2022-23 City of Green Ohio Magazine

Meet four of the city’s highly successful businesswomen

Celebrating 30 YEARS

Get a closer look at the makings of the prosperous, vibrant community we call home.

Sneak peek at new residences coming to town

Check out the new Mindful Walk at Southgate Park

One of the only 24/7 walk-in addiction programs in Ohio

When your neighbors are struggling, you open doors for them. Our doors are open 24/7, 365 as a safe place to receive help when you need it. Summa Health’s First Step program is available at the Summa Health Green Emergency Department, and provides walk-in addiction treatment in a safe environment. We initiate treatment right in the ED, and coordinate care to ensure the next step in treatment is in place before you leave. We will be there for your first step, and we’ll be there for every step that comes after.

Summa Health Green Emergency Department

1825 Franks Parkway, Uniontown

PARKS & RECREATION

& LOCATION

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your plan for the future includes

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CITY OF GREEN ADMINISTRATION

330-896-5500 cityofgreen.org

CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION BUILDING

1755 Town Park Blvd., Green, OH 44685

GENERAL MAILING ADDRESS P.O. Box 278, Green, OH 44232

INCOME TAX MAILING ADDRESS P.O. Box 460, Green, OH 44232

@CityofGreen

GENERAL PHONE NUMBERS

Mayor’s Office 330-896-6602

City Council 330-896-6604

Engineering Department 330-896-5510

Finance Department 330-896-6603

Highway/Stormwater Division 330-896-6607

Human Resources 330-896-4138

Income Tax Division 330-896-6622

Law Department 330-896-6615

Parks & Recreation Division 330-896-6621

Planning Department 330-896-6614

Public Service Department 330-896-4176

Zoning Division 330-896-6605

Emergency 911 Fire Division Non-Emergency 330-896-6610

Summit County Sheriff/ 330-643-2181 Non-Emergency

GREEN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS

Cleveland Clinic Akron General Health 330-896-5011

& Wellness Center

1940 Town Park Blvd., Green, OH 44685

Summa Health Center 330-899-2400

Emergency Room

1825 Franks Pkwy., Green, OH 44685

GREEN LOCAL SCHOOLS greenlocalschools.org, 330-896-7500

Physical Address

1755 Town Park Blvd., Green, OH 44685

Mailing Address P.O. Box 218 Green, OH 44232

PORTAGE LAKES CAREER CENTER plcc.edu, 330-896-8200 4041 Shriver Road, Green, OH 44685

OTHER COMMUNITY SERVICE PROVIDERS

Green Area Chamber of Commerce 330-552-5066

3700 Massillon Road, Green, OH 44685

Akron-Summit County Library-Green Branch 330-896-9074

4046 Massillon Road, Green, OH 44685

UTILITY PROVIDERS

NATURAL GAS Dominion East Ohio 330-794-0790

ELECTRICITY FirstEnergy/Ohio Edison 800-633-4766

ELECTRICITY Report a Street Light Outage 800-646-0400

ELECTRICITY Report a Power Outage 888-544-4877

SANITARY SEWER Summit County 330-926-2400

Department of Sanitary Sewer Services

ON-SITE WELL & SEPTIC Summit County 330-926-5600

General Health District

CABLE TV Spectrum Cable 330-633-9203

TELEPHONE AT&T 800-660-1000

REFUSE COLLECTION Republic Services 800-247-3644

POST OFFICE

Green residents are served by six post offices.

Green 4735 Massillon Road, Green, OH 44232

North Canton 2201 E. Maple St., North Canton, OH 44720 Uniontown 11230 Cleveland Ave. NW, Uniontown, OH 44685

Ellet (Akron) 2390 Wedgewood Drive, Ellet, OH 44312

Firestone (Akron) 2001 Brown St., Akron, OH 44319

Clinton 2733 W. Comet Road, Clinton, OH 44216

Message from the Mayor

» AS GREEN CELEBRATES 30 YEARS AS AN INCORPORATED CITY, we have seen growth in businesses, housing and with that, road improvements and connectivity. We’ve also seen the addition of a dozen modern roundabouts.

In 2009, we installed our first roundabout — one of the first in the county and the region. Now roundabouts are popping up everywhere. Green is set to open its 10th roundabout in 2022 at Greensburg and Arlington roads. In 2023, two more roundabouts will open as part of a major reconstruction project on Massillon Road, south of Interstate 77.

