Boulder Creek Builders at Shadow Grass Park:  These new homes showcase new ideas

One of life’s great pleasures is to move into a beautiful new home, especially when it’s filled with exciting innovations that enhance the way you live. At Shadow Grass Park in Longmont, Boulder Creek Builders has opened its own sales office and model homes and rolled out a new series of designs for savvy homebuyers. Boulder Creek’s clever innovations spotlight the difference between new homes built the way people want to live today, in 2011, and other so-called new homes wearing the same old designs you’ve seen for decades.

“As a leader in the homebuilding industry, Boulder Creek welcomes the chance to be innovative in designing and building new homes,” says Sales and Marketing Manager Paul Gortzig, “With one of our company owners being an architect, we have consulted with an outside group of architects to be sure our plans answer the needs of our homebuyers at Shadow Grass Park. And we have actively sought fresh ideas from the home-buying public
to challenge traditional thinking in home designs. We ask you not to settle for old, tired designs being sold as ‘new.’”

At Shadow Grass Park, Boulder Creek has introduced some new concepts based on how people aspire to live today. The homes built by Boulder Creek showcase new designs and new engineering, with a focus on energy-efficient Green building technology and optimum comfort and convenience.

Main-floor living.

All of Boulder Creek’s homes at Shadow Grass Park are ranch-style, with main-floor master suite, laundry and study. Two of the floor plans have zero-step access into the home, and two other plans offer a fully finished lower level. The Longmont Senior Advisory Council gave Boulder Creek Builders valuable input into the design of these ranch-style patio homes. The builder has a pleasant surprise for homeowners looking for
extra storage. The homes are built with an oversized garage that is more than ample for two cars. And voila! A staircase at the end of the garage leads to a versatile 200-square-foot room, with a window and abundant space for storage. So people can downsize, move into these ranch homes and have all main-floor living, without compromising storage.

“Our homes in this community are exceeding Energy Star’s Top (5 Star) rating,” says Boulder Creek Community Manager Karen Sanders. “For our homeowners, this means that their home is 20 to 30 percent more efficient than most new homes being built today and, most likely, vastly more efficient than the home they are moving out of. This translates into lower monthly electric and gas bills.”

The “behind-the-walls quality” is really important in these homes: 2×6 wall construction means higher insulation levels, advanced framing techniques produce a sturdier building with less air penetration, concrete-based siding creates a durable exterior and provides a quieter interior, and high-quality low-VOC paint is good for the indoor air quality.

“We build what’s good for the environment and good for our buyer,” Sanders says. New Energy-Star-rated furnaces, water heaters and appliances help the home run most efficiently. The results are a more comfortable interior environment with better air quality and savings on monthly utility bills. The whole focus is to build an energy-efficient home. “Our homeowners enjoy a low-maintenance lifestyle; front-lawn care and snow removal are part of living in this community. And we have some great home sites to choose from.”

Right-sized design.

Next, there’s right-sized design. The homes are designed for maximum use of all their square footage, with no extra hallways or wasted spaces. “Right Sized was the logical solution for Shadow Grass Park, “says Boulder Creek Principal David Sinkey. “After consulting with the Senior Advisory Council, we developed a myriad of thoughtful design concepts for residents of every age, from standard slab on grade foundations with zero-step garage entries to wider hallways and doorways. With front-yard maintenance provided for our homeowners, it’s a lock-and-leave lifestyle that appeals to a wide variety of residents.”

When you enter a new right-sized home, you see immediately how it makes perfect sense. Everything a homeowner needs is right there on the main floor, from the master suite to the laundry and even a home office. The main floor centerpiece is a spacious, light-filled Great Room, connecting the large, efficient kitchen to the living areas. “Another thing I love about these homes is all the luxurious interior trim and alder cabinets,” Sanders says. Right-sized ranch-style homes come in a variety of floor plans to suit each homeowner’s needs. Those looking for additional bedrooms for visitors or a rec room for grandchildren will find what they need by adding a finished lower level. Boulder Creek is known for pioneering and perfecting the amenities and technologies of lower-level living.

Convenient location.

