Citizens' Environmental Commission

Agenda City of DeKalb Citizen Environmental Commission Sustainability Plan Meeting September 25, 2014 6:00pm Unitarian Universalist Library 158 North 4th Street DeKalb, IL 60115 I. Welcome II. Public comment III. Review of Public Comments on Sustainability Plan IV. Other Items V. Adjournment ED049-14 DATE: September 8, 2014 TO: Citizens Environmental Commission FROM: Jennifer Diedrich, Economic Development Coordinator RE: Public Comment on the Sustainability Plan Staff has collected the following suggestions in regards to the Sustainability Plan during the public comment period of August 18 – September 8, 2014. Comments below are provided in order of date of receipt. Contact info from individuals who have submitted comments have been removed, however, contact info from organizations have been included. COMMENT #1 1 - Do not sign on to the NIU "Pup" busses if you are really concerned about sustainability, and making this a walking friendly city. We have two transportation systems in place already. 2 - Encourage bike riding by making sure all existing trails/paths are maintained, and bike racks are available. 3 - Enforce traffic laws, far too many people drive with cell phones in hand, turn corners without checking for pedestrians, and run stop signs and stop lights. It isn't safe for the young or old to cross most streets. 4 - With today's automotive technology is it really necessary for most city trucks, ambulances and fire trucks to be kept running on streets and grocery store parking lots? Is it even reasonable to take an ambulance or fire truck to the grocery store? 5 - Most city sidewalks are in terrible shape. Take a walk down 4th street from Pine Street to Sycamore Road, either side of the street, and you will see just one example of what walkers have to deal with. Why work on the corners when the sidewalks in-between are in such poor condition? 6 - There is little real pride in maintaining the tree banks between the sidewalks and the streets. Weeds are huge, even in parks. I presume that the city crews worked overtime before the review committee come to DeKalb in 2013. What the attached document showed, and what we see when we walk are two different things. 7 - The potted plants in downtown DeKalb and on the NIU campus are not, in my opinion, examples of sustainable projects. They have to be watered and maintained by city employees. Plant wildflowers that can tolerate our climate, if you must plant anything. DeKalb does not seem to consider the people who already live here. We are being taxed to death for schools [we don't have children, but have paid taxes on schools for over 40 years], the swimming pool [I've never been there, make it a user tax], airport [again, make it a user tax], etc., etc. Most retired people have limited incomes. If you want people to move here DeKalb must be affordable. COMMENT #2 a. 12. 12 emphasizes the importance of rewarding those who build to LEEDS specifications. That of course is important. But the suggestion to reduce impact fees is not appropriate. Impact fees are meant to pay for infrastructure associated with housing development, and even a LEEDS perfect home, still requires fire protection and has a likelihood of having children requiring schools. Please change that suggestion to something other than impact fees, or perhaps simply omit how the reward is to be given. b. The appendix is of interest but I would suggest when you put up the final version that you separate the appendix from the body of the report, as the appendix calls too much attention to only a few of the many good suggestions and might distract from other suggestion The rest of the comments are really minor For 6.1 you might want to suggest the use of incubator space for such businesses thereby reusing now vacant or abandoned property 7.1 I’m not sure what this sentence means, are you talking about allowing solar panels in all districts? In any case clarification is needed 8.3 Clearly there is some conflict here that I don’t understand. This point needs clarification 12.3 I’m a total advocate of native plants; encouraging their growth might require some changes in city code with respect to grass height etc. You probably should mention this Again, an interesting report and I sincerely hope you partition its content to try to implement items one by one rather than having the whole report overwhelm staff and council by the sheer number of recommendations COMMENT #3 A couple of suggestions to improve our environment: Recycling: Though now retired, I spent many years working in a local office facility. One frustration that I had was the lack of recycling of paper. I actually brought non-confidential paper home so that I could put it out with our regular recycling. Apparently, private trash disposal companies do not handle recycling in the DeKalb area. I feel strongly that it should be Page |2 mandated that all disposal firms operating in the DeKalb area must provide (at least) paper recycling. Along the same lines, at events such as Corn Fest, bottles and cans comprise the bulk of the trash, yet there are no provisions to recycle anything. Autumn on Parade, in Oregon, IL, has clear plastic bags on holders for cans and bottles everywhere there is a trash can. DeKalb could follow their example, at least with cans with round holes for recycling at many locations downtown. Besides saving landfill space, the income from the cans could be donated to a worthy non-profit community organization. COMMENT #4 Proposal for sustainability number 1: Officially join the cities of DeKalb and Sycamore into one but separate name entities - create a twin city with one government. This would create a city of some major size. Allow for a 15 year phase in to fully unite into a then medium size city. Such a population center could bring new industry and jobs to the area. Industries to consider would