What If We Built Our Cities Around Places?

PPS's Great Cities Initiative proposes a place-based approach to revitalizing our towns, cities, and regions.

One of the joys for all of us working at PPS is learning from people all around the world about how they'd like to make their communities better. No two answers are the same, but listen long enough and the degree to which people share similar desires is remarkable. "Downtown would be a better place if I felt comfortable walking there," is a common sentiment. Or we'll often hear someone tell us, "There should be a place close to home where I can take my kids to play." Though the specifics vary, a steady current runs beneath the surface of what people say. It's the same desire for shared, public places that has shaped human settlements since the first cities were built.

Small steps to enliven streets, parks, and other public spaces are the building blocks of a thriving city.

The architect and author Christopher Alexander coined a phrase (and authored a book by the same name), "The Timeless Way of Building," that touches on these common yearnings and how people have intuitively used them to build congenial places to live. The process of building cities today has become so institutionalized, however, that people seldom have an outlet to put their intuition to use anymore. At PPS, we believe this timeless way of building can be reinvigorated, and we offer a common-sense way to do it: by empowering people to initiate improvements to their local neighborhoods place by place. These small steps to enliven streets, parks, and other public spaces are the building blocks of a thriving city.

Volunteerism is a sure sign that a neighborhood is heading in the right direction.

That is the idea at the heart of PPS's newly launched Great Cities Initiative (more on that below). The vitality of any city depends on citizen action such as neighborhood groups reclaiming their local parks and small businesses recharging commercial streets. Many times, communities need just a little nudge in the right direction to set this process of revitalization in motion. And in a short time, the entire neighborhood has undergone a turnaround as residents take comfort and pride in their public spaces.

What sort of "nudge" are we talking about? Imagine, for example, a neighborhood park bordered on one side by a commercial street and on another by a public library. These urban elements work together to form a single place, yet in a typical city that area would likely be managed by a number of public entities, each operating independently of the others. Instead of a unified approach to improving the place, we likely end up with atomized spheres of influence. The Department of Transportation promotes fast traffic on the roadway with little concern for pedestrians, park users, or patrons of local businesses. Park officials don't factor in library patrons or local shoppers when programming activities. You wind up with a park without popular activities, a street where people don't feel comfortable walking to the park or library, and local institutions cut off from the surrounding neighborhood.

Atomized spheres of influence: This street, bus stop, and library in San Antonio have no relation to each other except for a shared sense of emptiness.

But if we look upon these elements as interrelated components of a single place, we create more opportunities for local people to collaborate and jointly create a vision of what's best for the community. How can the street, park, library, and businesses support and strengthen each other? What do business owners, library employees, and nearby residents envision for the area? By simply observing and listening to the people who live or work or play in the area, the solution to what the place needs will become apparent.

This library in Riverside, California hosts concerts and markets, serving as a civic square for the city.

more of the article

Project for Public Spaces

Green Home Economics

Green Guide 108 | May/June 2005 Eco-Home, Indie Budget by Francesca Lyman Filed under: Water heaters, Eco-Renovation, Green homes The sun makes its way through the open slats of their back porch as Julie Grant and her fiancé, Mike Daugherty, lean against their all-purpose chop saw. When these urban homesteaders bought their 1904 one-story, 900-square-foot, wood-frame house a few months ago, they realized it needed a lot of work. But then, says Julie, with a wry smile, "All the houses we looked at that we could afford needed a lot of work." Being a graphic artist and a jazz drummer by trade didn't stop them from plunging into a full-scale renovation of their late-Victorian bungalow in Seattle's Rainier Valley, a former lumber-mill town. And instead of a conventional Great American dream house in a new suburb, their more modest choice bought them $40,000 to invest in a remodel. The house was solid for its age, and its worst problems were add-ons, like the 1970s vintage electric baseboard heat, which, says Julie, was "hideously ugly and notoriously inefficient." After ripping out the baseboard, they corrected other funky features too—doorways that were never plumbed and partitions that broke up already smallish rooms. "The hallway into the kitchen was so wavy it looked like a funhouse," she says, laughing. As if the task wasn't daunting enough, they wanted to make the house eco-friendly too. Unfortunately, Julie's copious research yielded little good advice from shelter magazines and home-supply stores. "All the stuff we found was so laughably out of our price range—and not by, like, a little stretch," says Julie. "I mean, they were all beautiful, but the gorgeous recycled glass cost $6 per four-inch tile!" Julie mentions one article in which a couple spent $30,000 on tile just to surface their bathroom. Such a move would have wiped out most of their budget. For their bathroom they plan to use a small amount of slate tile at $5 per square foot. Nonetheless, Julie and Mike were determined to prove that they could make their high-minded ecological principles hew to an ultra-low budget—by choosing a small, efficient house close to a transit line, using a tankless water heater and gas heat and employing salvaged and recycled materials. Strategic budgeting Green building advocates admit that installing some green products, such as Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified wood from well-managed forests, can cost up to 10 percent more. The Environmental Home Center in Seattle has received so many questions about cost that it has responded with a green-budget brochure (see Resources). But Derek Long, of Sustainable Connections in Bellingham, Washington, which promotes local green building, notes, "Very often you will find that a number of 'green' features for a home have a strong financial payback over time that makes them right for anyone with any budget." Long points to groups like Habitat for Humanity, which helps its low-income clients by installing efficient appliances and lighting and super-insulating homes that are usually smaller and demand fewer resources to begin with. Savvy Salvaging "Recycling is the key to eco-renovation on a budget," says Julie, who brags about the vintage back door that she found browsing through a salvage warehouse. "It's solid and came with real brass weather stripping that's expensive and difficult to find nowadays." They saved hundreds of dollars by salvaging doors and windows from places like the Second Use store and thousands more by using the "sweat equity" of their own labor. "Then we hired a contractor for things we couldn't do, like reframing the attic, moving the back door and rewiring and plumbing," says Mike. For the kitchen, too, they scrounged from another remodel a Corian countertop and sink that were destined for the dump. They discovered beautiful, wide-planked nineteenth-century fir flooring throughout the house that they could refurbish, instead of laying down new wood planks. Upstairs, they turned the unused attic into a sunlit master-bedroom suite, adding an old dormer window found on Craig's List and a skylight looking out on Mount Rainier. Heating Choices Downstairs, though, "It looks more like a bomb went off," says Julie, gazing at the hundreds of feet of polyethylene plastic tubing, uncoiled across the yard, the bowels of the new energy-efficient radiant-heat flooring they will soon install in the crawl space under their house. Because the house lacked ductwork and a basement, they placed a wall-hung, tankless water heater, which warms water on demand, in the kitchen. In the crawl space beneath the first floor, they fit the tubes for a radiant-heating system that would save energy for the whole house. "Our house was small enough for one unit to do the job," says Julie of the water heater. The cost, including installation: less than $4,000. Having already removed their electric heat, they switched to natural gas, which the city converted them to for free, making it even more cost-effective. Meanwhile, radiant-heat flooring below the house will offer them energy savings of up to 40 percent over a forced-air system, while being quieter, cleaner and more efficient. Energy- and Water-Saving Appliances A small, stackable ASKO washer-dryer came with an Energy Star rating that garnered Julie and Mike a $100 city rebate off the $2,300 price tag. That higher cost was offset by a gas range they got free through their county's waste-management hot line. A $700 Energy Star-rated Whirlpool fridge rounded out the kitchen. And the house came with a low-flush toilet. Since the roof faces south with no big trees shading it, the couple says they are "definitely serious" about one day installing solar panels. "Probably we will start small—by getting outdoor solar lights," says Julie. Framing, Trim Work and Walls By opening up the attic for a third bedroom, the couple was able to turn a small bedroom downstairs into a music practice room for Mike's drum kit and another bedroom into Julie's studio space. Their second-floor attic remodel didn't require another heating unit because it was designed with a spiral staircase, which cuts through the middle of the house, venting heat upward. Although they couldn't afford FSC-certified wood for framing and had to take what the local lumber yard provided, they did use eco-friendly trim in the form of medium-density fiberboard (MDF) with high recycled-wood content. They haven't done much painting yet, but Julie has purchased Rodda low-VOC paint for two rooms. To repair walls after removing partitions, they used drywall made of recycled materials. Flooring In the kitchen, Julie and Mike are installing no-adhesive, no-VOC cork flooring. For the attic remodel, they also bought Interface Flor carpet tiles made of recycled carpet. And they used low-VOC finish on their hardwood floors (see Resources). The couple looks forward to their Housewarming Bash, at which Mike's jazz band will entertain out back. For now, though, they're knee-deep in the new cork flooring they just bought for their kitchen space—an expense they saved for by scrimping elsewhere. As for the housewarming, "It's perhaps a month away!" vows Julie, and after that the wedding. —with additional reporting by P. W. McRandle RELATED Make Your House Pay by P.W. McRandle How Do I Choose a Tankless Water Heater? by Lori Bongiorno A New Safe and Efficient Home Insulation: Made from Soy by Joanna Howard Energy Star Certification by Jemilah Magnusson Cutting Costs in a Fuel-Scarce World by P.W. McRandle Household Tips to Keep Your Health and Your Savings Intact by P.W. McRandle Smart Shoppers' Non-Food Labels Guide by Brian C. Howard

