By Genevieve Fox for Great Lakes Echo.
Broadcast version by Shanteya Hudson for Michigan News Connection with support from the Solutions Journalism Network

An Ann Arbor developer wants to build one of the first 100% solar-powered, carbon-neutral and fossil fuel-free communities.

The idea is to pioneer the creation of neighborhoods that limit their contribution to climate change.

This project, called Veridian at County Farm, is proposed by THRIVE Collaborative – a real estate development, design, building, and consulting firm and Avalon Housing, a developer. Both are based in Ann Arbor.

“This is the way that neighborhoods have to be built,” said Matthew Grocoff, the co-founder of THRIVE. His motivation is to build sustainability and fight climate change where he lives, hoping other communities will do the same.

Sustainable neighborhoods like Geos Neighborhood in Arvada, Colorado are growing in the U.S. But Veridian says it’s unusual because it’s creating one of the nation’s first mixed-income sustainable communities.

Construction began early this year. People can move in by late next year. The home prices are expected to be roughly $800,000 for a family home. That compares to a similar but more traditionally built home that’s $1 million in Ann Arbor.

“We’re building a better quality home and still able to sell them at attainable price points,” Grocoff said.

The more than 80 proposed homes include 50 affordable housing rental townhomes. These properties will cost roughly $650 to $950 a month to rent, said Marcia Luke-van Dijk, director of communications and fund development at Avalon Housing.

Each home will have all-electric appliances powered by solar panels. They will be built with sustainably harvested wood, Grocoff said. The appliances and building materials will be free of toxic chemicals.

“No one should live in a home where their appliances are killing them – where carbon monoxide or other poisons are being emitted,” said Missy Stults, the sustainability and innovations director for Ann Arbor.

The neighborhood will also have its own microgrid to supply it with solar energy, Grocoff said.

If the goal is to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees in 2050, we have to start now to prevent temperature rise, Grocoff said

“If you believe that it’s too hard or it’s not possible, or that projects that have done this are outliers, then it’s easy to just go with what’s easy,” he said.

“We have very big plans to build more neighborhoods into the future and work with other builders and developers so that all homes in neighborhoods are built like Veridian,” Grocoff said.

THRIVE bought the site of a former youth prison for the project from Washtenaw County. The property is next to County Farm Park on Platt Road.

Grocoff said his team convinced Ann Arbor officials that to make big steps towards a sustainable future, they needed the space.

The project is exciting, Stults said.

“This just makes sense,” Stults said. “Why in the world are we locking in old fossil fuel-based infrastructure when we could be investing in a clean and sustainable future.”

Solar energy doesn’t always make sense for every neighborhood, Stults said. If you have a neighborhood filled with big trees, you don’t want to knock them down as they provide a service to that community.

And it can be expensive, Stults said. Typically it takes 10 years before residents start to save money, Stults said.

The average cost of installing solar in Michigan is $12,000 to $20,000, according to Energy Sage, a solar energy company based in Boston, Massachusetts serving over 30 states.

But homeowners could save over $100,000 in energy costs over the span of a mortgage, or 30 years, Grocoff said.

Veridian is one of 17 projects from 11 countries around the world meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

“We are on the verge of being able to eliminate concrete for our roads, which would eliminate somewhere between 650,000 to 1 million pounds of CO2,” Grocoff said.

CO2, or carbon dioxide, is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Limiting sources of carbon can be used as a marketing tool to attract buyers interested in sustainability, Grocoff said.

The development is part of the Living Community Challenge with the International Living Institute, a non-profit organization focused on supporting green projects. Grocoff hopes by being a part of this program, his project will receive a Zero Energy Certification.

But before labeling a project as zero energy certified, developers have to verify they’re following the guidelines for certification. These guidelines include that all of the building’s energy must be supplied by on-site renewables and no combustion.Once they’re improved, they can display the certification on their website or paperwork. .

Some companies once they receive the certification, they’ll stop making continuous efforts towards sustainability, Grocoff said. He adds THRIVE will always strive towards a green and healthy future.

“We will not add gas appliances now, and not ever”

The development will have a grocery store called Honey Locust Farm Stop and community gardens, Grocoff said.

He hopes Veridian will have restaurants and schools with similar commitments to sustainability.

“Sustainability is being able to provide all of the services that you need within a local area,” Grocoff said.

A sustainable future means local communities that provide their own food, water and energy.

“It’s a neighborhood that should be attainable.”


Genevieve Fox wrote this article for Great Lakes Echo.


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Nevada scored high for its well-funded conservation programs and for the state's commitment to public land protections.

A new report by The Center for Western Priorities evaluated eight Western states within three categories - land protection and access, responsible energy development, and land use and planning for growth.