So why roundabouts when signalized intersections worked just fine for years? With every road project, we evaluate design options, and roundabouts are almost always the right choice because they move traffic efficiently and are safer than traditional signalized intersections.

Case in point: Using roundabouts for the Massillon Road South improvement project was an easy choice. To build traditional signalized intersections at Boettler Road and Corporate Woods Circle, nine lanes of traffic would be required, including designated turn lanes. Building nine lanes of traffic would have created an unsightly sea of asphalt at the gateway to our city and impacted dozens of businesses, causing many to close.

By using modern roundabouts, we could reduce the number of lanes on Massillon Road to four. This is possible because roundabouts are much more efficient and don’t require designated turn lanes at intersections. Four lanes with landscaped roundabouts versus nine lanes also makes for a much more attractive entrance to our city.

Add in the safety inherent in the design of roundabouts and the choice is clear. A study by AAA in 2017 suggested that 30% of traffic deaths and serious injuries could be avoided by converting key intersections to roundabouts. Over 90% of traffic accidents are caused by human error. And while we cannot eliminate human error, accidents in roundabouts rarely result in serious injuries or death because traffic patterns are simplified, and speeds are significantly reduced.

Some other advantages of roundabouts include not having to stop and wait at traffic lights, so you get there quicker, save gas and reduce emissions.

So why did we choose roundabouts for the Massillon Road Corridor Improvement project, as we have for many of our other recent projects in Green? We chose the option that moves traffic faster, more efficiently and safely, that is cheaper to build and maintain, more fuel efficient and more attractive.

— Mayor Gerard Neugebauer

Promising

Get a closer look at the makings of our prosperous, vibrant community.

By Rachel Hagenbaugh

Celebrating 30 Years

» WHEN GREEN BECAME A CITY IN 1992, the founders wasted no time creating a strong foundation for a bright future. Now, as the city celebrates its 30th anniversary, there’s a sense of pride surrounding how far Green has come and the opportunities that lie ahead.

To shape the city, work needed to be done by local leaders and administrators to create the various departments and set the city up for success.

“Our founders understood the eco nomic potential of this community,” says Valerie Wolford, the city’s communica tions manager. “Over the last 30 years, our leaders have fostered growth by in vesting in our infrastructure, making our roadways more efficient even as we grow, improving connectivity and making the city more pedestrian friendly.”

Among Green’s proudest accomplish ments is its dedication to creating a mag nificent parks system. During the past 30 years, Green’s parkland has grown from 5 acres to more than 700.

“The founders set aside income tax specifically for parks capital — that shaped our city. We were a big square block of land, and preserving green space for public use was key,” Wolford says. “Today, if you move here, there are great parks, and you think they’ve been here forever. But they haven’t — they were very deliberate.”

On the horizon, plans are in the works for infrastructure improvements, including two roundabouts on Massillon Road south of Interstate 77 (one that intersects with Boettler Road and another at Corporate Woods Circle) that will be completed by fall 2023. Plans also are in progress to add new amenities to Kreighbaum and Kleckner parks.

“Everything we do, we do it to improve the quality of life for our residents,” Wolford says. “We hope that in the end, they see the hard work that goes into it and the value that it gives back to them.”

Share Your Story

Whether you’re a native of Green or moved here last year, take a moment to visit cityofgreen.org/Memories and share your fondest memory of the city. We will capture the memories as a part of our 30th anniversary celebration and share select ones on social media and on the City’s website.

Mindfulness

them,” says Andy Platt, chair of the Green Drug Task Force. “We thought a mental wellness initiative

be a good complement to what we were already doing.”

By Rachel Hagenbaugh

relax ing

Members of the task force joined a group of student municipal repre sentatives from Green High School, including Eric Wolford, Edgar San Jose, Michael Reik and Aaryan Qureshi, to bring the concept to life.

mind

muscles, engaging the senses

focusing on the present, and there’s no better destination to practice those calming techniques than a local park.

idea for the Mindful Walk arose from the city’s Mental Health Committee, a sub committee of the Green Drug Task Force.

The Mindful Walk features 10 stations along 1.1 miles of an existing nature trail at Southgate Park. Each station includes a sign suggesting a mindfulness activity.