Rise and Cool and Sustainable Roofing

The Rise of Cool and Sustainable Roofing

Ecostructure

Demand is growing for high-performance roof systems that meet standards for performance and longevity while also being energy efficient and sustainably constructed. Drew Ballensky lays out the details of next-generation roofs in Eco-Structure Magazine.

For nearly 10 years, the hottest trends in commercial roofing have been "cool" and "sustainable" roof systems. These concepts have been embraced by a growing number of industry associations and government agencies, and virtually every type of commercial roof system is under pressure to demonstrate it is energy efficient and environmentally friendly.

As cool and sustainable roofing continue to gain wide acceptance, they are driving significant change in the design and manufacture of roof systems, product innovation, marketing strategies, owner and manager selection priorities, and market dynamics. These trends, reinforced by a growing number of revised building codes and legislation, are creating demand for a new class of HPR, or high-performance roof, systems that can satisfy traditional performance criteria, including installed cost, performance and longevity, as well as newer criteria, such as preservation of the environment, energy efficiency and life-cycle costs.

more go to http://www.greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=34603

Zero-Energy Homes in Issaquah

"Zero-energy" homes planned in Issaquah
By Sonia Krishnan

Your future home could come from the recycling bin.
Solar energy would power it.

The best part? Utility bills would be next to nothing.

They're called "zero-energy" homes — homes designed to produce as much electricity as they consume. And in Issaquah, city officials are planning an unusual partnership with a builder to construct King County's first community by 2009.

"This would be the first step in a new paradigm for green development," said Brad Liljequist, sustainable-building and lead urban-design consultant for the Issaquah project.
The 10 energy-saving town houses in the Issaquah Highlands will be aimed at the median market.

"We don't want this to be for an exclusive few," he said.

How the homes work
A "zero-energy" home is designed to produce as much energy as it consumes. The diagram shown here (PDF) of such a home shows how its features help reduce energy consumption and cost. While the ultimate goal is to get to zero, most homes end up slashing utility bills 50 to 70 percent.

The city's efforts follow in the path of a U.S. Department of Energy program pushing zero-energy home construction. "Building America" began in 1995, with a goal to trim household energy use by 70 percent by 2020.

About 2,000 zero-energy homes have been built around the country since 2003, said Tim Merrigan, senior program manager for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo.

Federal and state tax credits, coupled with financial incentives from utility companies, are driving the trend forward, builders say.

While the ultimate goal is to get to zero, most homes end up slashing utility bills 50 percent to 70 percent, Merrigan said.

That's enough to draw increasing numbers of buyers in fast-growing states such as Arizona and California, where residents face some of the nation's highest energy costs. In Washington state, another zero-energy community is planned for Lopez Island, San Juan County.

The timing seems ripe.

In November, the environmental catchphrase "carbon neutral" was selected as The New Oxford American Dictionary's "Word of the Year." Three months later, a team of international climate scientists declared humans to blame for global warming. And late last month, former Vice President Al Gore's documentary on global warming, "An Inconvenient Truth," won an Oscar.
"You could say it's reached a tipping point," Merrigan said.

Residential buildings in America contributed 21 percent of the country's carbon-dioxide emissions to the environment in 2005, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Inefficient heating and cooling systems, poor insulation and energy-sucking appliances, such as outdated refrigerators, are mostly to blame for high fuel consumption.

Then there's the "standby factor."

Keeping appliances such as stereos, computers and televisions plugged in all day consumes between 500 and 1,000 kilowatt-hours a year per household, said Alan Meier, scientist for Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, who has written on the phenomenon.
That's comparable to about one month of power consumption, he said, and equals at least 700 pounds in carbon-dioxide emissions.

"Standby power is one of the biggest obstacles to achieving a zero-energy home," Meier said.
In Issaquah, staff members say they're undeterred by the challenges. The City Council recently approved $50,000 to study the project. Over the next two years, the city plans to collaborate with a builder and develop the project's design and energy-efficient standards. It will run an educational program for homebuilders and homeowners once the project is built.