The Shadow Grass Park community is very well located with major retail businesses nearby (two grocery stores, two banks, restaurants and a number of small stores), adjacent green belt trail system, Jim Hamm Pond Nature Area, Ute Creek Golf Course and a local park with a dog park, basketball court, skate park, playground and water park. The community also has wonderful connectivity to Old Town Longmont (only minutes away) and to I-25 to Denver and Fort Collins, Highway 66 to Lyons and Estes Park, and Highway 119 to Boulder.

Visit Shadow Grass Park.

View Boulder Creek’s energy-efficient designs at Shadow Grass Park. Homes range in size from 1,300 square feet to more than 2,400 square feet with a finished lower level. With tree-lined streets, generous porches and traditional architecture that recall small-town America, Shadow Grass Park is priced from the mid-$200,000s. Visit Boulder Creek Builders at Shadow Grass Park at 1523 Moonlight Drive in Longmont. Model-home hours are Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., and Sunday noon – 5 p.m. And visit the Boulder Creek website at www.ShadowGrass.LiveBoulderCreek.com, or call the Information Center at 303.772.3063.

Article courtesy of Boulder Daily Camera – At Home

Everything’s coming up Longmont…but why be intrigued by a Boulder Creek community at Kingsbridge, Creekside or Shadow Grass Park?  Here are ten great reasons to hang your hopes and dreams on a home in Longmont, CO:

• Location, location, location:  Longmont is conveniently located with access to Colorado Route 119, US-287, and I-25.
• Open space:  Longmont maintains over 1,500 acres of parks and open space, not to mention the over 80 miles of trails in close proximity in Boulder!
• Shop ’til you drop:  With major retailers, a mall, and convenient access to groceries and specialty stores, Longmont will never leave you hanging when it comes to a day of shopping.
• Yum: Longmont has three craft breweries and a great set of distinctive restaurants to tempt your tastebuds.
• Community:  Longmont may be an up-and-coming area, but it hasn’t lost its community charm.  Join your neighbors for athletic events, community service, the county fair, even art festivals and exhibits!
• Schools:  Longmont is conveniently located in the St. Vrain School District, which accommodates 26,000 Colorado students and is known for low drop-out rates, great school amenities, and quality teachers.
• You’re in business:  Longmont’s thriving business community provides great high-tech opportunities, and the proximity of the University of Colorado and other local schools mean the nearby population is well-educated and ready to get down to work.
• Awards and accolades:  You won’t be the only one who appreciates life in Longmont!  The city has been called an All-America City and called one of America’s Best Places to Live by Money Magazine.
• Elevation: Longmont sits at 4,979 feet above sea level…and is mere miles from 14ers, ski opportunities, and winter sports galore.
• Freedom:  Find a sense of liberty…and not just from the spectacular mountain views.  Longmont is perfectly situated to give you access to the lifestyle that’s right for YOU, allowing you to express your individuality.

What happens when right-sized design meets smart building technology? Homebuyers get a home designed around how they want to live today. Main floor living, energy efficiency and spaces that are thoughtfully proportioned are just a few of the exciting results.

Boulder Creek Builders has just released a newly designed series of homes dubbed the “Right Size” series. These ranch style patio homes were designed with valuable input from the Longmont Senior Advisory Council.

“For Boulder Creek, Right Sized was the logical solution for Shadow Grass Park” says Principal David Sinkey. “After consulting with the Longmont Senior Advisory Council, we developed a myriad of thoughtful design concepts for residents of every age, from standard slab on grade foundations with zero step garage entries to wider hallways and doorways. With front-yard maintenance, it’s a lock-and-leave lifestyle that appeals to a wide variety of residents…the people who ultimately give Shadow Grass Park its special charm.”

When you enter a new Right Sized home, prepare for a big surprise. Each home features convenience with everything a homeowner needs right there on the mainfloor; from the master suite to the laundry and even a home office. The main floor highlights a spacious light filled Great Room connecting the kitchen to the living areas.

“How often do you have people over and everyone gathers in the kitchen? We thought, our designs should provide those spaces which reflect the way we live today, ”states Paul Gortzig, sales manager for Boulder Creek.

