Sustainability - Generation Green
Committed to making Houston a better place to live, Newland
Communities has incorporated sustainable development practices in
the creation of Telfair.
Homes and Community Buildings
- Home builders within Telfair are required to meet ENERGY
STAR® standards for construction and to be members of
the Greater Houston Builders Association Green Builders
program.
- Community buildings are planned to be built to the U.S. Green
Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
(LEED)-New Construction standards including the Palmetto House and
Telfair Central Hall.
- The existing vacant Central State Farm building within
Telfair, was donated and is being renovated, making it a true focal
point for the community and a future proposed satellite location
for the Houston Museum of Natural Science.
Community Open Space and Landscaping
- Over 250 acres of land has been preserved permanently as
open space.
- Organic fertilizer, which is safe for plants and soils and
doesn't contaminate area waterways is used for the landscaped
right-of-way and common areas in Telfair.
- Wetland shelves make up the banks of the lakes in Telfair so
that rainwater runoff enters a natural filtering system through the
plants before returning to the lake.
- Wildflower reserves border the large lake in Telfair because
wildflower beds require less fertilizer and other chemical
supplementals than turf grass. The wildflowers are all native
species adapted to local weather, resistant to pests and need
little irrigation.
- Surface water from Oyster Creek is currently used to fill the
lakes in Telfair. Lake water is then used to irrigate the
landscaping around the lake.
- In newer phases of Telfair, home lawns feature Bermuda grass,
which requires less water than other common types of grass.
Homebuilders within Telfair are required to include a minimum of
two trees in backyards, increasing shade and decreasing water use
among residents. Planting beds around homes have also
been increased in size by almost 20% to reduce the amount of
irrigation needed.
Health and Well-Being
- The design of Telfair emphasizes walking trails
and gathering places. Miles of walking trails and pathways
surround the community and connect all of the recreation centers so
that residents can travel easily around the community without
having to get in their car.
- The planned Telfair Central Hall community recreation center
will offer exercise equipment, a pool and tennis courts, giving
residents who choose to use the facility a place close by to
exercise and live a healthier lifestyle.
Recycling Programs
- Within Telfair, curbside recycling is available for plastics,
aluminum and paper for all homes.
- Hazardous waste recycling programs are currently provided
for Telfair residents allowing them to safely dispose of paint
cans, batteries and old electronic components which are not
appropriate for landfills.
Education and Learning
- TelfairLife.com, the neighborhood network, was developed to
provide residents important information quickly about their
community, eliminating the need for a paper newsletter.
TelfairLife.com also features articles about green practices to
help residents lead a greener life.
- To help residents of all ages learn about the important
benefits of planting and protection of trees, TelfairLife plans
annual Arbor Day celebrations offering education sessions. Trees
are distributed and planted during these events making a
significant contribution to the communities' year-round tree
planting and reforestation efforts.
- To educate residents and help prevent storm sewer pollution,
educational identification stickers have been put on community
storm sewer inlets to help discourage liquid or solid substance
disposal.