The town homes would sit on a half-acre on Northeast High Street in the Issaquah Highlands. The proposed site was donated by Port Blakely Communities, developer of the Highlands, to use as a demonstration tool for future homebuilding, said Judd Kirk, president of Port Blakely.

According to preliminary plans, the homes will range from 500 to 1,700 square feet. The project would:

• 
  • Reduce water use by 50 percent over the average household by installing low-flush toilets that use stormwater collected from rooftops and filtered in a nearby tank. This reclaimed water would not be used for drinking or showering.
  • Produce no stormwater discharge through green roofs and permeable pavement.
  • Use a "very high percentage" of locally sourced or recycled materials.
  • Use highly durable materials, such as metal roofing instead of asphalt shingles and hardwood floors instead of carpeting.

Issaquah is ahead of most cities when it comes to building "green," environmental advocates say. In 2004, for instance, the city hosted tours and seminars on the Built Green Idea Home — a model home in the Highlands — to inspire people about eco-friendly choices.

"We're trying to be responsive to climate change," said David Fujimoto, manager of Issaquah's resource-conservation office. "Our goal is to really push the envelope and encourage new construction to achieve the highest level of environmental performance possible."

Recycled materials play a big role in zero-energy homes. Lumber planks made from wood and plastic bottles are used for decks, doors or window frames. And fibers taken from recycled newspapers are turned into insulation.

Using the latest technology, zero-energy homes are fitted with rooftop solar panels that convert the sun's rays into electricity.

During the Northwest's long summer days, the homes would send extra kilowatts back to the local utility grid. In the dark winter months, the homes would draw on that power. At the end of the year, the home's net energy use should, theoretically, equal zero.

Most zero-energy homes also come with tankless water heaters, energy-efficient appliances, heavy insulation and improved air-conditioning and heating systems.

The intricate systems help keep indoor temperatures stable, said Chuck Murray, energy specialist for Washington State University and a consultant for Issaquah's project.
If homeowners produce more electricity than they use, utility companies are required to credit them for it under Washington's net-metering law. And, under a state law that took effect last year, those who generate solar energy for the power grid could earn up to $2,000 a year in cash reimbursements through —.

Zero-energy homebuilders say they're seeing more demand as fuel prices rise.
"When we started doing this four years ago, gas was $1.50 a gallon. Energy efficiency was not in the top five things homeowners were looking for," said John Ralston, vice president of sales and marketing for Premier Homes in Roseville, Calif., near Sacramento.

But sales have taken off so well that an all-solar development is under way in Yuba City, Ralston said. State-of-the-art-efficiency doesn't come cheap.

The features could tack about $100,000 on to the Issaquah units, Liljequist said. Rebates and tax credits would help offset that, he said. And strides in technology have made solar panels cheaper and easier to work with than in years past.

But most of all, he said, shrinking square footage will keep costs in line.
"Rather than having that extra-large bonus room, we want to put that money towards living more lightly on the earth," he said.

Sonia Krishnan: 206-515-5546 or skrishnan@seattletimes.com
Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company

Quinns Crossing Steet of Dreams

Tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. in the County Council chambers will be the final plat hearing for Quinn's Crossing Street of Dreams development.
see my letter in the Herald.

The county planners are allowing the drainfields to be put in the buffers around the sole source aquifer that supplies these rural folks their drinking water. It is against the county code, but for some reason, they feel it is okay because the "spirit of avoidance" has occurred! If the council approves this, it will set a precedent for other developments that may want to put drainfields into the buffers for our wetlands and streams.



Please email the county council and the clerk of the council tonight or by early tomorrow and request they deny this final plat approval until this is fixed. Also email Aaron Reardon and Craig Ladiser as well. Emails below. Thanks!!



Dave.gossett@co.snohomish.wa.us

Dave.somers@co.snohomish.wa.us

Kirke.sievers@co.snohomish.wa.us

John.koster@co.snohomish.wa.us

Gary.nelson@co.snohomish.wa.us

Council.clerk@co.snohomish.wa.us

Craig.ladiser@co.snohomish.wa.us

Aaron.reardon@co.snohomish.wa.us

Low Impact Development in the Highway Runoff Manual

Washington State Department of Transportation

	Select photo to view in larger scale Workers install Eco-Stone® permeable pavers at a municipal park and ride in Marysville. The Washington State Department of Transportation is considering using permeable pavement, such as Eco-Stone®, at its park and rides and on pedestrian paths.
	Select photo to view in larger scale Eco-stone detail

Description
The Washington State Department of Transportation is currently revising its 1995 Highway Runoff Manual. As part of this revision, the department will develop and reference three low impact development elements in the revised manual:

1. Permeable paving at park and rides, pedestrian paths, and lower speed roadways.

2. Bioretention along roadways.

3. Constructed wetlands for stormwater treatment.

The LID portion of the revised manual should be available for use by the end of September 2003 and will include plans, specifications, methodology for estimating costs, and a hydraulic design process.

Contacts
Rick Johnson
Washington State Department of Transportation
(260) 440-4642
johnsor@wsdot.wa.gov

Larry Schaffner
Washington State Department of Transportation
(360) 570-6657
schaffl@wsdot.wa.gov
Website:
www.wsdot.wa.gov/fasc/
Follow the links to:
>Engineering Publications
>On-Line Technical Manual Library
>Highway Runoff Manua

Going Green At the Beach

In March of 2004, Dave and Anna Porter made a decision to reduce the impact their lifestyle was having on the planet. Among other changes, they sold their “McMansion” in Woodinville, with the enormous yard and Dave even made what many would consider the ultimate sacrifice: he gave up his Jaguar for a Toyota Prius.

In 2006, the Porters decided to go even further. They vowed to transform their ramshackle 100-year-old beachfront house into an energy-efficient, environmentally responsible home that would meet the strictest green home guidelines while providing a beautiful, comfortable living space that would meet their family’s current and future needs. To help others benefit from their experience, they committed to making the project a demonstration home for green design, systems, and materials, and to document their options, choices, and decisions as well as the performance of the home.

The result is “Going Green at the Beach,” a unique exploration of the possibilities open to all of us to make meaningful changes in how we live. Through this website, tours, presentations, and other education, the Porters will share much more than just the look of their “deep green” home when construction is complete in September of 2007. You’ll learn the opportunities and obstacles they faced, understand why they made the choices they did, see first-hand how a green home is built, and even hear tips on green living from the Porters’ “recycled” dog, Skipper.

We hope you enjoy "Going Green at the Beach"! Click here for a summary of the project!

http://www.goinggreenatthebeach.com/

Buckminster Fuller Institute (BFI)

The Buckminster Fuller Institute (BFI) serves as a catalyst for the design and implementation of breakthrough strategies for achieving a sustainable future.

