Sunday, January 2, 2011

ACE TEAM 8 MEETING NOTES MTG #5 12/20/2010

Minutes provided by Jackie Ye

Airport
An airport should be near by to provide jobs and convenience for visiting families.
A travel hub for trains and buses would provide convenience.
Cemetery
Should a cemetery be near by?
Does the military only conduct burials at specific cemetary’s?
Burial Rights

Retirement
According to Military.com , 12/6/2010, military veterans can retire as young as their 40’s.
There are approximately two million military retirees as of 2009, of whom 28 percent are officers and 72 percent are enlisted. Generally, military retirees retire relatively early in life at the average ages of 42 for enlisted service members and 46 for officers.

According to US News and World Report,: 12/8/2010, the Top Ten Best City’s for retired military veteran’s

1. Waco, Texas
2. Oklahoma City, OK
3. Austin, TX
4. College Point, TX
5. Harrisburg, PA
6. San Angelo, TX
7. Madison, WI
8. Pittsburgh, PA
9. New Orleans, LA
10. Syracuse, NY

The review included indicators such as climate, health resources, health indicators, crime levels, local school performance, recreational resources, arts and culture, airport and mass transit resources, and susceptibility to natural disasters. Sperling's also judged how the markets lined up in terms of nearby military facilities and base amenities, VA medical services, tax policies affecting military pensions, area unemployment trends, higher education resources, overall affordability, housing costs, home price trends, and economic stability.
The results include some expected winners, but also some surprises. Places like San Diego and Honolulu, for example, are often considered nirvana for military folks. But they were excluded from the USAA-military.com list because of high living costs.

Existing villages
Airforcevillages.com:
Air Force Village I, San Antonio, Texas
Townhouses, cottages and apartments

Air Force Village II, San Antonio, Texas
Cottages and apartments

Aging in Place.com
A website that encourages settlements that adapt to families needs and encourages that as people grow older they can continue to reside in the same home. This diminishes the anxiety of moving to new unknown communities or accommodations.

Universal Design
Provides design ideas and suggestions to make the structure more accessible from its inception rather than as a later modification.
Bathtubs with operable side door for entering.
Entrances placed at grade level.
Plumbing fixture that light up red or blue based on the temperature of the water.

Site
Should our site be a town or be part of a town?
Military bases are up for auction

Jobs
Perhaps former navy personnel could maintain boats at a nearby marina and provide fishing trips for the seniors and other locals, visitor as or tourists.
Airport for former Air Force personnel that aerial tours of a nearby attraction.

What are the factors in determining a site?
Climate
Accessibility
Proximity to a hospital
Proximity to a military base
Cost of Living
Taxes
Physical health
Proximity to family
Services and amenities

Sustainability
Net Zero or better yet a Net Positive community to sell back energy back to utility companies as a source of revenue or subsidy.
Remove the dependence on fossil fuels.
Gray Water reuse
Look at sustainable approaches at Make it Right – new housing in New Orleans and
Solar Decathlon - Homes

Site
Though we are limited to $150 per square foot for each of our residences, and a mortgage between $250,000 to $350,000, can we create a surrounding community outside of that budget? Is it safe to assume that we can create a community a bit more upscale or lavish similar to a retirement resort? Generate our own energy?

Sites discussed:
Vestaburg, MI
San Diego, CA
Atlanta, GA

Housing Types
ECO Homes
Small Houses
Adaptable House

Site Visit
A visit to Snug Harbor, a former retirement village for wayward sailors located on Staten Island will be arranged.

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