Luxe Rental in Canaan Valley

Boomtown Design is managing the first-time rental of a unique home I built back in 2000. To learn more about this spectacular house click on this link and explore!\....or copy and paste this link:
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p269714

Bike race on the Riverwalk patch

Congrats to Backyard Bikes for running a successful first cyclocross race in Davis. Here are the photos
www.akaflash.com/coverage/biking-cyclo-cross-nov-14-2009/photos

Sixty-odd racers zoomed around the Riverwalk property in an anaerobic sprint round a course of grass, tarmac, trails and obstacles. Cyclocross is a niche sport in between mountain biking and road biking that many have never even heard of, but it is a popular variation for many serious cyclists.

More mountain sports events based in Davis is the future of Davis.

I recently watched a documentary called Race Across the Sky. While not a particularly special piece of work, I found the story pretty interesting. The Leadville 100 mountain bike race has put Leadville, CO, on the map. Abandoned by business following the mining boom, Leadville languished for decades. When I lived in Denver in the early 80's Leadville was known for its grand boomtown building architecture and simultaneously its paucity of economic activity.

Incumbent business types in Davis -- not mentioning names -- have grumbled that mountain bikers don't help local businesses. I say that reflects more on the missed opportunity than the lack thereof.

The Leadville doc was no doubt made and marketed on the Lance Armstrong factor. He had ridden it once before but this time he won, and did so in front of the documentary camera, and boom -- the Leadville 100 is now 100 times hotter, and the queue to ride it no doubt 100 times longer. That's great, but the long term buildup to this was the year-in, year-out, management of a great race in a great place...an extreme race that came of age in an age that celebrates all things extreme, and all who triumph in these rarefied altitudes of mountain sports.

The fellow that runs the Leadville 100 is a community leader. His gig is not just running a race but to include anyone who would dare, and everyone who supports the race and its racers. This is not just literally his position, it is how he feels and how he behaves in the community. The Leadville 100 is about the non-finishers and the families, friends and fans as much as the obvious. It is a race, but it has a huge halo of positive energy and economic benefit for the community. That. Is. What. Davis. Needs.

And it may not come in the package of one race, but there will be an anchor race around which all the other events revolve. It may be a race that exists today but eventually breaks through. Perhaps it will be an adventure race, a mountain bike race, a cyclocross race, a trail race...I don't know. It was a race called "24 hours of Canaan" a long time ago, but that was before its time and did not stay in town.

Sometimes, when nearly everyone who's been at it for 20 or 30 years knows exactly why this and that won't work...well that is when the opportunity can emerge. This Cyclocross race is nice to see in Davis along with Revenge of the Rattlesnake, the WV State Championship race and others. We could host 20 mountain sport events from Davis instead of 3 or 4. And one of them will become a major regional or national event.

Riverwalk's solar foray in the news

Grid-Tied Solar Panels Offer Quick Payback
Posted Sunday, October 4, 2009 ; 06:00 AM | View Comments | Post Comment

Thanks to generous state and federal tax credits, solar power is seeing a new surge.
Story by Pam Kasey

Kids are going to love Leaf Peepers 09!

Bring the wee ones to Leaf Peepers 09 in downtown Davis on Saturday September 26. Turn'em loose in a set of 5 inflatables, including bouncer, obstacle course and slide. This attraction replaces carnival rides of years past to focus more on the younger kids while solving some of the logistics issues of getting massive rides up the mountain.

It's good to be photogenic

I've often marveled that there seem to be more nature photographers working the Valley than there are restaurants. That's because there aren't many people here but there is infinite beauty to be discovered in the vast protected lands surrounding Davis. A friend brought this piece on the Nature Conservancy's site to my attention. The photo was taken by Kent Mason and is copyright protected.

Davis property taxes 09

Just got off the phone with the Assessor. We discussed the reasons why taxes went up as much as they did on various properties in Davis. Apparently, the county is compelled by law to revisit valuations every three years, and this year has been the year of one heck of an upward revision in values. Approximately 120% on vacant lots and anything from 20-100% on improvements.

The grid of Davis breaks down into 132x60' corner lots, 132x40' standard lots, and the occasional 30 footer. It appears that the typical 40ft lots more than doubled, from about $36 a year to about $85.

The Assessor told me that Davis has finally seen enough sales of lots (over the past year or two) to establish new assessed values for lots in the town...and they are way up. If you could find a lot to buy in Davis, a standard 40' lot would be about $22k, and a 60' corner lot would be about 42k. Unfortunately this was not lost on the assessor, and our taxes have doubled.

With these increases taxes are still low in Davis. The real challenge will be maintaining competitively low property taxes as we start to get more new home construction in Davis.

A White House Farmers Market?

From the Washington Post:
A White House Farmers Market?

President Obama spoke at the DNC about health care and healthful eating. (Alex Wong -- Bloomberg)
Michelle Obama may have planted a garden on the White House lawn. But she isn't the only one in her family pushing the benefits of fresh, local produce. At the Organizing for America National Health Care Forum on Thursday, President Obama said that improving access to fresh fruits and vegetables is a key part of reforming health care. He also floated another idea.

"One of the things we're trying to figure out is, can we get a little farmers market set up outside the White House," the president said in answer to a question about combatting obesity. "That is a win-win situation. It gives suddenly D.C. more access to good, fresh food, but it also is this enormous potential revenue maker for local farmers in the area."

Obama didn't say anything about how such a market would work, but Ann Yonkers, co-founder of FreshFarm Markets, welcomed the initial idea: "There's a lot of emphasis in the White House on health. So it's pretty consistent with that. It would be great if it happened."

Obama also stressed the importance of creating distribution systems that could link small, local farmers to public schools who want more fresh fruits and vegetables on their menus. (Look for my story on how this is already happening in Charlottesville, Va., in next week's Food section.)

Schools serve French fries, tater tots and hot dogs, Obama said, "because let's face it, that's what kids want to eat anyway." But he noted that the problem is exacerbated because "that food is a lot cheaper because of the distribution we've set up. … Getting local farmers connected to school districts: That would benefit the farmers delivering fresh produce. Right now they don’t have the distribution mechanism set up."

-- Jane Black

Life on Thomas Ave in downtown Davis

Behind Doc's Guest House, these south-facing homes will be built on Thomas. This is a Sketch Up rendering of the three structures.

Future spa interactive floorplan

Explore the interactive floor plan in detail at http://www.davisriverwalk.com/ifp-spa/
The spa at Riverwalk Shops will be the last of the 4 spaces within that building, but certainly not the least expensive. This interactive floorplan accurately reflects the layout and uses rather fanciful photos to give you an even better idea. Actual interior designs are not completed, but we anticipate stained concrete floors over radiant heating, stone and wood. When the spa phase is undertaken, we will add dozens of windows to the back of the building to expose views of the Blackwater.

Business models for the spa are still under consideration. It will operate as a separate business in a tenant relationship to Riverwalk Shops. It will likely require several equity partners to fund the buildout, furnishing and equipment. These will likely be private investors who know Davis and Canaan and who want to help make a quality day spa happen in the area.

We anticipate usual day spa offerings but also an annual membership option, providing further discounts on services along with yearlong access to the sauna, steam and lockers. The buildout and occupancy of the three retail spaces in the same building will precede the spa project. Themes for the retail spaces include dining, entertainment, wellness and general retail.

