On a recent visit to M/I’s Home store at Easton, we walked through the selection process and got a glimpse of what might be going into their Parade home.

Dream Kitchen with M/I Homes from Parade of Homes on Vimeo.

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.

A little bit of France, but in Dublin from Parade of Homes on Vimeo.

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!)