Leytham, A New Traditional Neighborhood

West Omaha, Sarpy and Nebraska metro counties.

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Herb
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Post by Herb »

Hanover Falls cut, Picture 2

Image
Herb Freeman
Full Circle Ventures, Inc.
16510 State Street
Bennington, NE  68007

402.689.4000
Herb@FullCircleVentures.com
http://www.Leytham.com
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nebport5
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Post by nebport5 »

crimes against nature  :(
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Post by Coyote »

nebport5 wrote:crimes against nature  :(
I couldn't have said it better. The raping of Mother Earth.
When I lived in Louisiana I couldn't believe how they would clear cut a heavily wooded area to put in a development. And this was on flat land. But look at what they did with the beautiful park we had at the Avaya/Western Electric plant.

Props to you Herb forusing the natural terrain at your site. Maybe it could shed a light on other developers. Not.
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Post by Stargazer »

For some reason I was thinking the planning commission was going to roll out this new policy of insisting that developers retain as much of a properties original topography as possible... what happened to this?
Shoot for the Moon... if you miss, you'll land among the stars.
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Post by Brad »

Anyone have a copy of that picture from when they were building Dundee at 50th and Dodge.  It was black and white.  They must have took 30 feet off the top of that hill.
Herb
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Post by Herb »

Yes, some grading is always necessary and even desirable.  I echo the comments of The-Omaha-Empire.  We must always remember Gravity.  Is not just a good suggestion. . .  it's the Law.  All fluids of all sorts (and you know what I mean) must go down hill.  Once there they have to flow into connections in neighboring projects that also go down hill.  Then there is the matter of those things that occasionally must go up hill: cars.  So the city has standards about maximum permissible percentage of street grade.  

And all the control measures that The-Omaha-Empire mentions in his post of yesterday do generally help reduce erosion, when they work.  
Unfortunately I have seen silt fences full and overflowing or knocked down or gaped at the bottom and therefore utterly useless.  After a rain the streets of new subdivisions are curb deep in mud and the sewers are clogged.  The rain creates great ravines in the sloping sides of the fills before the ground cover can get established.  These are some of the reasons that the lake in Waterford is silting up at such a rapid rate.  The grading (which I believe to be excessive) in the upstream projects is prematurely filling in that lake.  Some could argue that the lake is doing exactly what it was intended to do; namely catch the silt from up stream.  But the neighbors that bought homes on a lake will not understand that when they have homes first on a marsh and then on a mud flat.  And the cost to clear out such a lake when it is built all around with homes is very expensive.  

While some grading is necessary and desirable (and there will be grading for the above reasons in the project on State Street), we do not need to grade the life and soul out of the land in the quest to make a few more walk out lots.  That is all I am saying.  Some topographical relief makes a neighborhood a more interesting appealing place.

Best regards for intelligent discussion that advances the cause,

Herb
Herb Freeman
Full Circle Ventures, Inc.
16510 State Street
Bennington, NE  68007

402.689.4000
Herb@FullCircleVentures.com
http://www.Leytham.com
http://www.NewHerbanism.BlogSpot.com
Herb
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Post by Herb »

Your Real Estate Market Update . . .

Source:  Nation's Building News, May 28, 2007 and Trendgraphx by NP Dodge

Material in italics are my own comments

Sales of new single-family homes increased a surprising 16.2% in April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 981,000 units, according to figures released by the U.S. Commerce Department on May 24, leaving the month’s sales pace 10.6% below the rate of a year earlier.  Let’s not get too giddy just yet about the big jump in April.  Sales figures can be very volatile and one month does not a trend make . . .

The increase followed a downward revision to the previous month’s sales rate, and April was the fourth consecutive month in which sales were below an annual pace of 1 million units.

The inventory of new homes for sale edged down in April to 538,000 units, equivalent to a 6.5 months' supply at the April sales pace and down from 8.1 months in March.  The decrease from 8.1 months of inventory to 6.5 is a very good sign.  A 6.5 months’ supply is nearly a balanced market. Real estate market watchers generally consider less than three months of inventory to be a sellers’ market; more than six months of inventory is a buyers’ market; and from 3 to 6 months of inventory is considered a “balanced market.”  But real estate is always inherently local, so national figures are interesting but local figurs are what is really important to people.  See below for the local inventory situation.

Completed homes for sale comprised 33% of the inventory, units still under construction represented 51% of the inventory and units for-sale that were permitted but not yet started were almost 16%. Completed homes were on the market for a median of six months in April.  It is something of a relief to realize that only 1/3 of the inventory is fully completed.  Builders are still starting a lot of houses and those in various stages of completion make up over half of the inventory.

Regionally, April’s new-home sales were up 27.8% in the South, 3.8% in the Northeast and 8.5% in the West. Sales were down by 4% in the Midwest.  All, right, so things are not quite so rosy here in the Midwest as they are in other parts of the country, but new construction market is correcting here and getting better and better. Here, from NP Dodge’s proprietary Trendgraphix market analysis program, is a simple view of months of inventory in the Omaha Multiple Listing Service for the past several months for new homes, existing homes and the total inventory:

Months of Inventory on the Market
in the Omaha Multiple Listing Service

New       Existing      Total

15.1        7.4           8.8    December 2006
11.0        5.3           6.2    February 2007
 8.3         4.5           5.1    April 2007

The market is balanced overall now thanks to a relatively low inventory of existing homes.  