Riverwalk Shops update

Planning away here...we are carving out a project that would entail building out the exterior that is visible from William Ave (main street) and the 3 retail spaces totaling 5,000 square feet. Each space will have an office with a bathroom, a back entrance, glass storefronts with entry vestibules, high ceilings showing the steel beams of the old Shopnsave, rustic cement floors, separately metered gas and electric. The three retail spaces will share a 20ft deep covered veranda that is over 100ft long. We anticipate offering a solar powered option for early-signed tenants, where rent will be higher but electricity bills lowered by net metering (selling generated electricity back). We will also make extensive use of tubular reflective skylights for daylighting the spaces. Handicapped patrons will come up a ramp underneath the cool tower pictured at the corner of the building. The tower will use reclaimed barnwood and naturally oxidizing posts, beams and metal siding.

There is extensive custom metal fabrication in this renovation. Since the storefronts face the brunt of the weather they will be very high quality, but they are designed to open in strategic locations for cross ventilation in summer.

Retail suite 1 is the largest and has a 20ft wide garage door facing William Avenue. There will be a deck behind the garage door that stands a foot higher than the main store floor, allowing a separate display area or a performance stage (or both). Another advantage of this 2,600+ sft space is that it has William frontage as well as frontage along the new Riverwalk Shops pedestrian veranda. The space will house the anchor store of the center, which will be oriented toward the general public and offer dining, shopping and/or entertainment. The goal here is to have a store that is meaningful to a wide variety of customers spanning locals, second home owners and visitors.

Outside, the sidewalk west from Town Hall will be routed along the perimeter of the renovated building and will continue west at the front of the Spa section. BTW the Spa will not be built out in this project but is planned as follow-on to the retail buildout. Exterior materials will be a mix of rustic wood, stone masonry and sheet metal, with a variety of earth tone colors.

The objective is to deliver space that is competitive with local existing rates but that goes further to offer energy-efficient construction meeting WV building codes. We want to accomplish this while striking an aesthetic chord that harmonizes with the existing historic structures and nods to the industrial history of Riverwalk's location. Most of all we want the space to be effective for the intended tenants to maximize their retail success in Davis, and that means attractive, fun and community-oriented spaces for us all to enjoy downtown.

Sold out Davis farmers market 3 weeks running..

There is a reason and this new documentary underscores a few of them...

Standalone residence

Lot 91 on Thomas Avenue in front of the Wilfong apartment. Yes Cory, the one you live in. This may be the first one built but will most likely require a buyer to have committed before ground-breaking. The house will be Energy Star rated, which means much more than the appliances it contains. It will have required R values for all insulation, meet factory and on site tests, including blower testing for tightness. More on whole-house Energy Star certification in a future post!

Farmers Market Saturdays

Stemple Farms will arrive Saturdays 9am with the following to fill your basket:
lettuce, kohlrabi, onions, swiss chard, broccoli, red beats, green beans, peas, garlic, blueberries and cucumbers.

You may be able to special order for your restaurant or store, or for your own eggs or field-raised chicken by calling James Stemple at 789-2515.

Also sign up at Hypno Coffee for Breadshare orders from the Wolpert Farm, Joel quoted below:

Yo everybody,
I put together the breadshare signup forms. They should be on display at Hypno Coffee on Friday or Saturday. Fill out your form and return it to Tony at Hypno by August 8th. The Breadshare will start the following Saturday, August 15th. I'll deliver the bread there around 2pm.

Note to all Vampire Player Haters, there is also a Garlic Share going down. Same sign up form available at Hypno.

Hope everybody is enjoying the summer fun.

Joel

From Slow Start to Sold Out (in 3 weeks)

The farmers market was fully sold out by 10:30. Farmer Ben Nelson joined around 10am, which helped handle customer demand. Duck into Hypno for a coffee and stop by the market stalls for some greens or berries; that was Saturday's MO. For yesterday's market we had signs (designed by Kristin Douglas) along main street and flyers posted throughout Davis, Thomas and the Valley. The Parsons Advocate was also able to get the produce list published in "What's Happening" so that people could plan menus. Locating in different spots on the lot and having conversations about what layouts would work best is helping me sort out details for the parking lot and market stall construction.

By next week we'll have some easel-type sidewalk signs to help out with day-of promotion. The Advocate has suggested a sponsored ad where the area restaurants and other businesses that support having a market can pitch in to run an ad promoting the market (sponsors listed on the ad). Please contact me with any interest in this idea.

This year should prove that there is demand for a market, and that there are farmers and crafters to meet that demand. The demand side has been an object of intuitive belief for me, but it is nice to see real people turning out! In addition, it has been fascinating to learn of the number and quality of small farmers, artists and crafters in the immediate area. For next year we'll try to have a few more participants and make arrangements to consistently feature a musician.

Friends of Blackwater Fundraiser a success!

I attended a fundraiser in Canaan Valley for Riverwalk tenant Friends of the Blackwater Canyon on Friday night. It was hosted by developer and Charleston attorney Steve White. Governor Manchin attended and Speaker Richard Thompson sang and played his guitar for us. Whitegrass, Sirianni's, Timberline Resort and others donated food. Over 30 items or services were donated for the fundraising auction. Expecting 30 or 40 folks, I was amazed to see what looked like over 200 people. Steve's house easily hosted the crowd.

During the event a group of protesters formed at the entry of the subdivision. No one knew what they were protesting until it was relayed that they were against the planned power line called PATH. See www.wvcitizensagainstpath.com. They were at this location on this night specifically because Governor Manchin was present. This confounded the guests, most of whom seemed unfamiliar with the PATH project. The host family told the protesters to stay off the property at one point, though the Governor apparently went out and spoke to two women leading the protest. Tacky as it was to protest outside a private home at a completely unrelated fundraiser, the protest had the positive effect of provoking more conversation by the Governor. The next day I saw the Governor at Landis Realty's ribbon cutting ceremony and asked him what he thought of the protests, and let him know that some folks here in town perceived that he was denying knowledge of PATH, and even it's very existence. Neither are of course the case, but the vibe he was sending was definitely one of distancing himself. The Governor's ribbon cutting speech drifted to the PATH topic, and the Parsons Adovcate then interviewed the Gov for a good 30 minutes.

The more he is challenged on this position, the more he may come to recognize that it isn't fair to play possum to a project as potentially invasive as PATH. From what I've seen and read, Governor Manchin needs to take a more concerned position regarding this project. At the event in Canaan and previously he has said he "has no dog in this fight," but I have trouble accepting that notion when there is so much impact to reconcile. I would think that the state of WV would specifically need its leader to watch over this project and ensure that the voting citizens are not on the raw end of the PATH deal.

Parking lot

The design for the lot is drafted and will realign parking to be parallel to the building rather than nose to the building. This will keep the front side of the building relatively free of bumpers and metal mass, for easier access and more flexibility for our retailers.

There is some design discussion out there concerning angled vs 90 degree spots. We'll go with 90 degrees to allow bidirectional traffic through the lot. The idea is to impose a minimum amount of order (in keeping with other things Davis, no?). There are recommended bay depths and turnaround widths which we are also incorporating. I will try to provide for one ADA spot up front, though I'm sure it will get plenty of use by the not-so-wheel-chair-bound.

With the new design we plan to eliminate parking opportunities on WV32 (William Ave) along the property frontage. It is less safe and looks like hell as well. We will also border some of the lot's perimeter with log guard rail that will stop thru-traffic, retain errant drivers and pedestrians, yet allow snow plows to move snow through them.

