SHERBORN RECEIVES GREEN COMMUNITIES GRANT

Thanks to the initiative of the Board of Selectmen, the strong support of the Planning Board, and the exceptional hard work of the Energy Committee, Sherborn has been awarded $137,450 from the Massachusetts Green Communities program to implement energy efficiency improvements in Town buildings and vehicles. The improvements will, in turn, save more money for the Town while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

GREEN COMMUNITY GRANT APPROVED!

Sherborn has been awarded a grant in the amount of $137,450 as a direct result of its attainment of status as a designated Green Community. The funds will be used for improvements in lighting, insulation, environmental controls, etc. at Town buildings including Pine Hill School, Town Hall, and the Fire and Police Stations. It also includes funds for anti-idling devices for certain Town vehicles. The great thing is that, in addition to the grant funding these improvements, the improvements themselves will reduce energy use thus resulting in more savings!

In addition to the funds, the Town will also receive road signs indicating its status as a Green Community and a "Big Belly" trash barrel with a solar-powered compactor to reduce the frequency of emptying.

SHERBORN:AT A CROSSROADS - A PLANNING BOARD REPORT ON THE TOWN CENTER

The Planning Board has been spending several months on studying the Town Center and preparing a report on its existing conditions and potential impacts of changes under two different scenarios. The report includes information on the following:

• Previous Town Center Improvement Efforts, including the major zoning changes, proposed road reconstruction plans and previous studies including the 1958, 1975 and 2001 Master Plans, the 1971 Town Center Study, the 1981 Zoning Study Committee report, the 1989 Town Center Master Plan,  the 2001 Livability Charrette, the 2001 General Plan, the 2004 Community Development Plan and the 2007 Final Report of the Town Center Water District Workgroup 

• Documentation of Existing Conditions, including existing lot areas, building space, parking spaces and other information regarding the Primary Commercial Area and other areas within the Town Center 

• Resident Survey and Citizen Input, including the results of a citizens survey conducted in 2008, and input from a set of public forums conducted in June and October of 2008 

• Estimates of Future Development, based on alternative assumptions and visions 

• An Evaluation of the Impacts of Alternatives, including fiscal impacts

The report does not yet include recommendations. The Planning Board has drafted a set of potential recommendations that span a wide range of options. Its plan is to present the report without recommendations in order to receive feedback and input from other boards and commissions as well as the general public before committing to specific recommendations. It is intended to be an inclusive process in an effort to achieve consensus on the actions the Town should pursue.

This report is the first step toward an update of the 2001 General Plan. Following the finalization of the the Town Center report, the Planning Board will begin to update the other elements of the General Plan. The full draft report is available here.

SHERBORN IS A GREEN COMMUNITY!

I am very happy to announce that Sherborn has officially been designated a Green Community! We are now eligible to receive a grant in the amount of $137,450 to be used for energy efficiency improvements in Town facilities. The grant is subject to successful submission of an application indicating what the funds will be used for. Most of it will consist of projects that have been identified in the Energy Reduction Plan which was one of the five components of our application for designation.The other four criteria that we had to meet were to allow an alternative energy facility to be developed by right (accomplished by creating a solar photovoltaics overlay district at the Town landfill via a Zoning Bylaw amendment approved at Town Meeting in April), allow such a facility to be allowed through an expedited permitting process of 12 months or less (we provided for 6 months), to adopt a fuel efficient vehicle policy (ours was adopted by both the Board of Selectmen and the School Committee) and to adopt of the Stretch Energy Code (this optional building code section that requires a higher standard of energy efficiency was also adopted at Town Meeting in April).

In addition to the grant funds, the Town will receive a solar trash compactor with a recycling attachment, as well as four  street signs indicating that the town is a Green Community.

Perhaps the biggest benefit is that energy efficiency improvements made with the grant funds will results in lower energy costs in the future. This will save the Town additional money while also reducing carbon emissions that contribute to global climate change.

