Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op in Elk Grove

No, this is not a pre-St. Patrick's Day event.  The Sacramento Natural Foods Co-ops new Elk Grove location will be the site of a tour and discussion of the challenges facing "green building."  Learn about the construction of a truly "green" building from the Northern California Chapter of the United States Green Building Councils Sacramento's Emerging Green Builders.

The evening will start with a welcome and discussion from the Co-op General Manager and Store Manager on what it takes to be on the cutting edge of grocery design.  This will be followed by a discussion from the design firm, Ekistics Design Studio, about how they approached the project and what guided their decision making process.  This will all be followed by a tour of the facility and delicious food for spirited networking.   

The Co-op's Elk Grove store is a 20,000-square-foot example of how the Co-op is accomplishing their goal to model sustainable practices in their business. The new, state-of-the-art building is energy-efficient and features many green design elements with many natural materials used during its construction.

Some Green Design Facts:

• The Co-op is SMUD's largest business user of the Greenergy Program, paying a premium to purchase 100% of its electrical power from renewable resources;
• Indirect-Direct Heating & Cooling System: 30-50% more energy efficient than traditional systems;
• Lighting Controls System: Motion sensors throughout the store determine lighting needs to reduce energy consumption;
• Natural Lighting: Nineteen skylights and the south-facing, storefront window wall reduces energy to light and cool the store;
• Warehouse Refrigeration: Sensors minimize energy waste and produce hot water at no cost;
• Building Insulation: Made from 100% recycled blue jeans;
• Rubber Floor: Made from recycled tires, the rubber is 100% post-consumer waste from America's landfills;
• Cork Floor: Made from cork trees that never need to be cut down to make cork products;
• Carpeting: Plastic-residue free, made from a water-based product;
• Counter Tops: Made from layered paper compressed and baked to form solid sheets; non-toxic adhesive;
• Particle Board Cabinets: Made from "eco label" certified (ecologically protected) forest trees;
• Bamboo Cabinets: Endures harsh conditions;
• Cabinets: Made with natural products rather than chemically-treated wood.

Event begins at 7:30PM on March 9, 2006.  It is free but please RSVP to Panama Bartholomy at Panama@ccc.ca.gov as soon as possible because space is limited.  The Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op is located at in the Elk Grove Marketplace - 8517 Bond Road, Elk Grove, CA 95624.

For those interested in SmartGrowth and "sustainability" the good people over at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have recently put out a few interesting new studies regarding the impact of growth on communities.  If we are going to create vibrant livable cities these studies indicate urban living will need to become more dense over the next 20+ years. 

In Sacramento, urban living has become very popular among a broad range of people.   There are a number of high rise (25-50 story) high rise developments in various stages of development near the California State Capitol.  One example is the The Towers currently being constructed by developer John Saca. 

Buildings such these will begin changing the face of many cities by bringing people back into city cores to live and play as well as work.  In doing so the EPA has studied the effects of surface water run-off, the linkage of drinking water and storm water policies and, of course, parking.  If any of these topics interest you click on the links below to get a more detailed look at the new EPA publications.

Protecting Water Resources with Higher-Density Development (EPA publication 231-R-06-001) The U.S. Census Bureau projects that U.S. population will grow by 50 million people, or approximately 18 percent, between 2000 and 2020. This study intends to help communities better understand the impacts of higher and lower density on water resources.  To more fully explore this issue, EPA modeled stormwater runoff from three different densities at three scalesone-acre level, lot level, and watershed leveland at three different time series build-outs to examine the premise that lower-density development is always better for water quality.  The findings indicated that low-density development may not always be the preferred strategy for protecting water resources. Higher densities may better protect water qualityespecially at the lot level and watershed scale.

Using Smart Growth Techniques as Stormwater Best Management Practices (EPA publication 231-B-05-00) to comply with the Clean Water Act, over 6000 communities across the nation are developing municipal stormwater permitting programs (also known as Phases I & II).  Many of these communities are also implementing programs that encourage development in existing communities, redevelopment of vacant properties, promote transportation options and facilitate efficient use of land and infrastructure.  "Using Smart Growth Techniques as Stormwater Best Management Practices" reviews nine common smart growth techniques and examines how they can be used to prevent or manage stormwater runoff.  This publication will help communities encourage smart growth and meet the new regulatory requirements. http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/stormwater.htm

Growing Toward More Efficient Water Use: Linking Development, Infrastructure, and Drinking Water Policies (EPA publication 230-R-06-001)  This publication focuses on the relationship between development patterns, water use, and the cost of water delivery.  It reviews literature that shows how large-lot, dispersed development patterns cost more to serve because of the length of pipe required, pumping costs, and other factors.  The literature also shows that large-lot, dispersed development uses more water.  Growing Toward More Efficient Water Use concludes with policy options for states, localities, and utilities that directly reduce the cost and demand for water, while indirectly promoting smart growth.  These policies offer opportunities for more efficient water use at a time when many communities face water shortages.  http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/water_efficiency.htm

Parking Spaces / Community Places: Finding the Balance through Smart Growth Solutions (EPA publication 231-K-06-001) This report highlights proven approaches that balance parking with broader community goals.  Current codes typically apply inflexible minimums that ignore community and developer priorities including environmental quality and human health.  An oversupply of unnecessary parking wastes money and creates places that degrade water quality and encourage excess driving and air emissions.  The highlighted solutions cover a range of supply management, demand management, and pricing strategies.  Communities have found that combinations of parking pricing, shared parking, demand management, and other techniques have helped them create vibrant places while protecting environmental quality and still providing for necessary vehicle storage.  http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/parking.htm