“I really had no experience with mind fulness before this experience,” Wolford says, adding that the students were re sponsible for researching what other mindfulness trails were like, as well as coming up with the language and creat ing the artwork for the signs. “It’s such

a broad term and can be interpreted in many ways. I’ve learned that it’s really about slowing down your brain and tak ing in the world around you. People are so busy and stressed, and mindfulness is a way to combat those issues.”

Bob Bender, a volunteer for the Green Drug Task Force and a retired mental health professional, says there’s a clear relationship between the Mindful Walk and good mental health.

PRAISE FOR THE PARKS

The city of Green encompasses more than 700 acres of parks and green space. Construction is underway on a new parking lot at Kleckner Park, and the city is considering new baseball/softball fields at Greensburg Park. The city also is in the consulting phase on concept plans for improvements to Kreighbaum Park, which could entail walking trails, a bicycle path, restroom pavilion and more.

Green is encouraging residents to attend parks and recreation board meetings, which are held the first Wednesday of every month at 6 p.m., to provide input.

“There’s a nice pond on this trail, and one of the signs directs people to various aspects of the pond,” he says. “The signs emphasize breathing and various senses — simple things such as taking a moment to look at a tree and the shade it provides. The goal is to get someone to focus on the here and now, and nature is very good at that.”

Laurie Lovell

Ehrich

Horovitz

CITY OFFICES

City of Green Central Administration Building

City of Green Highway Division

of Green Recycling Center

FIRE/POLICE

Fire Station No. 1

Fire Station No. 2

Fire Station No. 3

Sheriff’s Office

SCHOOLS

Green High School

Green Intermediate School

Green Local SchoolsBoard of Education

Green Middle School

Green Primary School

Greenwood Elementary School

Mayfair Christian School

Portage Lakes Career Center

PARKS

Ariss Park/Dick Goddard Dog Park Boettler Park Central Park

East Liberty Park Greensburg Park John Torok Community Center Kleckner Park Knapp Recreation Area Kreighbaum Park Myersville Fen

Nimisila Reservoir Metro Park Singer Lake Preserve Southgate Park

Spring Hill Sports Complex

Veterans Memorial Park YMCA Camp Y-Noah

GOLF COURSES

Chenoweth Golf Course

Mayfair Golf & Country Club Ohio Prestwick Country Club

Raintree Golf and Event Center Turkeyfoot Lake Golf Links

CEMETERIES

East Liberty Cemetery

Greensburg Cemetery Klinefelter Cemetery

OTHER

Akron-Summit Public LibraryGreen Branch Cleveland Clinic Akron General Emergency Department/Health & Wellness Center

Office

Summa Emergency Department YMCA

Groundbreaking Success

By Kristen Hampshire

» EDUCATION AND HIGH-QUALITY

SCHOOLS ARE A PRIORITY for Green residents, who showed their support by passing a 37-year, $68-million bond issue. It will help fund construction, additions, renovations, remodeling, furnishings, equipment and other improvements. The Ohio Facilities Construction Commission will fund 25% of the projects.

The levy was a well thought-out ask based on need, not want. “Our buildings are 50-plus years old, and it was an absolute necessity that we get this levy passed,” says Jennifer Doerrer, levy campaign chairperson.

Doerrer explains that the state conducted extensive inspections of Green’s schools, and the district determined it would be more financially viable to replace than to renovate. “We respect our voters and taxpayers, and we knew inflation was on the rise and labor costs are up, along with building expenses, and the administration was

adamant that we did not want to ask for any more money than we needed, and we stayed true to that promise,” she says.

» WHAT’S THE STATUS?

So far, the district completed a series of interviews and requests for proposals and selected North Canton-based SoL Harris/ Day Architecture, which is conducting small and large group exercises to gather insight. With school in session, the firm is consulting with all staff, from transportation to food service, janitorial, teachers and administrators.

“Schematics will be completed by Thanksgiving, and the design review team will be put in place in January — and we hope to break ground on June 1,” Julie McMahan, coordinator of communications, community outreach and student wellness at Green Local Schools, says.

Plans include demolishing Greenwood school, as well as the intermediate and middle schools, and replacing them with two new buildings, while Green Primary School will get an addition/renovation to house prekindergarten through first-grade classes. The new Greenwood elementary school will house second through fifth grades and will be situated just north of the existing building.

“It’s an exciting time, and we want to thank voters for changing the trajectory for this community,” McMahan says. “In three years, the Green schools will not look the same as they do now, and our residents have shown overwhelming support.”