Knowledge is power.  

Yours for ever more powerful eomahaforums members!

Herb
Herb Freeman
Full Circle Ventures, Inc.
16510 State Street
Bennington, NE  68007

402.689.4000
Herb@FullCircleVentures.com
http://www.Leytham.com
http://www.NewHerbanism.BlogSpot.com
Herb
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Post by Herb »

Take a look at this curve.  It comes to us from a very interesting site:  http://www.hybridcars.com/

Image


Source:  http://www.hybridcars.com/hybrid-driver ... casts.html

It represents projected demand for hybrid cars.  But it could also represent a lot of other things . . . .

The price of gasoline?

Computer processing power?

Demand for higher density, walkable, mixed-use new traditional neighborhoods?

Consider this from the Congress for the New Urbanism:

The growing demand will be the result of changing demographics, changing tastes, and the closing of the suburban frontier.
Americans are getting older, and fewer households have children.  Both of these demographic trends contribute to growing demand
for more varied housing choices. Many Americans’ tastes are moving more toward dense environments, as shown by the growth
of “café culture,” an attraction to ethnic diversity, and a strong attraction toward good urbanism among upper-middle class trendsetters.
Perhaps most importantly, in many regions, car-dependent suburbs have never looked less attractive. In economically strong
regions, suburban traffic is increasing unbearably while valued open space is converted inexorably into more suburban sprawl. In
other regions, housing values are stagnating. Nationwide, older suburbs are experiencing disinvestment similar to the “white flight”
of the 1950s.
Source:  http://www.cnu.org/sites/files/Coming_Demand.pdf

Yes, a lot of things will be changing at a very rapid rate, and mostly because they have to.

Yours for keeping ahead of the curve,

Herb
Last edited by Herb on Tue Jun 05, 2007 10:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Herb Freeman
Full Circle Ventures, Inc.
16510 State Street
Bennington, NE  68007

402.689.4000
Herb@FullCircleVentures.com
http://www.Leytham.com
http://www.NewHerbanism.BlogSpot.com
Herb
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Post by Herb »

Tomorrow the new traditional neighborhood on State Street goes before the City Planning Board for preliminary approval based on the recommendation of the planning department staff.

Wish me luck . . . . .

I'll give you a report of the outcome tomorrow.

Herb
Herb Freeman
Full Circle Ventures, Inc.
16510 State Street
Bennington, NE  68007

402.689.4000
Herb@FullCircleVentures.com
http://www.Leytham.com
http://www.NewHerbanism.BlogSpot.com
the1wags
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Post by the1wags »

That's awesome! Hope everything goes to plan Herb, good luck.
Herb
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Post by Herb »

The city Planning Board voted seven to zero on Wednesday to give the Omaha area's first new greenfield traditional neighborhood development preliminary plat approval subject to the usual conditions.  The motion that was adopted also included approval to rezone the property from DR to MU in the T 4 and 5 zones and to R-4 in the T-3 Zone as the base zoning as modified by the Leytham Development Regulation (based on the SmartCode) and to designate the neighborhood as a Neighborhood Conservation District.  The next step is to work on the conditions and then on to first round City Council approval in about six to eight weeks.  

As you have probably deduced by now, the project has a name . . .  The new traditional neighborhood on State Street will be called Leytham.  I will explain this name in my next post, but it has been a long day.

Herb
Herb Freeman
Full Circle Ventures, Inc.
16510 State Street
Bennington, NE  68007

402.689.4000
Herb@FullCircleVentures.com
http://www.Leytham.com
http://www.NewHerbanism.BlogSpot.com
the1wags
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Post by the1wags »

That's great news Herb. Hopefully everything falls into place for final approval. I still like Herbyville better. :;):
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Post by Admin »

Congratulations Herb!
Herb
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Post by Herb »

What’s Behind the Naming of the New Traditional Neighborhood on State Street?

The United States of America, in a series of Bounty Land Acts dating from the Revolutionary War in 1776 through 1855, followed a policy of rewarding those who served the country with bounty land grants.   Eligibility was gradually extended to include officers and soldiers of the regular army, navy, militia and Native Americans mustered into the service of the United States in time of war.  

By the middle of the nineteenth century, Congress had authorized the transfer of sixty million acres of the public domain to veterans as a way for the government to induce men to enlist, to further compensate those who had served, to provide for their widows and children and to settle the west.  The land bounty was granted in the form of a warrant.  The warrant did not actually convey title to the land, but with his bounty land warrant the veteran could apply for a land patent whereby actual title to the land was transferred to him from the public domain.  Most who received a land bounty warrant did not actually take title to any land.  Rather, through a wide spread business involving agents, the land bounty warrants were sold to others who redeemed them for the actual land.  And so it was that William Scripter, having served in Captain Beach's company of the New York State Militia in the War of 1812, received land bounty Warrant 25,027 and subsequently sold it.

