May 24, 2011 > Planning association recognizes outstanding contributions Planning association recognizes outstanding contributions Climate Action Plan receives recognition Submitted By the American Planning Association The American Planning Association (APA) California Northern Section honored the winners of the 2011 Planning Awards on May 20. Winners of the California Planning Foundation Northern Section awards include: Education Project Award Managing Fire in the Urban Wildland Interface Kenneth S. Blonski, East Bay Regional Parks District; Cheryl Miller, RLA, C. Miller Landscape Architecture; Carol L. Rice, Wildland Resource Management. Hard-won Victories Award of Merit City of Oakland Zoning Update Barry J. Miller, AICP, and Elois Thornton, City of Oakland; City of Oakland Strategic Planning Division. Grassroots Project Award Oakland International Boulevard Transit-Oriented Development Plan Matthew Raimi, Raimi & Associates; Sargent Town Planning; Joel Ramos, TransForm; Nelson/Nygard Consulting; Dowling Associates; Conley Consulting Group; Unity Council; Oakland Community Organizations; International Boulevard TOD Plan Community Advisory Committee. Innovation in Green Community Planning Award of Merit Union City Climate Action Plan Claire Bonham-Carter, AECOM; Joan Malloy, City of Union City; City of Union City City Council, Planning Commission & Climate Action Task Force. Innovation in Green Community Planning Award Martial Cottle Parks Master Plan Santa Clara County; Jane F. Mark, AICP, Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department; Isabelle Minn, Design, Community and Environment; Ellie Wagner, ASLA, State of California Parks and Recreation Department; Santa Clara County Open Space Authority; City of San Josˇ; Santa Clara Valley Water District; Mr. Walter Cottle Lester. Comprehensive Planning Award Large Jurisdiction Santa Clara Station Area Plan Dyett & Bhatia; Valley Transportation Authority; City of Santa Clara; City of San Jose. "Union City's Climate Action Plan (CAP) took approximately one year to complete. Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant funding was used to retain consultant AECOM to assist staff with the process. Council established a Climate Protection Task Force whose members were drawn from Council, the Planning Commission, Union Sanitary District, New Haven Unified School District, Chamber of Commerce and the community at-large. The Task Force provided feedback on the draft plan and represented the community's diverse interests," explained Union City Planning Manager Carmela Campbell. "Beginning in December 2009, the Task Force met monthly to draft measures to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the sectors of Land Use, Transportation, Buildings and Energy, Waste Reduction, Water Conservation and Green Infrastructure. Their input was very important during that stage of the process, providing a local perspective on what measures would work in Union City. In May 2010, these measures were presented to the community at a public meeting for attendees' input. From June to August, the draft CAP was prepared which included quantifying the measures to determine how they would translate into GHG reductions. The city sponsored another public meeting in September to present the draft CAP to the community. Council approved the plan in October 2010," she added. The City of Union City's CAP represents a commitment to reduce GHG emissions in the City and is the blueprint for achieving the city's GHG reduction target of 20 percent below 2005 levels by 2020. "The award reinforces the hard work, dedication and commitment to a greener and more sustainable future of all who worked on the plan. We feel it is well-deserved. Few CAPs have been prepared for smaller suburban communities. We hope the award will bring some recognition to the plan and demonstrate what a smaller city can accomplish when different sections of a community work together," Campbell stated. The city hopes to further engage the community as the CAP is implemented. Staff is working on programs that will be made available this summer to help residents save energy and money. For more information, visit Union City's Going Green website at www.unioncity.org/going_green.html and Facebook at Going Green in Union City. For more information about the American Planning Association (APA) California Northern Section, visit www.norcalapa.org