The Center's Policy Director Rachael Hamby said Nevada has done a good job of becoming an "assertive leader" as it relates to public land protection and conservation - especially with 67% of the state being made up of public lands, according to the Bureau of Land Management.

She added that Nevada was also the first state Legislature to endorse the global 30X30 Initiative, which is a plan to conserve 30% of nature by 2030 - to avoid what Hamby called a "biodiversity crisis."

"They've made progress towards that goal too, opening a couple new state parks," said Hamby, "and again this is a state doesn't always have as much of a surface area to work with - and this shows that is OK. You can be a conservation leader with your state-level policies in place for the lands that you do manage on behalf of Nevadans."

Hamby said the Silver State has also taken action to protect wildlife, including what she calls a "strong habitat framework" that is a direct result of an executive order signed in 2021 by former Gov. Steve Sisolak.

Nevada also passed a bill in 2021 that requires developers to consult with the Department of Wildlife on their subdivision plans and assess how projects will impact wildlife connectivity.

Nevada didn't have a legislative session in 2024, but it will have one in 2025.

Hamby said despite Nevada being in a good spot, there are still areas for improvement, such as responsible energy development.

Despite Nevada not being a major oil-producing or natural-gas producing state, it currently has no statewide setback requirements for oil and gas wells or any laws or rules on the books to reduce methane emissions.

Hamby said each state can celebrate its wins, but must also get to work where they're lagging.

"So hopefully the scorecard can help with identifying some area for growth in each state," said Hamby, "as policymakers are looking for ideas of what they might be able to do to advance conservation goals."

Hamby added that the positive economic implications of a transition to a clean energy economy will become even more evident in years to come.

Since the passage of The Clean Energy Plan in 2022, Nevada has seen more than 20,000 new jobs across the state.

When the Champlain Towers South collapsed in Surfside in 2021 taking 98 lives, it sent shock waves across South Florida. The tragedy has left lingering questions about the safety of coastal high-rises and whether the ground beneath them is as solid as once thought.

A new study by scientists from the University of Miami uncovered a troubling pattern: 35 buildings along the coastline from Miami Beach to Sunny Isles Beach are sinking, some at rates of up to eight centimeters in the past seven years.

Farzaneh Aziz Zanjani, a postdoctoral researcher at Washington University in St. Louis and the study's lead author, called the findings significant.

"We saw a correlation between the start of the subsidence and the nearby construction activities and we also found some correlation between the geology," Aziz Zanjani explained. "As we move from Sunny Isles to Miami Beach, the amount of subsidence is less."

Using satellite-based technology, the team tracked subtle ground movements which are otherwise invisible. Sunny Isles Beach, known for its luxury high-rises, showed the most dramatic rates of subsidence. The researchers believe the southern Florida geology with softer sandy layers within the limestone may be a factor.

For longtime residents, the study is unsettling. The idea some buildings may be sinking in a region already grappling with rising seas and stronger storms adds concerns about the future. Aziz Zanjani cautioned against jumping to conclusions.

"It doesn't necessarily mean that these buildings are unsafe," Aziz Zanjani pointed out. "This is beyond the scope of the study we had. It just shows that there is something happening under these buildings and it's related to geology and a lot more factors that we don't understand, and we need to do more research."

The research was motivated by the Surfside collapse but scientists found no evidence subsidence contributed to the tragedy. Still, Aziz Zanjani emphasized the study highlights the need for transparency and better monitoring of structural stability across the region. Aziz Zanjani's paper is open-access to the public.


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The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is training operators of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations on the safest ways to apply manure to their fields and what to do if a spill happens. It is part of the state's effort to help reduce accidents and protect the environment.

Iowa produces about 50 million tons of manure every year or enough to fertilize roughly 17% of the state's cropland.

Jeff Prier, senior environmental specialist for the Iowa DNR, said the state is teaching commercial and smaller operators how to apply it safely by following a required manure management plan.

"When they go out to do their application, they need to comply with any separation distances to residence, church, business, school, public use area, water sources," Prier outlined. "Dependent on their application method."

Manure from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations is known to pollute air and groundwater when it is not properly applied. Commercial operators said they are looking for more environmentally friendly ways to operate while trying to meet consumer demand for high quality meat. The deadline to apply for the DNR training is next week.

The DNR charges commercial operators $225 for a manure application permit and $175 for smaller operators. Prier noted it is a small price to avoid fines of between $3,000 and $5,000 for applying fertilizer without state certification.

"When they hear the numbers, they tend to open their eyes pretty big and think that's a pretty big number," Prier observed. "But the best reason is being in compliance with the rules and regulations and knowing what to do if there is a spill."

Prier, who has been overseeing training for 26 years, added given the amount of manure spread on Iowa farms every year, the number of spills is relatively small.


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