The grass island out front will be made narrower and longer along William Ave. It will feature a stone monument with a wood signage backdrop and uplighting. Each store will be listed directory-style (uniform size) in it's preferred font.

Access to the lot will still consist of two points but their widths will be narrowed to control traffic. The access road to the back of the building will exit the lot near the volley ball court and the other de facto roadways adjacent to the lot will be blocked off with log pole guard rails.

This is the plan. Any inputs are always appreciated.

Leaf Peepers Davis 9/25-9/27

Below is the anticipated schedule of events for 2009. The official schedule to be published as established...but this should give you an idea of what the weekend holds!

http://www.myspace.com/leafpeepersfestivalwv

Revised elevation and floor plan....

What we're working on now

Showing us the way to the market

If you have ever engaged in mountaineering then you know how much harder it is to break trail in the snow than to follow behind the one who did. Kick steps and plunge steps get tiring fast! The Elkins farmers market has done a professional job of blazing the trail for how to do a small market in this region. They have bylaws, officers and a good number of farmers and food crafters involved. Already the lead farmers and organizers have given me some valuable guidance in how to make the Davis market successful. The more people I talk to, the more I learn of micro-farmers in our area. Due to the climate there are certain crops that do particularly well; broccoli is an example.

I learned that some day a pavillion will be an important element of making the market convenient for farmers and attractive to community members. I also learned that organizing and promoting the markets can interfere with the seasonal work demands of being a farmer, making the help of a non-farmer all the more important. This summer we'll be under tents with no bylaws, no officers and will really just be feeling our way forward.

The Elkins market web site outlines the types of goods generally sold during each month, but they also poll their farmers each week to prepare a bulk email listing the specific crops coming to the next market. The local Chamber of Commerce forwards the market email to their list increasing coverage even more.

After a trial summer of sporadic markets with hopefully a growing roster of candidate members, we will create a similar web site for market customers. You will be able to subscribe to the market update letter and see if the bok choi will be in or whether there will be roaster chickens available, for example.

Another element of a robust farming and crafting community is retailing. Businesses such as the Trail Mix in the Valley are establishing relationships with the boutique growers to be able to offer some of these goods on a retail basis. A given farmer in the region might retail their eggs routinely, and take eggs along with greens or fruit to sell directly at the farmers market. There are different health department codes for retail vs farmer's markets as well.

The message I'm gleaning so far is, "This is not only desirable, but it is achievable."

Save the Blackwater Canyon fundraiser

Friday July 10th in the Valley there will be a fund raiser with mountain music, auctions, and special guests Congressman Mollohan and Governor Manchin. The fund raiser will be held at the home of Steve White, the developer of Aspen Village near the base of Timberline ski area. Details at http://saveblackwater.org/CanaanHP2009.html

Also hosted by:
Diane Baisden and Sam Jinks
Diane and Roscoe Beall III
Pat and Judy Bowling
John and Debbie Brown
Jim and Laura Cava
Sheila Coleman-Castells
Donna and Carroll Cook
Cooper & Preston, PLLC
Tom and Paula Flaherty
Buck and Kathe Larkin Geary
Steve Haid and Jennifer Taylor
Tom and Stacy Halloran
Rita Haverty
Fred and Tracy Herz
Rose Marie Herz
Mike and Julie Lee
Kim Landis and Butch Nelson
B.J. and Jeri Nibert
Harriett and Paul Nusbaum
Frederick ‘‘ Doc’’ Reichle, M.D.
Geraldine Roberts. Esq.
Darrell and Debbie Rolston
Bobby and Annie Snyder

Mountain bike festival

The first mountain bike festival was last weekend. It was organized by Davis' own Sue Haywood. http://susanhaywood.blogspot.com/

Farm Mkt Saturday

Farmer James Stemple will return to Davis Riverwalk to sell lettuce, bok choi, turnip greens, onions, broccoli, eggs etc. 9am to 12pm at 737 William Avenue (parking lot of Highland Prospects, Hypno Coffee, Friends of Blackwater Canyon).

PS - this is a community effort to encourage local produce production and consumption; please pass the word and come buy!

Washingtonated?

Beware the bubble. Most of us know how Coloradoans historically despise Texans on their ski lifts: friendly, dumb, rich...how on earth did they get that money? We also know about Californication: regular Californian sells house for $1M and comes to Oregon or Santa Fe, bringing a fat/happy mentality with no jobs, just dividend income and house equity. The mountain towns hate the new cultural dimension, don't like regular joe's showing up with so much coin, and blame them for running up values without creating jobs.

Below is an article from today's NYTimes on Bend, OR, and the bust following the boom. It relates the woes of a "new west" lifestyle town's booming and then busting due to a lack of underlying economic strength. My ex-in-laws live there and I love the town. I've watched it evolve from half it's present size of 80,000. I remember getting a tour of a mountain-top subdivision and being told that the Californians lived on the side with mountain views and the rest lived on the side with city views. That made sense. They were here for the aesthetic and had seen their share of cityscapes.

The relevance here is the prospect of Davis being Washingtonated. How real is that prospect? I think it is real. But let's get back to Bend, Oregon. There is more to that boom than house equity transplanted. My father in law had built a logistics software and consulting business that sold to Fortune 100 firms operating worldwide. He had long appreciated Bend's lifestyle and decided to move the company's headquarters to Bend. He built a business condo and rented out space while using the rest for his business. He employed Phd's located across the US and a couple moved to Bend to work in his office. His user meetings and various other events took place in Bend. He hired admins, accountants, lawyers etc. His economic power to relocate his own business and in turn generate incomes in Bend was far from Californication. It was Washingtonation. Intellectual capital. Not house equity. Yes it was driven by a love of the mountain lifestyle and enough personal capital to pursue a dream, but that's about where the comparison ends. What the Bend article sees is Californians. What it misses are the many businesses that started or moved to Bend because of the lifestyle, and they are the real economic story.

I believe that we will see people like my ex-father in-law decide to start or move businesses that are not necessarily retail/hospitality oriented. Businesses that are geographically independent and located in Davis because of the lifestyle. Those kinds of businesses will give us the diversification to see our way through the ups and downs.

Slump Dashes Oregon Dreams of Californians

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/18/us/18oregon.html?_r=1&sq=slump%20dashes%20oregon%20dreams&st=cse&scp=1&pagewanted=all

Mountainbike Festival June 26-27-28

Davis is a mountain bike mecca. If you aren't already plugged in -- and even if you already know the routes -- here is a great way to ride the Valley. Below is an excerpt from the BWB site overviewing the weekend.

http://www.blackwaterbikes.com/CMBF.html for festival information
Sue Haywood's blog

Friday June 26

Ladies Day! - Sue Haywood will lead a women’s tour and do on trail skills building. We will leave from Blackwater Bikes at 10 am and ride on the Canaan Valley Institute’s beautiful property in Davis. These trails have a mix of open grassy meadows, singletrack in the woods and the famous “moon rocks”. This is geared towards the intermediate rider who wants to try more technical terrain in a fun, supportive atmosphere. Trailside Lunch is provided.

To sign up or for more info suzehaywood@yahoo.com



Saturday June 27

Group Trail Rides starting at 9 am out of Blackwater Bikes .