At a Glance Green Local Schools

Green High School Class of 2022

Portage Lakes Career Center

Enrollment

Juniors from Green: 91

Green Local Schools is categorized as a suburban district of 33 square miles and is one of Green’s largest employers with more than 525 employees.

Report Card

for Green Local Schools is available from the Ohio Department of Education at education.ohio.gov/Topics/ Data/Report-Card-Resources

into the Green High School Academic Wall of Fame.

Students must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.8 or above and have scored 30 or above on the ACT, 1350 on the SAT, or have achieved National Merit Finalist status.

Graduated with a Seal of Biliteracy.

athletes representing football, soccer, golf, lacrosse, cheerleading, bowling, tennis and basketball committed to continuing their athletic careers at colleges and universities.

Athletic Academics

of Scholar Athletes carried a 4.0 or higher

Seniors from Green: 119

Class of 2021-2022

Graduates

Graduates

in post-

Open to the Public: Neon Lime, the Culinary Arts student-run restaurant, as well as two salons, open October – April.

Support for Issue 3 to build new schools will change the face of education in the city, with plans already underway.

“The administration was adamant that we did not want to ask for any more money than we needed, and we stayed true to that promise.”

— Jennifer Doerrer

Young couple? Growing family? Empty nester? Pulte Homes has floor plans at Brier Creek and Jacobs Ridge that make living easier

our insightful Life Tested design

your stage of life.

Thinking About

A Green Community

Green space and green intentions — the city’s commitment to a healthy environ ment, fiscal health and quality of life for its people is a commitment to sustainability. One of the city’s partners in realizing a sus tainable way of life is the Living Green Task Force. Celebrating 10 years this year, the Task Force is made up of city staff, residents and business representatives who are com mitted to promoting practical stewardship of the resources Green has in abundance.

The Task Force has championed such projects as the Growing Green Wetland, lo cated in front of the Green Middle School, that offers natural stormwater treatment and serves as a living classroom providing habitat for wildlife and native plants.

The rain garden at the historic Lichtenwalter Schoolhouse in Boettler Park is another green infrastructure project consisting of native plants and flowers de signed to temporarily hold and soak in the rainwater runoff while providing food and shelter for butterflies and other wildlife.

This year, the city installed two Level 2 EV (electric vehicle) chargers at the Central Administration Building as part of the city’s commitment to practical clean energy solu tions and with a future view to being EV ready. These chargers joined others already operating in the community at Fred Martin Nissan, Cambria Hotel, the Shops of Green and the Akron Canton Airport.

Also this year, through the efforts of the Living Green Task Force, the City of Green became the 39th Ohio communi ty to join “Power a Clean Future Ohio,” a nonpartisan coalition dedicated to working with local communities to de velop equitable clean energy solutions to benefit the well-being of residents, the environment and the economy. “Lo cal governments have a unique opportu nity to provide awareness around clean energy,” says Terry Hogan, Living Green Task Force chair.“ Being a Power a Clean Future Ohio community gives us the flex ibility to implement clean power in ways that make sense for Green and connects us with the funding opportunities that al low us to move our ideas forward.”

Paying It Forward

Building a community for the fu ture — that’s the purpose of the Green Community Foundation, an initiative that will launch in 2023.

A community foundation is a publicly supported nonprofit organization that aims to build permanent, named funds for other entities and projects within a specific geographical area.

“The bigger purpose is that you can build a foundation and an endow ment, and that’s how you provide grants back to your community,” says Valerie Wolford, the city’s communica tions manager. “Communities that are thriving and growing have community foundations because they fulfill the needs that a government or single or ganization can’t.”

The city realized the need for a com munity foundation during the pan demic, when people wanted to donate to those in need but didn’t know how.

“The pandemic exposed this hole that we weren’t able to fill the needs of those suffering from some of these unforeseen issues that arise,” Wolford says. “Com munity foundations fill these holes.”

To create the Green Community Foundation, a group of community members will work with the Akron Community Foundation. Money will go into the Green Community Foun dation fund, but management of those funds will be handled by the Akron Community Foundation.

“They assist with grant making, set ev erything up and make it really seamless,” Wolford says. “A community foundation is really about leaving a legacy, and the residents of Green are taking steps to pay it forward for the future of Green. That’s really the intent.” — RH

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Women of Green

From a doctor and business owner to marketing experts, meet four hardworking businesswomen who have risen to the top of their respective careers.

