Conference showcases ways cities can “go green”

Publication:LaGrange Daily News; Date:Jul 23, 2007; Section:Front Page; Page Number:1

Conference showcases ways cities can “go green”

College, city host second U.N.-backed event

By Matthew Strother Staff writer

The current world-wide emphasis on “going green,” took a local turn last week, as leaders from across the country gathered at LaGrange College for a United Nations sponsored conference on sustainable buildings.

The college is moving forward with plans to make its new library the city's first LEED-certified building. “LEED” - Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

The college's library was only one focus of the three-day conference, which attracted leaders from across the United States and delegates representing Mexico, the United Kingdom, the Philippines and Canada. Discussions focused on ways to construct or adapt buildings using methods and materials that reduce energy consumption and waste and require fewer repairs.

This was the second conference co-sponsored here by UNITAR, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research and CIFAL Atlanta, the International Center for the Training of Local Authorities. The college and City of LaGrange also were hosts. Last year's conference focused on the city's landfill methane reclamation project.

LaGrange College President Stuart Gulley said hosting the conference aligns with the college's goals of promoting sustainability. Recent upgrades of facilities focused on improving energy efficiency, for example.

“We have come to understand and appreciate the role we play in environmental stewardship,” said LaGrange College president Stuart Gulley. “... We're looking for ways to minimize the impact we have on the environment.”

Gulley said the college has a goal to become carbon neutral and one of its first projects will be the library, which Gulley hopes will be “LEED”certified. The library is being designed by Steven Foote, a member of the American Society of Architects, and an accredited professional in LEED, a system that rates and certifies the sustainability and energy-efficiency standards of buildings.

Speakers from Energy Star and the U.S. Green Buildings Council helped in a primer for the delegates to understand how to “go green.” Foote out-lined the design plans for the library and how it will employ sustainable methods.

Foote has built more than 30 libraries including an expansion to the National Library of Medicine at the University of Maryland. The new library will be built on a parking lot on campus across from the Margaret A. Pitts dining hall. The project also will replace parking at the center of campus, directly in front of the Pitts building, with green space.

Foote said the new parking areas off the central campus will save emissions, because the college is on a hill, causing vehicles to expend more when driving onto campus. The building will conform closely to the traditional designs of the campus, but will feature materials to make it more efficient, as well as sufficient windows to provide outside lighting.

“It's possible to do a building in this kind of modern way responding to traditional architecture,” Foote said. “We don't know the best ways students will use this in the future.”

Leaders participated in multiple discussions and practice sessions as the conference continued to discover what policies a city could use to promote green building and how best to implement them. City officials from Chicago, Atlanta and Normal, Ill., described the success of implementing “green” policies in their cities.

Sonja Reece, a 17-year city councilwoman from Normal, said her town has implemented policies that focus on environmental stewardship – minimizing long-term environmental impact. Some of the town's “green” projects include converting an old school into a power plant, which diverted 87 percent of the materials from the landfill, and a stormwater collection system.

During discussions, LaGrange senior development specialist Nick Overstreet, city councilman George Moore and David Rowe, vice president for advancement at the college and a member of the LaGrange board of planning and zoning appeals, spoke with Delray Beach planning and zoning representative Paul Dorling.

Dorling swapped ideas with the LaGrange leaders on dealing with density zoning issues and possible incentives for private builders who build “green.” Moore suggested looking at policies where developers could get a reduction on impact fees if they met certain sustainable and environmentally friendly requirements.

Later, during an exercise for suggestions on new city policy, Overstreet and Moore said the city could work more on its zoning requirements to add more environmental concerns – the city already has greenspace requirements – and work with private developers to educate them on “green” building and encourage them to implement LEED certified buildings.

Delegates from other areas said they were impressed with LaGrange and felt it was in the perfect position, on the verge of growth, to capitalize on managing what kind of developments are made. Bill Stolz, a trade partner out of Atlanta, said during the group's trip to Callaway Gardens, he felt many of the houses he saw along Hamilton Road would be ripe for rehabilitation.

“I think there is an incredible opportunity to do a lot of things here,” he said.

Michael Berkshire, Green Project administrator with the department of planning for Chicago, said he felt the college and city cooperated well. He said he was impressed with the city, but suggested the city add more sidewalks to help encourage more pedestrian use.

Bill Terry, sustainable facilities superintendent for Chapel Hill, N.C., echoed Berkshire's comments about the cooperation of the college and city. He also liked LaGrange's bigger city attitude.

“It's a small town, but it acts like a big town,” he said.