Organized Rides*
Hardcore- This ride is long and hard, but oh so fun. Ride a mix of the toughest trails on Canaan Mt. led by a local hardcore.
Intermetzo- Not as long or as tough, but really good trail riding.
Ultimate Fitness Ride- Camp 70 up to Beardon’s Knob, Canaan Loop Road, 244 up Blackwater Canyon. No singletrack, but lots of miles.
State Championship Loop -Be a champ, ride the moonrocks, but at a pleasure pace.
Nice and Easy- Camp 70 flat loop along the Blackwater River.
Olsen Tower- Climb up to the tower for an awesome view
Night Ride on State Championship Course- You are a vampire and only come out at night.
Ride Downhill at Timberline Four Season Resort on your own for gravity fed fun.

*(may change due to trail conditions)


Donation to Tucker Country Trails Club requested of $15 for rides.



Sat Nite

Enjoy the local food scene of Davis, Thomas, Canaan Valley and all of Tucker County.

Come have a brew at Mountain State Brewery Company

Listen to music at Brew Pub and Purple Fiddle.


Sunday June 28

9am- noon Trail Maintenance led by the Tucker Country Trails Club on a local riding trail. Come give back to the trails!

10-12 Family and Kids ride on Camp 70 and Dobbin House. Take the kids out and have a good time.

2pm-4pm Bike Hash : Try something different... Let the Canaan Valley Hash Hound Harriers remind you how fun drinkers are with a mountain biking problem.

Come sun or mud!

For lodging see www.visitcanaan.com and www.canaanvalley.org

Fee and Free Camping available in Mon National Forest, CVI, Blackwater Falls State Park, Canaan Valley State Park.

Save the date

Misunderestimated

None of our three transplant business leaders made the Town Council. The existing leadership had a much greater ability to guide votes to candidates within their comfort zone than most people expected. Voter turnout quadrupled over last election, presumably because this was a year when several of the council candidates were not the mayor's or existing town council members' picks....The base was energized.

There is definitely a bright line now drawn between traditional locals and transplant locals. Traditionals tend to have lower levels of post-high school education, tend to work in labor professions, and have longer histories in the immediate area. The pro-change set tend to have more education, have lived in urban centers previously and have lived in Davis for years perhaps, but not for generations. This election marked the brightening of that line between the two groups...a greater awareness of the steady changeover of the population from a dwindling, post-mining, labor-led market to a growing service/hospitality/retail-led market that generates service and labor jobs, and which because of its allure, becomes a desirable relocation destination for retirees and small geographically independent businesses.

This defeat will energize the more progressive citizenry of Davis to get busy in a civic sense...to attend Council meetings, to understand the town's issues first hand, to know the ordinances and legal issues for residents, to understand how roads and sidewalks get paved and plowed, to understand the facts bearing on better sewage for the city, to understand these issues from their authoritative sources and to then form considered opinions about how this town's governance should progress.

Yes that may be asking for alot more homework than the old guard may have done. But alas, change is not 10% better than no change; it is at least 3X, because that's the only way old ways can change. Take a look at the before and after picture for our White House. I'd say we're talking at least 5X better; and that's what it took to make real change occur.

Now let's get busy and make Davis the mountain life style treasure that it is destined to become.

Elections Tuesday

Tomorrow is Election Day in Davis and the townspeople will re-elect our good mayor...however there is a little drama in the race for Town Council. The Davis Town Council consists of 5 elected people who have been elected without much competition in the past couple of elections that I am aware of. This year three incumbents declined to run, prompting several new folks to raise their hands. What is unique about this year's lineup is not just the competition for spots, but the profile of candidates. Three of the candidates are "new entrepreneurs," ie residents who chose Davis in the past few years for the lifestyle it offers, and are building businesses. They are entrepreneurs who are actively engaged in the town's growth segments -- hospitality/dining and retail that serve permanent residents and visitors. They are also relatively young. The town is friendly to business and friendly in general, but it would be very promising to see several of our town's small business leaders elected to council.

One can imagine an array of political dividing lines between newcomers, old timers, entrepreneurs, miners, retirees etc. Frankly I have not really seen a huge amount of evidence that inequitable treatment or gamesmanship is a factor in Davis government. What I have seen is a sort of no-change approach to government which mostly considers the quiet life of an aging post-mining population. This has been fine for the years I have been involved with Davis and it will be fine for a few more as well. However, the voters of Davis are the residents of Davis, and the residents of Davis are increasingly people who choose Davis for what it is and will become. Folks who are here to build a practice or a company and raise a family have a huge stake in this town. They are the true economic and cultural leaders of Davis and they will lead with the energy they pour into their interests -- in education, culture, economic strength, volunteerism, and the village life they share.

Insofar as this election goes, I won't be surprised if these three 'new entrepreneurs' get elected. If they do, we will have a town council whose collective experience includes what it takes to start and run a business today in Davis. As a developer in Davis I would be ecstatic to see such a huge step for Davis government. I might also get to find out out what the town ordinances are.;)

Designing for Davis

Michael Mills (Mills Group Architects)and I will work together next week to draw up the concept for a couple of houses to be built on Thomas Ave in Davis. This session will drive the design for the first homes in Riverwalk style, but undoubtedly will evolve and diversify as the project progresses. My goal for aesthetics is to echo the profiles and rythm of Davis' Victorian homes circa 1900 while using a more casual and less ornate lineup of materials and architectural details. So the basic shape of the house would best be defined as Victorian, but the materials lean toward the farm and industrial, and the architectural details are minimized. For functionality, it will be important to understand the demographics of the buying public. The active retiree who bikes and enjoys fishing and bird watching? The young family with one head of household running a small business and the other working for a company? A DC family that loves Davis and Canaan? A couple who has chosen the lifestyle that Davis offers? A major opportunity is to build housing that doesn't require much maintenance and has very low utility bills. Accommodating today's recreation interests is also important. Flexibility in the number of people the house can sleep is important to retirees hosting their families or weekenders with guests. Formal dining and entry areas are not important. Graciously hosting a large cookout or dinner party is important. Large mud rooms with sturdy materials will handle the gear and clothing of mountain living and mountain sports. A separate space for an office, a guest, or for small children to play is important. A front porch acts as an extension to the mud room concept for bikes, skis or as a doorway to the community. Unfortunately, many Davis homes have had their front porches 'closed in' in an attempt to cheaply add interior space. I believe a front porch - big or small -- is a tradition that fits well with today's mountain life style.

Another idea: Side-by-sides. Davis lots are 30 and 40' wide with no setback zoning. People routinely build to within feet or inches of the lot line. Side yards can become useless, dark, snow gulleys - wasted space that leaves exterior wall space needlessly exposed to the elements. One of the photos above shows a 'side by side'....two houses with a section between them that eliminates a side yard, saves some exterior wall exposure, and allows a larger side yard on the other side of each house. Building houses in pairs as side-by-sides may be a good solution in Davis for eliminating some waste and gaining more useful side yards.

A second idea: modernized carriage houses. With 132ft deep lots, Davis homes often have a variety of structures found on the alley. Traditionally these were carriage houses for horses, wagons, livery and workmans' tools. Today many of those are gone...replaced by sheds. Keeping horses is not allowed in Davis any more, and cars are a bit cramped in 10' alleys. Winter makes the unplowed, unpaved, alleys even less likely to accommodate parking. In designing a useful carriage houses of the future, the structure should be set back from the alley to allow turning radius and outside parking. For now we will gravel the public alley up to the properties, but my understanding is that the Town is seeking funding to eventually pave the alleys. A 2-car garage can be topped with a small apartment or studio. A carriage house apartment then becomes a part of the property that can be rented or used by the owner. With this flexibility, the owner can use what parts of the property they need and rent out the rest.

