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Frequently Asked Questions
What does it take to become a resident of Mountainside Village? Do we have to buy one of your houses?
Basically, there are four paths to becoming a homeowner:
1. Purchase a Cottage or Flex-Row House and work with the builder to customize finishes, appliances, cabinetry, etc.
2. Purchase a Village House, Side Yard or Boulevard lot and let us take care of all the details for getting your home built—from design through construction.
3. Purchase a Village House, Side Yard or Boulevard lot and a set of our plans, and work with an approved builder to build your home.
4. Purchase a Village House, Side Yard or Boulevard lot and have a custom home designed and built (subject to the Design and Construction standards of Mountainside Village).
Are all the houses going to look alike?
There are numerous housing types planned for Mountainside Village. From Flex-Row Houses and Cottages to Side Yard and Boulevard Homes to Mountain Lodges, the overall design of Mountainside Village accommodates a diversity of designs that are both charming and functional. Ask to take a look at our plan book to see a variety of designs within each housing type.
Will there be a hodgepodge of housing with so many housing types?
Our architectural guidelines are set up to create unity while also allowing creativity. The use of materials and colors are unifying elements, as are front porches and exposed structural features.
Why aren’t the lots bigger?
The overall plan for Mountainside Village consciously uses design principles that address the needs of residents for privacy, view, solar access, pedestrian and vehicular access.
Every lot is intended to provide a great home site within the village context. Well-designed houses with thoughtful landscaping on every Mountainside Village lot can provide considerable privacy (which is one reason most people think they need big lots). Take a look at some of our Side Yard bungalow site plans (update and link) to see how you can enjoy better privacy than on the typical 2.5-acre county lot.
Is this a good investment?
Properties in well-designed neighborhoods using similar traditional neighborhood design (TND) concepts, both new & historic, have appreciated faster than those in more conventional suburban alternatives. The same is true of buildings employing green building systems. It is anticipated that once a street is built-out and a bit of the Village Center is established, values will appreciate significantly faster than conventional alternatives.
Will my property values be affected by having smaller homes nearby?
As long as the quality of smaller homes is high, they can add richness to any neighborhood. It is important to note the careful manner in which properties of different value are proximate but differentiated in Mountainside Village. (That is, homes of significantly different values may be nearby, but their fronts will not directly face each other.) Both historic and new neighborhoods applying traditional neighborhood concepts have seen significant property appreciation for all size homes.
Is there a timetable for building?
In most cases, you are required to build within two years of lot purchase. This is intended to help establish the neighborhood and to protect those who live there from living in a construction zone indefinitely. Some select Side Yard lots in Phase 1 are currently discounted for those who will build in the summer of 2007, while select Side Yard lots in phase 2 have an extended building timetable.
Who can build a house in Mountainside Village?
Becoming an approved builder at Mountainside Village is a very simple process. We ask that builders are committed to meeting or exceeding a green building standard and that they have completed “Energy Star” training, which we will be happy to arrange.
Will meeting green building standards add undue cost and complication to the building process?
While insuring an overall higher level of construction quality cost, actual increases over the norm are minimal when green building standards are followed. A good example is the new community growing on the site of the old
Stapelton
Airport in Denver. Over 12,000 homes are being built to green building standards by semi-production builders. Once building techniques are adjusted, Stapleton builders have found construction costs to be very competitive. And, the value of the houses are enhanced because they are built in accordance with green building standards.
Click here to learn more about the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED standard for homes and
compare costs of building/owning a traditional vs. green home.
What makes Mountainside Village green? Are there items of substance, or are green standards just another trend?
There are a number of “green” qualities that are incorporated into the design and development of Mountainside Village:
• SMART GROWTH & TRADITIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD DESIGN
1. A new node of density is being created contiguous to an existing city, thus avoiding sprawl.
2. The design is pedestrian friendly, with increased transportation options that reduce reliance on automobiles.
3. The Village plan empowers the young and old as they can walk or bike to desired destinations.
4. The mix of uses promotes a strong and sustainable local economy.
5. Civic area contains sites for religious and educational structures.
6. Forty percent of the Village is dedicated Open Space.
7. There is a connected pathway system.
8. There are a variety of housing options.
9. Porches and balconies encourage human interaction.
• ECOSYSTEM PROTECTION
1. Wildlife and riparian habitat and corridors are protected.
2. Storm water percolates to maintain pre-development hydrological condition.
• FOOD PRODUCTION
1. On site organic community supported agriculture (CSA) garden and orchard.
• PROTECTED SOLAR ACCESS
• GREEN BUILDING & LANDSCAPE GUIDELINES
1. Promote conservation of energy and natural recourses.
2. Promote the use of solar energy.
3. Conserve water.
4. Promote recycling.
5. Reduce light pollution.
6. Design for human and environmental health.
Explain the difference between Traditional Neighborhood Design and Conventional Suburban Development.
Mountainside Village has been designed to incorporate many of the benefits and features of “Smart Growth” and Traditional Neighborhood Design:
• Foster distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place and community
• Connected open space networks preserve farmland, natural beauty and critical environmental areas
• Diverse, well-connected street and path networks provide a variety of transportation choices that reduce auto reliance, creating walkable communities
• Streets are treated as interesting civic spaces
• Village concept meets a variety of housing needs within a compact neighborhood design
• Mixed use creates good jobs
• Adaptable to a variety of uses and change over time
• Attractive
While most of the growth in Teton County typifies the sprawl of conventional suburban development. The following may seem like gross generalizations, we encourage you to make the comparisons for yourself:
• No open Space Network
• Poorly connected street and path networks
• Streets are primarily treated just as transportation corridors
• Limited variety of housing types
• Minimal creation of jobs
• Auto Dominated
• Not Adaptable
• Dull
The conventional layout of suburban development:
• Wastes land
• Wastes habitat
• Wastes energy
• Is less attractive
• Is homogeneous
• Lacks community
Is there a homeowners association? What do they do?
In general, the Property Owners Association (POA) is responsible for the management and maintenance of common grounds throughout Mountainside Village. This includes the plowing of rear lanes, (which are treated as shared drives.)
The streets, water and sewer systems are owned by the City of Victor, and thus are not the responsibility of the POA to maintain. The POA, however, is responsible for removing banks of plowed snow from the edge of streets. This is to accommodate street trees, which do so much to enhance the neighborhood.
What are the anticipated Property Owners Association fees?
POA fees vary by property type. Base POA fees for residential lots currently range form $33/month for a Flex-Row House to $88/month for a Boulevard lot.
What is the Mountainside Institute all about?
The Mountainside Institute exists to create community activities and to serve as a positive regional educational force. The community related work of the Institute should enhance life in Mountainside Village and, thus, lead to enhanced property values over time. The relationship of the POA and the Institute is clearly defined in the Community Operating Agreement.
What is Grasspave and why did you use it?
Grasspave are small rings made from recycled plastic. The use of Grasspave allows parking on grass but gives support that provides additional support for vehicles and prevents excess wear on the grass. It is used along each side of Village Way and for parking behind our model sales cottage. The Grasspave is not visible, you only see the grass.
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