DURHAM, N.C. – Last night, 14 winners were honored for raising the bar for excellence in design and maintenance of their properties at the prestigious 2012 Golden Leaf Awards for Community Appearance.
Six Golden Leaf Awards and eight Merit Awards were given at the event, which was held at MDC, 307 W. Main St. The goal of the awards program, sponsored by the Durham City-County Appearance Commission, Keep Durham Beautiful, Inc., and the Durham City-County Environmental Affairs Board, is to recognize properties that illustrate the value that Durham puts on community appearance, to acknowledge the best visual contributions to the Durham community, and to encourage design and maintenance that contributes to the visual beauty, sustainability, and usability of the Durham community.
This year 52 entries in the following seven categories were received: Community Properties, Small Scale Residential Properties; Large Scale Residential Properties, Community Properties, Sustainable Properties, the Keep Durham Beautiful Award, and Landscape & Maintenance. The winners honored were:
Commercial Properties
Golden Leaf Award Winner: Hope Valley Square
Merit Award Winner: Corcoran Street Parking Deck
Merit Award Winner: MotorCo
Small Scale Residential Properties
Golden Leaf Award Winner: 2410 Green St.
Large Scale Residential Properties
Merit Award Winner: Trinity Commons at Erwin
Community Properties
Golden Leaf Award Winner: Sandy Ridge Elementary School
Merit Award Winner: The Leaf at Durham Central Park
Merit Award Winner: Walltown Recreation Center
Sustainable Properties
Golden Leaf Award Winner: ClearSense at 502 Rigsbee St.
Merit Award Winner: Southwest Durham Regional Library
Keep Durham Beautiful Award
Golden Leaf Award Winner: NEEM Burts Bees Community Gardens
Merit Award Winner: Northeast Hills Neighborhood Entry
Merit Award Winner: Scrap Exchange Relocation Project
Landscape and Maintenance
Golden Leaf Award Winner: Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden
Judging was done by an independent panel of local professionals representing architecture, landscape architecture, development and the arts community. Selection criteria included excellence in design of a new development and/or improvement of an existing structure; raising community awareness of the value of good appearance and stewardship; improving the character, environment, or livability of an area; and a commitment to ongoing property maintenance in landscaping, signage and general upkeep.
Visit http://www.DurhamGoldenLeaf.org for more information or contact Urban Designer Anne Kramer with the Durham City-County Planning Department by email at Anne.Kramer@DurhamNC.gov or by phone at (919) 560-4137, ext. 28271.
About the Durham City-County Appearance Commission
The Durham City-County Appearance Commission is made up of 15 members, seven appointed by the City Council and eight appointed by the Board of County Commissioners. Its mission is to cultivate excellence in design, preservation and stewardship of the natural and built environment; to communicate the economic, social, and aesthetic value of good design and planning; and to celebrate exemplary design within the community. For more information, visit http://durhamnc.gov/ich/cb/ccpd/Pages/Durham-Appearence-Commission.aspx.
About Keep Durham Beautiful, Inc.
Keep Durham Beautiful, Inc. is a nonprofit, volunteer organization working in partnership with the City of Durham’s General Services Department and the County of Durham to encourage private businesses, residents, and community organizations to conserve and enhance the appearance and environment of Durham through cleanup events, beautification projects, and educational activities. For more information, visit http://www.KeepDurhamBeautiful.org, “like” on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/KeepDurhamBeautiful, or “follow” on Twitter at http://www.Twitter.com/DurhamBeautiful.
About the Durham City-County Environmental Affairs Board
The City of Durham and Durham County jointly established the Environmental Affairs Board (EAB) in 1991, in recognition of the importance of local cooperation on environmental issues. The EAB is an advisory board of appointed volunteer citizens to provide the City and County with expert and comprehensive advice on various environmental matters. It is also a mechanism for facilitating communication between the public and local government leaders. The EAB considers topics such as watershed protection, natural resource protection, air quality, environmental impacts of industrial development, environmental education, green building design, energy conservation, and global climate change. For more information, visit http://durhamnc.gov/ich/cb/ccpd/Pages/EAB.aspx.