Green Building Recent Accomplishments
A look at our accomplishments in 2007:
Industry Education: Over 800 industry professionals attended one or more of 20 educational events including a Fall Sustainable Communities and Land Use Conference with 175 attendees.
Our annual survey of participating industry professionals shows:
75% have implemented Green Building strategies
80% say Green Building is NOT too expensive and NOT too difficult
80% say Green Building benefits outweigh costs and make projects more marketable
Bellingham based LEED projects continue to have an increasing presence in Whatcom County. Multiple tours of LID and LEED projects were presented throughout the year. TEN new LEED certified projects are slated for completeion in 2008.
Government Technical Assistance: Between conferences, workshops and site visits, we had over 135 local government staff, including planners, public works professionals, and elected officials attend events. Whatcom County created a "Fast Track" permitting in place for LEED-NC or BuiltGreen projects in Whatcom County. The City of Bellingham appoints “Green Team” members to evaluate policy and education options and implement them. Support for Old Town innovative density bonus options for affordable housing, green building, and Lake Whatcom watershed protection.
Public Education & Market Development: In its 5th year, the Home & Landscape Tour attracted over 500 community members and has become the largest tour (green or not) North of Seattle. Over thirty (30+) news articles, permit center display development, and two film showings and thousands of visits to our website looking for information and referrals related to green building, high performance LEED buildings and smart growth.