Right Sized ranch style homes come in a variety of sizes dependent on a homebuyer’s particular needs. Those looking for additional bedrooms for visitors or a rec room for grandchildren will find what they need by adding a finished lower level.

Boulder Creek gives homebuyers the opportunity to express their personal tastes by choosing interior finishes of their homes. From modern contemporary to country craftsmen, Boulder Creek’s professional design studio helps buyers select colors and materials to turn a house into their home.

Staying true to itself, Boulder Creek has incorporated green building techniques and Energy Star guidelines into its homes. Homebuyers receive a higher standard in building: 2×6 wall construction to allow higher insulation levels; advanced framing techniques to produce sturdier buildings with less outside air penetration; concrete-based siding to create a durable exterior and provide a quieter interior; and new Energy Star Rated furnaces, water heaters and appliances to help the home run most efficiently. All these efforts are designed to produce a more comfortable interior living environment with greater air quality as well as save on monthly utility bills.

Third party inspection companies audit the home during and after construction. These inspections ensure quality of building and incorporation of green building and energy efficiency techniques.

“Once a home is complete,” says David Gregg, principal and architect for Boulder Creek, “we bring in an energy surveyor to evaluate the home’s performance. We are very proud to say our homes test out to exceed the ratings provided for the ‘Energy Star’ designation.”

But main floor living, highly personalized interiors and energy efficiency are just the beginning. Located near wonderful amenities, Boulder Creek at Shadow Grass Park has easy and quick access to shopping, recreation and breathtaking mountain views. Major retail centers are only blocks away and the Jim Hamm Nature Area, Ute Creek Golf Course and Union Reservoir are right next door. When you live at Shadow Grass Park you will have more time to do what you enjoy.

Going to the mountains for the weekend or Denver to visit friends? Shadow Grass Park is located minutes from major roadways, making travel a cinch.

Ready to discover Right Size? View Boulder Creek’s energy-efficient designs at Shadow Grass Park. Homes range in size from 1,300 to over 2,400 square feet with finished lower level. From its tree-lined streets to generous porches and traditional architecture that recalls small-town America, Shadow Grass Park is priced in the mid $200s. Discover the Clear Creek, Wolf Creek, Woody Creek, Maroon Creek and Roaring Fork floor plans today.

Visit Shadow Grass Park at 1534 Moonlight Drive-in Longmont. Model Home hours are Monday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from12:00 to 5:00 p.m. You can also visit the Boulder Creek website at www.LiveBoulderCreek.com or call the Information Center at 303.776.3331

Article courtesy of Boulder Daily Camera – At Home

We’ve said it before…there are many great reasons to buy a new home instead of purchasing a used one.  And we’re glad to note that U.S. News and World Report agrees.  In fact, they point out a reason to buy new that, given our commitment to environmentally friendly building practices and great design, really hits home — buying new means buying greener.

Building codes have mandated increasingly higher energy efficiency standards since they began to address the issue in the late 1970s, says Kevin Morrow, senior program manager for the National Association of Home Builders’ green building programs. “The most recent International Energy Conservation Code came out in 2009 [and] required roughly 17 percent more efficiency than the codes of three years prior,” he says. “So using that as sort of a gauge to how newer homes should perform from an efficiency standpoint compared to older homes, it’s pretty clear that just as homes meet code, they are going to be more efficient.”

Newly constructed homes use energy more efficiently in two ways, Morrow says. First, they tend to have a tighter-sealed building envelope that helps prevent conditioned air—cool air in the summer, warm air in the winter—from escaping. Features that create this envelope include higher-efficiency insulation, doors, and windows. “Gone are the days of the single pane window … now I think you are starting to see triple- and quadruple-paned windows,” Morrow says. “These are windows that are designed to really minimize the transfer of heat either from warm to cold or vice versa, and they of course will help the building envelope.”

In addition, the article notes that newer appliances are more energy-efficient and Earth-friendly.  And luckily, buying green doesn’t mean scrimping on things like storage, custom finishes, stunning design, or the exemplary lifestyle that comes with great location.  Find out more about what we mean…drop by one of our homesites today!  Click here to learn more about Boulder Creek’s communities.

“I got all the features I wanted in a new home, with everything we need on the main level.”