Learning to sell Solar Renewable Energy Credits (ie saving money on the net cost of solar PV array)

I'm learning so bear with me. If you generate power in WV there are companies out there who are compelled by law to reduce their carbon footprint by producing a certain quantity of renewable energy credits per year. The solar variety are called Solar Renewable Energy Credit (SRECs). Dependng on the state there are fines per SREC not produced. These companies (eg Starbucks does it) must buy SREC's (or create them) at a lower price than the fine.

People or businesses with a solar PV array on the roof have no use for SREC's because they are nothing but credit (ie little gold stars by your name) for having reduced your footprint. It makes sense for large dirty non-compliant companies to pay you and me to reduce the total footprint as long as it is cheaper for them to meet there requirements (or pay the fines) by paying us to do it for them, this opportunity should persist.

There are brokers who approach solar PV system owners and try to sign them up for a 10 year contract without disclosing the accounting definitions used to calculate your net price. For example, they may offer to pay you 50% of their SREC 'sales price' but the one I spoke with wouldn't define sales price, leading me to conclude that their definition can be padded with fees or overhead as they please. It would be true, legally, to look at their agreement.

So I called the power company and they referred me to this hitherto unknown entity called PJM, who operates the Generation Attribute Tracking System. Very helpful folks there are holding my hand through a process that promises to set up Blackwater Overlook as a registered power plant capable of selling its Renewable Energy Credits to the "needy" (ie the dirty who must pay to be clean).

To do this the PV generator has to have a state certification number. What? WV does not even issue such certifications. However! PA and DC apparently allow registration of PV generators that are located in WV. Hmmm. OK I applied for certification. Once gotten I then register the generator in the PJM GATS system as a producer. From there I believe the gig is similarly primitive to craigslist, where I would post Megawatt-Hours (Mwh) (of which I should produce between 2 and 4 per year) for sale. These little bundles of joy go for a few hundred dollars each, depending on the market/legislative forces at work.

It is facinating so far, and I figure that IF it works, the SRECs revenue will just about pay for my time to figure out how to sell the SRECs. Kidding aside, the real opportunity is to add this to the equation for how much it really costs after taxes and SREC liquidation to own a PV array in Davis. The true net cost of the system is what we can compare to the savings in electrical bills. Although the systems and even the need for an SREC trading marketplace will change, it would appear that the Riverwalk Homeowners association could handle much of the administivia for getting the equipped Riverwalk residences in a position to sell off their SRECs.

Parking lots and such -- todo list update

Lots of small progress items to report in Riverwalk:

1. Boulders have been placed throughout the tract to control vehicle traffic in the Riverwalk greenspaces. Fly fishing is a beautiful thing, but alas you will have to walk a few yards...
2. Volleyball - the posts are set, many trucks of fill have been brought in. Next we roll it, put down fabric, and....then 40 tons of sand. Is there room for a lifeguard chair?
3. Parking lot -- specs are out to 2 asphalt companies and we are waiting on the second quote. We are going with ample sized parking spots that are parallel to the front of the building, so that cars are not parked up against the storefronts.
4. Market stalls -- getting quotes to build a couple of shelters for Saturday markets; will double as picnic area.
5. Split rail fencing - planning rail fence this summer in various sections of the perimeter for additional safety and parking management.
6. Suite 3 is completed for Highland Prospects and they are busily building displays, dressing room and specialty lighting.
7. Suite 2 is getting its cement floor sealed today, complete with some faint oil stains and sawed off bolts from the hydrolic engine lift that once operated in this bay. The floors are really the main architectural artifact telling this building's past use.
8. Solar Photovoltaic System -- up and running. We are at a surplus now but once tenants are in Suite 2 we expect this grid-tied system to generate the majority but not all the electricity usage of Suite 2.

Pete

Teddy said it right

Roosevelt Island is a pleasant little island between Rosslyn VA and Georgetown/Foggy Bottom. Sienna and I took the wee ones for an island hike mid-day today. Roughly centered on the island is a monument with a statue of Roosevelt and a handful of large walls bearing excerpts from his speeches on various topics such as Youth, Manhood, Democracy, and ahhhh sweet NATURE.

Who put boulders in the park?

Davis Riverwalk's site is 7 acres along the Blackwater River, adjoining the 5-acre Town of Davis' Riverfront Park. Historically, visitors (mostly fisherman) have driven vehicles where they pleased to access fishing spots. And no one has really cared because they were not investing in the landscaping of the tracts. Both the Park and Riverwalk have been making small greenspace improvements each year for the past 3 years. The Town's Riverfront Park prohibits vehicles and is developing its greenspaces continually. Davis Riveralk allows vehicles to park sunrise to sunset in the Old Shopnsave parking lot. Behind this lot we have maintained a riverfront vehicle access point with parking, turnaround area and canoe beach. At this time, this location is the only spot a vehicle is authorized to park other than on the asphalt lots.

Both the Town Park and Riverwalk have experienced an increase in unauthorized vehicle traffic. This could be due to the improved fishing or the Town's landscape improvements, or both. Traffic is using Riverwalk to enter and drive through Riverwalk green spaces, usually continuing into Town Park property to do some 'tailgate fishing.' Some visitors do this because they find it convenient and some drive to the water because they have handicapped members in their party.

I have contracted to have boulders placed along the allowed vehicle roadways, effectively blocking vehicles from approaching the Town Park's riverfront locations on various paths within Davis Riverwalk property.

A plan for the future: Riverwalk and the Town Park will both have ADA accessible areas in the park. The beach parking area described above will eventually have an ADA-accessible walkway and observation/fishing deck, allowing us to restrict vehicles from that area. Until it does we will permit driving to that location. Our goal is to have no vehicles along the river or on green space. To make this work we will have ample free daytime public parking in Davis Riverwalk along with one or more ADA river access points.

Some folks will invevitably be disspointed by these restrictions in driving. They presumably would prefer to be able drive their vehicles freely on Riverwalk or the Town Park.

Hopefully a few boulders will curtail the offroad driving and parking. Hopefully the community will benefit more from these restrictions than without them.

Davis Apartment Lease or Sale

Best tenant in the world just moved out. Here are fresh photos of the interior...

Painted, getting trimmed, getting closer....

This pic shows the incomplete outside but you can see the rusted wainscoting, the rough board siding...All interior walls have been painted and trim is going in. The biggest challenge awaiting is the cement floor. After removing some pretty imposing hydrolic lift hardware and patching the openings, our contractor will be grinding and polishing the floors to get that distressed but smmoooth and useful surface.
PIMBY has continued to work on the installation details for the solar PV array. The electrcian is installing fixtures, outlets and switches next week. We may slide in for the May 15 target date, but my guess is this project will have its straggling bits push that date out a week or two. Stop by the site any time you are in for a coffee at Hypno.

PV Array completed

We're going to wait for a new product that seems to be just around the corner - a little gizmo that will allow me to display (online) what we're generating vs what we're using in real time and by the month. In the meantime I'll get the generation info monthly and compare it to the bill.

Tuscan Ridge - no bidders....