be bio tech, medical tech, trauma treatment center, advanced labs, as well as other clean industries. Number 2: Bring passenger train out to DeKalb, join the other counties who have such transportation. Number 3: Cut under the rail line at 4th and Lincoln to allow trucks and cars to pass under the rail line, thus freeing the city. Number 4: Develop a city/ industry relations program which assists development needs, but not a tax payer expense. Number 5: Hold/ sponsor an annual conference of small towns and exchange ideas for sustainability. COMMENT #5 I wanted to commend the Task Force for its work and recommendations and to note that to get citizens to behave responsibly may require many repeated public service announcements and educational articles. An additional step that I would like to see taken eventually would be a small tax on single-use plastic bags at grocery stores. More progressive communities have actually outlawed bags, but I believe a tax would be appropriate. As absurd as it seems, many more people will bring their own re-usable bags to the store rather than pay 5 cents per bag. Plastic is damaging to the environment and the plastic bags littering the farm fields are unsightly. Finding a way to reduce their use hurts no one except the plastic factories. COMMENT #6 I think DeKalb needs to be more "bicycle" friendly. We need to educate the public that bicyclists have the same rights to be on the roads as cars. If more people biked there would be less problems with clean air, a target of the policy as well as added health benefits another target Page |3 area, healthy living. Maybe the city could reward or encourage citizens or Companies whose employees commute by bike. We also need to maintain and add to the existing bike lanes. An example of this is First Street near Dresser. The bike lane "sharrows" in some spots are badly deteriorated and need to be kept up. I am all for using native plants in landscaping as well as maintaining buffer strips in certain areas. Again how about encouraging private citizens to restore their back yards into these types of areas? Another win, win situation for everyone. I would like the city to promote the "Harvesting of Rainwater as an alternate source of water. This would also reduce run off. As I said its good start. COMMENT #7 I am happy to go on record as stating that I hate roundabouts. They do not work here in the United States because we drive on the right side of the road. They work in England and India, where people drive on the left side of the road. There are roundabouts near the town where my parents live. No matter how many years’ roundabouts are in a location, too many people have no idea how to drive on them, and that makes them dangerous for fender benders. I drive way out of the way to avoid them. I already wrote about idle free vehicles: http://www.daily-chronicle.com/2011/12/20/shelton-lets-stop-idling-on-clean-air-issue/apcsf6e/ The NIU North 40 and that whole area near the river floods like crazy. I already told the President of NIU and Bill Nicklas that the golf course should be put back into that area and there should be no more additional buildings. That area should remain a green space because of the flooding. I would be in favor of having the Army Corps of Engineers do a flood mitigation study. I would not be in favor of private consultants doing a study. Plants in the ground use half to about one third less water than plants in artificial planters. I would be in favor of flowers in the parkways and/or lawns compared to planters. The planters that are there now are counter-intuitive for sustainability. There is a lot of vehicle idling while city staff water those planters, which has to be done frequently. Flowers in the ground would reduce gas-powered mowing. I do not remember encouraging new construction projects to choose dual flush toilets. That should be added. Generally, people and businesses should be encouraged to follow green initiatives rather than using a punitive approach. Page |4 Generally, sustainability should also include economic sustainability--any green projects should not be unaffordable. COMMENT #8 In response to the call for public input into the draft Sustainability Plan, I ask that the Citizen Environmental Commission consider recommending a reduction in the amount of light pollution we create. Much of this could be achieved by covering street lights and lighting in commercial parking lots with low-cost collars that direct the light downwards. Reducing the required brightness level in certain areas could help the City and its businesses recover much of the expense through lower utility costs. And keeping the direct light down reduces glare: the increased contrast between the darker skies and the lighted ground will make those things (cars, pedestrians) on the ground that we really need to see brighter by comparison. This could provide a substantial safety benefit. Numerous scholarly articles have been written that point out the health effects of too much light at night. Among them is the disruption of our normal sleep cycles, which can affect both our mental and physical well-being. In 1987, when a friend of mine who lived in the light-polluted suburbs came to visit, he told me “one reason I like coming to DeKalb is that I can actually see stars when I come here.” In most parts of town now, this is no longer true. One observation I hear from many long-time residents is that our community’s rural character is quickly going away. However, if the City were to adopt policies and practices to reduce the amount of light unnecessarily shining upwards and sideways, and to dim the light we don’t really need, we could gain back the night sky and improve our quality of life. COMMENT #9 Congratulations on the Committee's success in creating a plan that is well-organized, cost conscious, and contains fresh ideas while remaining free