Environment

Robert Redford tries to block Eco-village in his 'neighbourhood'

by mudricky | May 10, 2009 at 06:36 am

305 views | 36 Recommendations | 3 comments

Robert Redford is well known for being one of the original Hollywood's environmentalists but when planners want to build an eco-village within his own personal space (basicly his own backyard), it's a diffrent kettle of fish.

Reported in the Independent Redford has joined a group who wants to block it.

Redford, 72, has joined Save Rural Angwin, a pressure group dedicated to opposing the development of several hundred "green" family dwellings, together with a retirement home, on 63 rolling acres near a secluded wine-country estate he bought eight years ago.

The 275 proposed low-energy homes could scarcely be more environmentally sensitive. They will get energy from solar panels, use recycled water, and support an organic farming co-operative. Residents will be automatically enrolled in an electric car-sharing scheme

Redford's lobby group is concerned that the development, near the village of Angwin, will destroy several fields. Its environmental benefits will be cancelled out by increases in traffic in the area, they argue.

"I believe that the citizens of Napa Valley care about preserving our beautiful agricultural and rural heritage," Redford said in a statement. "That is why I am happy to join Save Rural Angwin in its efforts to preserve this naturally carved land-basin from development."

To some, Redford's complaint hits a sharp nail on the head: many activists believe that projects like Angwin eco-village represent little more than a cynical attempt by canny developers to use "green-washing" to get permission to build homes that would never otherwise be allowed.

To others, however, the campaign he has joined is at least partly misguided: thousands of new homes must be built in California over the coming years so, while all development represents a blot on the landscape, "green" projects may eventually represent the best option for the environment.

Either way, his decision to oppose the eco-village may feel a little rum to residents of rural Utah, where, in 1969, Redford bought 6,000 acres of mountainside and proceeded to turn it into the world-famous Sundance ski resort.

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Barbara McPherson

at 09:25 on May 10th, 2009

These 'green' development schemes are often proposed to get the rezoning necessary and then 'unforseen' circumstances serve to modify the plans. If you have say 275 dwellings built on 63 acres and they are separate homes, that's less than a half acre each which is inadequate for the septic fields that they would need. That doesn't leave any room at all for the multi person retirement home. Have the speculators found an adequate source of water for that concentration of people? or are they going to take away from the farms already there. On Vancouver Island small communities are facing their destruction by 'green' developers plunking thousands of people next to their borders.The potential profit for the developers of course is huge.

Maireid Sullivan

at 17:32 on May 10th, 2009

Spot on observation, Barbara.

Studies have shown that it takes approximately 15 years from the time a speculator buys land from a farmer, at farm prices, to a developer coming in to build housing estates. (The 18 year boom-bust cycle represents approximately 14 years up to the top of the boom and 4 years down to the bottom of the bust, when deflation hits bottom, and land prices are low again.) In some instances the concept of eco-villages have been used as a means of exploiting rural lands.