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Home My WebLink About07132010 SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS: . Virginia Beach Sustainability Efforts Department of Planning Environment & Sustainability Office July 13, 2009 _. _ _ ___._._ _ Five Items to Cover What is Sustainability? Why is it important? What is the new Environment & Sustainability Office? What is the City's Sustainability Plan? What were the results and implications of the AIA Sustainabitity Design Assessment Team report? What is the short term work program for the City's sustainability efforts? ~~~ ~ ENVIRONNENT ECONOMIC ~ 7/13/201 1 7/13/2010 t is Sustainability? "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" - United Nations World Commission on Environment 8 Development, 1987 "America's challenge is to create a life-sustaining Earth, a future in which prosperity and opportunity increase while life flourishes and pressures on the oceans, Earth and atmosphere diminish." - Former President Clinton's Council on Sustainable Development "a long-term approach which takes into account the inextricable nature of the environmental, social and economic dimensions of development activities" - Quebec Sustainable Development Act "Sustainability, as a model of development, seeks to meet the current demands of society without compromising the rights of future generations to meet theirs. That is to say, the development of the country cannot be based on the unbalanced exploitation of resources (natural, cultural, social, etc.) to meet the demands of society (food, housing, health, employment) because these are the only resources we have, and that future generations have, to meet our and their own needs." - Sustainable Programs Department of Costa Rica Tourism Institute What can a Sustainability Strategy help ~Tirginia Beach do in the Longer Term? Workforce development, retention and attraction of young professionals Bolstered tourism and increased recognition; defined local niche Improved infrastructure Optimized operational and maintenance costs Attraction of general businesses insisting on "green" locales and recruitment of green industry Increased opportunities for potential investment Diversification and enrichment of our local economy ~ ~` _ ~°'.'~ I = 2 J , Why Sustainability in Virginia Beach? Multiple renewable energy resource opportunities (e.g. Wind, Biodiesel) Unique, strategically critical geographic location Strong military and maritime industry in region Favorable climate Exemplary natural and historic resources Strong agricultural base Naturally attractive location and connectedness to the natural environment (largely intact and functional ecosystems) Established and expanding tourism destination Strong educational base with tremendous further potential "we're approaching another critical crossing, and we have an urgent need to mold new models that are both affordable and sustainable. I'm asking you to think ahead..." - Mayor Sessoms, 2010 State of the City Address ~ Why Sustainability in Virginia Beach? ~ Better Sustain Natural Environment ~ Green Infrastructure, Urban Forestry Management Plan, TMDL Implementation Plan Development ~ Agricultural Strategy o Oyster Heritage Restoration Strategy and Seafood Industry ~ Better Sustain Built Environment ~ Energy E~ciency Retrofits ~ Building Lifecycle Costs ~ Infrastructure Maintenance u Climate Change Adaptation ~ Attract Sustainable Economic Development ~ Alternative Energy Development- Offshore Wind, Biodiesel ~ Expanded Research Partnerships with ODU, NSU, TCC and Others ~ Workforce Training and Development for Green Jobs . Save City Money :, Convention Center as Model ~ Study Potential for Reorganization to Better Utilize Limited City Resources u Aggressively Pursue Grants and Other Funding Sources 7/13/201 Q ~ 3 7/13/2010 Why sustainability in Virginia Beach? Provides a means for focusing a wide array of City activities and initiatives around a common focus Helps to serve as an anchor for community values and standards Helps to define what Virginia Beach stands for and is known for Helps to market Virginia Beach as a green community to attract tourism and sustainable economic development at is the new Environment and :~ustainability Office? Created July 1 to position the City to address and respond to increasing array of sustainability-related issues and opportunities In line with actions of most major U.S. cities with populations over 250,000 to centralize similarfunctions Currently housed in Department of Planning No new FTE's involved in office creation 4 1 : t Environment & Sustainability Office Mis sion ~ Will include: ~, responsibility for centralizing the City's communications and coordination functions linked to sustainability related activities and initiatives ~ responsibility for development of and oversight for implementation of City's Sustainability Plan ~ emphasis on outreach to and coordination with / support of community initiatives ~ continuation of many of the previous environmental functions of the former Environmental Management Center ; ,~ Environment and Sustainability Office ~~~ CityManager . James Spore ~~.. _-_ . ~__._.... _.,..