Communication and Collaboration: The Secret to Developing Great Projects that Get Approved

Mar 12, 2010 at 3:15 pm
Room # 403

Presented by: Deborah Frautso, David Barnes, City of Kirkland, Josh Chaitin, Frause, Yuval Sofer, YS Development

Moderator: Brenda Nunes, Sustainability Foundation

Session Description:

Compliance with zoning and building regulations, and being green is not necessarily enough to get real estate projects approved in the current environment. Now more than ever, development projects are put under the public microscope and receive greater scrutiny from community members; many may not make it past the drawing board if they don’t have the jurisdiction and other stakeholders’ support. Our panel of leaders in the field of sustainability and collaboration will discuss how the implementation of a strategy for communication and innovative stakeholder involvement will increase the chances for project approval; and by effectively utilizing positive input from stakeholders it may also result in an extraordinary project.

Communication and collaboration is now an unwritten requirement for success; there are ways to do it effectively without breaking the bank or destroying a project’s integrity. Understanding and communicating the full scope of benefits associated with green sustainable projects, such as low impact development, better quality projects, and greater overall value for a community can help win approval. In addition, a builder/developer cannot overlook the importance of involving City staff, elected officials and local stakeholders early on by addressing their concerns and incorporating worthwhile suggestions.

Our panel will share how they have used eco-charrettes, stake holder steering committees, public meetings, and social media tools at the front end of their projects to gain consensus and support. They will share their knowledge and lessons learned from their work on award winning projects including Crossroads Mall (Bellevue), Mosler Lofts (Seattle), and the Built Green Home at Suncadia (Cle Elum). They will also look at collaboration and incentives from a jurisdictional perspective based on their work in development and implementation of King County’s Green Tools, City of Seattle’s Climate Action Plan and City of Kirkland’s Green Building Program.

Speakers Bios:

Deborah L. Frausto

Deborah L. Frausto is a collaborator by nature. Throughout her 20+year career in commercial real estate she has been involved retail, office and public development projects. Debi finds the most successful projects connect design, marketing and financial goals early in a project's development. Her consulting work uses a charrette environment to help multi-disciplined teams hone in quickly on core issues. She believes in studying both the details and the whole simultaneously and testing feasibility in measured outcomes. Prior to starting her own consulting company, Debi developed real estate acquisition strategies for the Seattle Monorail Project, was a Vice President of the Commercial Division for Quadrant/Weyerhaeuser where she directed the marketing and leasing efforts and as Director of Leasing for Terranomics Development, the developer of Crossroads Shopping Center in Bellevue, she helped transform this center into a true “third place” for the community.

Josh Chaitin, Frause

Josh Chaitin has over 20 years of experience in the environmental field in the public, non-profit and private sectors. At King County, Josh managed the Technical Assistance and Pollution Prevention Team, where he helped small businesses throughout the region implement practices to significantly reduce their environmental footprint. At Frause, Josh leads the firm’s sustainability practice, and works with a broad range of clients to develop, refine and implement effective tools to communicate the value of their stewardship efforts and to educate a broad range of audiences on sustainable behaviors. Since he joined Frause in 2005, Josh has worked with his clients to develop effective marketing strategies, promote sustainable practices and implement outreach efforts for clients such as King County’s Green Tools program, Recreational Equipment Incorporated (REI), Sleeping Lady Mountain Retreat, The Schuster Group (developers of the LEED and Built Green Certified Mosler Lofts), Built Green of King and Snohomish Counties, the Built Green Home at Suncadia, the Puget Sound Partnership, the City of Seattle’s Climate Action Plan, WoodWorks, and Sierra Pine.

David Barnes, City of Kirkland

David Barnes, LEED AP, CSBA is a planner with the City of Kirkland and a lead for the City’s Award-winning Green Building Program. His primary responsibilities include reviewing land use (zoning and building) permits; however he has also had a leadership role in the development of a Green Building Program spanning single-family, multi-family and commercial development. Recently, David used his advisory role to the Planning Commission to gain a commitment from Touchstone Development to seek a LEED Gold Certification for the Kirkland Parkplace redevelopment.

Brenda Nunes, Sustainability Foundation

Brenda Nunes, LEED AP, CSBA is the developer of the award-winning Built GreenR Home at Suncadia and has spoken to numerous organizations about this project. She is an active member of the Master Builders of King and Snohomish County (MBAKS) Built Green R and Central Washington Built GreenR Program. In 2007, she was awarded an MBAKS Built GreenR Pioneer Award for her contributions to Green Building. She is the past president of the Greater Kirkland Chamber of Commerce and chair of Sustainable September, a month-long promotion of sustainable businesses on the Eastside. She was the 2006 Chair of the East King County Chamber of Commerce Legislative Coalition and has co-authored papers on growth management and the environment. She is a past president of the Society for Marketing Professional Services, and a member of the National Association of Office and Industrial Properties.

Yuval Sofer, YS Development

Yuval Sofer is developer and a pioneer in the modern sustainable homes. His company YS Development goal is to build modern, innovative and thoughtful homes, that are designed by the best local architects, and that meet or exceed the high standards of BUILT GREEN®, and ENERGY STAR HOME, while allowing for relative affordability. The company is developing several housing projects in Kirkland, Bellevue and Redmond. It built the first two certified green houses in Kirkland to use Kirkland’s expedited permit review for green houses. It also won Built Green innovation award for its community project in Redmond. Yuval main initiatives today are creating ecosystems for sustainable developments and technology. Yuval graduated from the University of Tel-Aviv with a BA in Electronics and Computers, and from the University of Washington Executive MBA program.