Saratoga News

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Planners discuss ways to make city environmentally friendly

By Shannon Burkey

The Saratoga Planning Commission met at a March 13 study session to discuss ways in which homeowners and builders in the city could move toward becoming more environmentally friendly.

The commission currently considers the impact on the environment when making its decisions. One way it does this is by restricting the number of wood-burning fireplaces and outdoor fire pits in the city to one per home.

The commissioners also discussed the possibility of looking at ways to offer incentives for residents to be more environmentally accountable with their homes.

Letting people know what their options are and how to go about implementing them is where the commission would like to start.

"Education should be the overall priority," Commissioner Suzy Nagpal said. "We should give a list of things they can do, then educate them on how to do them."

Nagpal said when she built her home, a little environmental education might have made a difference in the way it was built.

"I wish I would have thought about solar installation," she said. "Maybe if there was information out there I would have."

But commissioners want people to know that even simpler things can make an impact.

"We don't even have anything that tells people that they really ought to look at energy-efficient appliances," Commissioner Joyce Hlava said.

Commissioners are looking at other cities in the area for ideas on how to best implement environmentally friendly practices. San Mateo County currently asks applicants looking to build a new structure to submit a sustainable building checklist with their permit application. Some of the goals on the checklist include designing to save wood and labor, saving energy through passive design, and using creativity and innovation to build a more sustainable environment.

The checklist includes 75 different ways to make a building green, several of which Saratoga already complies with.

Currently, the city has several environmentally friendly projects and programs in place throughout the city. Recent ones include the funding of a household hazardous-waste collection program, working with PG&E to retrofit exit lights and replace lighting ballasts and light bulbs in city buildings with more energy-efficient models and acquiring several natural gas-fueled vehicles for the city's vehicle fleet.

Commissioners said they want to make sure residents get the most accurate and important information they can give them.

"There is just such a lack of knowledge and misinformation in this area, and I would hate to see us be a part of it," Nagpal said.

Commissioners see the need to educate the public and get people started on a green path as soon as possible.

"I think we want to pick out some issues that are somewhat egregious to us and start there," Hlava said.