The original patent for the land which will become Omaha area’s first new traditional neighborhood proclaims:  
“In pursuance to the Act of Congress, approved March 3, 1855, entitled ‘An Act in addition to certain Acts granting Bounty Land to certain Officers and Soldiers who have been engaged in the military service of the United States’ there has been deposited in the General Land Office, Warrant No. 25,027 . . . .”
Warrant No. 25,027 was redeemed for a patent that, on the first day of October in 1860, the 15th President of the United States of America, James Buchanan, caused to be issued.  

The patent land had been owned by the federal government since it was acquired in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803.  Before that the French had laid claim to the land which the Omaha Tribe of Native Americans had lived upon for centuries without any concept of private ownership of the land.  The Omaha arrived here after having come “up stream,” the literal meaning of “Omaha.”  John Lee Webster, President of the Nebraska State Historical Society, noted in his annual address of January 16, 1913:
There is a well authenticated tradition among the Omaha Tribe, that, impelled by a spirit of migration . . . , they took up their journey from their eastern home near the headwaters of the Ohio and followed that river to the union of its waters with the Mississippi, and thence up the eastern side of the Missouri, and eventually permanently settled three and a half centuries ago in what afterward became known as the Nebraska region.


The same spirit that drives all human migration and which impelled the Omaha to come up stream to Nebraska also prompted a certain Englishman in 1855 to sail to America, and then to find his way to Nebraska Territory to settle in Omaha in 1856, and then in 1860 to obtain Warrant 25,027 and to redeem that warrant for a patent from the federal government for 160 acres of virgin prairie in Douglas County, Nebraska Territory.  His name was Richard Leytham and he was a farmer.  Here is his story and that of his family.

The Nebraska Territorial Census reveals that in 1860 Richard was 37 years old.  His wife, Elizabeth, was 31.  The Leythams were both born in Lancashire, England.  Their eleven year old son, John, and eight year old Thomas were born in Liverpool.  Two year old Eleanor was born in Nebraska.  Five years later the Leytham family moved to Shelby County, Iowa.  

Some twenty-nine years after he received the patent on the 160 acres in Nebraska, the 1889 Biographical History of Shelby County, Iowa records that:
RICHARD LEYTHAM is one of the oldest pioneers of Cass Township, having come there in 1865. He was born in Lancashire, England, March 3, 1823, and is the son of John and Eleanor (Singleton) Leytham. He was reared to the occupation of a farmer.  November 12, 1848, he was married to Elizabeth Taylor, a native of England, and a daughter of James and Eunice (Oibin) Taylor.  In 1855 Mr. and Mrs. Leytham sailed from Liverpool to America; they landed at Boston and proceeded to Canada, but remained there only a short time comparatively. In the spring of 1856 they removed to Omaha, Nebraska.  Omaha then had a few shanties, one hotel, the Douglas House, a small boarding-house called Little Ireland, and lots of whisky. A three days' residence in Omaha satisfied Mr. Leytham and his wife, so they went to Florence, Nebraska, six miles north of Omaha, where they were among the first settlers. They built them a home, and remained there nine years. In 1865 they came to Shelby County, and Mr. Leytham bought sixty acres of land, ten of which were broken; there was a log-cabin on the place, and there was no other between Cass Township and Harlan. Mr. Leytham now owns 220 acres of well-improved land, stocked with a large number of cattle and horses. Mr. and Mrs. Leytham are the parents of fifteen children, nine of whom are living -- John, Thomas, Eleanor, Robert, Richard, Ann Jane, Sarah, Eunice and William; those deceased are -- Eunice, the first child so called, Elizabeth, James, Maggie, Samuel and Charles. The parents are members and zealous supporters of the Latter-Day Saints church, Mr. Leytham being a teacher in the church. He and his wife were brought up in the Church of England, but changed their views after coming to America, and united with the church of the Latter-Day Saints. In politics Mr. Leytham is inclined to the principles of the Democratic party. He is a good conversationalist, genial in his disposition, and an honored and respected citizen of Cass Township.
Source: 1889 Biographical History of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 478

The Leythams lived on into an old age in Shelby County, Iowa.  Elizabeth died on September 26, 1909 at the age of 80.  Richard lived to 88, passing away on April 10, 1911.  Mr. and Mrs. Leytham are buried Cass Township Cemetery southeast of Portsmouth, Shelby County, Iowa with several of their children and grand children.

Through a series of eight title transfers, from the original 1860 Leytham patent to the founding of the Omaha area’s first new traditional neighborhood, the land has always remained intact.  Each owner has passed on the entire 160 acres.  Now, after nearly 150 years of private ownership, it is time for the current owner of the land, Herb Freeman, to found a new and enduring traditional neighborhood so that many may benefit from the respectful improvement and wise use of this land.

The Leythams exemplify the pioneer spirit.  They came to the new world from the old and lived on the wild frontier. Through industry and effort and living good lives, they began the transformation of the land.  The people who live in this new neighborhood will be the next links in the long chain of those, unknown and known, titled or not, who have occupied and used this land over the centuries.  It is only fitting and proper that we name this new community after the family who were the pivot point at that unique hinge in time between the unknown who used the land without title and those who come down known to us in the chain of private title.  It is only fitting and proper that we name the new neighborhood after the Leythams.