We fulfill our mission by offering innovative programs that:

• Utilize BFI's Information Clearinghouse on the pioneering legacy of R. Buckminster Fuller.
• Provide a global perspective on the most pressing issues facing humanity.
• Engage leading thinkers and designers who are demonstrating whole systems solutions to complex problems.
• Provide the opportunity to design and test those solutions in the real world.

http://www.bfi.org/

Built Green Site Tour Snohomish County

Wednesday, March 14, 2007 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Built Green Site Tour of Cottage Werks 10th Street Short Plat in Snohomish County.

This tour will focus on the Low Impact Development strategies incorporated in to the community as well as a detailed walk through of one of the homes built by Cottage Werks and certified Built Green.

Tour presenters will include Chris Chase of Cottage Werks, as well as consultants Dan Wildenhaus of Atmosphere and Alistair Jackson of O’Brien & Company.

The cost for the tour is $50/person, with lunch and transportation to the sites provided. The tour is limited to 75 attendees so sign up today! To register download the conference registration form and mail or fax 425-646-5985.

Who Is Joe Lstiburek speaker at Built Green at Everett Center March 13th

Plenary Session

Joe Lstiburek is a prinicipal of the Building Science Corporation. He is a scientist who investigates building failures and is internationally recognized as an authority on moisture related building problems and indoor air quality. Joe has written numerous books including the Builder Guides as well as technical papers on building construction. He is considered one of the nation's foremost authorities on practical green building.

To see Joe's Top Ten list of dumb things to do in the North visit

Joe's Top Ten

Who Is Hunter Lovins... Keynote Speaker at the Built Green Conference in Snohomish March 13th?

Hunter Lovins

Intellectual Capital, Consulting, Education

In 2001, Hunter was named one of four people from North America to serve as a delegate to the United Nations Prep Conference for Europe and North America for the World Summit on Sustainable Development. She served as a Commissioner in the State of the World Forum's Commission on Globalization, co-chaired by Mikhail Gorbachev, and Jane Goodall.

L. Hunter Lovins, Esq., is the president and founder of Natural Capitalism, Inc. and co-creator of the Natural Capitalism concept. In 1982 she co-founded Rocky Mountain Institute and led that organization as its CEO for Strategy until 2002. Under her leadership, RMI grew into an internationally recognized research center, widely celebrated for its innovative thinking in energy and resource issues. By the time Hunter left, the institute had grown to a staff of 50 people and a $7 million annual budget, half of it earned through programmatic enterprise.

This is an event Not to be Missed...
Read more about Hunter Lovins at
http://www.natcapinc.com/core_hunter.htm

Climate Impacts Forum

I realize this is not our County but it may be a good meeting to attend.

Karen

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Climate Impacts Forum set for Woodinville February 24

Date: February 24, 2007
Time: 9:30 AM-12:00 Noon
Location: Council Chambers, Woodinville City Hall, 17301 - 133rd Ave NE, Woodinville , WA

Contact: Brenda Vanderloop, Phone: 425-788-9846, Cell: 206-498-9731
Email: bv@vanderloop-pr.com

If this winter's floods and windstorms are any indication, changing weather patterns will have a dramatic impact on the Puget Sound region. To discuss these issues, the public is invited to a free community forum, Climate Impacts—Storms & Stormwater, February 24 in the Woodinville City Hall Council Chambers, 17301 - 133rd Ave NE, Woodinville.

Urban planners, stormwater managers, farmers, builders, and homeowners are invited to learn about practical, environmentally sound strategies for responding to increased rain and flooding. The forum will focus on ways everyone can play a role in making our community more resilient to climate change.

The doors to the Woodinville City Council Chamber lobby will open at 9:30 AM for greetings, refreshments and viewing informative displays, with the forum beginning at 10:00 .

Speakers include Lara Whitely Binder, water resources specialist with the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group, who will present the latest science on the effects of climate change in our region. Yosh Monzaki, City of Woodinville Surface Water Engineer, will report on stormwater management and how the City may respond to new state and federal regulations. And David McDonald of Seattle Public Utilities will provide an overview of low impact stormwater mitigation strategies.

As Kentucky farmer Wendell Berry stated, "Urban people have agricultural responsibilities." One of those responsibilities is not to pollute the land that feeds them. According to the Department of Ecology, urban stormwater is Western Washington's primary source of water pollution. Rapid urbanization and increased stormwater runoff directly contribute to the destruction of local farms.

East King County farmers suffered more than $1 million dollars in damage from last November's floods. Stormwater runoff is considered toxic by the FDA, which has ordered that crops inundated by flooding must be destroyed. At the Climate Impacts Forum we will highlight the increasing threat of urban stormwater to local farms. Stormwater mitigation is one way everyone can help protect our food supply.

This will be the second in a series of forums sponsored by 21 Acres, a non-profit organization committed to sustainable agriculture practices while putting into place an infrastructure that will help support small farms. The new agricultural and environmental education site planned for the Sammamish Valley will demonstrate new ways to work with our natural resources while addressing sustainable, low impact approaches to stormwater management. For more information about the Climate Impacts Forum, call Brenda Vanderloop at 425-788-9846, or visit: www.21acres.org.

Snohomish Riverfront in Everett to be Developed

City, developer to get rollin' on the river

By Diane Brooks

A stream runs through property where the city and developer OliverMcMillan have big plans for the riverfront.

The pedestrian overpass taking shape in the Lowell area marks the south end of housing and commercial development planned for about 2 miles along the Everett riverfront.

Never mind the fancy talk about Everett's renaissance, its need for a classy "front porch," the decades of hard work and million-dollar planning that have carried the city to the brink of a 216-acre land deal expected to transform its regional identity.

A simple word seems to suffice: Wow.

"It is a wow. It really is," longtime City Councilman Bob Overstreet said of a public-private plan to create an upscale urban village, cushioned by nearly 100 acres of wetlands and trails, along a 2-mile stretch of the Snohomish River.

Another councilman, Paul Roberts, seems equally awestruck when he envisions what future motorists might see as they cruise through Everett on Interstate 5, overlooking now-vacant properties best known for a 1984 tire fire and a long-gone paper mill.

"There's maybe a quarter-million trips a day on I-5, and a lot of people view Everett only from what they see from the freeway. It's what defines the city," he said. "I think they're going to see a riverfront village that says, 'Wow.' "

The council is close to approving an $8 million deal with OliverMcMillan, an award-winning San Diego firm known for developing creative, mixed-use urban spaces.

Promoting Everett

See Everett and its riverfront through the eyes of San Diego-based developer OliverMcMillan, which is buying 216 acres of former industrial land for $8 million, with plans to create an urban village with public spaces, residential areas and retail surrounded by nature.

