The City of Alpharetta recertified as Green Community

Alpharetta, Georgia – The City of Alpharetta has again achieved the Gold Level Green Community status from the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC). This program by ARC supports and acknowledges local governments for reducing their impact on the environment through sustainable actions.

What it takes for a city or county to get certified

To get this certification, cities and counties must do well in ten different areas of sustainability:

1. Eco-friendly Building
2. Saving Energy
3. Using Renewable Energy
4. Reducing and Managing Water Use
5. Planting Trees and Creating Green Spaces
6. Improving Transportation
7. Recycling and Cutting Down Waste
8. Smart Land Use
9. Educational Initiatives
10. Innovative Practices

Each of these actions gets points, and a city needs at least 175 points to get certified.

Check also: The Alpharetta Recreation Commission is set to hold an a meeting on January 24

Alpharetta scored over 230 points to reach the Gold Level. The ARC particularly praised some of their efforts, such as:

• Making it easier to install rooftop solar panels by speeding up paperwork and inspections for systems that are at least 1kWh.
• Watering public areas in Rock Mill Park and Webb Bridge Park with stored rainwater instead of drinking water.
• Keeping the same number of trees on government land, with a recent example being the planting along Haynes Bridge Road.
• Supporting the Alpharetta Community Farm, which uses environmentally friendly farming methods.
• Redesigning North Point PARKway with native plants, a multi-use trail, eco-friendly transit stops, safe walking paths, energy-saving lights, and natural design elements.

The ARC created the Green Communities Program in 2009 to honor local governments for sustainable efforts, making them role models for eco-friendliness. It was the first program in the U.S. to use green certification to promote local government sustainability.

Check also: The Alpharetta Fire Department is looking to hire certified firefighters

Currently, 20 local governments in the Atlanta area, including 14 cities and 6 counties, have this certification.