Sustainability Plan to be unveiled Wednesday

4/22/2014

A plan that promises to renew the economy, make lakes cleaner, improve streets, and draw more people to Lucas County is part of an ambitious Toledo-Lucas County Sustainability Plan being unveiled during a news conference Wednesday at Metroparks Hall, 5100 West Central Ave.

A group including city and county officials, nonprofit group representatives, and business leaders previewed the "Going Beyond Green Plan" during a meeting with The Blade's editorial board today.

RELATED CONTENT: Click here to read the Sustainability Plan

“The goal is to build a sustainable community,” said County Commissioner Tina Skeldon Wozniak, a member of the planning committee. The group has spent more than a year reviewing problems and possible solutions. The result is five catalyst projects to help organize action and ensure progress: Source Water Action Plan, Green Infrastructure Portfolio Standard, Complete Streets, Economic Localization, and Better Buildings Program of Northwest Ohio.

The various projects will compliment each other and further help develop other aspects of the county, Commissioner Wozniak said.

“This plan helps us do what will make Toledo attractive,” said Tim Murphy, Toledo’s commissioner of environmental services and a member of the committee that has been working on the sustainability plan. “I’m not sure we’ve always looked at it this way. We’ve started looking at it all in a more holistic light.”

For example, taking better care of area lakes will make drinking water healthier and eliminate or reduce the need for chemical treatment, which can be costly, Mr. Murphy said. A complete-streets project will include efforts to promote walking, biking, and public transportation along with car and truck traffic throughout the region, with special attention to school children.

“There are a lot of good things going on in our community, but it was very fragmented,” said Steven Johnson, pre-construction and purchasing manager for the Lathrop Company in Maumee. Mr. Johnson is also on the committee.

Contact Federico Martinez at: fmartinez@theblade.com or 419-724-6154.