It should be noted that the source of funds for Green Community grants is not state tax revenues, but rather it is proceeds from the carbon credits purchased though auctions by emitters of carbon through the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative in which Massachusetts participates along with other New England and Mid-Atlantic states.

STORMWATER MANAGEMENT BYLAW AND FUNDING

Last week, Town Meeting voters approved both the new Stormwater Management Bylaw and funding up to $400,000 through the State Revolving Fund (SRF) at a 2% interest rate. The state loan had been approved subject to Town approval at Town Meeting and then at Town Election. Both of these are required elements of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). Town Election is Tuesday, May 10.

The SRF funding will be used for a number of projects. These include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Mapping -- The existing Town-owned stormwater management system (i.e. catch basins, manholes, culverts, detention basins, leaching galleys, etc.) will be mapped in Geographic Information System format. In the process of creating these maps, an added benefit will be the creation of a new set of Assessor's Maps. 
• Inspections -- All elements of the Town system will be inspected to determine its condition and to identify possible illicit discharges.
• Sampling --  The water discharged from all outfalls will be sampled in both dry and wet conditions. This will help determine where additional treatment or system upgrades are necessary.
• Pollution Prevention --  A stormwater pollution prevention plan will be prepared for all regulated Town facilities including the Police and Fire Stations, CMD Garage, Town Hall, and Library.
• Operation and Maintenance -- An operation and maintenance plan for the stormwater system will be developed.
• Phosphorus Management -- Phosphorus has become a pollutant of increasing concern because it encourages excessive plant growth and results in an imbalance in surface water ecosystems. A plan to address phosphorus discharges will be prepared.
• Identify Grants -- Grants may be available to help offset the costs of the program and/or to fund improvements to the stormwater management system. Such grants will be identified as part of the program.

Protection of both surface and groundwater resources is critical to the future of Sherborn, and has therefore always been a high priority. This program is the next step in our ongoing effort to protect these resources.

STRETCH CODE INFO SESSION IN SHERBORN

Speaking of the Stretch Code (see post below), there will be a presentation about the Stretch Code on January 26, 2010 at 7:00 at Town Hall.  Mr. Michael Berry, Project Manager for the Massachusetts New Homes with Energy Star Program, will be present at the public forum to provide an overview of the new Stretch
Energy Code and answer questions from the public. More information will be posted as it becomes available. In the mean time, a "question and answer" document about the stretch code is available on the State web site and can be accessed here.

STRETCH CODE

No, this is not a new law attempting to prevent injuries by requiring that you stretch before exerting yourself! Rather, it is an optional part of the State Building Code that requires a greater degree of energy efficiency than the standard code. One major difference for new construction is that it requires a performance-based test rather than just a prescriptive list of items that must be done in order to pass the test. Since one of the requirements is a blower test to identify air leaks in the structure, additions and renovations would still be built according to prescriptive measures (and those measures will apply only to the addition or renovation).

While the stretch code was initially intended to provide about 20% greater efficiency than the standard code, the standard code has also changed so the difference has been narrowed to some degree. It should also be noted that what is now the stretch code is scheduled to become the standard code by 2013. However, a new stretch code may also be created by that date that will maintain a margin of greater efficiency over the standard Building Code.

As noted in an earlier post, adopting of the stretch code is one of the required elements in order to be designated as a Green Community. Some have questioned how much extra it might cost to build in compliance with the stretch code. The real answer is that it will actually cost less to build according to the stretch code when energy savings are taken into account. The initial cost will be greater, but that difference will be made up relatively quickly and as energy costs rise, the payback time is reduced. Sixty four communities have adopted the stretch code as of November 19, 2010. Fifty three communities have been designated as Green Communities so far.

It should be noted that upon designation as a Green Community, the Town is notified of a dollar amount in grant funding for which it is eligible. It can use the funds to implement energy efficiency measures. The amount of the grant generally ranges between $125,000 and $175,000.