Congratulations to The Grove at Lakeland and Askew Hargraves Harcourt!

Press Release

Two Lakeland Projects Nab Prestigious Awards

Local Projects Earn High Marks at Tennessee Urban Forestry Conference in Nashville

By Eric Bridges, Natural Resources Director, City of Lakeland

Lakeland, March 15, 2010: The City of Lakeland today announced two local winners of statewide awards presented at the prestigious Tennessee Urban Forestry Conference on the campus of Nashville’s Lipscomb University. The Builder/Developer award was presented to The Grove at Lakeland, while the Green Industry award was presented to Askew Hargraves Harcourt (A2H).

Developer Tammy Navarre accepted the Builder/Developer Award for her team’s work on The Grove at Lakeland, a uniquely designed conservation residential development, the first of its kind for Lakeland.

Developers were recognized for displaying a strong commitment to natural resource conservation. Under the direction of SR Consulting, a civil engineering firm in Memphis, TN , The Grove designed over 40% open space including 28 acres developers donated to be placed within a conservation easement where it will be forever free of future development.

These conservation easements align with future planned open spaces on adjacent properties, leading to an even greater system of protected open spaces, a trait encouraged by city leaders. Residents have access to lakes, pocket parks, and paved walking trails through a diversity of forests and meandering streams, and benefit from the outdoor opportunities to view wildlife and lead a healthier lifestyle, yet still be close to all amenities.

“This is one of the first subdivisions to be named for a natural resource that was actually protected,” says Natural Resources Director Eric Bridges, referring to the 72” sugar maple which the developer worked diligently to preserve.

“The Grove’s combination of quality architecture and permanently protected open space creates a responsible balance between developing land and preserving natural areas. Protecting natural areas is just the right thing to do for our environment" said Navarre.

For more information on The Grove at Lakeland, contact Tammy Navarre at (901) 870-8193 or visit www.thegroveatlakeland.com.

The Green Industry award was accepted by Andy Reynolds, Landscape Architect with A2H, an engineering & architectural firm located in Lakeland, for his work on the Canada Road median design.

This design incorporates many environmental features such as major soil improvements to address long-term survival and health of the plant material. “Mitigating soil compaction and poor soil quality is critical to the health and viability of our landscapes,” says Nick Bridgeman, City Forester. With the exception of some small areas of sod, this design also utilizes all native plant material in a naturalized arrangement avoiding a typical formal arrangement.

Another sustainable feature of the design is the low-flow irrigation system designed to conserve water. A2H designed the median to serve as a demonstration of how infrastructure can be designed to have actual ecological value as well as utilitarian value. This type of design illustrates the City’s commitment to environmental stewardship by not introducing exotic invasive species, promoting natural diversity, and by conserving a critically important resource, water.

For more information on The Canada Road Medians, contact Andy Reynolds at (901) 372-0404 Tammy Navarre at (901) 870-8193 or visit www.a2H.com.