Gay Kuhlmann, a lifelong, born-and-raised Boulder resident, knew it would take a special kind of place to make her move, if ever. The Kuhlmanns found that special kind of place nestled on the east side of Longmont. A place that allows you to connect back with the country, but also has all the conveniences of what Longmont has to offer. Shopping and restaurants are simply a couple blocks away, and just a few more blocks down is the nostalgic downtown Longmont. That special place is called Shadow Grass Park.

“I’ve never had a brand new home,” she says. The Kuhlmanns, who chose a Woody Creek design, liked the open floor plan and the Low-E glazed windows and loose fill fiberglass insulation help efficient use of space. “I could get all the features I wanted in a new home, with everything we need on the main level.” Two bedrooms and a private study are located on the Woody Creek’s main floor, with the kitchen and laundry area located at the rear for convenient and are more soundproof access to the two-car garage.

“We wanted to personalize our new home a bit,” Kuhlmann says. “I wanted a sitting room off of the bedroom, so we eliminated a bedroom and enlarged the master bedroom. We also reconfigured and enlarged the master bathroom. We have a huge rec room and we added a wet bar, as well.” Working with Boulder Creek was “wonderful,” she reports. “They gave us helpful suggestions and helped us through the whole process.”

“We were excited and honored that the Kuhlmann’s chose Boulder Creek to build their home,” says Paul Gortzig, sales and marketing manager for Boulder Creek Life and Home. “We know there are a lot of choices in today’s new-home environment and Kuhlmann’s selection of Boulder Creek reinforces our efforts to create a unique living experience designed around how people aspire to live today, with our emphasis on Green Building techniques and energy efficiency. These are two big components that went into the Kuhlmann’s selection of Boulder Creek.”

“Our involvement with Shadow Grass Park represents how a builder and a developer team up to provide a consistent lifestyle addressing the needs of the community,” Gortzig adds. “We were able to ‘right size’ our designs with helpful feedback from active homebuyers. Right sizing is utilizing and re-appropriating the square footage centered around how we live today.”

A leading home builder in Boulder County since 1975, Boulder Creek is one of a select few Colorado homebuilders that have been chosen to create the new Shadow Grass Park neighborhood. “We believe in Life first,” says David Sinkey, president, “and Home second to none.” Another key characteristic of every home by Boulder Creek is the quality in design and construction. Every home meets or exceeds Built Green standards for healthy indoor living that reduces the cost of home ownership. Low-E glazed windows and loose fill fiberglass insulation help ensure that these homes are easy to heat and a breeze to cool. Two- by-six framing is standard instead of the two-by-fours you’ll find elsewhere, creating sturdier, deeper walls that hold more insulation and are more soundproof. At two points during each home’s construction, an independent construction observation company inspects each home to ensure it is being built to code and to Boulder Creek standards.

This dedication to quality construction and design earned Boulder Creek Life and Home nationwide recognition in 2008 when the National Association of Home Builders recognized their Blue Vista community in Longmont with a Development of the Year Award for “excellence in green residential design and construction practices, and outstanding green advocacy efforts.”

“I am a real big fan of Boulder Creek Life and Home’s construction,” Gay Kuhlmann says, “and I specifically looked for one of their homes. We care about the comfort and the quality of the air in the house – and we look forward to the savings on the utility bills, of course.”

Shadow Grass Park is located in Boulder County on the eastern edge of Longmont, with easy access to I-25 (north to Ft. Collins; south to Denver) and the Diagonal Highway (west to Boulder). Wide mountain views to the west are crowned by Longs Peak and Mount Meeker. The Jim Hamm Nature Area is just a short walk away, as is the Ute Creek public golf course and Union Reservoir. Homes at Shadow Grass Park welcome you with generous front porches, tree-lined streets and traditional architecture that recalls “small town America” neighborhoods.

Visit Shadow Grass Park

The Shadow Grass Park sales office is located adjacent to the Jim Hamm Nature Area at 1534 Moonlight Drive in Longmont. The information center is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please contact Jill Laudermilk or Noel Zirbel for more information at 303.776.3331, or visit ShadowGrassPark.com.

Article courtesy of Boulder Daily Camera – At Home