By Terry Dawson, Building Steering Committee Co-chair

A "green" building has been a recurring theme in our congregational discussions. Consistent with UU principles, we heard it in brainstorming for this project almost two years ago, in the congregational meeting in the fall of 2006 when we picked a design, and in the feedback in recent listening sessions.

Green construction means several things:

•           Efficient use of energy, air and water and construction materials; o Minimizing any negative impacts on health and the environment; and

•           Considering the life of the building, from design and construction, site planning, materials, building maintenance and operation, and ultimately, removal and replacement.

•           This will play out in a number of ways in our project. There's still a lot of talking and planning to do, but current considerations include:

•           Building a lower level rather than spreading out to reduce our footprint on the land, reducing run-off and increasing energy efficiency;

•           Use of permeable or grassy pavers for parking lot expansion, reducing run-off;

•           Designing for natural lighting;

•           Working with our building contractor to promote environmentally responsible construction practices; and

•           Using energy efficient heating and cooling systems. As we go forward, we'll continue to need and will provide opportunities for you to get involved with green planning.