By Rachel Hagenbaugh

Senior Vice President of Marketing, Wayne Homes

» WHEN MAURIE JONES was consider ing her future, child psychology was the plan. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology from DePaul Uni versity. Then, she realized she would have to go to school for four more years to accomplish her goal. She switched gears and started working at her dad’s advertis ing agency. She spent 10 years as an ac count executive before applying for an assistant position with Wayne Homes.

“My interview with the owner lasted three hours. He told me he wasn’t going to let me go until I agreed to work for him,” Jones reveals, adding that the own er was particularly drawn to her back ground in psychology. “There were other jobs that offered more money, but Wayne Homes was the only place that made me feel comfortable,” she says.

Wayne Homes is an on-your-lot builder that has been in business for 49 years, and Jones has been there for 36 of them. During her tenure at the com pany, she’s taken on many roles, includ ing salesperson, sales manager, director of sales and marketing and vice presi dent of marketing. She’s participated in the National Association of Home Builders International Builders’ Show and spoken at various events about on line marketing and sales.

In 1998, Jones moved to Jackson

Township with her husband and two young children to take on a leadership role at the company, which at the time was on Arlington Road in Green.

“It’s so great to see how Green has grown and being a part of that,” she says. “When we first came here, we were the only ones on our cul-de-sac. Now, there’s places to go to lunch and things to do. It’s a really nice area to be in.”

As Jones approaches retirement in April, she looks back at her time at Wayne Homes with fondness.

“I’m really proud of the brand and culture we’ve created,” she says. “It never would have been a job I looked for after college, but it fit perfectly after my expe rience at my family’s ad agency and my psychology degree.”

Jones attributes her success to her men tors and bosses and encourages other businesswomen to find a career that of fers similar support.

“You spend more of your life at your work than you do at home, so don’t you want to love what you do since you’re do ing it more than you’re doing anything else?” she says. “Loving your job happens through relationships. Look for mentor ships — that’s where you’re going to get your satisfaction. But also don’t let any one short-change you. Know what your value is and go for it.”

Dr. Alexsandra Mamonis

Internal Medicine Physician, Summa Health

» DR. ALEXSANDRA MAMONIS want ed to be a doctor from the time she was 5 years old. Ironically, visits to the doc tor’s office were not positive experienc es for her, but she admired her pediatri cians. One day, she was complaining to her doctor that the shots he was admin istering were painful, and he said, “If you think you can do better, then do it better.”

Challenge accepted. Mamonis attended medical school at NEOMED and com pleted her residency at Cleveland Clinic

Akron General before open ing her primary care practice in Green in 1996. At the time, there weren’t a lot of busi nesses located in the city.

“A lot of it was still farm land,” she says. “It’s been amazing to see the growth.”

She chose Green as the location for her practice because there were no fe male internal medicine physicians between Akron and Canton and she saw a niche that she could fill. She also was drawn to the city’s small-town charm.

“I have patients who’ve been my patients for 25

she says. “You get to know them and their children and now their chil dren’s children. It’s kind of its own little family.”

Initially, Mamonis thought most of her patients would be women. But it’s pretty much an even split. “It’s been a very positive experience,” she adds.

Mamonis is an internal medicine phy sician, which means she treats everything from cuts and bruises to pneumonia, heart disease, diabetes and anything in between. She chose the field because she

gets to work with all of the body systems and enjoys putting pieces together to fig ure out how to best treat someone.

Mamonis says the biggest challenge of her career was navigating the pandemic.

“It’s a relief that we got through COVID-19,” she says. “The beginning was so difficult because there were no resources or information available, and people were scared. We couldn’t even get masks, gloves, gowns or disinfectant. We were so busy just trying to provide the best care that we could.”

Vice President of Marketing, DRB Systems

Chmielowicz graduated from John Carroll University with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. She worked for a couple of distributors, one of health and wellness products and one of tire supplies, before joining DRB Systems, which focuses on providing technology for the car wash industry.

“Watching our customers suc ceed is very rewarding. We’re in a growing industry, especially in Northeast Ohio, where there’s a lot of car washes being built,” Chmielowicz says. “One of the other things I like most is being able to develop a team. We’re re ally building our skill set, and that’s definitely the most re warding part of my job.”

For Chmielowicz, a career is something you spend your life building upon. She emphasizes the importance of making con nections, finding a mentor and creating a work-life balance.