of jargon that would impede understanding. I am particularly impressed with the Solid Waste and Water Sections, and intrigued by the thought of a Waste Exchange, which I hope the City will adopt as a pilot program. In general, I am less enamored of ideas for new ordinances. For example, I am not sure we need a solar ordinance as I already know people who have installed solar without one. Perhaps there is a case to be made for the necessity of such an ordinance, and if so I hope the Committee shall make it. Also, regarding this vague, medium-term goal for food security: "Work toward ordinances and zoning changes that promote food security, taking into consideration the rights of citizens to access food security for themselves and their families without infringing on the rights of others." Page |5 If the Committee can micro-manage air quality by recommending an outdoor smoking ban, it could certainly address the desirability/acceptability of vegetable gardens on front lawns and chickens in the back! Many thanks to the Committee for its hard work and the opportunity to comment on it. COMMENT #10 several good things (if implemented correctly) in the plan, but several concerns... 1) Green Economy Development Goal 6: Improve the Sustainable Economy in DeKalb. Short Term 1. Recruit and promote businesses engaged in the green economy, such as solar energy, alternative fuels, and others. So, why are wind turbines outlawed in DeKalb? Yes, I can understand that a 60' tall 3-blade tower in my back yard would be rather disruptive to the neighborhood, but there are now more and more efficient, quiet, affordable vertical and horizontal turbines entering the market, and many are small & unobtrusive enough (both visually and noise-wise) to allow their placement on garages, houses, outbuildings, etc. Goal 7: Promote, adopt policies, and provide resources and incentives to increase energy efficiency and the use of alternative energy city-wide. Short Term 1. Pass a city-wide solar ordinance that applies to all zoning classifications. This scares me... I envision the usual "over-reaction" to a technology that is not understood by the decision makers that invariably leads to over-regulation, under-utilization, and the general discouraged feeling by the citizenry about attempting improvements. I utilize solar panels, and have many friends throughout the world who also do... Over-regulation will do nothing but harm to the city, state, country, and world! Safety is important, of course, and care must be taken to install them properly, but it should not be a nightmare process, and sadly, after living in DeKalb/Sycamore since 1967, I fear the worst. 2) Natural Environment Goal 11: Promote community education regarding the benefits of natural environments and their conservation and protection. Short Term 1. The CEC will coordinate with local academic institutions and the University of Illinois Extension Office to provide programs informing residents of the benefits of using native plants in landscaping and reducing fertilizers, pesticides, and other lawn chemicals. That is wonderful to see, but you laud the benefits of some of the most intensive herbicide and pesticide users in: Goal 10: Promote the restoration and preservation of natural environments in DeKalb. Long Term 2. Establish appropriate vegetative buffers with native plants on public lands adjacent to the Page |6 Kishwaukee River and other local bodies of water. Examples of areas are local parks and golf courses along the river. I have many years in grounds keeping including 4 years at Kishwaukee Country Club (1976?- 1980)... INTENSE chemical usage... And, true, there do exist buffer zones between the manicured/mowed areas and the river that do help stop runoff of chemicals in time of heavy rains, but these are not nearly enough (imho) to mitigate the effects. The major problem is farm run-off, of course, but that is beyond the City's control; however, they do have a voice to express opinions to the County. 3) Housing and Urban Design Goal 12: Develop residential zoning, building codes, and ordinances for new and existing buildings to increase energy efficiency and environmental sustainability. Medium Term 7. Expand mixed-use development to require both local shopping and commerce in subdivisions to reduce automobile use. So, quit giving "big box" stores tax breaks to build on Sycamore Road. How about some incentives for businesses downtown? There used to be many neighborhood grocery stores in all the neighborhoods. Then they went away. Then there were major chains in downtown DeKalb: A & P (now home to Faranda's), National T (was JoAnn Fabrics for years, now bank/offices next to the old First Nat'l Bank), Piggly-Wiggly (later Eagle and Sullivan's) on S. 4th St. Where are the grocery stores now? You cannot get to them without driving/riding. IF people could shop close to home, I believe that most would be willing to pay a bit more for that convenience. This would also reduce the number of cars on the road, the amount of pollution created, and make the downtown and surrounding areas more viable. Long Term 11. Establish a permitting process and encourage the construction of private “greywater” and rainwater systems. Why is this "Long Term"? Why not include the management of water in conjunction with: Natural Environment Goal 11 Short term 2. Provide property owners with information on sustainable property maintenance practices, such as resource efficient landscaping maintenance and cleaning supplies. Goal 11 Long Term 4. The CEC will initiate a conservation program for the home and lawn to publicly acknowledge homeowners who establish effective conservation measures on their property. Seems a though there is a lot of items in this plan that overlap, and have been broken into their own separate areas 4) Transportation Goal 15 Long Term 9. Increase free flow traffic conditions with the use of roundabouts and interchanges. Page |7 Roundabouts? Blech... They, to the uninitiated, are more dangerous... pedestrians hate them, btw... 5) Water Resources Again, a major overlap with other items (Natural Environment, Housing, etc. etc.)