Villebois Bioswales

What’s Next?

The next steps are to begin the testing and monitoring program, and to start construction of the rainwater management techniques.  The mitigation ponds will be the first to be built, followed by porous pavers, bio-retention cells and, finally, green roofs.

Going Beyond Rainwater

In addition to rainwater, other sustainable endeavors have been incorporated to enhance Villebois’ environmental stewardship.  Some of these enhancements include:

Rehabilitating wetlands near Coffee and Arrowhead Creeks

Utilizing a herd of goats to clear blackberry bushes in a more sustainable, non-wasteful manner

Placing debris from tree pruning into the wetlands and parks

Providing pedestrian and bicycle friendly roads throughout Villebois to promote alternative forms of transportation

Using Smart growth design principles of alleys and street grids promoting connectivity

Preserving and enhancing over 155 acres of land dedicated to parks, trails, and natural areas

Providing access to a new mass transit system which travels to and from Beaverton linking Villebois with the regional light rail system (MAX)

Developing a comprehensive Recycling Program

Villebois Wetlands

Using Earth Advantage and Energy Star Programs in homes

Forming a partnership with Portland General Electric (PGE) to promote homes and business within Villebois to buy “green energy”

Building a LEED Building with an unprecedented Platinum certification

Working with the proposed elementary school and community housing to produce energy efficient green buildings

Establishing the Villebois Action Committee (VAC), comprised of members of the community, to continue building on the three guiding principles of Villebois: connectivity,    diversity, sustainability

Building of Community gardens to encourage small scale fruit and vegetable production that’s both sustainable and community enriching

Your input is important on how to make Villebois even more sustainable!

Villebois Community Garage Sale in Wilsonville Oregon

4 days to go until our neighborhood garage sale

……Saturday, June 12th, 8am-3pm……

We have over 35 homes signed up to participate!

If you haven’t done so already, please bring your fee over to
11730 SW Grenoble St (please place in the plastic green folder that is buried amongst our toys)

****IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO HAVE YOUR OWN GARAGE SALE, PLEASE DONATE YOUR ITEMS TO SOFIA PARK
PROCEEDS WILL HELP FUND OUR NEIGHBORHOOD EVENTS
DROP OFF YOUR ITEMS PRE-PRICED BETWEEN 7-7:30AM

****DONATE YOUR BAKED GOODS AND DRINKS TO SOFIA PARK ANYTIME BEFORE 10AM
PROCEEDS WILL HELP FUND OUR NEIGHBORHOOD EVENTS

Wilsonville, Oregon's Only Farmers Market

Running May 23 through October 3, the Villebois Sunday Market offers a variety of local entertainment, seasonal produce, baked goods and other Oregon farm-fresh products.  Additionally, local artisans, florists and nursery vendors have booths at each event. The market is held in the Village Center in the heart of Wilsonville’s award-winning Villebois community.

Market Entertainment:

May 23rd AM: The Dixie Cups Coffee Appreciation Society Dixie Band are a motley collection of musicians who do not let their respectable lives get in the way of playing Dixie music. Their repertoire includes Dixie classics such as Rampart Street Blues and Just a Closer Walk with Thee, as well as Lynard Skynard’s They Call Me the Breeze and a Dixie version of Raffi’s Baby Beluga.

May 23rd PM: Michele van Kleef Michele has been singing for as long as she can remember. After piano and  voice lessons, theater and musicals through high school, she went to Oregon State University and minored in Vocal Performance.  *Michele has been one of my favorite vocalists since the mid 90′s.  You don’t want to miss her!!

Soon after graduating, she joined the very successful, NW-based Indie band Calobo. They started out playing the NW Colleges, house parties and local bars. After everyone was done with school they decided to go full time in 1994 and toured the country for the next 6 years. They played the Wetlands in NYC, House of Blues in Chicago, The Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, and the epic music festival, Bumbershoot, on the Stadium Stage in Seattle. When all was said and done, Calobo released 5 full length records, the final being recorded Live at the Crystal Ballroom in our hometown of Portland, Oregon.