The cover of its 59-page promotional brochure says it all: Something unexpected Something special that brings identity to a place filled with pride Incorporating the delicacy of nature, an understanding of history, and the future of Everett Washington
Dreamy photos of the site, the Snohomish River and downtown Everett are mixed with demographic data to create a mood of intriguing potential.

www.olivermcmillan.com

The complex purchase agreement would require the company to build at least 400,000 square feet of retail space — comparable in volume to the Tulalips' Seattle Premium Outlets — while adhering to cutting-edge environmental standards.

That's just the minimum. The company says it intends to build 500,000 to 800,000 square feet of retail space, along with 800 to 1,000 housing units that may include single-family cottages, condos, townhouses, apartments and hotel rooms. Public spaces could include a riverside amphitheater, a kayak launch, playgrounds, art, fountains and historic displays.

OliverMcMillan's private investment in the project could reach $400 million, said Everett Mayor Ray Stephanson.

The city in turn promises to invest an estimated $30 million to $45 million in wetlands and infrastructure projects, including moving a set of BNSF Railway tracks closer to I-5; relocating the city's animal shelter; building roads, 2 ½ miles of trails and a 3-acre park; and continuing its cleanup of the old tire-fire site by helping pay for a methane-recovery system and related measures.

The city could recoup its costs within nine years if the project generates anticipated levels of sales, occupation and property taxes, Stephanson said. Market conditions will control how quickly the site plan is completed, he said. Optimistically, it could be built out within five years, but if the market softens, it could take a decade, he said.
Everett riverfront properties


Simpson mill site

• 1891: Construction begins on the Puget Sound Pulp and Paper mill on the Snohomish River, giving rise to the adjacent town of Lowell.
• 1951: The mill, now known as Everett Pulp and Paper, is sold to the Simpson Logging Co.
• 1972: Mill closes.
• 1974: Crowds gather on the Lowell hillside to watch the dynamiting of the landmark smokestack. In "The Lowell Story," Don Berry writes that a heavy fog cloaked the riverfront — onlookers heard the blast's thud, felt the ground shudder and saw "a ghostly shadow slowly sinking."
• 1992: City of Everett buys 156-acre mill property for $3 million.
• 1993-1995: City cleans up land and removes homeless camps.
• 1995: City opens the Lowell Riverfront Trail, extending 1.6 miles north from Rotary Park.

Landfill site

• 1917: Site's first known use for trash disposal.
• 1949: Everett buys 5.8 acres from Snohomish County for $361.
• 1955: Everett buys another 14.5 acres from the county for $1,277.68.
• 1974: Landfill closes.
• 1977-1983 Land used for recycling operation, including tire storage.
• 1983-1984: Two separate tire fires erupt. The second one, involving 4 million tires, makes headlines as it burns for three months.
• 1991: City buys 33 acres on both sides of 36th Street, including the current site of the Everett Animal Shelter, from the Glacier Park Co. for $1.5 million.
• 1985 to 1994: City works with the state Department of Ecology and spends $15 million to clean and cap the site and install drainage and methane-collection systems.

Combined site

• 1997 to 2000: City conducts engineering studies funded with federal "brownfields" grants aimed at redeveloping industrial sites within urban areas.
• 2001: The city begins building a four-lane railroad overpass at 41st Street, essential for commercial development of the riverfront. Environmental groups and the Tulalip Tribes file a lawsuit related to chinook habitat, halting construction.
• 2002: City Council formally adopts a "vision" for the riverfront properties through the city's Shoreline Master Program.
• 2004: City settles lawsuit with Tulalips; railroad overpass construction resumes.
• 2005: City Council chooses San Diego-based OliverMcMillan to develop the riverfront.
• 2006: 41st Street railroad overpass complete. Total cost: $17.4 million, including nearly $10.2 million in federal funds. The state, which chipped in $3.5 million for the overpass, also is building an improved, $43.1 million 41st Street interchange for Interstate 5.
• 2007: City reaches an $8 million land-sale agreement with OliverMcMillan, which plans to build an environmentally sensitive urban village on 216 acres. Completion of a master plan is expected by year's end.
• 2008: Projected start of construction.
• 2009 or 2010: Anticipated grand opening.

Paul Buss, president of OliverMcMillan, said his company is talking with several "very promising tenants," including a theater group interested in building a 50,000-square-foot movie complex with perhaps eight to 12 screens. "Our typical kind of project has a 'main street' and people places and food and entertainment and upper-end retail," he said.

A roundabout planned at the base of 41st Street, near the property's midpoint, would be a signature grand entry, he said. A residential community surrounded by wetlands and trails would lie to the south, on the former Simpson mill property, while the retail developments — and additional residential space — would lie to north, on the capped landfill and land north of 36th Street.

Everett's character would be reflected in the architectural designs, Buss promised.

"We drive around the community and take pictures of everything that's there and say, 'How do we relate to this?' " he said.

That's especially important to residents of the historic Lowell neighborhood, which overlooks the old mill site. Single-family houses and low-rise townhomes are planned for that area, he said.

Even the retail district would have a relatively low profile, Buss said, with mostly two-story buildings. The tallest probably would be five stories, he said.

Buildings generally would be set back from the water, partly out of respect for the Snohomish River's power during flood season. That would create opportunities for more riverside public spaces, such the city's planned plaza or amphitheater.

"We're not going to have a marina," Buss said, but docks may be provided for visiting boats. "You could bring your boat around from Puget Sound, tie up and go into one of the restaurants. It would be a great experience."

Canoe rentals and other low-key water enterprises also are possible, he said.

"I don't have any doubt this is going to become a premiere location," Buss said. "We're making a huge investment in Everett. It's a great city to work with; it's an incredible site. I don't think I can emphasize enough the vision the city has shown. They've assembled the land; they've spent tons of money getting it ready. They've shown true leadership."

The respect is mutual. City officials speak proudly — and with a bit of awe — about OliverMcMillan's promise to earn a "silver" rating from the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program, which looks at energy and water efficiency, natural drainage, indoor air quality and innovative building materials.

Buildings would be designed to take advantage of natural light in winter, to conserve heating energy and to stay cool in summer, Stephanson said. Pavements would be "pervious" where possible, using modern materials that let rainwater soak through into the earth.

"It's a little more expensive to build, but it clearly is the wave of the future," the mayor said. "It will be a very attractive marketing tool."

The state Department of Transportation (DOT) also is investing in the riverfront's natural health. The DOT's ongoing $262.6 million upgrade and widening of Interstate 5 through Everett will include creation of a series of stormwater-treatment ponds on a 13-acre site immediately south of the OliverMcMillan project.

