Building efficiency into parks

RALEIGH -- The City Council is on the brink of making a major decision for Raleigh's future: whether or not to put a $97-plus million park, recreation and greenway bond question on the ballot for October. If voters then support the bonds, and if city leaders focus on constructing "green" buildings, the resulting park facility development could catapult the Capital City into leadership in sustainable municipal building and design.

The proposed bond package would include over $30 million for construction of park-related buildings. On March 20, at-large City Council member Russ Stephenson urged the city to examine opportunities to develop environmentally sustainable and energy-efficient parks with this substantial investment. He suggested that the city develop LEED-certified park buildings that would have both environmental and economic payoffs.

(The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System is an accepted benchmark for design, construction, and operation of high-performance energy-efficient, environmentally sound buildings.)

What better place to promote and model environmentally conscious and sustainable design and construction than our parks?

We've been peppered with good news lately about local and regional efforts, both public and private, to grow a little greener and more environmentally conscious. News articles have highlighted the increasing demand for expertise in green building and sustainable design, business initiatives to roll out environmentally friendly products and services, and green school construction, such as Wake Tech's northern campus meeting LEED standards.

Cities across the country are striving to become recognized as Green Cities. About 70 cities and counties have adopted policies supporting sustainable public building projects. It seems everyone's becoming keen on being green, and for good reason.

Raleigh, too, is making strides in exploring new ways of becoming more environmentally friendly. Creation of a new Environmental Advisory Board was a proactive step that will help Raleigh find and implement new ways of reducing reliance on fossil fuels and promoting energy efficiency in city facilities. The recently announced "LEDCity" partnership with Durham semiconductor company Cree will become a model for protecting the environment by creating non-polluting sources of light, reducing energy demand, reducing maintenance costs and supporting economic development of an emerging local industry. In addition, our new Convention Center has been registered with the U.S. Green Building Council for future LEED certification.

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Stephenson's suggestions are consistent with the city's Comprehensive Plan, too. The parks chapter specifically encourages development and maintenance of our parks using nationally accepted sustainable design principles such as LEED certification. While a number of community centers have been designed and/or built since adoption of this parks plan, none has been registered for LEED certification to date. This would be a refreshing and inspiring new direction for the city and its park system.

A bond issue of nearly $100 million is a big investment in our city's future. Elected officials can maximize this investment by making sure it furthers the health and sustainability of our community as much as possible. One idea is to promise voters that each new building constructed as a result of this bond referendum would be LEED-certified. This would assure taxpayers that they really are getting a sustainable, energy- and water-efficient product for their tax dollars.

The long-term payback of green building and sustainable design is now well documented: substantial savings on energy costs and water consumption, reductions in pollution and toxic waste, a public better educated about environmental stewardship and a healthier, more sustainable community for residents. According to the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED certification does not have to cost a penny more. We can achieve certification and reap its many benefits with a common-sense approach to design and no additional dollars.

Raleigh has already taken the step to becoming an "LEDCity." Let's go a step further and become an LEEDCity!

(Jamie M. Ramsey is a former member of Raleigh's Parks, Recreation and Greenway Advisory Board and founder and former executive director of People for Parks. She currently serves as a volunteer on the Wake County Open Space and Parks Advisory Committee. The City Council will hold a public hearing on the proposed bond issue at 7 tonight in the Council Chambers of City Hall, 222 W. Hargett St.)