The etymology of British place names reveals that the meaning of “Leytham” perfectly symbolizes the new neighborhood on State Street.  “Ley” is the second most common element in British surnames.  It comes from the Old English “leah” and the Middle English “leye” meaning clearing, grassland or meadow.  The “(t)-ham” ending is a common Anglo-Saxon suffix meaning a home or homestead, and later a village, manor or estate. How appropriate it is that “Leytham” means, quite literally, “Village in the Meadow?”

So where does the credit go for the naming the new traditional neighborhood on State Street?  As you may know, during the design charrette we announced a contest with a $500 prize to the person who submitted the name that was selected.  Well, no one submitted the actual name.  But a few people contributed significantly to the process.  Some said, “Why don’t you check the history of the property and see what that suggests.”  A title search revealed Richard Leytham as the first private owner of the land.  Some in-depth research uncovered his story.  One person suggested looking at the etymology of British place names.  That produced the derivation of the Leytham name and confirmed its selection as the name for Omaha’s first greenfield new traditional neighborhood.  I guess one could say that the process produced the name.  You were part of that process if you submitted a name for consideration because you helped me focus my thinking.  Thank you to all those who submitted a name.  I appreciate your interest and support very much.  Since no one person actually submitted the name, the prize will be donated to Habitat for Humanity where it may do a bit of good to bring quality housing to those who most need it.

There is a saying among the new urbanists:  "Most developers name their projects after whatever it is that they destroyed by developing the project."  Think about the names of many of the Omaha area's conventional subdivisions and you will see what they mean.  Not so on State Street. Both in terms of its historic significance and its literal meaning, the perfect name by which we shall call the Omaha area’s first new traditional neighborhood is . . . Leytham.

Image

Artist's rendering of the view across the wetlands and up a greenway to The Commons at Leytham, the "Village in the Meadow."

(Original Charrette hand drawing by DeDe Christopher, September 2006.  See her web site here: http://www.christopherillustration.com.  Of special interest is this link to DeDe's website displaying the beautiful work she created at the Leytham Charrette: http://www.christopherillustration.com/ ... omaha.html.)

Herb
Last edited by Herb on Sun Jun 24, 2007 2:53 pm, edited 17 times in total.
Herb Freeman
Full Circle Ventures, Inc.
16510 State Street
Bennington, NE  68007

402.689.4000
Herb@FullCircleVentures.com
http://www.Leytham.com
http://www.NewHerbanism.BlogSpot.com
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agibson95
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Post by agibson95 »

Herb wrote:What’s Behind the Naming of the New Traditional Neighborhood on State Street?

There is a saying among the new urbanists:  "Most developers name their projects after whatever it is that they destroyed by developing the project."  Think about the names of many of the Omaha area's conventional subdivisions and you will see what they mean.  Not so on State Street. Both in terms of its historic significance and its literal meaning, the perfect name by which we shall call the Omaha area’s first new traditional neighborhood is . . . Leytham.

Herb
Im sold. I wish you were around when I had my house built on 156th and State.
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Post by nativeomahan »

I fervently hope that this very sort of suburban residential development is a huge success, and is emulated across the metro area in the coming years.  There have been so many missed opportunities to do this in the past.  Better late than never.
Herb
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High Energy Prices Cut into Housing Budgets

Post by Herb »

More for Energy; Less for Everything Else
The Poorest Hit the Hardest


Rising energy prices are forcing more families, especially the poorest ones, to cut into the budgets they usually would use to pay for housing, food, and even health care, says a new study.

Squeezed the hardest are the country's poorest families. For those with an after-tax income of less than $10,000, energy costs will consume 46 percent of their take-home pay 2007, compared with 23 percent in 1997, according to the study.

Looking at a larger swath of the population — the 53 percent of American families who earn less than $50,000 — average transportation and household energy bills will take up 18 percent of after-tax income. That's nearly double the costs of 1997.

The study was completed by Gene Trisko, an environmental attorney and energy economist, on behalf of Americans for Balanced Energy Choices, an organization that supports using domestic coal to generate electricity.

Gas Prices Rise the Most

Gasoline accounts for the largest single increase in consumer energy costs with the average retail cost of gasoline increasing by 88 percent or more since 2001.

The study estimates that Americans will spend over $2,900 per family, or 6 percent of after tax income, on gasoline in 2007 with families earning between $10,000 and $50,000 spending 11 percent of after tax dollars on gas.

Spending on residential energy will consume 10 percent of after-tax income for families earning between $10,000 and $50,000. In the last decade residential energy costs have risen by 50 percent overall.

Here's a look at how household energy spending has increased between 1997 and 2007, using projected figures for this year:

• Electricity: 40% increase ($870 in 1997; $1,215 in 2007)
• Natural Gas: 64% increase ($579 in 1997; $949 in 2007)
• Fuel Oil: 96% increase ($714 in 1997; $1,402 in 2007)
• Propane Gas: 76% increase ($500 in 1997; $903 in 2007)

Remember that gasoline has increased by 88% just since 2001.

