Below is a 2 page summary of everything you wanted to know about the Parade, and more. If we missed a question, please call us at 614-891-0575 or email info@biaparade.com. (To see the full screen, use the toggle button in the top right corner to enlarge the document.)
Archive for the ‘City of Dublin’ Category
Dublin High School Video Contest
So, we want to know from only Dublin High School students (any school): What does your dream crib look like? We want to know if money or location was no object, where would and how would you build, design, landscape and/or decorate your ideal home? We know there are some wild ideas out there…let’s hear them.
The winner will receive a FLIP MINO HD Camera. If you are interested, here are the contest rules:
1. Answers to the question must be submitted via video, no more than 3 minutes.
2. Videos may be in any format, but must be original and void of profanity, violence, nudity or any sexual intonations.
3. To be placed into consideration, videos should be uploaded to YouTube and tagged ” BIA DREAM CRIB.”
4. Please email info@biaparade.com the link to your video with your name and age.
How you can win:
The top 3 videos with the most number of views on YOUTUBE by June 26 at 6pm will be posted on the BIA Parade Facebook page and the www.biaparade.com blog – where a public vote will be conducted; the video with the most votes wins one Flip Mino HD Camera. Winners will be announced on the BIA Parade Facebook page this site on July 9.
Questions should be directed to info@biaparade.com. Good luck!
Riding the design approval merry-go-round
Any builder will tell you, and not just the ones in the Parade, that getting designs approved can sometimes be a messy and tedious task. Swirling around in the mix are several factors: the desires of the homeowner, community constraints and guidelines, and the developer’s guidelines. All these things can really draw out the design approval process.
It takes awhile and is often frustrating to those involved. But in the end the result is a home and development that maintains a high level of integrity.
But let’s back up for a moment. What is the design approval process anyway?
If you want to build your own home, before you even break ground, plans for your house need to be approved by the city where you’re building. In addition, the development has regulations for how you build. The approval process involves making sure the home fits with the rest of the development and is up to the standards set by the city in regard to exterior materials, amount of setback, etc. No tin roofs or purple siding, for example. Once all of these design details have been nailed down, the builder can start work on the house.
In the case of Tartan Ridge, host of the 2009 Parade, the standards are pretty high (in an already strict Dublin). The official verbiage is specific and defines the community as “a self-sustaining mixed-use neighborhood that reflects the high-quality architectural standards and parkland traditions of Dublin.”
Jeff Tyler, Director of Building Standards for the City of Dublin states, “One of the unique characteristics of Tartan Ridge is that the architecture is based upon very traditional forms and detailing, resulting in homes with simple, elegant appeal like those found in Bexley, Upper Arlington and New Albany.”
Also unique to the site are some of the landscaping features. All of the homes will feature gates and gateposts at the intersection of the public sidewalk. Brick walks will run from front door and the gatepost will be integrated with a standard landscape hedge.
What does all this boil down to?
For many of the builders in this year’s Parade, a redesign of their original home to meet the standards and a product that will likely accentuate their fine custom building experience.
For the development, a place that looks like its been around several generations.
For homeowners, elements of luxury and attention to the high-end details in a community that is distinctly theirs.
And for parade attendees? Hopefully a really enjoyable, memorable show with lots of ideas to take home.
10 things you may not know about Dublin
- It’s greener in Dublin. At least that’s what the people in Dublin think. What exactly does that mean, though? Is there a dress code? Is it as if every day is St. Patrick’s Day and you get pinched if you’re not wearing green? Or is there something special in the rain that falls over that makes the grass greener?
- In 1970 Dublin had only 681 residents. Today there’s an estimated 40,874. That’s an increase of 6000%. Whoa.
- The oldest continuously operating business in Historic Dublin is the Dublin Barber Shop, located on High Street and established in 1938.
- Dublin has roundabouts. Those are circular intersections, common in “the other Dublin” and throughout Europe. They allow drivers to just curve through an intersection rather than stop for a red light.
- Dublin officially became a city in 1987, although the original settlers formed a village in the area that now makes up “Old Dublin” 1810.
- Muirfield Village Golf Course opened in 1974 and was the dream and work of Jack Nicklaus. It sits on 220 acres which, at the time it was built, was pretty much out in the middle of nowhere. If the course hadn’t been built, it’s a possibility that there would be only 700 people in Dublin.
- Speaking of the golf tournament, here are a few of the items that attendees are prohibited from bringing: periscopes, ladders, beepers (who carries a beeper anymore?), segways, TVs (so leave your plasma-screen at home). For a more complete listing of items that you cannot bring with you to the tournament, visit the official tournament website.
- The City of Dublin offers a curbside chipper service. That is probably a huge selling point with real estate agents.
- There’s a story behind those dancing rabbits (at the entrance to Ballantrae). When hares mate, they apparently stand up and “box”. The artist who created the sculpture, a native of Gloucestershire, England, was inspired by the hares she saw in action during her childhood. There are also a number of household objects embedded into the bronze of the sculpture. The next time you visit the critters, see how many items you can find.
- 40% of Dublin residents have bachelor’s degrees. That’s the highest percentage for any community in Central Ohio. So the next time you visit a friend in Dublin, ask to see their diploma.
You can find out more interesting trivia about Dublin by visiting the city’s official website.)
So, why Tartan Ridge anyway?
Just ask Gary Libertini. As chair of the selection committee that chose the 2009 Parade site, he knows the myriad of criteria to consider when selecting a site for the Parade: number of lots available, lot price, site location and readiness, support of the host community, and builder support. But this year more than ever, the downturn in the housing market was a factor.
Surprisingly, it’s been seven years since the BIA Parade of Homes has been hosted by the City of Dublin. (The 2002 Parade was held in Ballantrae.) When calls went out for the 2009 Parade, Tartan Ridge (and Ballantrae) developer, The Edwards Land Company, jumped at the chance. And the BIA jumped right back.
Tartan Ridge’s Dublin location was a key factor in the decision. As mentioned in the linked article above, the current economic environment has been very challenging for the home building industry. According to the Columbus Board of Realtors website home sales in Central Ohio are down nearly 13% and new housing starts are down approximately 14%. Dublin is certainly feeling the effects of the housing bust as well with similar declines in home sales and new builds. But the good news in Dublin is that home values are sticking, and even increasing a bit. The average home sales price for the month of October 2008 shows an increase of nearly 4% over last year.
So, in times like this, when a builder is working to get his home built AND sold, holding the Parade in an established community with the promise of job growth and market stability was a must. The Edwards Land Company has hosted Parades in the past, so there’s an established level of understand with the whole event.
So, Tartan Ridge it is.
That, and the cute little house that sits at the entrance (hmmmm… that one will be hard to tour!)
