Green neighborhood opens in Northampton

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) - At the site where the former Northampton State Hospital once stood, they were celebrating the completion of the Morningside and Eastview Homes at Village Hill Northampton Friday.

The single-family homes and townhouses, constructed by Wright Builders, are part of the new, urbanist neighborhood approach; consisting of opitmal open space and pedestrian friendly and environmentally friendly features.

Jonathan Wright of Wright Builders says that in an effort to be more "green" the homes are Energy Star and LEED certified. “We have a Home Energy Rating system, a HERS rating, and a code compliant building is 100. I think our worst performer here is about a 52, which is a good performer. We go all the way down to 12, which is very close to zero net, and my home here is a 23. So it's 75 percent reduction, and we're very proud of that,” Wright said.

A number of the homes have also had photovoltaic solar panels installed on the roofs. Right now, the homes are 100% sold, but there are plans to build more of them.