Source: REALTOR® Magazine Online, June 11, 2007

This is just more evidence that the denser, walkable, mixed use neighborhood is here to stay.  The evidence mounts daily.  As energy prices continue their inexorable increases, we will have to rethink both how we live and how we get around.

Herb
Herb Freeman
Full Circle Ventures, Inc.
16510 State Street
Bennington, NE  68007

402.689.4000
Herb@FullCircleVentures.com
http://www.Leytham.com
http://www.NewHerbanism.BlogSpot.com
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mcarch
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Post by mcarch »

While I like the idea of the community, I have some problems with the road layout.  It reminds me of Bellbrook.  No straight street what-so-ever.  You would really only care if you were the one to have an emergency and need fire or medical help and they couldn't reach you b/c of the confusing street layout. Denver's Stapleton community is perfect.  It acts as a community.  As you were talking before post-war communities... one thing they did have... straight streets.  Don't get me wrong, I don't mind the occasional circles, just don't make a neighborhood out of them... that and this whole jagged edged curved spiral of a confusing layout, but don't get me wrong, I love the concept of community areas, its just that Omaha needs to define exactly what one is before just guessing and building on valuable land.

Just a side note... if anyone can find it... another GREAT example would be a community that I saw in Ames, IA.  It is in the north part of the city.  That area is a perfect example of what a community should look like.
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Post by cdub »

The development in Ames is called Somerset.  The difference between that and what Herb is doing is that Somerset is flat as a piece of paper.  While you can indeed impose a grid pattern on hillsides you end up causing some problems that Herbs development is trying to avoid.  By taking advantage of the slopes he is creating a better plan.  With the rules and regs in place at the local and state level he would not be allowed to use a grid, or he would end up grading a ridiculous amount to make it work.
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agibson95
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Post by agibson95 »

Does anyone know what stores are signed on to build on 156th and State? I saw the plans for this a while back, but nothing has been built. If I remember correctly there was a grocery store, 2 department stores and various smaller stores and restaurants in the plans.  Im sure the people in Leytham will frequent these stores. Maybe Herb has heard something?
Herb
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Post by Herb »

agibson95 asked:
Does anyone know what stores are signed on to build on 156th and State? I saw the plans for this a while back, but nothing has been built. If I remember correctly there was a grocery store, 2 department stores and various smaller stores and restaurants in the plans.  I'm sure the people in Leytham will frequent these stores. Maybe Herb has heard something?
I am not aware that any users are signed for the corner of 156th and State Streets.  As soon as I hear anything, I will of course post it here.

Regarding mcarch's comments on the street lay out in Leytham and the desirability of the grid.  A neighborhood does not have to be on flat land to actually be a community.  One has only to think of Russian Hill in San Francisco, Beacon Hill in Boston and the hill towns all over Europe.   Stapleton was an airport, and therefore, by definition, flat.  Ames, Iowa is flat.  The coastal areas of the southeast are flat.  And that is where there are many wonderful new traditional neighborhoods.  But there are a number built examples of excellent TNDs on hilly ground too.  The Kentlands in Gaithersburg, Maryland; Madison Park in Raleigh, North Carolina; Vickery in Atlanta and Mt. Laurel in Birmingham, Alabama immediately come to mind and these are wonderful communities.  The greater challenge for new urbanism and for the founders of the new traditional neighborhoods than building on flat ground is to make TNDs work in the greater part of the country that has some interesting terrain.  

That leads us to consider the grid.  If topography is to be even minimally preserved and not graded into oblivion, the grid will have be be curved.  Notice that there are definite blocks in Leytham.  One will actually be able to walk around them.  But they are not rectilinear blocks.  The streets are curved and take the grades generally on the bias.  This lowers the streets' slopes and minimizes the grading required.  As to the inter-connectivity of the grid, that is limited by the city's requirements that full service intersections provide access only at the half and quarter mile points.  This applies to access to arterial and collector streets and generally to the connections to adjoining neighborhoods as well.  The grid thus becomes broken and intermittent at best in the interest of moving cars "more efficiently."  Yet the TND traffic engineers have demonstrated that a dense, interconnected grid can move more traffic more efficiently than a sparser arrangement of less accessible arterial and collector streets.

I appreciate and value this dialog.  Let's keep it going.

Best to all who are interested,

Herb
Herb Freeman
Full Circle Ventures, Inc.
16510 State Street
Bennington, NE  68007

402.689.4000
Herb@FullCircleVentures.com
http://www.Leytham.com
http://www.NewHerbanism.BlogSpot.com
Herb
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Developers and Property Managers See Green Building Perks

Post by Herb »

The real estate industry — most notably the commercial side — is slowly but surely embracing sustainable business practices and green technologies, according to an analysis of the industry by Progressive Investor, monthly newsletter that’s focused on sustainable investments.
The benefits will make green ubiquitous over the next two years.
says George Caraghiaur, vice president for energy services at Simon Property Group, owner of 300 shopping malls.