The three ponds, which are to resemble natural wetlands, will be encircled with walking paths interlinked with the city's Lowell river trails planned for the OliverMcMillan wetlands.

Rainwater that falls on I-5 between Highway 2 and the Boeing Freeway will be piped through the Lowell neighborhood and delivered to the ponds through an aqueduct under construction at the foot of Main Street, said DOT spokesman Ryan Bianchi.

The aqueduct will be topped with a footbridge, providing an additional pedestrian access point to the river trails and new developments.

Councilman Roberts feels especially connected to the project. As Everett's former planning director, a post he left in 2003, Roberts oversaw many engineering and environmental analyses of the old industrial properties, as well as resulting cleanup projects required to make the land habitable.

"It should almost be called the Phoenix Project," he said. "Out of the ashes of the tire fire rises a village."

Over the years, Roberts heard city residents repeatedly stress their interest in protecting the riverfront site's vast wetlands. He said he's pleased that OliverMcMillan's concept honors that vision.

Residents are optimistic, too.

"Their intent seems to be to preserve the natural environment and trying to balance the growth," said Holly Gibson, a member of the city's Council of Neighborhoods. "I'm really excited."

The project's original visionary, however, has mixed feelings about the grand plan.

Many community leaders were dumbfounded in 1993 when then-Mayor Pete Kinch announced the city had purchased the 156-acre Simpson mill site for $3 million.

Kinch spoke of transforming Everett from a blue-collar city into a regional attraction by building a commercial and recreational center along the river. In his mind's eye, he saw a historic complex of relocated homes, a marina, soccer fields, perhaps a relocated Everett AquaSox ballpark and a plaza resembling a scaled-down Seattle Center.

He lost his mayor's job that November to Ed Hanson, whose campaign focused on Kinch's spending habits and city budget troubles.

"The people of Everett, the taxpayers, are the ones who paid for that property and made it possible," said Kinch, who wishes the city could retain ownership of the land. "I know there are a lot of plans for upscale retail and condos; I want to make sure that all the people who supported the idea don't get left out of the equation."

But he's pleased to see a variation of his dream coming to pass.

"I'm sure that once it's on its way, it will really add a spark of life to Everett that we've never seen before," Kinch said. "I'm really excited that it's finally starting to happen."

Diane Brooks: 425-745-7802 or dbrooks@seattletimes.com

Port of Everett

A Committed Port, A Cleaner Port

As outlined in its mission statement, the Port of Everett strives to provide good environmental management to assure continued, and where feasible, enhanced ecological functioning and productivity of Port Gardner Bay and the Snohomish River estuary. Environmental management programs are used to preserve estuarine habitats on Jetty Island and for bald eagle habitat on Port properties. In addition, restoration plans for Union Slough and Biringer Farm are being developed to enhance or create additional wildlife habitat and to anticipate the need for future mitigation actions.

The Port also participates in key environmental programs such as the Environmental Management System (EMS), Department of Ecology Diesel Emission Reduction Program and the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency’s Maritime Emissions Reduction Program.

http://www.portofeverett.com/home/index.asp?page=37

Projects
Programs

Wild Sky Wilderness Act

Wild Sky lifts off

The Wild Sky Wilderness Act stands an excellent chance of passing Congress this session in large part due to the wisdom of California voters, who removed a significant impediment.
Creation of Washington's first new wilderness area in more than 20 years has always enjoyed bipartisan support. Five years ago, when the idea of protecting stands of low-elevation, old-growth trees in eastern Snohomish County was first introduced, a Republican congressman from Idaho said the bill "was done the right way."

Bound up in that praise was lots of preparatory work with the communities of Index and Skykomish and interested hikers, bikers, cross-country skiers, hunters, anglers, float-plane pilots and snowmobilers.

Lots of conversations and lots of nipping and tucking of boundaries and discussions with relevant interest groups and government agencies also took place.

A vision that began as 110,000 acres in the 107th Congress is before the 110th session as 106,577 acres.

The White House has been on board for more than four years. Washington Sen. Patty Murray has walked the legislation through the Senate three times. In the House, Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Lake Stevens, has patiently worked the legislation through his district and on Capitol Hill.
The roadblock was always the Republican chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, and he was not re-elected last November.

The new Democratic leader declared Wild Sky to be his committee's top wilderness priority.

The gavel changing hands will not spare Wild Sky from another review in the House, but the proposal, with its natural beauty, full menu of outdoor activities and economic potential, is a good story that bears repeating.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2003575756_wilded18.html

Next Task Force Meeting

Our next Task Force meeting is February 9, 2007 at the PUD.

We will be discussing our next steps for being an organization, updates on projects, events, and outreach.
There has been a huge amount of work accomplished and Ecology has rewarded us for that with a supplemental grant.

Come help us plan how to spend that money well!

New Bank Aims to Make it Easier to Build Green

Source: GreenBiz.com

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Feb. 1, 2007 -- A new banking program here aims to encourage developers and investors to start green building projects by offering financial incentives like providing more money at a lower cost, higher loan-to value, and lower interest rates.

New Resource Bank announced plans to provide a 1/8th percent discount on loans to green leadership projects in the commercial or multi-unit residential sectors. Even for a relatively small building, this could mean significant savings over the life of the loan. For a $5 million loan, this could translate to more than sixty thousand dollars of savings over ten years and more over a longer period. This boosts returns for developers or investors in a sector where reducing costs is important to returns.

To further help boost the financial return of developers and investors, the bank will also provide more "money" to green projects. For example, instead of providing a typical construction loan of up to 75 percent of appraised value, New Resource Bank will fund up to 80 percent loan-to-value (LTV) for projects that are designed and built to green leadership standards.

To do this and to continue to be on the cutting edge, the bank plans to actively keep track of how returns on high performance building investments justify greater leverage. In addition to construction loans, the higher LTV also applies to green commercial real estate in refinancing or acquisitions.

To determine green leadership, the bank will initially rely on criteria established by the U.S. Green Building Council. However, the bank is open to alternative approaches to demonstrate green design excellence. As a bank that is founded by world-class entrepreneurs and green business experts, New Resource Bank is developing its green building program by drawing on leading experts within its "New Resource Community".

Among its founding investors are national green building experts including:

• 
  Greg Kats, a former DOE official and advisor to the California Green Building Task Force;
• Jonathan Rose, a pioneering developer of sustainable communities who also recently launched the Rose Sustainable Growth Fund;
• Malcolm Lewis, president of CTG Energetics and a leading green building engineering consultant;
• Ray Anderson, the founder and chairman of Interface Inc.

Peter Liu, the bank's founder and Vice Chairman, said, “We are fortunate to have easy access to experts who have studied the cost-and-benefit of green building features as well as business leaders who have been financially successful in developing green.”

