(USGBC: Washington) -- Sheridan Stationside Village has been selected for a new nationwide pilot program designed to foster smart growth principles and environmentally friendly design. The mixed-use transit-oriented development in Hollywood, Florida, is one of six projects across the state registered for the U.S. Green Building Council’s new Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Neighborhood Development (LEED ND) program, the first national certification system for sustainable neighborhood design and development in the United States.

The LEED for Neighborhood Development pilot rating system was launched jointly by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Congress for New Urbanism.  “The LEED for Neighborhood Development program goes beyond individual green buildings and focuses on community-wide design and development,” says Rick Fedrizzi, USGBC president, CEO, and founding chair.

“Our development team is focusing on four key areas that mirror pressing county issues—transportation, workforce housing, sustainability, and preservation,” says Michael Wohl, partner, Stationside Village Associates LLC, an affiliate of Pinnacle Housing Group of Miami, in partnership with Ram Development Co. of Fort Lauderdale.

LEED for Neighborhood Development will integrate the principles of smart growth, new urbanism, and green building into the design and development of communities. Through the LEED ND program, the U.S Green Building Council’s goal is to encourage developers to revitalize existing urban areas, reduce automobile dependence, promote pedestrian activity, improve air quality, decrease polluted storm-water runoff, and build more livable, sustainable communities for people of all income levels.

As envisioned in the City of Hollywood’s master plan, Sheridan Stationside Village will be a pedestrian-friendly urban community centered around the Sheridan Street Tri-Rail station. The 41-acre site at Interstate 95 and Sheridan Street includes a former park-and-ride lot and abutting land at Sheridan Street and the CSX railroad tracks.

Sheridan Stationside Village will provide multimodal access to encourage less dependence on cars and greater use of mass transit, including rail, bus, and shuttle service.

“We have reduced the parking footprint for our development, while adding approximately 400 parking spaces for bicycles,” says Mike Hammon, partner in Sheridan Stationside Village and chief development officer for Ram Development Co. “All of the residences will be located within three or four blocks from restaurants, a supermarket, shops, services, and the Tri-Rail station, making this a very pedestrian-friendly community.”

At least 20 percent of the residences at Sheridan Stationside Village will be dedicated to workforce housing, above the 15-percent county standard. In addition, the development’s close-in location will significantly lower transportation costs for residents who commute, Hammon adds.

To promote long-term, sustainable development, Sheridan Stationside Village will include features designed to encourage the reuse of natural resources. For instance, tanks, cisterns, or lakes will capture rainfall for reuse in irrigation, reducing demand on South Florida’s supply of drinking water. The development will also have an effective storm-water management system.

Recognizing the natural and historic features of the site, and responding to neighborhood groups’ requests, the development team made the commitment to donate a six-acre park to the city of Hollywood, which assures preservation of most of the site’s mature oak hammock.

The Hollywood City Commission has adopted the county Transit Oriented Development ordinance, made it applicable to the Sheridan Stationside Village site, and has given preliminary approval for the development. The city’s 2001 master plan envisioned mixed-use transit-oriented development at this site.

For more information, visit http://www.usgbc.org/News/PressReleaseDetails.aspx?ID=3354.