Sustainable Westport began as a municipal task force, appointed by First Selectman Gordon Joseloff in 2006.
Its mission is to “inspire, support and connect residents, organizations and the town of Westport, in furtherance of the town’s resolution to become a Net Zero community by the year 2050.
“Sustainable Westport advises the First Selectwoman, Westport Public Schools, town commissions and departments on determining and setting environmental policies and decisions for the purpose of transforming Westport into a more sustainable community.”
Now a non-profit organization, Sustainable Westport has watched the debate over the future of the Westport Community Gardens and Long Lots Preserve. The group says:
We are inspired by our community’s response to the Long Lots Building Committee’s consideration of plans to relocate the Westport Community Gardens and Long Lots Preserve.
As hundreds of residents have already stated, the Community Gardens are a valuable community asset. Not only do they support exceptional programs like Grow-A-Row [providing food to underserved communities], but they are also emblematic of the type of spaces Westport wants to promote and foster – a natural resource that provides flood storage, wildlife habitat, and tree canopy while also providing an educational and enriching environment for our community.
Sustainable Westport wholeheartedly supports preserving the Community Gardens and building a sustainable school to support our town’s commitment to use best efforts to become a Net Zero community by 2050.
As a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting individuals, businesses, and our town government in making changes to reduce our overall carbon footprint, Sustainable Westport recognizes the immense opportunity this project represents for our community; Westport has not built a new school from the ground up since 2001, and prior to that, not since 1965.
In a recent letter to the Selectwomen and the Representative Town Meeting, Save Westport Now shared several important observations about proposed plans to relocate or modify the Community Gardens and Preserve. Although Sustainable Westport was not invited to participate in the committee, our team has made every effort to attend all public committee meetings and has used our platform to encourage our community to make their voices heard.
Since last October, Sustainable Westport has shared informative content both with the committee and the public to educate residents about the advantages associated with constructing a sustainable school.
Sustainable schools deliver significant health, educational, financial, and environmental benefits to students, teachers, and communities. Not only are sustainable schools more energy efficient, leading to lower operating costs, but they also provide learning spaces that significantly improve the wellness and productivity of those in and around the building. Learn more here.
We also strongly advocated for sustainability to be included as a primary objective for the Long Lots Building Committee. In fact, the resolution appointing the committee includes the directive to incorporate “sustainable and energy efficient design practices to the extent possible into the scope of work as appropriate to achieve the best long term value for the town, in support of the 2017 resolution committing Westport to use best efforts to become a Net Zero community by 2050.”
Long Lots Elementary School was build in 1953, and renovated most recently 50 years ago. It is energy-inefficient today. (Drone photo/Brandon Malin)
We have been pleased by the committee’s willingness to explore sustainable options for each potential outcome: renovate, renovate and expand, or build new. Most considerations focus on energy, including solar, geothermal, ground-source heat pumps, and insulation.
However, we have also heard discussions about installing dishwashers (to reduce the single-use waste), induction stovetops, using mass timber and concrete to lower embodied carbon, implementing rain gardens and sustainable landscaping, and using grey water or a retention pond for irrigation. As these examples illustrate, the umbrella of “sustainability” is complex and far-reaching.
Our ask is simple.
Please extend your energy and enthusiasm beyond protecting the Community Gardens and Long Lots Preserve, a long-standing example of our community’s commitment to sustainability, by also advocating for establishing a school that aligns with the Town’s objective of achieving Net Zero status by 2050.
Let us work together to encourage the Long Lots Building Committee to both preserve our existing natural resources and create new infrastructure that reinforces our shared dedication to sustainability.
Sincerely,
Gately Ross & Johanna Martell
Co-Directors, Sustainable Westport
(“06880” will continue to follow the Long Lots School/Community Gardens debate. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
