Town of Harmony Begins Construction

ARCHIVED 2002–2016: Originally distributed via the eWire press wire service. Preserved as historical record.

SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE |

Conservation & Wildlife

Corporate Responsibility

Science & Technology

Syndication Partners

**************************************************************************

E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE

**************************************************************************

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Town of Harmony Begins Construction

Ambitious Project Aims to be National Model for Environmentally

Intelligent Development

FLORIDA, HARMONY, Feb. 28 -/E-Wire/-- Ground has been broken for the first homes in the town of Harmony, a model for how communities around the nation can accommodate a growing population in environmentally intelligent ways.

"This is a historic time for Harmony and, we hope, for the rest of the country," said Jim Lentz, a founder of this ambitious take on a traditional neighborhood designed development, which is taking root among 11,000 acres of pristine forest, pastureland and two 500-acre natural lakes in Central Florida's Osceola County. "We're literally building a new kind of home town."

Construction has also begun on Harmony Town Square, which will be home to shops, restaurants and other businesses.

Home prices range from $140,000 to around $500,000. When completed, Harmony will be home to some 18,000 people.

Harmony's homes will represent a variety of architectural styles. While most planned communities segregate homes into enclaves based on price, Harmony's neighborhoods will be an eclectic mix of affordable, smaller homes and larger, more expensive homes.

The town will also be home to The Harmony Institute, a non-profit organization that promotes human health and well-being through interactions with nature and animals.

Harmony's stewards want to make sure its land remains a treasure. To this end, no home sites will be developed on the shores of Harmony's two sandy-bottom lakes, and gas-powered boats will be prohibited. Instead, community owned electric boats, sailboats and canoes will be available for residents' use. Additionally, reclaimed water will be available to every home for lawn maintenance; more trees have been planted on the site than removed; all public and commercial outdoor light fixtures will be aimed downward to minimize light pollution; all homes will be Energy Star rated for energy conservation; and only 30 percent of the vast property will actually be developed. The rest of the land will be preserved as parks and conservation, with footpaths, horsetrails and cart paths following the natural contours of the woods and wetlands.

Harmony's residents will have full fire and police protection, and a charter school, which is already open and functioning, will grow to include grades K-8. Construction has already begun on a new public high school on 70 acres donated by Harmony.

"Good schools that kids and parents can walk to are so vital to encouraging a real community," Lentz said. "That's why we began building the schools before we had broken ground on the first home."

A downtown commercial district with broad streets and walkways will host restaurants, shops, theaters, cultural amenities, an aquatic center, a community tavern and other facilities that will draw residents together. Architectural flourishes, no matter how subtle, have been painstakingly considered.

The beautiful and challenging Johnny Miller-designed Harmony Golf Preserve, which is already open for play, wraps around existing wetlands. Just as home sites will not be offered on Harmony's lakes, no homes will front on the golf course.

"We wanted to create what more and more people these days are craving," Lentz said of the dream that is Harmony. "A place where you can sit on your front porch and point out the Big Dipper in the night sky to your daughter, since your son can already find it by himself. Or stroll to the nearby Town Square or your own neighborhood center on Saturday afternoon for a double scoop of peppermint ice cream with your neighbors. These are the rituals that bring us all together."

The vision for Harmony has already attracted national attention. Planners and urban designers are looking to Harmony as a model for how real communities can be fostered across the country. A documentary film and a book about the evolving community are being developed.

Town of Harmony, Harmony

Jim Lentz, 407/891-1616

http://www.HarmonyFl.com

**************************************************************************

To Transmit Your News Over E-Wire, visit http://www.ewire.com or

call 1-[REDACTED-PHONE]. E-Wire Is Broadcast To Millions Of Readers Worldwide

**************************************************************************