Mar, CA 92014 Google Maps

Related links

• San Diego Home/Garden Shows Facebook Page

The tough economy has taken its toll on neighborhoods throughout the state. Kearns is no exception, with foreclosed homes sprinkled throughout the community. Several of these former dilapidated bank-owned properties are now the model of what low maintenance and sustainability looks like.

The Nonprofit Community Development Corporation of Utah held an open house  at 4351 West 4745 South. This is the latest “Idea House” revealed, a concept pioneered by the CDCU to strengthen low-income communities in Kearns and Magna. Residents of the surrounding neighborhood were invited to tour the home and learn firsthand what practices can make their home more comfortable as well as efficient. CDCU CEO Darin Brush said his team renovates four homes a year within Kearns and Magna.

“The great majority of the homes are in Kearns because of the great support we receive from the Kearns community, by their interest in touring the ‘idea houses’ as well as wanting information on how they can better their homes,” Brush said.

He said it takes 60 to 90 days to complete the renovation. The homes must meet strict guidelines such as being energy efficient, have low water usage fixtures and xeriscaping, be wheelchair accessible and be green and healthy. This means homes are tested for contaminates such as mold, radon, lead-based paint and methamphetamine.

“Half of the homes we have purchased have meth contamination,” Brush said. “Most of the meth that’s detected is from recreational use rather than an actual meth lab and can be remediated.”

After contaminates are removed, the home receives insulation, new windows and doors, a tankless water heater and both energy efficient appliances and heating and cooling systems. Pathways are also widened in the home to ensure comfortable wheelchair accessibility. Wood flooring is laid in the common areas with vertical blinds to reduce allergens. The outside landscaping is also done with xeriscaping designs to keep water usage minimal. Stuart Smith, development agency’s public relations specialist, said those who purchase these homes can have confidence that the work has been done properly and that the homes have long-term sustainability.

“There is not much sense to get them in the home if it’s not affordable throughout the time they own it,” Smith said.

Despite all the costly upgrades, Smith said the homes are priced to sell quickly. This is made part by the relationship with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, where homes are discounted 10 to 50 percent.

The CDCU offers programs to help current homeowners with foreclosure prevention counseling, low-interest home repair loans and down payment assistance programs. All Salt Lake County residents can also take advantage of its 5 percent loan program for home energy efficient upgrades. For more information about “The Idea House” or any of its programs, call 801-994-7222.

By Bill Larson | February 26, 2013 |

Clarksville, TN – On February 23rd and 24th, the Clarksville-Area Chamber of Commerce held their fourth annual Home and Garden show at the Foy Fitness Center on Austin Peay State University.

The show was sponsored by the Clarksville-Area Chamber of Commerce, the Leaf Chronicle, and Furniture Connection. 57 Vendors were on hand to offer Clarksvillians tips on getting ready for the rapidly approaching spring.

The 4th Annual Home and Garden Show

The vendors covered the complete range of needs that the average home owner might have to get their Home and Garden in top notch shape. Home owners were able to meet one on one with vendors throughout the region who could provide them with landscaping ideas, home improvement projects or tell them about all that is the new and fashionable to improve your home.

Door prizes were awarded to attendees including a $500.00 Gift Card from Furniture Connection, A Flat Screen TV from the Chamber of Commerce, a Prestige HD Thermostat from Action Air Conditioning, 50ft of free landscape curbing from Affordable Outdoor Improvements, an Electric Grill and two chairs from FM Bank, a Spring Goody Basket from Heritage Bank, Apple iPads from Hudson Construction Group and Reda Homebuilders , Owens Corning Stadium Blankets from Jackson Roofing and Remodeling LLC, a Touchscreen GPS from Paul Davis Emergency Services, a $500.00 Fire Ring and Grill from  Red River Concrete Products, a $50.00 Visa Gift Card from Satellite Electronics, The Kutting Crew gave away 10 $500.00 gift certificates, HT Flooring gave away an area rug, and Creative Wetcast Products gave away an easy garden kit.

The show was a hit with the thousands of Clarksvillians who came through in a steady stream on both days said Chris Goodman the Chairman of Business Development at the Clarksville-Area Chamber of Commerce. He lead the team that put the show together.

“Our annual Home and Garden Show showcases everything that is available for you to beautify your home and garden; anywhere from rooms, to landscaping, to gutters. I mean, you name it, we had it today, along with lots and lots for giveaways,” said Goodman. “If you didn’t make it by this year we hope you will come out next year! The Home and Garden show will be bigger and better than ever!”

Photo Gallery

About Bill Larson

Bill Larson is the Creator and Publisher of Clarksville Online, and works as a network administrator for Compu-Net Enterprises. He is politically and socially active in the community. Bill serves on the board of the Clarksville Community Concert Association, and is a member of the Friends of Dunbar Cave.

