Within Baseline’s relatively short existence, the quantity and variety of resident pollinators — birds, bees, butterflies, etc. — has more than doubled, thanks to our ongoing partnership with the Butterfly Pavilion. Efforts to replace traditional monoculture with native and xeric flora have yielded encouraging results.
In addition to being pollinator-friendly, our xeric and native flora landscapes conserve water. By irrigating common areas with non-potable water, combined with the use of rock mulch throughout the community, Baseline consumes less than half the water of our neighbors.
Where possible, stormwater is conveyed through an ecosystem of diverse soils and plants rather than concrete channels, allowing stormwater to be filtered naturally into Preble Creek. This creates healthy habitat for essential native species like dragonflies, which in turn control mosquito populations.
Healthy habitat isn’t just for flora and fauna. It’s for humans, too. The Parklands will illustrate the advantages of smaller yards and bigger parks, with places to get together, to get some exercise or to get away and relax. Yet every Baseline village will have its own parks (plural) to enjoy.
At Baseline, the community is braided with trails, lined with bike lanes and linked by promenades and nature-rich gardenways. Everything is connected in ways that decrease reliance on cars. This invites human-powered mobility and enables public transit.
Baseline’s homebuilders understand the importance of energy efficiency. Our Home Energy Rating Scores (HERS) are around 50, well below new construction averages and we’re pushing to go even lower. We’re also working towards renewably-powered streetlights and infrastructure.
Baseline’s home mix — single-family, paired, town and rowhomes — provides a diversity of ways to live. A range of prices, including many below current metro averages, makes homeownership possible for more people. Plus, built-for-rent homes and apartment homes provide an option for anyone not ready to buy.
We’re in constant pursuit of new technologies and sustainable practices, pushing the envelope to better the planet. We’re also working on an urban agricultural plan to grow fresh food at Baseline and take full advantage of our resident pollinators.
A sustainable future
Put it all together and the whole is greater than the sum. Sustainable synergy.
Put it to scale and our walkable, bikeable, urban-dense, mixed-use, park-rich, water-wise, energy-smart, pollinator-friendly community becomes a new model for
future communities. In fact, it already has.
Our thanks to CSU Extension and Denver Urban Gardens for teaching kids about composting and sustainability at our annual Honey Bee Day event. To Smart Commute for their Bike to Summer program and Take to the Trails Day collaboration. To the City and County of Broomfield’s Sustainability Department, contributing to the wellbeing of our small corner of the world through long-term social, economic and health initiatives. And to Sustainable Broomfield as our go-to resource for sustainable practices, including their Zero Waste guide.