Developers are using green construction in their projects, real estate consumers and tenants are showing a preference for sustainable buildings, and it’s becoming more affordable to make earth-friendly choices, the newsletter says. What’s driving the trend? Progressive Investor identified these factors:


Energy prices are rising. Developers and building owners are feeling the crunch of high energy and water costs, which, according to the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), constitute 28 percent of operating costs for downtown office properties, and 30.4 percent for suburban properties. They see the quick payback and cost savings energy efficiency and other green building upgrades offer.

Construction costs are coming down. Building green no longer costs more. Turner Construction's 2005 Green Building Market Barometer shows it costs a just 0.8 percent more for basic LEED certification, easily recouped through lower operating costs.

Tenants are demanding it. Increasingly, clients and tenants show a preference for green buildings, which have been proven to increase productivity, retain employees and lower absenteeism. The combination of reduced operating costs and more satisfied occupants translates into 3.5% higher occupancy rates, 3% higher rents, and a 7.5% increase in building value, says the McGraw-Hill 2006 SmartMarket Report.

Green gets visibility. Corporations with sustainable business policies are building highly visible green headquarters including Bank of America, Toyota, Goldman Sachs, Hearst, IBM, JPMorgan Chase and Herman Miller. The Freedom Tower, which replaces the World Trade Center, will be LEED-certified.

States are requiring it. Green building is increasingly being mandated. Nine states and 40+ municipalities have passed legislation mandating LEED-certified buildings. Six percent of commercial developments are LEED-certified, and it’s projected to jump to 10 percent of the market by 2010.

Source:  Daily Real Estate News  |  June 20, 2007

This is just more evidence that we have reached the inflection point where more and more change will come more and more rapidly.  When the large investment property owners are turning to green building for all the reasons cited above, then the rest of us in the larger society will find it increasingly difficult to remain passive on these issues.

Yours for a responsible future,

Herb


FLASH!!! THIS JUST IN. . . . .

The National Association of Home Builders just announced its new green building program.

from Nation's Building News, week of June 18th:
At its spring meeting in Washington, D.C. earlier this month, the NAHB Board of Directors approved the creation of a national green building program to provide a template for voluntary, market-driven green building.

The new program will be based on the National Green Building Standard, a model for residential construction and renovation written by builders, architects, environmentalists and product experts that will be released in early 2008.

This standard is the result of a cooperative effort between NAHB and the International Code Council and is based on NAHB’s Model Green Home Building Guidelines, which provide the foundation of more than 20 green building programs created by state and local home builders associations across the country. . . .

“When it comes to residential building and remodeling, NAHB members are leading the way to creating a new, green-built nation,” Catalde said. “With the resources and expertise of the NAHB Research Center, our new national program will help accelerate that process.”
Soooo . . .  when it comes to embracing green building, it's NOT just the commercial side of the real estate industry that "gets it" as the first article above states . . .    Still MORE evidence that we, as a nation and as a society, are beginning to "get it."  

I had no more than got the posting up on the commercial developers and managers embracing green building than the article from the National Association of Home Builders crossed my desk.  The news on green building is almost coming faster than I can abstract it and get it posted here.  That HAS to be a great sign!

H
Herb Freeman
Full Circle Ventures, Inc.
16510 State Street
Bennington, NE  68007

402.689.4000
Herb@FullCircleVentures.com
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Post by Herb »

This post deleted and combined into the one below.
Last edited by Herb on Sun Jun 24, 2007 1:32 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Herb Freeman
Full Circle Ventures, Inc.
16510 State Street
Bennington, NE  68007

402.689.4000
Herb@FullCircleVentures.com
http://www.Leytham.com
http://www.NewHerbanism.BlogSpot.com
Herb
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Post by Herb »

Your New Urban Factoid(s) of the Day . . .

88% of us drive to work every day.  Of those that drive only 10.7% car pool.  That means that over 77% are riding in a car all alone.

Alternative methods of getting to work in the US (in decreasing order) are:

  • 4.7% mass transit [50% of the country's mass transit riders are in 10 cities]

    3.6% no commute at all!  They Work at Home!  [5.3% work at home in Portland, OR]

    2.5% walk to work [13% walk in Boston]
Source:  Daily Real Estate News, June 14, 2007

The dense, walkable, mixed use new traditional neighborhood will help that 77% figure drop.  Here is the proof from an article entitled, "We Would Use Less Energy Living Closer Together"  
The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote:A 2002 peer-reviewed study by John Holtzclaw and other researchers examined odometer readings from annual government-run vehicles . . . to compare driving patterns across metro Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco.  It showed that miles driven by an average household dropped by 32 percent to 43 percent as the density of neighborhoods doubled.

In the next 30 years, our country will build 70 million new dwellings somewhere.  With urban life emerging as a market favorite, it's looking more as if building a good portion of them in livable, walkable traditional neighborhoods is one of the most convenient - and effective - remedies for the inconvenient truth.
Source:  The Philadelphia Inquirer, Thursday, May 17, 2007

Over the last several weeks, there has been a dramatic increase in site visitors registering on the Leytham.com website to receive continuing updates.  I feel a shift.  Am I alone or do some of you sense it too?  It seems to me that more and more and more people are beginning to "get it" at an accelerating rate.  I would like your perspectives on this so please add your observations to the continuing dialog.