You can reach him via telephone at 931-920-0043 or via the email address below.

Email:
clarksville@clarksvilleonline.com

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Topics

Action Air Conditioning, Affordable Outdoor Improvements, APSU, APSU Foy Fitness and Recreation Center, Austin Peay State University, Clarksville Area Chamber of Commerce, Clarksville TN, FM Bank, Foy Fitness Center, Furniture Connection, HT Flooring Creative Wetcast Products, Heritage Bank, Hudson Construction Group, Jackson Roofing and Remodeling LLC, One Hour Heating and Cooling, Paul Davis Emergency Services, Red River Concrete Products, Reda Homebuilders, Satellite Electronics, The Kutting Crew

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Shani Gates, Phil Walters and Harold Brewington were among the many vendors with smiles on their faces and prospect leads in their pockets. And patrons were just glad Charles Allen and other gardening gurus were there over the weekend as part of the 14th annual Carolina Home Show at the Crown Expo Center.

“Great crowds,” said Gates, 43, who owns Curbing Creations.

Spring is coming, and this was a smorgasbord of ideas if you’re into landscaping or interior and exterior upgrades.

“It’s been really good,” Walters, 48, said outside of his Phil’s Home Improvement booth. “It’s that time of season when people want to renovate.”

Walters grew up in Massey Hill, has been in the remodeling business for 25 years and offered some insights on why updating an older home is an alternative to buying a new one.

“They like their neighborhoods,” Walters said. “They are comfortable. We just improve on what they’ve got.”

Brewington, who owns Carpet One of Fayetteville, said he had received several good leads.

The annual showcase is sponsored by the Home Builders Association of Fayetteville along with Carolina Mortgage and First Alliance Mortgage.

“We had 67 different vendors and 4,300 people attend,” said Natalie Fryer, 36, executive officer for the Home Builders Association. “Spring is coming and there’s a lot of remodeling.”

There was a time when I couldn’t get to the pub fast enough.

Sunday, I couldn’t get to the Crown Expo Center quick enough to explore everything from kitchen cabinets to storage sheds to pulling up that old, brown rug in the front bedroom.

“Hardwood floors are the thing now,” Brewington said, after I told him about the beautiful hardwood floors I hadn’t seen in years because of that rug.

Some sanding, staining and buffing, Brewington said, and the floors can be just like new and a signature of pride.

Trust me here.

There was something for everybody, from folks interested in bathroom makeovers to adding on sun rooms to swimming pools and spas to garage doors to heating and air-conditioning units to home security systems to purchasing and financing new homes.

And for folks who like working in the yard, people were there to offer advice and tips.

“They had a lot of good questions,” said Allen, 55, owner of Green Biz Nursery Landscaping, after conducting a seminar on lawn and garden care. “They wanted to know when to fertilize and such.”

Allen gave me tips on cutting back azaleas once they bloom, and anything and everything you would ever want to know about caring for indoor plants.

Spring is near.

I’ve got ideas.

I’ve got plans.

I’ve got dreams for this old house of mine, because there’s no place like home.

Next: Mama’s asparagus fern

For people who walk, drive or ride a bicycle, a variety of possible scenarios could change how they get around in a portion of Helena’s downtown.

Consultants hired by the Environmental Protection Agency through its Greening America’s Capitals program, unveiled options for a five-point intersection downtown, along with how the Last Chance Gulch and Sixth Avenue intersection could be reshaped to provide a better transition to the city’s Downtown Walking Mall.

Other of the visions for changing Last Chance Gulch involved possible reconfigurations for traffic, pedestrians and those on bicycles for Last Chance Gulch from Sixth to Neill avenues, Fuller Avenue from Sixth to Neill avenues, Last Chance Gulch from Neill to Lyndale avenues and along Neill from Kessler to Front streets.

The focal point of this process is Last Chance Gulch and how to make it more pedestrian friendly as it transitions from new economic development to where it enters the walking mall and the city’s historic past.

“This is kind of an exciting project for us,” Sharon Haugen, the city’s community development director, said as the first of three days of considering possibilities began on Monday.

The process isn’t to determine what the city will do but rather what it could do to make the downtown more desirable, more usable by pedestrians, she added.

Some of the designs used landscaping to separate traffic on streets and to provide a lane for those making left turns. Landscaping along street curbs and in areas set aside for parking, sidewalks and bicycle lanes were included in designs as well as in larger open space that was intended to help divert rain from the city’s storm sewers.

Using landscaping for this purpose, said Kevin Perry with Urban Rain Design in Portland, Ore., helps reduce the amount of oils, greases and other pollutants that are carried by water running along streets en route to storm sewers. This tainted water presents concerns for those downstream of where the storm water drains.