After Calobo, Michele joined up with LazyBones Recordings as Mackabella in Seattle. They released the self-titled album Mackabella in 2001. Many of these songs have been placed in the TV/Film Industry. Willing has had the most placements:   a  movie trailer for the Johnny Cash story Walk the Line, and spoof of the same film, Walk Hard, among many others.  Additional recent song placements includes VH1, Fox, NBC, T-Mobile, 90210, Lifetime, MTV, South of Nowhere, and Roswell.

Michele took some time off to start a family, but is thrilled to be playing music again. She’s been focusing on her own songs that are true from her heart, sometimes funny, and she is more than ready to share them.
Call 541.206.2471 or email villeboissundaymarket@gmail.com to learn more.

The Village Center itself will be a mix of condominiums, row homes, cafés and shops as well as other retail services, such as a dental office, spa, specialty grocery store and boutique hotel. There will also be a farmer’s market opening this spring in the Piazza Villebois – a lively plaza and dedicated community space in the heart of the community.

Visit ChangeHowYouLive.com or call 866-580-2836 to learn more about the Villebois Village Center.

The neighborhood is just a short walk or bike ride from TriMet’s new transportation option, the Westside Express Service commuter rail. Dubbed “WES”, the new commuter rail connects residents living in Wilsonville to suburbs like Tigard, Tualatin and Beaverton. Once in Beaverton, commuters are just a hop, skip and a latté from downtown Portland, Beaverton and all other corners of the metropolitan area. The Wilsonville WES Station is minutes from Villebois and includes 400 Park & Ride spaces and 48 bike locker spaces, helping foster a pedestrian- and bike-friendly atmosphere within the community. Villebois residents not only can avoid rush-hour traffic but they can also feel good knowing they’re reducing their carbon footprint by spending less time on the road.

Visit ChangeHowYouLive.com or call 866-580-2836 to learn more about the Villebois Village Center and its transit orientation.

“One of the reasons we chose Villebois is because of its lovely parks and common areas. It also has a slightly urban feel, compared to other developments we looked at, with the potential for so much more. The very nature of its design facilitates easy communication between neighbors…parks and green spaces nearby, courtyards in the front of some of the homes, shared common areas, and the (eventual) village center. Villebois promotes ‘getting out there and meeting your neighbors.’ We also like the economic, social, and ethnic diversity compared with other areas in the suburbs.  There are apartments, condos, assisted living homes, and single family homes all in one neighborhood. Living together and understanding different points of view and lifestyles are all great experiences we can give our children. That’s why we love it here, that’s why we love where we live.”

Diane & Nathan – Happy Villebois Residents

Click here to find out what others are saying about living in their new home and community Villebois Testimonials.

Villebois residents of all ages and lifestyles discuss what their families enjoy the most about the unique Wilsonville, Oregon, neighborhood from the close-knit social atmosphere to the variety of community events and activities that bring neighbors together.

For more information about the Villebois community, please call 866.580.2836 or email Blog@CostaPacific.com. You may also visit ChangeHowYouLive.com.

Act NOW! Before it is too late.

To learn more about the Window of Opportunity Sales Event in Villebois, please call 866.580.2836 to speak with Costa Pacific Homes New Home Specialist Andy Green or email Blog@CostaPacific.com.

*Valid only on finished homes in the Villebois Village Center.

Funding

The Villebois Rainwater Management Program (RMP) contains funding supported by two grants.  Collectively, the grant money and private resources make this a $1.1 Million Project.  Portions of this project include designing and implementing innovative rainwater management techniques, testing and monitoring these techniques, and education.  Overall, the federal money that has been granted allows Villebois to go beyond a system that is sustainable and aesthetically beneficial to the surrounding community.

Rainwater Methods

Utilizing a variety of innovative approaches to rainwater management will help the environment and will also enhance the aesthetic value of the community.  For these reasons, a variety of different methods will be used to manage rainwater within Villebois.  These methods include mitigation ponds, porous pavers and pavement, bio-retention cells, and experimental parcels of green roofing.

Ponds:

A large portion of the rainwater from the Village Center will be managed through a series of ponds along the 20-acre Villebois Greenway.  These year-round ponds are engineered to hold and release rainwater at a natural rate to remove pollutants, thereby improving water quality.  This system is able to hold and filter rainwater from the Village Center and neighborhoods within Villebois.

