The Overlook at West Hill in Ithaca, N.Y., offers the energy-efficient elements found in high-end residential living. The twist? The Overlook was designed with local, hard-working families in mind.

The 128-unit, two-story Overlook is the first New York apartment development in the affordable housing sector to incorporate energy-efficient components into the construction process. These green building features include high-efficiency furnaces and boilers, tankless water heaters, occupancy sensors, and timer-controlled lighting.

The project's green design promotes affordability through reduced fuel usage that will deliver long-term cost savings for its residents. At least that's the goal of the Overlook's development team: Queens, N.Y.-based The Domain Cos., Long Island, N.Y.-based The Arker Cos., and Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services.

According to Chris Papamichael, principal of The Domain Cos., roughly half of the units will be set aside for residents earning no more than 60 percent of HUD's area median income; 35 percent are reserved for residents at 50 percent of AMI; and 15 percent will be occupied by renters at 30 percent AMI or less. The remaining 15
percent of the units will be given to formerly homeless families.

Papamichael says the developers wanted to offer a first-rate, energy-efficient rental property for hardworking families—an unusual priority in the affordable housing arena. Papamichael points out that the project sports a very traditional style that is in keeping with the apartment's surrounding neighborhoods. “We wanted to implement green standards whenever feasible,” he says.

The development also features a clubhouse with a fitness center, classrooms, and meeting areas. A nearby museum will offer monthly displays in the community center at Overlook, which Papamichael says is the first of many green projects for the company.

The project's first phase was completed in June 2006 at a cost of $10 million, with 64 affordable units ranging in size from 700 square feet to 1,100 square feet. The Overlook is situated on a 25-acre site with a density of five units per acre.