»

AS THE VICE PRESIDENT of market ing, Taryn Chmielowicz and her team of 11 are responsible for product market ing, collateral, trade shows and events, digital marketing, websites, sales col lateral, public relations and some inter nal communications. As DRB Systems reorganizes to scale for growth, every one wears multiple hats; Chmielowicz wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I love that my job is different every day,” she says. “There’s always a new challenge or opportunity, which makes things interesting.”

Sue Spargo

» TWENTY-YEARS AGO, SUE SPARGO discovered a way to turn her passion into a successful business. Born in

“My career is something that I can’t imagine doing anything else at this point. When I’m outside of work, I’m always thinking in those terms. There’s marketing every where,” she says, adding that she’s pas sionate about spending time with her husband, two sons and other family and friends attending sporting events, boating on Portage Lakes, hiking and paddleboarding. “Here at DRB, people work very hard for each other and want to work hard for the business. At the same time, it’s also important to have a work-life balance — whatever you think that should be.”

Zambia, Spargo grew up in South Af rica, where she was a nurse. When she moved to the U.S. in her early 30s, she didn’t have the credentials to continue her career in the medical field. She needed to find a way to support her four children. She loved sewing and decided to make a living from it.

Owner, Sue Spargo Folk-art Quilts Inc.

“Back when I started the business, I was really the only person working in wool, so that was one of the big challenges — that and growing my business from the ground up as a single mom,” she says, adding that she started the business in the basement of her home. Now, she has 22 employees and works closely with three of her children. “It’s hard work, but very rewarding.”

With a focus on folk art, Spargo’s retail store, located in Green, offers makers an array of hand-dyed wools, embroidery threads, textile fabrics and more.

“We support women in business and have a lot of handmade things and do co-ops, and it’s a very colorful place,” Spargo says. In addition, she hosts sew ing and embroidery classes — not just in Green, but all around the world. Her travels have taken her from Austra lia and Vietnam to Italy, Portugal and many other countries.

“Traveling gives you a much broader outlook on life and appreciation for what you have,” she says. “I’m grateful that I found something in my life that I’m so passionate about and have been able to influence people all over the world and teach them some sort of handicraft.”

In addition to traveling and teaching, Spargo is passionate about giving back.

Her business’s Create for a Cause char ity project has created fidget blankets for GreenView Senior Assisted Living, as well as heating pads, pillowcases and draw string bags for other local organizations.

“I feel strongly that you need to give back in many ways, so we give back to the country I came from and also to the lo cal community,” Spargo says. “For me, it’s just part of having a business.”

More Places to Call Home

Green’s expanding variety of residential housing caters to young professionals, experienced buyers and active empty nesters — and affords residents an opportunity to upsize and downsize while staying in town.

BY KRISTEN HAMPSHIRE

» THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE GREEN

for Mary Jane Falcone, a 60-year resident who worked as a local school secretary for 26 years. So, in 2018 when she lost her dear husband, the condo she loved in the city’s Prestwick development was just too much to manage. “I just knew I could not keep up with it by myself,” she says.

Her son, who lives in town, suggested visiting Brier Creek, which has an inde pendent living lodge of one- and two-bed room apartments, and low-maintenance ranch homes. The community offers ame nities including a theater room, private dining room, fitness center with classes, cooking exhibitions with the executive chef, a coffee bar, walking paths and more. Falcone agreed to take a tour, and she im mediately knew she found a sweet spot to accommodate her lifestyle while enjoying her later years close to family in Green.

“It’s like a dream — almost like living in a hotel,” she says, adding that she en joys the nightly three-course dinner and occasionally chooses to order a milkshake in the restaurant that is open for breakfast and lunch. Services like housekeeping, lin en cleaning and access to an “ambassador” who is there to help if needed make living easy, she says.

Brier Creek Independent Living by Pulte Homes is just one of the many expanding residential options in Green. From singlefamily homes accessible to first-time buy ers to newly constructed residences that af ford more space and high-end apartment homes with plug-and-play amenities like on-site gyms and social events, the city’s va riety of housing inventory is growing and evolving to accommodate residents’ needs.

John Warmus, a longtime resident and builder in Green who is also president of

Warmus Builders Inc. and owner of Brier Creek Senior Living, says the up-and-com ing community “just keeps getting better.”

“I started off doing single-family homes and now that I’m older myself, I am build ing houses for differing needs,” he says.