How it works:

Rainwater from surfaces such as streets, roofs, and sidewalks is first directed into a bio-swale, a natural area designed to receive and disperse rainwater.  It is here where soil and

plants cleanse the rainwater. As more rainwater is directed toward the swale, the bio-swale overflows and rainwater is allowed to flow into the neighboring pond system.  It is then directed across the pond and into an area called an infiltration bed where it is allowed to seep into the soil at its natural rate and quality.

Pavers:

The next largest portion of rainwater will be managed through sets of porous pavers.  Pavers are considered alternatives to conventional pavement.  They work just as well as pavement, but are able to filter large portions of water through unique openings where water is allowed to penetrate soil.  Porous pavers are environmentally superior to pavement by allowing water to enter the soil naturally and they reflect sunlight allowing the surface to stay cooler during the summer months.  In addition, pavers add an attractive look that cannot be achieved though conventional pavement.

Bio-retention cells (example – planter boxes):

This component is a method that keeps runoff in the soil allowing plants to remove pollutants from contaminated rainwater.  This is similar to other methods that use plants and soils as a way to treat water runoff from pavement and roofs.

Porous pavement:

Concrete and asphalt that contain “pores” allow rainwater to pass through small openings in the surface.  This allows runoff to soak into a rainwater treatment area below the surface where it is treated for water quality and quantity.

Experimental parcels of green roof:

Green roofs (also known as eco-roofs) help lower the amount of runoff from rooftops.  Tar and roof shingles are replaced with soil and plants.   Instead of rainwater rushing off of the roof, green roofs allow water to soak into the soil atop the roof as it would in a natural setting.  Plants and shrubs are a key component of this method to help hold and clean the rainwater.  Green roofs also allow buildings to remain cooler in the summer months by using soil and plants, which act like buffers between the hot summer sun and the building below.

To learn more about the Villebois or its sustainable development and building practices in Wilsonville, Oregon, please visit ChangeHowYouLive.com. You may also speak with Costa Pacific Homes New Home Specialist Andy Green by calling 866.580.2836 or emailing Blog@CostaPacific.com.

“My name is Dan and my wife is Allison.

We have two daughters, (8 and 3). I mention their names because they factor greatly when we delve into the reasons we love Villebois. It’s a GREAT community to live in if you have kids. But let’s see… where to start….

Let’s start with the unique architecture. Let’s pretend you had magical powers and you took any average American observant female (let’s use a female since males can’t typically tell you what color socks they’re wearing at that moment) and you could snap your fingers and she would appear in our neighborhood for 1 minute and then she was magically transported to other neighborhoods around here and around Portland for 1 minute each. Let’s say she saw 20 neighborhoods in this magical ride she was on. The only one she’d remember is Villebois. It reeks of authenticity and uniqueness. Almost every other neighborhood’s designers, for whatever reason, love to operate from the same architectural playbook. I don’t know why that is. When we went looking for a home, almost every place we came to was either a craftsman or the garage sticking out with front door recessed…etc. Villebois, although we do have standardized plans, doesn’t look so bland and blah. Especially with the intricate European flavored details. Of course, the emphasis on green space is important, too, but it’s the front and center front doors, in relation to the sidewalk, that gives the architecture it’s crowning friendliness.

Now let’s get to the people. In any other neighborhood I’ve lived in, you would typically know some people around you. Either through your kids or from being out front… over time. We’ve lived here about 3 years and as I sit here and count, I can tell you the first and last names (and their kid’s names if they have them) of the residents of 27 houses, that are within a 1 minute walk from my house. In any previous location we’ve lived, that number would probably be, at the max, five.

When the word “community” is used in Villebois, you could capitalize it. It’s on steroids here. There is no other place, that I’ve ever seen or even visited or read about, that has the same sense of community that this place does. During the summer, it’s not unusual to see 3 or 4 families closing down a park with the kids playing and the parents talking at the park bench. We have a camp out each summer, in one of the parks, and roast marshmallows and watch a movie on a big screen projector. This last one we had probably over 100 campers participating. We have an Easter Egg hunt each year and the Easter bunny actually shows up. We’ve had an ice cream social, I’m sure you’ve heard about. We even had a touch football “turkey bowl”, in the rain, Thanksgiving morning. Then there’s the 4th of July parade we have each year (our own… not a joint one.) Not many cities have their own parade, let alone a subdivision. Every year, we have a Christmas party where all the kids come to our house and then grownups go to someone else’s house and all the attendees live within a 500 ft radius from one another. This last year, we had about 40 adults attend. We had over 30 kids at our house that night. That was just the party we attended. There were others going on, too, with different demographics attending each.