... Can’t many of these be combined to give 1) a smaller document, and 2) a unified look at what a person would/could/should do? One complaint I do have is that a lot of the city lighting is not the most efficient in the light polluting area, being post-top rather than the less light-polluting shoe-box or cobra-head styles. They do look nice, however. Pet peeve... "Cutesy" street signs do not make it... they should be READABLE by all... So, white on green is a major failure, even though someone thought that was a wonderful idea. At night, they are terrible. Black letters on white signs are still the most legible, day and night. COMMENT #11 I wanted to provide input on an issue that may or may not be part of the sustainability plan for the City of DeKalb. There have been times when I have driven from Sycamore to downtown DeKalb on Sycamore Road, and I have hit every single stop light (I think I counted 14 one time) on the way to Lincoln Highway. Not only is it frustrating but it is a waste of gas and causes the overuse of brakes (which puts asbestos particles in the air). Usually it happens if I am at the head of the line when stopped at a stop light; if this happens, it seems like I hit all the subsequent stop lights as I go south on Sycamore Road. There are other lights that could use tweaking. For example, the lights at North First and Augusta/Pine could use an adjustment - I find that I sit at Augusta waiting for the light to turn quite frequently. The timing changes when NIU lets out, but it feels like that timing should be controlled by need as well (being tripped by cars waiting on Augusta or Pine). Also, the lights at North Fourth and Pine could stand to be revised. People sit at Pine for an excessive amount of time waiting for the light to change. I don't know who controls the stop light cycles - perhaps it is the state that handles that. However, it would be worth having the city look into this issue from an environmental point of view. A reevaluation of traffic patterns and flow on Fourth, First and Lincoln Highway could potentially save gas for residents of the town. Thank you so much for seeking input. COMMENT #12 1. After being involved in great detail with the movement to save Kiwanis Park, it was apparent that the governmental bodies needed to establish and maintain better lines of Page |8 communication. This would be communication between elected officials, not just hired staff. We were delighted that the park will continue to be used as soccer fields as this has all sorts of positive impacts for the environment. This certainly fits within the concept of the Sustainability Plan. What a wonderful "save" for the community. Now if only we could envision some redevelopment for that South Fourth corridor...the positive impact could be astounding. It took a great deal of effort on the part of several people, but the battle was won and our efforts will impact our community for a long time. So...more thought to improving the South Fourth corridor. 2. Another corridor which could use a huge boost is the east entry into the city on 38. Do I need to say more? What a horrible entry into the city! That has some potential that could certainly make a difference. My fantasy has always been to bring in some of the folks from our developer community and give them a short term assignment to "brain storm" about what to do with our various corridors. Some visioning and exchange of ideas could take place. Some of our financial institutions could take part in this visioning. Certainly these entities have done well over the years and this would be a good way for them to "give back". Of course there should be a profit margin incentive, but instead of let's say a $10,000 profit, they would get a $5,000 profit and still come out ahead. That's why this is a fantasy...I can also picture my head on a stake for suggesting something like this. 3. Read in the paper the other day about an interesting idea for the North 40...I believe the gentleman had suggested a type of outdoor theater. The more I thought of his idea, the better it sounded. There is such a theater up in Wisconsin, way up nestled in the hills. Years ago I saw a Midsummer Night’s Dream performed there...it was really neat. I suppose the man had in mind something like that or a modified Ravinia. This idea could have all sorts of positive results as it would help the local economy, preserve open space, encourage relationships between NIU and DeKalb. I believe NIU has a very good drama department. 4. No more multiple housing and open up more green space in congested areas. If I have heard anything over and over again, especially after the Kiwanis project and subsequent involvement with the Irongate development, it is that we do not need more housing and what a mess we have in and around the Greek Row area. 5. Redevelopment, rehab (or whatever title it might be given) for older neighborhoods. I'm thinking of something similar to the old DeKalb/Pond/Fisk project of several years past where a few houses were razed to be replaced by similar, smaller scale houses and others were remodeled. We ended up with affordable housing and a neighborhood rejuvenated. There are many houses which are now rentals or totally empty that could use a boost so that families can once more occupy them. What about a program that helps some capable people to purchase and flip houses? For example, if I knew how to do some carpentry and a friend of mine could do plumbing, we could purchase a house, fix it and sell it. However we might need a little bit of seed money to get started...money that could later be paid back so such a program could continue. Page |9