CAMP H.M. SMITH, Hawaii -- Ready for residents, 10 newly constructed green-friendly houses were officially blessed and opened up in the Pookela neighborhood at Camp H.M. Smith June 25.
“We’ve come a long way in housing since [I joined],” said Sgt. Maj. James Futrell, sergeant major, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific. “Housing is changing to meet the changing needs of its tenants.”
The entire neighborhood meets the Gold standard of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a point system measuring a building’s sustainability features.
Every house includes energy-saving appliances and a solar hot water system. Each lot also has moisture sensor irrigation, using only the needed amount of water to maintain landscaping. Another conservation feature for the new houses is low-flow plumbing that also saves on water.
“To make this a LEED Gold neighborhood we put in the extra work needed to make that happen,” said Cleveland native Col. Robert Rice, commanding officer, Marine Corps Base Hawaii. “The move to sustainability has been a continuing goal.”
Futrell, another senior enlisted service member and eight senior officers will be moving into the properties, a construction project by Forest City. The four-bedroom houses each feature more than 2,300 square feet of living space.
Futrell’s house was open to attendees to see its environmentally sustainable features. It also has an unobstructed view of the nearby Oahu coastline.
“The homes turned out great,” said Greg Raap, property management director, Forest City. “They’re functional and aesthetically pleasing. Great for the future residents of Pookela.”
The neighborhood is one of several housing areas recently under construction by Forest City, also building new structures emphasizing sustainability features at Kaneohe Bay. The residential management group is overseeing a 759-house project, Mololani, which has completed more than 350 buildings so far.
Before Pookela opened, Futrell, of Murfreesboro, N.C., said he commuted from housing aboard Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam like other senior leaders who moved into housing in other areas of Oahu. The sergeant major noted it’s the first time he’s moved into a base house with an energy saving washer and dryer already installed.
Development of the Pookela neighborhood came in under budget and ahead of schedule, said Jim Ramirez, vice president of construction, Forest City.
During construction, the project employed an estimated 12,000 workers, he said. Ramirez noted with funds saved during construction, his company was also able to install cabinets inside the residences and a community basketball half-court.
Several of Futrell’s neighbors were already moving in, as local moving trucks drove up the street during the official opening.
The newly constructed houses are some of several projects underway to improve living standards for all service members, said J.O. Park, family housing director, Marine Corps Base Hawaii.
“We’re trying to meet contemporary design standards with the amount of space residents need,” said Park, of Honolulu. “Providing them a good quality of life with new homes built around the base.”
Builders say the new LEED Gold neighborhood has a fitting name. In Hawaiian, Pookela means champion or excellence.