...Except the bank. Apparently there were less than 20 people present and most were the usual suspects of the Canaan real estate community. The developers of Aspen Village on the Timberline access road were present, as were a few smaller developers who have completed or managed projects in the area. I suspect many were there mostly to get a reading on how their existing projects would be affected by the fall of this giant. The bids apparently were to start at 1.35M. With no bids forthcoming, the bank took the property. Concensus is that this was a bit of a surprise, and that most had believed there was enough developer interest that one of them would pick it up. Some comments were forthcoming from the bank's distressed asset manager that this is a valuable asset and they would explore how to achieve the best results with it. My guess is that the bank is talking smack and would really like to get rid of the property pronto. Banks HATE things like wetlands protections causing sewage treatment problems and potential lawsuits relating to the Endangered Species Act. Tuscan Ridge is a project with some well-executed master planning, all predicated on the coup of annexing the Town of Davis in order to get the sewage treatment needed for suburban density levels. They didn't expect to find wetlands next to the Davis Town sewage treatment pond. They didn't expect to hear about flying squirrels. And they didn't expect the market for second home vacant lots to fall off a cliff. When you consider these three surprises confronting a project that used trick financing, investment synicates comprised of amateurs located in other areas of the country, and pricing at nearly double the comps found at the PEAK of the market....well the crashdown was pretty hard. I'll call Tuscan Ridge the "Phoenix AZ of Canaan." Up 50%. Down 50%. For this phoenix to rise from it's flames, it must overcome the above trifecta of obstacles.

The reality is that most banks don't do a whole lot with these assets other than sell them. There is some thought that the selling price would be greater than 1.35M because of the now greater costs to the bank in holding and marketing the property. I doubt it. My guess is that the property will sell for less than $2M, and no time real soon.

If you consider that this auction package includes a $1.5-2M lodge, millions in road/sewer/electric infrastructure, extensive master planning and design, and 400+ acres of land....the gross value is probably close to $3M in today's distressed times. Subtract from that theoretical value the discount for sorting out various risks -- resolution of the sewage treatment questions for out-phases, resolution of potential endangered species issues (eg flying squirrel. That might net out to a value of $1-2M. Now that you've got the property and have beat down those risks, prepare to spend $2M more to finish re-planning the property and infrastructuring it. For the return on this project, consider that the number of lots will likely be reduced dramatically for reasons found in the twin risks of sewage treatment and engangered species. Now cap off this scenario with the big unknown of how much demand there might (not) be for an inventory of a few hundred lots.

All this said, I think that the early-phase lots that have full infrastructure, and that the Town can confirm are ready to build, are good deals in the $20-30K area. Much above that and you are paying 2012 prices today. Once the Tuscan out-phase questions are resolved and the project is selling, sure, the value of each early phase lot will approach $50-70K, but I would guess that happens as we approach the 2012 timeframe.

Magnificent 7

From the south-facing slope of the Blackwater Overlook building, looking east up the Blackwater River. PowerInMyBackYard techs installing the PV array. Pictured are the first 7 of 14 total panels. The "net metering" gear to make this a grid-tied system capable of selling KW back to Allegheny Power has already been installed. The inverter is next. Cool to look at but not visible to the street, these panels will be busy throughout the year defraying the electrical bill for this building.

Closing up the walls!

Electrical, hvac and plumbing is roughed in and the wood and drywall is going up. We are still waiting on the huge picture window for the back of Suite 2. Each suite will have its special features. Hypno's suite 1 has the corner of glass with Blackwater views. Suite 2 will have the 7x8' picture window and solar power. Suite 3 will have the 14' ceilings and that monster garage door with some very cool rustic wood gates covering the garage door opening.

Excavators are working to clean up and regrade areas around the Blackwater Overlook Building of Davis Riverwalk. Plans include a sand volleyball lot front and left of the building. Also under consideration are market stalls, a public bike rack, picnic table, and a park-style charcoal grill.

Mark you calendar for June 20th grand opening celebration.

Saturday June 20th Grand Opening & Solar Day Celebration

Davis Riverwalk will be co-sponsoring the grand opening of its Blackwater Overlook building and two new tenants on Saturday, June 20th. Highland Prospects and Friends of the Blackwater will have displays, specials and demonstrations. Highland Prospects is an outdoors clothing and gear provisioner previously located in the old bank building. Friends of the Blackwater is an environmental advocacy group primarily focused on protecting the WV highlands, Blackwater River watershed and the Blackwater Canyon. There will be music, snacks and good community fun for all. Terra Alta farmer James Stemple plans to have his first greens of the season available for purchase. And - since the following day happens to be the first national Solar Day (and the first day of Summer), we will be introducing the first photovoltaic array in Davis -- it's right on the roof of the building! PowerInMyBackYard will be on hand to discuss solar and other alternative energy sources. Join us for the opening of new and expanded locations for these exciting enterprises in Davis; enjoy gossip and a coffee at Hypno; explore the expanded outdoor selections from Highland Prospects; learn what Riverwalk and you could do with solar energy; learn what Friends of Blackwater is doing to protect our natural treasures. Hang with your neighbors and celebrate a new day in Davis. And, oh yeah, hope for sun!

Davis Apt Available

Dr. Knotts will move out of our Thomas St carriage house apartment this month for an opportunity to be the dentist for her home town. In summer 08 we renovated and remodeled this upstairs 2BR 1BA to have a private stairwell entrance with mud room, new kitchen cabinets, W/D, new ceramic tile and carpet and more. The bonus is the huge storage area on the garage level. Rent is $510/month with 1-year lease, plus gas/elec/water. Call Mack at 304-642-4212 to view, though here are a couple of shots taken before the carpet went in.

WVU article on Davis movers-shakers

WVU Uncovered Article Here

When it comes to area small businesses, there is distinctly an old style and a new style. There's an evolution in the business models of small public-facing businesses in Canaan and Davis. Boiled down, I'd say that the new guard makes sense to both locals and urban transplants or weekenders.

WVU and the Parson's Advocate both have published articles noting this trend, with I think more analysis of this phenomenal transition to come in the future. We are not just talking about older proprietors being replaced by younger entrepreneurs. The change here is a move past offerings that entail less quality or choice than one might find back in town, toward more unique offerings that celebrate the natural surroundings and considerable gifts or skills of the people who live here.

When I started my own information technology services company, I chose a space that seemed to be dominated by players who were not trying very hard and who were very low tech in their delivery systems, and who offered mediocre quality. That spelled 'opportunity' and indeed it was a huge opportunity.

A tour of the Canaan-Davis-Thomas area has historically been quick to yield complaints from business owners blaming the seasons or weekly cycle, or the population for their struggles. Similarly, a survey of visitors over the years would quickly reveal stories of poor service, closed business doors, lack of beer selection or similar letdowns when engaging the local marketplace. If you think I am generalizing, it is because I am, since if one is not willing to generalize, one cannot understand underlying trends.

Better food, better service and better products are not necessarily code for "less affordable." Better means niche products -- not ones available at Walmart. Better means hand crafted foods rather than just mass produced ones. Better means chatting with the customer rather than listless order taking. Is it really necessary to behave like a zombie when ringing up groceries? Better means busting out the superhot hot sauce. Better means offering locally made and baked pastries that are out-of-this-world delicious. Better means being inspired to put some style into what you offer and how you offer it to the marketplace.

I'm not saying that every business that is slogging along without getting articles written about its innovation is a loser. What I am saying is that the visitors and residents are here and will do much more with local businesses than they do today. There is no cart or horse here. Great businesses attract more consumers and more consumers allow more businesses to start and grow. Fortunately for the Canaan-Davis-Thomas business community, there is plenty of opportunity to design a business for success. Add to that structural opportunity the fact that Corridor H and national trends will continue to interest more people in this little jewel named Davis, and I think we will see many more business success stories.