Thanks,

Herb
Herb Freeman
Full Circle Ventures, Inc.
16510 State Street
Bennington, NE  68007

402.689.4000
Herb@FullCircleVentures.com
http://www.Leytham.com
http://www.NewHerbanism.BlogSpot.com
lonnie
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Post by lonnie »

Herb,

Speaking on the merits of working from home...

Does Cox Communications currently service the Leytham area?  If not currently, will they?

Lonnie
Herb
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Post by Herb »

Lonnie,

Cox has cables right in State Street.  Every new traditional neighborhood being built gives special attention to high speed Internet access.  Some even have neighborhood networks and wireless hot spots.  Leytham will be no different.  Thanks for your question.

Herb
Herb Freeman
Full Circle Ventures, Inc.
16510 State Street
Bennington, NE  68007

402.689.4000
Herb@FullCircleVentures.com
http://www.Leytham.com
http://www.NewHerbanism.BlogSpot.com
Herb
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Post by Herb »

Your Peak-Oil, Long Emergency, Inconvenient Truth, OPEC Moment of Humor



Leading Ways to Reduce Gas Usage
  • 17 9/10%  Getting drunk at home
    19 9/10%  No longer leaving car running while parked overnight
    25 9/10%  Invading unsuspecting wind-powered nation of Holland
    39 9/10%  Repealing the federal Mandatory Car Ownership Act of 1953
This, from the Onion daily calendar on my desk for Sunday, June24th

Do any other innovative ideas come to mind from this creative, sometimes twisted group  . . . .?
Last edited by Herb on Mon Jun 25, 2007 4:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Herb Freeman
Full Circle Ventures, Inc.
16510 State Street
Bennington, NE  68007

402.689.4000
Herb@FullCircleVentures.com
http://www.Leytham.com
http://www.NewHerbanism.BlogSpot.com
Megan
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Post by Megan »

Herb,

I've been following the progress of your project for a while now.  My husband and I have delayed purchasing a house because we want to build in Leytham.  We plan on purchasing a lot as soon as they are available.
DTO Luv
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Post by DTO Luv »

I thought number 17 was real. But I walk everywhere so I can drink everywhere.
DTO
Herb
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Post by Herb »

Hello, All and a Happy 4th of July to you! There is a New Meetup Group in Omaha . . . .

About a month ago I started a new MeetUp group called the "Omaha New Urbanism & Sustainable Development Meetup Group." So far our small group has had its first meeting. It occurred to me to let the readers of eomahaforums know about this new group in the hopes that some of you might care to join the group, contribute to the ongoing dialog and advance the new urbanism. Just log on here and sign up.

http://newurbanism.meetup.com/106/?gj=sj5

I hope to see some of you at our next meeting.

Yours for advancing the New Urbanism,

Herb
Herb Freeman
Full Circle Ventures, Inc.
16510 State Street
Bennington, NE  68007

402.689.4000
Herb@FullCircleVentures.com
http://www.Leytham.com
http://www.NewHerbanism.BlogSpot.com
Herb
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Post by Herb »

Leytham?  What's a Leytham?


Leytham gets some great press in the July 5th edition of the Omaha World-Herald:

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2 ... d=10071055
Herb Freeman
Full Circle Ventures, Inc.
16510 State Street
Bennington, NE  68007

402.689.4000
Herb@FullCircleVentures.com
http://www.Leytham.com
http://www.NewHerbanism.BlogSpot.com
Herb
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Post by Herb »

Herb on the radio THIS morning!

If you are up now, tune into Steve Smithberg's "Radio Reality Hour" at 9:00 am TODAY on KKAR AM 1290.  

Steve wants to hear the story behind the Leytham name.  The interview was arranged hastily and will be by telephone, but do try to tune in if you read this in time.
Herb Freeman
Full Circle Ventures, Inc.
16510 State Street
Bennington, NE  68007

402.689.4000
Herb@FullCircleVentures.com
http://www.Leytham.com
http://www.NewHerbanism.BlogSpot.com
Herb
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Post by Herb »

See the Omaha by Design supplement to the Sunday Omaha World-Herald.  It is titled "Urban Design Element Implementation Measures."  Note page 10 on Walkable Residential Neighborhoods.  Leytham is mentioned as an example. (My insert was in the big mass of flyers and advertising inserts that comes all wrapped together with the Sunday paper.  If you throw all that away enmass like I usually do, then you missed this special supplement from Omaha by Design.)

Omaha World-Herald wrote:  
Omaha World-Herald 08/05/2007, Page H10
Walkable Residential Neighborhoods

Recent studies have shown that Americans feel increasingly disconnected from their communities, and the consequences of this disconnection are far-reaching. Some cities have attempted to address this issue by encouraging denser housing developments that are pedestrian-friendly and designed for active use. The Walkable Residential Neighborhood (WRN) (§55-208 to §55-215) designation will bring this concept to suburban parts of Omaha, offering homeowners a safer, more appealing outdoor environment that encourages physical activity and social interaction.

