Other cities 'green' with envy over Naperville's eco-efforts

Increasingly we hear the terms "ecofriendly" and "green" in reference to the environment. But, what does it mean to be "ecofriendly" — and just how "green" is Naperville, really?

According to Anastasia Urban, project manager for the city of Naperville, Naperville is a leading community in the environmental sustainability movement.

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Isabelle Konters, 5, of Downers Grove blows on a dandelion as her brother Noah, 8, hides in the background. They were playing in the field with their grandmother during last year’s Green Earth Fair in Naperville. City officials insist that Naperville is at the top of its game when it comes to being green.
(Sun File)

"From our LEED certified public buildings to our renewable energy program, our mayor and City Council are ahead of most municipalities in the effort," Urban said.

LEED certification is the nationally accepted benchmark for design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. The city's new Public Works facility recently was LEED certified, and the city will be pursuing LEED certification for its new fire station, as well. Other projects in Naperville that will have green components or be LEED certified include North Central College's new Residential Hall/Recreational Center, the Springbrook Prairie Pavilion, Naperville School District 203's Early Childhood Center and the new South Maintenance Facility at Frontier Park.

Naperville also makes its easier for its residents to contribute to the green movement. Naperville was the first city in Illinois to participate in a renewable energy program that allows participants to purchase clean energy produced through natural means such as wind, water and the sun.

Since 2005, the city of Naperville has partnered with Community Energy, the largest producer of wind energy in the world. For $5 a month added to a resident's monthly electric bill, the city purchases 200-kilowatt hours of clean and renewable energy that is added to the Illinois electric grid. Currently there are about 4,200 residences (8.2 percent) who have signed up for the voluntary program.

"Our goal was to encourage the development of renewable energy here in Illinois," said Allan Poole, director of public utilities for the city of Naperville. "It seemed like Naperville — being a progressive community and a scientific community — it seemed like the right place, at the right time, for the right reasons."

The program has been so successful that after only a few years of participation, the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory ranked Naperville sixth in the nation in the category of "Percentage of Customer Participation."

"We have grown (the program) to a higher level in a much shorter time frame (than other communities in the U.S.)," Poole said. "I think that speaks so well of our citizens."

The residual effects of the city's environmental awareness include luring environmentally conscious businesses to Naperville. One such business, Hotel Arista, has received official LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, becoming the state of Illinois' first hotel to achieve this status. The hotel utilizes reusable laundry bags and water conservation fixtures, using 30 percent less water and 21 percent less energy than the typical property.

Another new business in Naperville, Pizza Fusion, recently chose this city to open its first location in the Midwest because of its commitment to the environment. The restaurant, on 75th Street in the Springbrook Prairie Pavilion, serves pizza free of artificial additives, along with a 75 percent organic menu. In addition, Pizza Fusion is committed to minimizing its ecological footprint. To this end, they deliver food in company-owned hybrid vehicles and build LEED certified restaurants like the one in Naperville, which has bamboo flooring, a recycled glass countertop bar and recycled aluminum tile on the walls.

"The owner chose Naperville because of the renewable wind energy program and because Naperville is ecofriendly and so earth-conscious that it was a good match for the location," said Katie Lagges, general manager of Pizza Fusion.

Naperville's schools are promoting green living, as well. For example, in mid-March, Graham School hosted a "Go, Green!" week, teaching students to reduce, reuse and recycle. Fifth-grade students weighed garbage bags to get an average weight of lunchtime trash, and lunch trays and condiment dispensers replaced paper and packets.

Naperville also is also home to 2,500 acres of parks and open space managed by the Naperville Park District, which recently formed a "Green Team" to coordinate environmental initiatives across departments. Within the last six months, they conducted waste audits, which led to suggestions on how to encourage more recycling from people who use the parks.

"Parks provide opportunities for people to connect with nature, appreciate the outdoors and develop a concern for our environment," said Sue Omanson, community development project manager for the Naperville Park District.

According to Poole, Naperville has a history of being environmentally friendly and will continue those efforts in the future.

"We pioneered curbside recycling. We are 'Tree City USA,'" said Poole, "You can go on and on about the good things the city has been doing for the environment."