ANDREWS AFB, Md. –
Staff Sgt. Tammy Butler beamed as Col. Stephen Shepro, 316th Wing commander, handed over a key to her new house April 17.
"It's perfect, just perfect," said Sergeant Butler, 779th Medical Operations Squadron physical therapist technician and the first resident of the newly constructed homes along Perimeter Road, named Roosevelt Court, as she looked around at her new surroundings. "I even wanted an end unit and I was able to get that. This is great!" As Sergeant Butler explored her new home, her jaw dropped as she peered into the area for her washer and dryer. "Look at the size of this laundry room - it even has a door to it!"
Continuing her tour, Sergeant Butler walked down the hall to her new kitchen, she opened the door to the refrigerator, and shook her head in disbelief. "This is amazing - oh, I think with a refrigerator like this, my husband will expect me to cook more!" Sergeant Butler joked.
Colonel Shepro commented on how the new housing areas benefit the Team Andrews community.
"We now have new, upgraded housing with more space and amenities than ever for our great Airmen," Colonel Shepro said. "Moreover, lawn maintenance is included - crucial in our current wartime ops tempo. Team Andrews now has more reasons than ever to live on base, especially if we get a charter school in the future."
Sergeant Butler considered living off base and purchasing a home, but for her, the benefits of living on base came down to financial reasons and being close to her family.
"The cost of gas, my time traveling to and from work, it's just not worth it. My time with my family is valuable to me and from my new house, I'm close to work, I'm close to the Child Development Centers, and I'm close to the Youth Center - it's the perfect location," Sergeant Butler said.
Other benefits Sergeant Butler considered in her decision to live on base included the safety and security of her family while living on a military installation and having utilities included in the cost of rent.
Clark Realty and Liberty Park at Andrews are in the process of readying and delivering 20 renovated officer homes later this summer, 19 new and renovated senior enlisted homes this fall, and next spring, Clark Realty will deliver 31 new officer homes. In all, 201 new homes will be built and 214 existing homes will be renovated in 13 new communities named after American presidents.
Although the 134 new homes in the Roosevelt Court neighborhood will be occupied predominantly by E6 families, all residents of Liberty Park will have the opportunity to take advantage of other changes being made in the community. Clark is now constructing a new welcome center on San Antonio Boulevard, which will include benefits for base residents such as a fitness center with locker rooms, a multipurpose room with a kitchen, and a full-size outdoor pool - complete with a kiddie pool. Other improvements in the housing areas include new "tot lot" playgrounds, renovation of many existing playgrounds, tennis and basketball courts, and picnic shelters.
In the coming weeks, Liberty Park residents will also be able to take advantage of a new 10,000 square foot dog park that is being built in the Madison Cove neighborhood off Tuskegee Road.
These amenities, as well as the construction of new and renovated homes, are funded through the monthly Base Allowance for Housing collected from Liberty Park's residents. "The majority of BAH collected from residents of Liberty Park at Andrews is used to pay debt service on a loan secured to finance the construction of 415 new and renovated homes on Andrews Air Force Base - think of it as a giant mortgage payment each month," explained Pam Sherouse, Liberty Park community manager. "The remainder of the BAH is used to pay for operating expenses incurred by the leasing and maintenance staff of Liberty Park at Andrews like salaries, utilities, insurance, trash removal, and so on."
"Privatized housing has been a success story at Andrews: Clark and Liberty Park are in lockstep with our goals of pride and support to our Airmen and their families," Colonel Shepro said.