The WRN will be voluntarily initiated by developers. It sets out site development standards that are modeled after old style, pedestrian-oriented neighborhoods such as Benson and Dundee. While the current zoning codes tend to separate uses, the WRN encourages a mix of uses so that people can walk from their homes to shops, libraries and other civic amenities. The intent is to stimulate new residential development patterns in Omaha that contain a mix of housing types like Leytham at 168th and State streets.

The WRN is intended as a separate zoning option—it is not an overlay. It carries several criteria that developers must meet regarding the set-back of units from the public right-of way, the width of lots and the height of buildings. Projects will be approved on the basis of meeting these quantitative guidelines as well as the overall quality of the site plan.

Copyright (c) 2007 Omaha World-Herald 08/05/2007
The page also featured this rendering of Leytham showing the market hall and the farmers' market.

Image

For more information see: http://www.OmahaByDesign.org

Yours for the improved physical and social environments that Omaha by Design seeks to foster,

Herb
Herb Freeman
Full Circle Ventures, Inc.
16510 State Street
Bennington, NE  68007

402.689.4000
Herb@FullCircleVentures.com
http://www.Leytham.com
http://www.NewHerbanism.BlogSpot.com
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Post by Raraavis »

I am very excited about this development.  I hope by the time it is being built I can afford to move in.

Interesting link.
New Urban Development in Atlanta
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=136989
Herb
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Post by Herb »

New Urban Factoid

Purdue University researchers surveyed the total area devoted to parking in a midsize Midwestern county and found that parking spaces outnumbered resident drivers 3-to-1 and outnumbered resident families 11-to-1. The researchers found the total parking area to be larger than 1,000 football fields, or covering more than two square miles.

Source: Purdue University News (09/11/2007)
http://news.uns.purdue.edu/x/2007b/0709 ... rking.html

"Even I was surprised by these numbers," said Bryan Pijanowski, the associate professor of forestry and natural resources who led the study in Purdue's home county of Tippecanoe. "I can't help but wonder: Do we need this much parking space?"

The Purdue University News article goes on to note that large churches and "big-box" retailers . . . often feature parking lots that take up more than twice the area of their buildings . . . .

“Parking lots at big-box stores and mega-churches are rarely filled," Pijanowski said.  A different approach to development planning could mitigate the monetary and environmental costs associated with parking areas, he said.

‘In many areas of the world, particularly Europe, cities were planned prior to automobiles, and many locations are typically within walking distance," Pijanowski said. "This is just one different way to plan that has certain advantages."

"People can help by first realizing that our land is not unlimited and that we need to use it prudently," Pijanowski said. "They can seek a lifestyle that requires less automobile use.”

Yours for the walkable residential mixed use neighborhood where 11 parking spaces per family will not be required,

Herb
Herb Freeman
Full Circle Ventures, Inc.
16510 State Street
Bennington, NE  68007

402.689.4000
Herb@FullCircleVentures.com
http://www.Leytham.com
http://www.NewHerbanism.BlogSpot.com
omahastylee459
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Post by omahastylee459 »

when is this going to be built?  I tried looking around but i couldnt find it.  Has any land prep started?
Herb
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Post by Herb »

Omahastylee,

Leytham is at the northwest corner of 168th and State Streets.  The ground is unimproved except for one large house in the center of the 160 acres.  I live in that house now, but as Leytham develops it will be the sales center and then ultimately it is slated to become the main community building in The Commons.  The lane that leads to the house is right opposite the mail box on the north side of State Street at 16510 State.  Just come down the lane and take a look at the ground that will become Omaha's first new greenfield traditional neighborhood.  If you call first (689-4000 cell or 238-3095 house), I will show you around.

I expect that grading may begin in the spring of 2008, if all goes well with the SID financing.  If you have any other questions, please ask.  Thanks for your interest.

Herb
Herb Freeman
Full Circle Ventures, Inc.
16510 State Street
Bennington, NE  68007

402.689.4000
Herb@FullCircleVentures.com
http://www.Leytham.com
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Herb
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Post by Herb »

Leytham is not a conventional subdivision. It is not a development as we have come to know that term. It is much more than just a real estate project. It is a new neighborhood where people will work, learn, play, shop and, of course, live. Since Leytham embodies so many of the aspects of life, the idea of Leytham can best be summed up as "Leytham Life."

Click below for the next Leytham Life "marketing tag line."

Leytham Life Slogan Generator

Once at the Leytham Life Slogan Generator, you can click on "Generate My Slogan" over and over again to get new tag lines. If you like one of them, let me know.

Herb
Last edited by Herb on Sun Sep 23, 2007 8:44 pm, edited 6 times in total.
Herb Freeman
Full Circle Ventures, Inc.
16510 State Street
Bennington, NE  68007

402.689.4000
Herb@FullCircleVentures.com
http://www.Leytham.com
http://www.NewHerbanism.BlogSpot.com
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Herb
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Post by Herb »

I am frustrated at my inability to figure out what I am doing wrong.
Herb Freeman
Full Circle Ventures, Inc.
16510 State Street
Bennington, NE  68007

402.689.4000
Herb@FullCircleVentures.com
http://www.Leytham.com
http://www.NewHerbanism.BlogSpot.com
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