Since its opening in November, the bank has financed a number of green projects in California including a housing development that is aiming to achieve a USGBC LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for homes in Martinez and smart growth, transit friendly projects in the urban cores in Berkeley and Oakland as well as in the Sonoma wine country.

New Resource Bank's unique position as a bank that focuses on financing sustainable resources has allowed it to draw like-minded depositors. With its current office in San Francisco, the bank has attracted depositors from as far as New York, Tennessee and Virginia.

This brand-driven deposit gathering helps it to pass on cost savings in deposit acquisition to its green lending. Greg Kats, who has seen a lot of green financing efforts in his career, says, “This bank is really a smart leader in offering something tangible to green developers -- real dollars and cents benefits, in addition to the opportunity to work with bank professionals who are more knowledgeable about green design issues.”

Another aspect of promoting green is the bank's effort to take the green into the community. Being a FDIC-insured institution, New Resource Bank must open its doors to all customers in its local community. However, community customers will also receive information and resources on how to make green work for their businesses and in their lives.

For example, the bank’s senior vice president for construction and real estate, Ron Steager, recently took conventional developer clients to the West Coast Green building conference to expose them to new green building options. “People see that green can be beautiful, green can be strong, green can be efficient and most importantly, green can be marketable,” said Liu.

Not all 'green' products save the world

That 'earth friendly' label looks nice, but shoppers need to ensure it's for real...

By JOHN HOLLANDTHE MODESTO (CALIF.)

About four decades ago, environmentalists hit on an idea: People could help save Earth through their purchases, from recycled paper to organic food.

What took root then is a thicket today. "Green" products are big business, with Wal-Mart, The Home Depot and other retail giants joining a marketplace long served by small companies.
Consumers have several resources for weighing all the claims -- making sure, for example, that lumber really is from a properly logged forest or that a washing machine really does cut energy use.

"Sometimes the word 'green' or 'natural' is used more as a marketing approach instead of a commitment to the well-being of society," said Fran Teplitz, director of social investing programs for Co-op America, a group based in Washington that urges people to spend responsibly. "You need to peel back the layers to see what their true commitment to sustainability is."

Co-op America helps with its National Green Pages, a directory of businesses in line with its causes. The more conservative California Building Industry Association, for example, has joined in the effort with its Green Builder certification.

Clearly, green business is all over the political map. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed legislation aimed at reducing global warming. President Bush called on Americans to cut their gasoline use in his State of the Union speech.

The federal government monitors energy-efficiency claims for cars and appliances.
Companies large and small are touting their green practices as well as products. Dell computers come in less cardboard and foam packaging than they did before, and the company offers to recycle old systems of any brand. The Ford Motor Co. has cut down on hazardous materials and factory waste.

Consumers can learn about the cost of buying green products, which experts say can be equal to or less than conventional products.

Meeting the Green Builder standards, for example, could cost just a couple thousand dollars, said Don Mull, the Stockton, Calif.-based director of the program.

"When you're looking at a $300,000, $400,000 or $500,000 house, that's not a big number," he said.

A solar electric system is pricey up front, but the cost plunges with government subsidies aimed at reducing the use of polluting fuels.

On top of that, the owner can reduce or even eliminate bills from an electric utility.
"It's a no-brainer," said Steve Vella, owner of Acro Electric of Oakdale, Calif., which does solar installations.

"It increases the value of a home by 20 times the annual savings on the power bill. So, when other people are complaining about rate hikes, our customers are celebrating."

Everett Neighborhood Expo Feb. 10

Neighborhood Expo 2007
Be Informed! Be Included! Be Inspired!

Join us from 8:30 a.m.to 4 p.m. Saturday Feb. 10 at Evergreen Middle School, 7621 Beverly Lane, for a day of connecting with neighbors, and hear from special guests from Everett and nearby cities.

REGISTER NOW: CLICK HERE!

For more information:
Wendy McClure
Office of Neighborhoods
City of Everett
2930 Wetmore Avenue 9E
Everett WA 98201
425 257-8717 wmcclure@ci.everett.wa.us

Keynote Speaker: Jim Diers
Catch the energetic Jim Diers for a talk about engaging our neighbors in community building and civic life. As a professor at the University of Washington, he teaches courses in architecture and public policy, He has guided Seattle residents in organizing and acquiring funding for projects such as community gardens, playgrounds, and art installations for their neighborhoods.
Jim has recently spoken to such diverse audiences as the Whatcom County Oral Health Coalition, the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Livable Seoul Conference. Jim is well known and loved in the Puget Sound area and nationally recognized for his work as a neighborhood organizer/activist and former director of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. He is author of Neighbor Power Building Community the Seattle Way, a must read for citizen activists, urban planners and elected officials.

Workshops:
The Expo includes over a dozen hands-on workshops and exhibitions on useful topics such as: how to maneuver through the planning process; how to organize your neighborhood; how to capitalize on community based assets; how to live sustainably and foster a welcoming, resourceful community in a rapidly growing region.

Information Fair:
Discover new information and resources available in our community to help you and your neighbors develop the type of neighborhoods which promote strong connections between neighbors, encourage public safety, fun, preparedness, environmental stewardship and enhance cultural awareness. Talk with representatives of social agencies, cultural and civic groups, neighborhood associations, and city services. Exchange ideas with other neighbors and obtain links to valuable resources and training.

AGENDA:

8:30 a.m.
REGISTRATION

9 a.m.
WELCOME by EVERETT MAYOR RAY STEPHANSON
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: JIM DIERS, Neighborhood Activist and Professor of Public Policy at University of Washington

10:15 a.m.
WORKSHOP SESSION 1:
A. Grassroots Organizing—Getting Everyone Involved
B. Working with Schools—Engaging the Community in Schools: Panel
C. Everett City Planning 101

11:30 a.m.
WORKSHOP SESSION 2
A. Creating the Welcoming Community Across Cultures and Ages
B. Emergency Preparedness In Your Neighborhood
C. Crime Watch – Creating Safer Neighborhoods

12:30 p.m. lunch and information fair
with Exhibitors from LOCAL AGENCIES and NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS
1:20 p.m.
WORKSHOP SESSION 3:
A. Strengthening Your Neighborhood with Newsletters
B. Bringing Parks to Your Neighborhood, Panel C. Involving All Neighbors, Panel

2:30 p.m.
WORKSHOP SESSION 4:
A. Working with Developers to Shape your Neighborhood, panel
B. Sustainable Living/Simple Living
C. How to build Neighborhood Websites

3:30 p.m.
WRAP UP SESSION

4 p.m.
CLOSING

Sponsored by the City of Everett Office of
Neighborhoods and the Council of Neighborhoods

State to Issue New Stomwater Rules Today

State to issue new stormwater rules today

By ROBERT McCLURE
P-I REPORTER

Outside the snow is melting, sending at first rivulets and then torrents of meltwater flowing across Seattle's parking lots and streets and lawns, carrying transmission fluid and oil and pesticides and the rest of a pollution stew that is the most pervasive pollution threat to Puget Sound.

