Are you looking for a forward-thinking, environmentally-conscious community in Arizona to call home? If so, Sierra Vista is worth a look. About 80 miles east of Tucson, this beautiful area is surrounded by mountain peaks and offers homeowners the opportunity to live in a community that has a keen interest in sustainability. Let’s take a quick look at some of the award-winning environmental initiatives that the City of Sierra Vista has undertaken in the past few years, and what’s in store for the future.
Sierra Vista: LEEDing by Example
Green construction is just one of the many ways that a city can set an example, and in 2009 the City of Sierra Vista was awarded the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (or ‘LEED’) certification by the US Green Building Council for our Vista Transit Center. The VTC makes use of recycled products, environmentally-conscious paints and water-conserving fixtures to ensure it has as small a footprint as is possible for a building this size.
A National Leader in Water Management
With droughts causing massive economic damage in a number of states, it has never been clearer that water conservation needs to be high on our priority list. The City of Sierra Vista has been a pioneer in this regard, and in 2003 was awarded the Clean Water Partner for the 21st Century award by the Environmental Protection Agency. Since opening in 2002, the city’s Environmental Operations Park has treated billions of gallons of waste water – water that is then returned to natural aquifers and basins for use again in the future.
Residents in the city are asked to contribute as well, and there are incentives available to assist with the cost of converting high-flow fixtures like toilets to low-flow options that conserve water. In 2009 alone Sierra Vista residents replaced 2,000 toilets, saving nearly 18 million gallons of our most precious resource.
Looking Toward the Future
The City has a number of initiatives that were announced in its past strategic plans that will continue to better the local environment for all of us. For example, the City is investigating the conversion of its garbage trucks and transit buses to clean-burning natural gas, as well as the installation of a natural gas fuelling facility that will be available for public use. Another project in the initial planning stage is the construction of a solar farm at the Environmental Operations Park which will be used to generate electricity to feed back in to the power grid. All in all, it is clear that the City of Sierra Vista means business when it comes to environmental stewardship.
Are you interested in joining us in Sierra Vista? The professional real estate agents here at the Sierra Vista Home Selling Team are excited to welcome you to the area and to introduce you to some beautiful properties that will suit your needs. Contact us today at (520) 452-0400 or if you prefer you can send us a quick email through our contact form.