Tuscan Ridge auction

Besides numerous auctions and short sales of individual lots bought primarily by out of state flippers, there is now going to be an auction of the balance of at least one of the larger tracts of Tuscan. Apparently Melbourne Properties has defaulted on the loan associated with some large portion of Tuscan Ridge. The Parsons Advocate and Charleston Gazette both have articles on the subject and www.wvlegal.com has the notice. Auction is April 27th 11am and the contact person is ellen Cappellanti, 304-340-1277. Why people bought as many lots as they did at twice their highest conceivable comp values I do not know.

Tuscan will sort itself out, perhaps with fewer lots than originally planned, perhaps not completely within the town limits of Davis, perhaps not completely on Davis water and sewer. But Tuscan will sort out at much lower prices per lot/per acre. It should have happened right up front as part of the marketing decision. Instead, Melbourne subdivided the place into micro lots smaller than my lot in very dense Bethesda, Maryland. Fine, if you've got high land values or an urban format. Greedy if you're in the woods of WV. Greed is apparent in most every step of the Tuscan concept, lot sizes, pricing, marketing and financing offers. They deserve everything they get and hopefully it won't inconvenience the Town of Davis too much.

Wilderness expansion a done deal

Sierra Club notified me with the message pasted below. Some of you will want to call in with expletives rather than thanks, but I think that on the whole this is a win for the CV/Davis/Thomas community. Seems there is often a lot of belly aching about federal designations as they are passed, but quite often the belly achers themselves are the long term beneficiaries. More tourism, more people deciding this is the area to live, more revenues to businesses, more ways to make a living in the mountains, higher land values since all can be assured that the shared lands will be protected, and so the cycle goes....There is always some way to bitch about things not decided locally. I definitely don't like being excluded from mountain biking the northern section of Dolly Sods and I don't understand the rigidity of not permitting bike trails at all. But nonetheless I wouldn't deny the designation.

What does this mean for Davis? Larger protected area means more visitors in the long term, displacement of several recreation categories to areas with lower protections, higher land values. Bottom line: Davis businesses and real estate will benefit.

Anyhow, here is the news flash:

Last week Congress passed a wonderful wilderness bill, expanding protected Wilderness in the Monongahela National Forest by 37,000 acres. All 5 of our folks in Congress were on board to make this Wilderness expansion possible.

Please take a moment to put in a quick call to your Representative and Senators, thanking them for their leadership and support for the Wild Monongahela Act. Tell them which places in Wild Mon you especially care about, and why Wilderness designation for these areas is important to you!


Rahall 3rd-Big Draft, Spice Run, Cranberry Expansion

Capito 2nd - Roaring Plains West

Mollohan 1st - Otter Creek Expansion, Dolly Sods Expansion

The Honorable Robert C. Byrd: (202)-224-3954 The Honorable John D. Rockefeller IV: (202) 224-6472 The Honorable Nick J. Rahall II: (202) 225-3452 The Honorable Alan Mollohan: (202) 225-4172 The Honorable Shelley Moore Capito: (202) 225-2711


To adjust your Sierra Club email preferences, please reply to this email with a description of your wishes. Thank you.

Sierra Club 85 Second St., 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105

Solar for Riverwalk building

Looks like we're going with a 2.4KW system, which will appear as 14 panels on the south facing (river side) roof. Each panel is roughly 60" x 30".

The Department of Energy provides a good basic overview of these systems.

Help Wanted (overalls provided)

Position: Market Master
Pay: what?
Mission: Cultivate and supervise an open air market on some or all Saturdays of the warm season. Responsibilities: identify and work with farmers, food crafters, artisans to create an open air market in downtown Davis. Find publicity opportunities around Tucker County and online to ensure both residents and visitors know about the market days. Report to the board of directors on revenues, feedback, member status.
Support: Incorporation, insurance, board of directors, prime parking lot location near Hypno Coffee.

Well, that's a start, huh? Really, this looks promising...imagine: 9am on a summer Saturday morning. Folks are grabbing coffee or kicking it on the Hypno deck. Highland Prospects garage is flung open and the summer sale is on. A tent or two in the parking lot...fresh green beans, potatoes, lettuce, strawberries, carrots, turnips -- all grown within 50 miles of Davis, and some right here in town! Maybe you'd see some locally made soaps, jewelry or other crafts as well. Residents who must survive on Shopnsave produce or find their own channels would be elated, and second homers could cook with fresh naturally grown produce. Local produce and crafted foods are a unique and important resource in this community but unless you'll do the research and the driving, it's not happening.

There is a Women, Infants and Children program and Senior's programs that provide for food from farmer's markets. Once the market is certified, then the certified farmers in the market can accept program coupons for produce.

The WVU Extension Office for Tucker County provides extensive informational and advisory support for getting our community market up and running.

Much has yet to be learned and done to make this happen but the way forward looks pretty clear so far. Other than our farmers, cooks and artisans, the players in this story will be the town, the health department, the Extension Office for certification in their aid programs.

Heat fans

Suite 3 of Blackwater Overlook - Highlands Prospects space. Implementing these simple uni-directional 5-speed fans to push hot air off the ceiling and mix the air for higher average temperature where people will be. They are 56" wide and have greater blade angles and are able to move more air than residential fans. They may be useful in summer but are primarily intended to mix air during the heating season.

Tubular sky lights

For Blackwater Overlook it appears that 18" tubes will be best. There may be as many as three in Highland Prospects, with each one blasting 1,400 watts max depending on the time of day, the season, the weather, and which side of the roof. The principle here is to take sunlight into a reflective cylinder, bounce it around the silver plated aluminum cylinder until it maximizes, and pour it into the interior through a diffuser or a prismatic lens.

Each skylight costs about $300 and of course several hundred to install. The payback is lower energy use during daylight hours, plus a very pleasant spectrum of natural light in a space that normally would be using florescent.

Placement is important for maximizing light. The angled flashings allow placement on north facing slopes (the front side of the building) while having a chance to grab some modicum of sunlight. The south facing roof slope (backside) of the building is the perfect location for Photovoltaic panels, but also the the tubular skylight exits. Hopefully next week we will get that valuable 'real estate' divvied up and there will be room for a couple of these sky lights. The company is run by a buddy of mine and is located in Arizona. Super helpful VP named Elios gets these things properly configured and shipped. The company is NL Tubular and here is the product spec.

Build A Volleyball Court

Building a Sand Volleyball Court

Net Height: Net height is 7' 11 5/8" for men and 7' 4 1/8" for women. Co-ed competition is played on a men's height net. The official height measurement is made in the center of the net. The height of the net at the sidelines can be no more than 3/4" higher than the official height. If you're playing on sand, the measurements are made with the sand raked level, and no accomodation is made for your feet sinking in the sand. If you're playing on grass, the measurements are made to the ground, and not the top of the grass.

The Site: The dimensions of a volleyball court are 29'-6" wide by 59'-0" long, measured from the outside edges of the boundary lines. In addition, you should have 10' (more is even better) clear around the boundaries. The result is a complete playing area of 49'-6" wide by 79'-0" long.



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Court Dimensions

The pole may need to be longer in the northern climates. In northern climates footing should be located below the frost line. Locating the footing of the pole below the frost line will prevent "frost heave" of the footing. Check with the local building code for the frost depth.