Today, in what the state Department of Ecology calls a historic step, the agency will issue new rules -- years after they were legally required -- designed to take steps toward controlling this pollution-laced concoction.

"We are here today to announce one of the most important steps that this agency has taken in many years to deal with a water quality problem that has been around for a long time -- but that hasn't been regulated or managed very well," Ecology Director Jay Manning said Tuesday in a news briefing. The new rules are embodied in water-quality permits to be issued today.

But even a state document admits that the new rules include "sometime insufficient measures" to control stormwater. Federal officials also have said the new rules aren't enough to save endangered salmon.

Citing scientific studies, environmentalists and Indian tribes stand poised to challenge the new requirements as too weak to rescue pollution-pounded Puget Sound.

Builders, too, are positioned to launch legal challenges, saying the state is going too far with new measures that could cost home buyers thousands of dollars per house. Municipal officials, meanwhile, fret that a requirement to control stormwater will discourage redevelopment in cities and spur urban sprawl.

Solving the problem will require major changes in the way cities are developed and rebuilt, say scientists who've studied the problem. But the new rules don't require any change in development patterns.

Instead they rely on cleaning up the water through various means. For example, builders might choose to build a system that runs water through a pond, allowing pollutants to settle out, then feeds the water onto a swale to soak into the ground. Cities also will have to inspect and clean out catch basins more frequently.

In a critique of this approach, many of the region's leading scientists studying stormwater said late last year that what is needed is a whole new form of low-impact development. In this system, the amount of pavement is minimized with features such as narrower roads and sidewalks, and the reduced amount of stormwater soaks into the ground instead of running off to scour out nearby stream banks.

Public Employees for Environmental Protection called the rules package "staggering in its vagueness, (with a) ponderous timeline and low expectation for ... protection of our state's waters."

The new rules package covers only new development and redevelopment, and doesn't deal with existing properties, said Sue Joerger of the Puget Soundkeeper Alliance. "I can see why they'd want to ignore it, because (the cost of cleanup) boggles the mind to think about, but we've got to start in some small way."

That's what Ecology is seeking to do, Manning said. And Gov. Chris Gregoire included $26 million in her proposed state budget, half to help cities put the new rules into effect and half for demonstration projects of the low-impact development patterns experts recommend.

But low-impact development isn't mandated by the new rules.

"There's a whole bunch of momentum behind (low-impact development) and I think we can get most of what we want in (low-impact development) through incentives," Manning said. But by requiring it, "We would be biting off an even bigger controversy than we have."

Jodi Slavik, an attorney with the Building Industry Association of Washington, said the new state requirements, along with local requirements that will follow, "will impose dramatic costs on builders." Just coming up with plans and permit fees required by state and local governments, and hiring experts, she said, could run $9,000 per building lot on smaller projects.

Dave Williams of the Association of Washington Cities said local officials are particularly concerned with the requirement that a redevelopment project "would treat that already-paved, used land for stormwater purposes as if it was a virgin piece of land, prior to European development."

"We're concerned that the redevelopment standard could end up discouraging redevelopment in these cities and thwarting our attempts to do what the state is asking us to do through growth management, which is to redevelop and intensify the land use that's already in cities," Williams said.

For big cities such as Seattle, the new rules were supposed to be tightened by July 2000. For smaller cities, the announcement marks issuance of the first rules governing them. Those rules are four years overdue.

State Rep. Sherry Appleton, D-Poulsbo, a member of a group Gregoire appointed to spearhead Puget Sound restoration, said she would like to see the rules package clean up stormwater sooner but she agrees with the approach.

"It may not be as strong as hopefully it will get to, but we have to start somewhere," Appleton said. "If it were at its strongest, people would resist. ... Push-back isn't healthy."

ISSUES OF CONTENTION

Should cities be required to meet water-quality standards?

Should cities have to test bodies of water to see if stormwater is harming them?

Should the state rules exceed federal requirements?

Should cities have to ensure that the volume of water is controlled, as well as the pollutants in the water?

Sustainability Pays... Maltby, Washington

What's New?

January 16, 2007 - Snoqualmie Gourmet Ice Cream and the Sustainable Development Task Force of Snohomish County are sponsoring an event called "Sustainability Pays". The keynote speaker will be Alistair Jackson of O'Brien and Company. Click here for more details.

Green Roofs

Green Roofs



Green roofs, also known as vegetated roof covers, eco-roofs or nature roofs, are multi-beneficial structural components that help to mitigate the effects of urbanization on water quality by filtering, absorbing or detaining rainfall. They are constructed of a lightweight soil media, underlain by a drainage layer, and a high quality impermeable membrane that protects the building structure. The soil is planted with a specialized mix of plants that can thrive in the harsh, dry, high temperature conditions of the roof and tolerate short periods of inundation from storm events.

Built Green Conference March 13, 2007

Built Green Conference is coming to
Everett Events Center
Everett, Washington

2007 Built Green Conference & Expo will be here soon. Find our more about the upcoming conference for building industry professionals (builders, architects, designers, vendors, consultants, engineers, realators), government agencies, and students.

Sessions

A half-day of educational programs including workshops on low-impact site development, energy efficient construction and planning, green business model, green building incentives, and Built Green case studies. A special class on selling green homes for realators will be taught by Ecobroker (clock hours are pending).

Keynote Speaker

Hunter Lovins is the president of Natural Capitalism, Inc. and one of the world's most renowned advisors on sustainable business. A renowned author and champion of sustainable development for over 30 years, she has managed international non-profits, taught at major universities, advised citizens’ groups, governments and corporations, and created several corporations.

Plenary

Joe Lstiburek is a principal of the Building Science Corporation. He is a scientist who investigates building failures and is internationally recognized as an authority on moisture related building problems and indoor air quality. Joe has written numerous books including the Builder Guides as well as technical papers on building construction. He is considered one of the nation's foremost authorities on practical green building. To see Joe's Top Ten list of dumb things to do in the North visit www.buildingscience.com/topten/north.htm.

Find out more about educational programming expo and how to register. Call (425) 460-8238 or email builtgreen@mbaks.com.

Great Meeting Today Nov 16th

Great meeting today.

Wish everyone could have been there.

So much is going on in Snohomish County

Time to get this out to everyone.

always
Karen
www.recyclingwithkbkathome.com