Green Page

In the past few years Whidbey Island has grown significantly greener.  We have the WhidbeyGreenSeal with 40 new member organizations, Pioneer Way Improvements in Oak Harbor tied for the first Greenroads Certification in the State, the Navy built a new Child Development Center that is Certified LEED Platinum, our Rideshareonline participants nearly doubled and the gas saved was 12 times that in 2011.  That’s just the tip of the iceberg… so to speak.

The Whidbey Green Seal started out as Oak Harbor’s Green Business Award.  Angleo’s Cafe’ won it the first year for their waste reduction and water conservation efforts.  The second year they won it again for their energy efficiency upgrades setting high standards. 

Island County’s Council of Governments passed a Sustainability Resolution in 2008.  They set goals to cut carbon emissions and improve quality of life here on Whidbey Island.  They created the Sustainable Whidbey Coalition to promote such endeavors.  Members of the Coalition took notice of the Green Business Award and transformed it into the WhidbeyGreenSeal. 

The new WGS was launched in July 2011 and by New Year’s had 40 new members.  Members organizations can be non-profits, schools, churches, businesses, or government offices.  Those who qualified went through a checklist of  best management practices and rated their score.  In Oak Harbor look for the WGS decal on the window of City Hall, the Senior Center, the Library, the BBQ Joint, NW Granite and Flooring, Cascade Custom Builders and of course, Angelo’s Cafe’. Applications are online.  (see below)

Last weekend a new category was added to the WhidbeyGreenSeal.  The Sound Waters Conference became the first to qualify as a WGS Event. 

This was the 17th annual Sound Waters Conference put on by the WSU Beach Watchers.  It attracted 530 people to over 60 classes.  With careful planning and education they served lunch and snacks and in the end had only 9 pounds of garbage.  They offered preferred parking for carpools, a bike rack for cyclists and prizes for those who took the bus.  For more information on the Whidbey GreenSeal visit: www.sustainablewhidbey.org/projects/greenseal or call Cathy D’Almeida at 360-672-8473.

Oak Harbor’s Pioneer Way Improvements has won awards for the planning and engineering and the overall project qualified for the new Greenroads Certification from the University of Washington.  Bellingham had a bike path extension that tied with Pioneer Way to be the first in the State to achieve this goal.  Greenroads is similar to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification for buildings. There are eleven basic requirements and 108 other choices that guide Greenroads projects toward a high standard of sustainability.  Like LEED there are 4 levels.  Pioneer Way achieved a Silver Certification which is the second level. 

Last year at this time Pioneer Way’s sidewalks were cracked and uneven, parking was often in large puddles, wires draped overhead like spider webs and there was no handicapped access.   After years of planning and design and months of construction the finished project is much more inviting with easy parking, wider sidewalks, lush plantings, underground wires, electric car chargers and public art is coming soon.  It has already become a community gathering place for events.

One feature many would not notice are the Filterra Stormwater Systems.  They look like planters with a small shrub growing out of it.  There are 27 installed along Pioneer Way filtering toxins from the water that rushes off the street toward Oak Harbor Bay.  We’ll have a cleaner, greener downtown for generations to come.  You can read more about the project on the City’s blog site at pioneerway.blogspot.com  or visit www.greenroads.org

NAS Whidbey built a  new Child Development Center on Regatta Drive this year that has attracted a lot of attention.  Solar panels adorn the roof.  Wind turbines stand in the parking lot.  Native plants are used in the landscaping which cuts  water use and maintenance.  They’ve been certified LEED Platinum, the highest standard of sustainable building design. 

Come hear more about it and bring your questions to the next Green Living Seminar at Oak Harbor City Hall on Tues. March 13 @ 5:30pm. For more information contact: mcrandell@oakharbor.org

You’ll see more on the Rideshareonline program in this blog soon.  Meanwhile visit: www.rideshareonline.com to sign up and start saving big bucks.