What Costa Pacific has done with Villebois is just short of amazing. Wilsonville probably deserves some credit too, for supporting such a unique concept in community living. I just wish the economy had not got in the way of the build out. It would be even more incredible if we had the resources for the community center and pool…etc. But it’ll come with time, I’m sure.

It’ll be exciting to see Villebois in 20 years, with mature vegetation and everything built out. It’ll be a very, very sought after community, then. Even more than it is today.

I once tried to characterize Villebois to my brother-in-law and I said, for lack of a better term… we just have “quality” people living here. Then of course, that became a joke for him, as if I was implying all other places didn’t have “quality” people. But it’s an apt phrase. There’s not one person I’ve met, who lives in Villebois, that I wouldn’t be happy to call my friend. Again, I’ve not had that experience anywhere else I’ve lived.

My only complaint (gotta have ONE, right?) is that the master plan didn’t call for another category of house that would have been larger (maybe in the 6000 to 8000 sq ft) with a larger plot of land. There are plenty of folks out there, with enough resources to purchase a mansion on the river, that would LOVE to live in a community like this, but they want something a bit more substantial then a 4000 sq ft home, on a 6000 sq ft plot. Too bad, because it would have been a crowning jewel in an already beautiful crown.”

Dan & Allison – Happy Villebois Residents

Click here to find out what others are saying about living in their new home and community Villebois Testimonials.

Villebois residents of all ages and lifestyles discuss what their families enjoy the most about the unique Wilsonville, Oregon, neighborhood from the close-knit social atmosphere to the variety of community events and activities that bring neighbors together.

For more information about the Villebois community, please call 866.580.2836 or email Blog@CostaPacific.com. You may also visit ChangeHowYouLive.com.

Villebois: A Sustainable Neighborhood

Sustainability is a term most often used to describe environmental conservation and protection.  Sustainability at Villebois, however, has a larger meaning: to create a community that is sustainable socially and economically, as well as environmentally.  This kind of far-reaching sustainability creates true community; neighborhoods that are safe because neighbors know and look out for one another; streets built for pedestrians as well as for drivers; thriving local businesses that reflect and meet the community’s interests and needs and a wide variety of green spaces that encourage outdoor activity and social interaction, while protecting natural habitats.

Social Sustainability

• According to annual statistics gathered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 30 to 40 percent of Americans engage in regular, sustained exercise, while an additional 30 percent are completely inactive.  Villebois’ design encourages physical activity with numerous green spaces, bicycle paths, and pedestrian trails throughout the community. In addition, the Village Center shops and restaurants are within a comfortable walking distance of each neighborhood.

• “Green streets” encourage walking and biking while managing rainwater.

• Every aspect of the Villebois’ pedestrian-friendly design encourages community-building, from front porches and rear access garages to wide sidewalks that separate pedestrians from traffic.

• A lively Village Center will provide residents with opportunities for passive and active recreation, from enjoying a latte and reading a book in the plaza to playing a game of bocce ball in a nearby park.

Economic Sustainability

• Villebois will increase Wilsonville’s population by an estimated 7,000 residents.  Currently, there are 10,000 more jobs in the city than workers. The Villebois community will help the jobs to housing imbalance.

• Villebois’ Village Center serves the dual purpose of providing residents with convenient access to basic needs — whether a quart of milk or a cup of coffee — and supporting merchants to help grow the local economy.

Environmental Sustainability

• Villebois contains extensive areas of wetlands and wildlife habitat, mostly associated with the Coffee Lake Creek wetlands and floodplain. In addition, a large number of mature trees are being preserved and act as a primary amenity for the community.

• A state-of-the-art Rainwater Management System will improve water quality and quantity control more than a conventional stormwater system.

To learn more about the Villebois or its sustainable development and building practices in Wilsonville, Oregon, please visit ChangeHowYouLive.com. You may also speak with Costa Pacific Homes New Home Specialist Andy Green by calling 866.580.2836 or emailing Blog@CostaPacific.com.