Maryland Town Pursues Model Green City Designation

What’s the greenest city in the U.S.? While that’s certainly up for debate, one Maryland town is betting that, by making a run for the title, it can both create jobs and benefit the environment. The green development initiative, led by American Community Properties Trust (ACPT), a regional holding company, aims to transform suburban St. Charles, population 37,000, into a model green city and living laboratory by 2020.

Chosen for its population density and proximity to Washington, D.C., St. Charles offers good transportation alternatives, extensive hiking trails, and progressive environmental policies. Community surveys show significant support for the town’s green rehab.

Included in the project are plans to convert 4,000 undeveloped acres (1,600 ha) into 11,000 residential units and 5 million ft² (465,000 m²) of commercial space, doubling St. Charles’ current population and available housing. Despite the jump in size, the town’s carbon footprint and water usage are projected to decrease. According to Steve Griessel, CEO of ACPT, the expansion “will enable 40% of Charles County’s population to live on approximately 2% of its land mass.” Additionally, roughly 13,000 existing homes and 4 million ft² (370,000 m²) of existing commercial space are slated for retrofits.

In its run for unofficial “greenest city” status, St. Charles will also:

• seek LEED certification or the equivalent for all of its neighborhoods and buildings;

• work to preserve water resources, especially the Chesapeake Bay;

• conserve resources through community-wide recycling, reuse, and composting programs;

• achieve a 50% energy reduction in buildings and shift 25% of energy reliance to renewable sources;

• revamp transportation routes to reduce vehicle ownership and encourage alternative forms of transportation, such as walking, biking, and light-rail transit; and

• utilize cutting-edge technology to realize its goals for sustainability.

Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley praised the project, stating, “St. Charles will represent a model for cities around the world, making vital connections between the creation of new jobs and a thriving economy, and the health of our planet.”

Partnerships are at the core of the green redevelopment plans and include alliances between ACPT and Charles County government agencies and public schools, the Center for Trades and Energy Training at the College of Southern Maryland, Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative, and various other local and national businesses, such as Competitive Power Ventures (CPV), an energy company that will create a 10-megawatt (MW) solar farm and a 650-MW natural gas electric generation plant in St. Charles.

“CPV is seeking funding to construct the gas plant; the company has secured nearly all permits necessary for construction,” said Craig Renner, vice president of public affairs and community relations at ACPT. “The solar plant is still in the permitting stage, but will play a key role in Governor O’Malley’s plans to increase the use of renewable energy sources to meet energy demand in Maryland,” he told EBN.

– Emily Bragonier

For more information:

St. Charles Maryland and American Community Properties Trust
www.stcharlesgreen.com

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IMAGE CREDITS:
1. Photo: ACPT

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