Warmus was co-developer of Green’s first assisted living facility, GreenView, and saw a gap in the market. “There is a need for senior independent living, so we purchased an 80-acre farm about eight years ago and have been developing it ever since,” he says.

Room to Move Up

“We’re making housing available for people who want to stay in Green and want to move up and get new construc tion,” says Jim O’Connor, director of planning for Pulte Homes.

Jacobs Ridge, a new development, is the third Pulte Homes development in Green, including Brier Creek. “The city of Green is an excellent place to live in terms of the vibrancy of the city, and access to major transportation and employment corridors,” O’Connor says. “We see a lot of couples that work in dual markets, so this is a great location for them — plus the combination of excellent schools, city ser vices and park amenities.”

Pulte Homes studied the Green market and discovered a shortage of available

new homes and a strong desire for high er-end housing. Jacobs Ridge, currently in the initial groundbreaking stage, will be gin selling properties in early 2023 with the first families moving in next summer. The starting price is in the $400,000 to low $500,000 range.

O’Connor says, “In our outreach sur vey of realtors, this is the price point they identified where there is a gap in the market. So, families are faced with a decision — you can go to a different city with new construction available or get a house that is the right size but 20 years old and the features don’t cater to today’s lifestyle.”

There are two series of homes available in Jacobs Ridge. The first is 2,600 to 2,900 square feet, and the more executive moveup is up to 3,200 plus additions that can take the homes to over 4,000 square feet.

“The community will have a walking path for pedestrian circulation and con necting with the community,” O’Connor adds, noting that a park area with play equipment is another amenity for families.

Pulte’s floorplans cater to the needs of today’s families, too. “There have been

significant changes in how people live in their homes, so we have a Pulte Planning Center, which is central to the living area of the house so kids can be there doing their homework while a parent is working in the kitchen, and it’s visible as opposed to the segregated spaces you see in plans that are over 20 years old,” O’Connor describes.

Each Pulte development has a “unique identity,” O’Connor says, relating how Brier Creek caters to the downsizing emp ty-nester while Jacobs Ridge affords more family and flexible space.

Another development — the Sum mit at Forest Lakes, from K. Hovnanian Homes — is also helping to fill the new construction void, offering limited main tenance options and a community park.

Suited for Active Lifestyles

As the city’s resident base grows, so does the availability of housing that extends beyond the traditional singlefamily setting. Metropolitan Holdings is developing Parkview at Spring Hill, a new rental multifamily community that will offer maintenance-free, amenityrich living. The community will include

Greenfield Plan by Pulte Homes

a clubhouse with fitness center, pool and artificial turf area for outdoor games.

“A lot of people like the mobility of be ing able to come and go when they want,” says Matt Vekasy, founder and CEO. “There is a demographic that is looking for higherquality multi-family options that do not exist in the Green market. With the poten tial for corporate headquarters growth, a big part of any company’s relocation de cision is having good housing availability

“The city of Green is an excellent place to live in terms of the vibrancy of the city, and access to major transportation and employment corridors.”

— Jim O’Connor

and choices for potential workers, and we think this will fill that need very well.”

Units include one-bedroom garden and carriage house apartments, one-bed rooms with dens, two-bedroom garden, two-bedroom townhouse layouts and three-bedroom homes. Square footage ranges from 742 to 1,882.

Apartments feature stainless appli ances, hard-surface counters and 9-foot ceilings. “It’s a high-quality product that is well-managed and maintained,” Vekasy says. “Multi-family living has changed so much over the last 15 years, and this gives younger folks and fami lies more flexibility.”

Vekasy expects the first units to be available in late 2023.

Vision Development Inc. is embarking on its second Green development called VC Station that will include about 220 units.

The community will include a large open space for recreation and dog walk ing, a volleyball court, clubhouse with Starbucks and outside tiki bar, pool and grilling stations, a dog wash station, a CrossFit gym in a stand-alone building, business center and private party space.

“We do a fair amount of resident events so they can get to know each oth er, and the vision we strive for is, we do not build communities, we build com munity,” says Brent Wrightsel, president of Vision Development. He adds that a number of residents have met and actu ally married. “I would say that’s build ing community,” he quips.

The key is to provide modern options that suit today’s lifestyles. Wrightsel says, “We have great residents, and I think those are probably the future homeown ers in Green.”

GREEN