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When planning the layout pay special attention to the direction of the court. The court should run lengthwise North/South. If the court runs East/West, the court will be virtually unusable in the early morning say, for the start of a tournament and early evenings, such as playing after work. In the morning, the team on the West side of the court stares at the morning sun and in the evening, the team occupying the East court is blinded. The area above the playing surface should be clear and free of all obstructions such as tree branches and power lines.

To keep the sand in the court, where it belongs, and grass and dirt out, there are several schools of thought. The most popular solution is to line the perimeter with railroad ties. The railroad ties establish a very durable boundary, keep the sand in its place, and holds back the encroaching grass. On the downside, they pose a serious safety hazard. Some recommend padding the railroad ties with various materials such as foam pipe insulation, etc. I personally believe the simplest way to deal with the hazard is by establishing a ground rule: "If during the play of the ball, or the continuation after playing the ball, the player touches the railroad ties or leaves the playing area, the ball is dead." This is much like an indoor rule that prevents a player from wildly chasing a ball that enters an adjacent court.

Preparing for the excavation

In most areas, excavating to a depth of 3 feet will be necessary. The first and foremost safety precaution is to call your local "Diggers Hotline" and have them locate any buried power lines and utilities. Be sure to call them ahead of time, as they may need a few days notice.

The best tool for the dig is a front-end loader or "bobcat" which can excavate the base evenly, remove the dirt, and also haul and spread the stone and sand. This equipment can be rented for a few hundred dollars for a weekend. If you're not up to the task of handling heavy equipment, a good landscaping company can be contracted to excavate and haul the stone and sand. Excavate the playing area to the desired depth and pitch the base to one end or corner. A drainage ditch should be dug leading away from the court at its lowest point. Once the base is excavated you can begin laying the drainage pipe. The closed end of the drainage pipe should be placed in the highest point of the excavation and should zig-zag with the open end of the pipe terminating at the lowest point. The drainage pipe should be laid with the perforated side down. This allows water to wick-in from the bottom and sides and be carried away. It is an extremely good idea to wrap the drainage pipe with landscaping fabric before laying the pipe. The landscaping fabric prevents the eventuality of sand and dirt clogging the pipe.

Locate and dig the holes for the net standards. The holes should be dug at least 3' deep and set in concrete. A couple of bag mixes per standard should do the job. Some home improvement centers carry a special "post setting mix" in which all the components for the concrete can just be dumped in the hole without prior mixing. Once the standard is located in the hole, plumb the standard in two opposing directions, and fasten supports so the post cannot move as the concrete is being dumped in the hole. Repeat this process for the opposite standard.

Filling it in

Once the poles are set, cover the base and drainage pipe with gravel and spread uniformly. Roll out and cover the gravel base with landscape fabric. The landscape fabric will keep the sand from filtering its way into the gravel. The final step is to spread the sand, uniformly and evenly throughout the playing area.

Demo complete at Blackwater Overlook

Didn't take long to get all the old wiring, work benches and such out of the building, and get started marking, cutting, footing and piling up the materials. Should be installing the high efficiency furnace and ductwork toward the end of next week.

We found time for creative ideas! That garage door is a little austere...maybe we design a pair of wooden gate doors that would swing wide for market days. I know a fabricator who could make the massive strap hinges, maybe in naturally rusting steel.

We also fancied the idea of a sand volleyball court just outside the deck area of Hypno. This would fit in perfectly next to a new parking lot arrangement we are planning.

Get your bike ready

All the riding is not rocky in Canaan. You can always play polo!

Highland Prospects on track for June opening next door to Hypno Coffee

Work will start this week to build out 2 additional suites within the Blackwater Overlook Building of Davis Riverwalk. Davis' own Highland Prospects, a purveyor of outdoor gear and clothes, will be located in the largest space of the building. The expanded store will have 1,100 square feet, 14ft ceilings, concrete floors and rustic wood walls, and a 12' square garage door for those open air market days. Energy savings are planned with the use of a high efficiency furnace and solar tube skylights capable of lighting at the equivalent of 1,400 watts each during peak hours. The store owners are likely to expand Highland's offerings significantly to attract -- for example -- locals as well as visitors; boaters as well as skiers; and casual walkers as well as backcountry hikers and backpackers. Our construction plan provides for Highland Prospects to start setting up shop in May, and to be fully operational at that location by June.

Suite 2 is only 300 square feet but will have an 8-foot south-facing window with a view of the Blackwater River. Electrical for this suite will be defrayed by photovoltaic system with an array of panels on the back slope of the building's roof. Riverwalk's master plan positions residences and businesses along the east-west run of the Blackwater River, providing a consistently unimpeded view of the southern sky -- crucial for cost-effective solar solutions. I plan to monitor the generation of the PV system and share that information with you through the year, providing a good idea of KW generation possibilities for Riverwalk and Davis overall. Though not confirmed, I suspect that this PV array will be the first, or certainly one of the first, in the Town of Davis.

Getting read for new neighbors next to Hypno Coffee

Bank financing approved...in fact two banks agreed to terms. Highland Prospects is likely to move into Suite 3, more than doubling their existing retail space. Suite 2 is only 300 square, but will be a "suite" surprise nonetheless. There are 3 organizations considering the space, any one of which would be a great addition to Davis and this building within Davis Riverwalk in particular.

The new facade will encompass what is now the left garage door, adding a nice run of rough wood siding, some naturally rusting metal siding, new windows, a store door, and plenty of sign lighting. Highland Prospects will have 14' ceilings and one heck of a garage door for the sales in warmer months.

By June 1st you should see at least Highland Prospects fully installed and open for business. Later this summer, after Hypno and Highland and myself have seen the way traffic flows, we'll likely pour and stripe a new tarmac lot. There will also be a signage monument near William with some creatively rustic and industrial touches...which are still eluding me... And we wouldn't want to do that without installing a cool bike rack in front of the building;)

Tuscan Ridge homeowners' lodge in foreclosure?

How could this be? So claims an unnamed bank security rep in Davis who used to be a police sherrif. It would seem that one of the partners pulled out and the property is presently in play at some level. When buyers purchased their lots the bylaws and covenants spell out the terms associated with the lodge, and as I recall it was one sweet deal for the Homeowners Association. So why is there financing on the lodge if the homeowners own it?

As you may know North American Land marketed Tuscan's lots for 90-125K each for Phase 1. Tuscan Ridge was to be annexed to the Town of Davis in consideration of the tax revenues and Tuscan's willingness to fund the expansion of the Town's sewage treatment plant. No sewage plant expansion is in sight at this time.

Fire sale prices. Today there are dozens of lots on the market for as little as 40% of thier original sales prices. Nothing in Canaan compares with this implosion. There have been no resales that I am aware of, even at the low resale asking prices.

Encumbered proposition. How does a seller or an agent explain to a potential buyer that the expanded sewage treatment plant is an unfulfilled promise?...that the lodge -- its central amenity -- is in bank hands?

Comps in downtown Davis for a standard lot -- if you can find one to buy -- are about $22K, or $40k for a corner. That comes with sewer, water, and town services -- but no fancy Owner's Lodge;). Tuscan would be about where it should be for about $35k average price per lot -- but that would require solving the sewer plant issue and making sure the Homeowner's Association isn't upside down.

I would guess that any buyer who had financing for their lot purchase will consider walking away from the properties. Quite a few have already turned them back over to the banks. If you own a Tuscan lot or know more about the status of this development please share.