The proposals advanced as starting points for a community discussion on reshaping city streets were all feasible given the city’s rights-of-way, Hall said.

In most cities, a quarter of the land is devoted to street rights-of-way, so a question for those who manage cities is how to take advantage of that land so it serves multiple functions, said Phil Erickson, a principal with Community Design + Architecture of Oakland, Calif., who is leading the design team.

Looking at serving multiple interests in street design, Erickson said, can be a consideration by agencies when asked to help fund street projects.

The nearly hour-long explanation of possibilities for reshaping how streets are used drew questions from those who owned businesses along the affected areas. Their questions focused primarily on why to expand sidewalk widths, how to ensure that business locations are not left “landlocked” and whether the designs put forward for discussion will allow for handling the winter’s snows. Among other comments offered to the design team was that the area being reviewed for improvement was too limited and a broader look at the city was warranted.

More meetings will be held today with stakeholder groups such as those representing business interests, transportation and historic preservation; and another public meeting is set for 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the Civic Center, 340 Neill Ave., where the public input process will conclude.

Based on what information is gathered during the session, a final report on what changes the city could make to its streets would likely be completed by early June, according to Abby Hall, a policy analyst with EPA’s Office of Sustainable Communities.

Some of the ideas in the report could be initiated in the six months to a year after the report is released, Hall added. Other of the suggested improvements could require further study to determine if they are practical.

Funding for future projects, should the city decide to pursue them, would have to be sought, city staff has said.

Helena is one of five state capitals selected this year by the EPA for the program, Hall said, adding that the city’s application that sought to improve transportation while also better connecting its new economic growth with its historic past helped it be selected. The EPA has said that it does not make public what it is spending for this project.

Hall said that she walked the downtown and said the pedestrian mall with its historic character is vibrant with people there for lunch and others walking through the mall too.

She also viewed the five-pointed intersection, dubbed locally as “mini-malfunction junction” as there is another intersection with more traffic that has the distinction of being the city’s larger “malfunction junction.”

The intersection, she said, has a disconnect for the traffic that uses it.

Despite the confusion that the intersection can cause those who are just passing through town and even for people who live in Helena, there was only limited support for one of the two suggested revisions for it.

And others at the meeting wanted the intersection left alone and said that installing a roundabout in place of the stoplights that are there now would create “an accident waiting to happen.”

Erickson, who led the design team, said more engineering and analysis would be necessary before the city could decide whether to proceed with a roundabout.

Design team members said modifications to the five-pointed intersection could be removed from the scope of work too, based on public comment.

Members of the Helena City Commission and City Manager Ron Alles arrived before the meeting started to hear the presentation as they would be holding one of the twice monthly meetings later that evening.

Improving mobility and safety while adding landscaping and trees along streets, Erickson told the commissioners, can add 3 percent to 15 percent to home values. Retail spending, he noted, can benefit by between 9 percent and 12 percent as people tend to linger longer in these pedestrian friendly environments.

“There’s some challenges, but I think there’s a lot of opportunities to do some great things,” Erickson said before the meeting began.

The challenges posed by the five-point intersection, he continued, were large.

“It’s one of those places where the community really needs to think about the trade-offs of any decisions,” Erickson added.

Two proposals that were advanced for discussion at the meeting dealt with the intersection of Sixth Avenue and Last Chance Gulch where the walking mall starts. One scenario called for expanding the curbs at this three-point intersection so people would have less distance to cross and to slow traffic for pedestrian safety.

The second scenario called for expanding the walking mall into the intersection so the space – clearly defined by color and style of the pavement – would provide for a mixed use by those who are walking and in vehicles.

In discussing why Helena’s application was selected in 2012, the third year for the Greening America’s Capitals program, the EPA website noted that redevelopment in the northern part of Last Chance Gulch has added new office buildings, a new bank and both commercial and residential office buildings. As this redevelopment continues toward downtown, Greening America’s Capitals will help the city and community create a common vision that makes the streets and intersections friendlier to those who are walking or riding bicycles while still maintaining the neighborhood’s functionality for all users.

Greening America’s Capitals is a project of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities between the EPA and the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Transportation, the EPA website noted. A goal of this program is to help state capitals develop a vision of distinctive, environmentally friendly neighborhoods that incorporate building concepts and infrastructure that is more environmentally sensitive. Green building concepts seek to create healthier and more resource-efficient models of construction, renovation, operation and maintenance while green infrastructure designs offer a new look at managing rainwater such as directing it into landscaping instead of sewer pipes which also offers new options for other stormwater and floodwater management.

Also selected along with Helena are Des Moines, Iowa; Frankfort, Ky.; Baton Rouge, La.; and Indianapolis.