__ ~.__..____"'_._. __' - .-_-.. D puty City M ger Deputy Clty Mana9er . Steve H be t -1~~ J Dave Hansen ~~ PlanningDirector~-Tr~ Ener Mana t ~ Jack Whilrrey ~ Administra~or .t':... . -' ..:..:`.. "`.:~ LoriHertlck ' EnvironmentandSustainabil~rtyOfflce '~ Environmen~ and Suslainabillty AdminisUatw Clay Barnick . . . Environmental0 tions Planner III (80°ioTlme) . Coordinatoera Planning Aide I IFuIITimeTemporaryPosifion) PlanningAide I ~partTimeTemporary ~ ~ ~ RickScarper ~ CarolynSmlth SvellaTOmanova Position) Dylan Lloyd ~ Planner II Planner II LindaBregant CalvinJackson F I Environmentallnspectorlll . '~'~" ~ ~onnieWarren PlanningTechnicianll ~ ~~~ (FuIlTimeTemporaryPosition) Charles McKenna ~ Environmental Inspector II David Com pton 7/13/201 5 ~xisting City Groups & Public ~[nvolvement Supported by New t~ffice Wetlands Board Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area Board Mayor's Alternative Energy Task Force Green Ribbon Committee ~, ~~ 4 ~ Clean Waters Task Force ~ Sustainability Advisory Team ~ ~That is the Virginia Beach ustainability Plan? A document prepared with extensive community involvement that will define recommendations for City policy and actions to move the City forward in a broad array of areas (environmental, economic, physical, social and cultural) to enable the City to be a more sustainable community. ~~{,. _ _~ - ' ~`~~ ~~~~ ~~`~:. _._:~ 7/13/2010 6 c 7/13/2010 Other Communities with Exemplary Sustainability Plans New York, NY Arlington, VA Chicago, IL Charlottesville, VA Los Angeles, CA Chesapeake, VA San Francisco, CA Sarasota, FL Portland, OR Seattle, WA ~' ~' Denver, CO ~ ~~r_ Charlotte, NC ~';: __ , How will the plan be Developed? Alignment with City Mission, Council Vision and Strategic Plan, Sustainable City Model, other adopted policies and plans Recommendations from the AIA SDAT Program work Input from a series of facilitated community open houses Presentation to Council of final draft document for adoption early summer 2011 7 7/13/2010 imetable for New Plan Fall 2010 Complete Documentation of existing City plans, policies, actions and initiatives that relate to sustainability Fall 2010 Initiate community open house effort to solicit public input Late Spring 2011 Release initial draft plan for citizen feedback Summer 2011 Complete final draft plan for presentation to City Council for adoption Final SDAT Recommendations Urban Design - walkability & connectivity; articulate neighborhoods; establish connections; centers along transit boulevard; mixed use development at beach; open space; phased implementation Agriculture - neighborhood markets; preserving farm(er)s/watermen; connecting to the "country" best practices; local food system Transportation & Complete Streets - provide viable choices to shift a proportion of SOV to alternate modes (light rail, bus rapid transit, bicycle and pedestrian systems); complete streets Green Economy - Increase Communication; Grow the Energy Efficiency Sector; Pursue Renewable Energy Investments; Prepare Your Workforce; Leverage Growth Along Light Rail to Create Communities AIACommunities by Design ~' ~ ENVISfON. CRE~4TE. SUSTAIN 8 i 7/13/201 , __ __ _ Virginia Beach Sustainability Is: o NOT simply a series of actions o A comprehensive lens of how we look at EVERY city action ~ Community engagement - the City cannot do it alone ~ Lower energy use & higher renewables o Viable multimodal transportation options o Mixed use walkable redevelopment ~ Farms AND the farm economy :~ Healthy natural systems o Ready for sea level rise ~ ~ r~ ;, ~ , ~ Green Economic Development ~`.< ~~` ~ a ;. ~~ ~ .~ Short Term Work Program for Sustainability Complete revisions to City Procurement Policy - Summer 2010 Briefings to City Department Leadership Team and Strategic Issue Teams - Fall 2010 Submit City's Virginia Go Green 2010 application to VML - September 2010 Begin effort to develop new City Sustainabiliry Website and Gateway for related information - August 2010 Initiate Sustainability Plan development process - September 2010 Complete strategic planning process for new Environment & Sustainability Office - December 2010 Seek funding sources to support the City's sustainability efforts through grants - Ongoing Designation of Department and Program Staff Contacts to form a City Sustainability Team - Fall 2010 9 7/13/2010 Questions? VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA - A Community for a Lifetime ... and A Community for Lifetimes to Come! 10