Lake Zurich should explore LEED
Lake Zurich is seeking to transform its downtown to promote economic growth and a pedestrian friendly community, but it can be so much more. It’s not too late for the Lake Zurich development plan to stand out as an inspirational downtown with new ideas and concepts that are becoming more common.
In 2009, the U.S Green Building Council introduced LEED for Neighborhood Development rating system certification.
The council stated that the purpose was to “integrate the principles of smart growth, urbanism and green building into the first national system for neighborhood design.”
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) provides third-party verification and certification for green building projects. The four levels of LEED certification include: Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. There are no current LEED Neighborhood Development projects in Lake County as of January of 2011.
However the cities of: Riverdale, Normal, and 79th to 93rd Streets in Southern Chicago are all areas within Illinois that have pursued this certification.
Lake Zurich has already made a commitment to economic growth; however, accomplishing it with sustainable goals can turn it into a local sensation and perhaps even an inspiration.
The existing plans could easily earn credits from their walkable community, a proposed transportation station, tree-lined streets and numerous public parks and plazas.
To know if LEED is the best choice, local residents and representatives should learn more about the Neighborhood Development rating system. LEED would be a challenging opportunity to lead Lake Zurich toward having a downtown to be envied, but its leaders must explore the idea first.
Jeffrey Peterson
Hawthorn Woods