Preserving the environment has been one of the City of Santa Clarita's top priorities since incorporation in 1987. This year, Santa Clarita took another step toward establishing itself as a leader in sustainability by launching a new website: www.greensantaclarita.com.

The site is designed to:

• Make going green easy and cost effective for residents, businesses and builders;
• Synthesize the vast amount of information about sustainable programs, policies, incentives, rebates, services and products across various organizations and government agencies into one convenient place;
• Help residents, businesses and builders find federal stimulus package funds and/or federal and state tax breaks and incentives;
• Focus on local businesses and vendors of green products in order to stimulate the green economy in the Santa Clarita Valley;
• Provide information on upcoming green-related trainings, workshops and events; and
• Provide information on the variety of sustainable programs the City of Santa Clarita is currently implementing throughout the community.

In the first quarter of operation, the site received over 3,000 hits and been viewed by users in 13 different countries around the world. Features on the site include:

• Green Storefront: Located in the “Green Store”, residents, businesses and builders have access to a variety of green products and services provided in the Santa Clarita Valley. Interactive tools allow users to find green-friendly automobiles and then locate them at dealerships within Santa Clarita. Visitors to the site can also identify local vendors of Energy Star products, and search for alternative fueling stations throughout California, Arizona and Nevada. In addition, residents can purchase bus passes on-line and find a list of local solar retailers and installers.
• Community Calendar: On the Community Calendar, anyone can access information on upcoming events, including Earth Day, workshops, trainings, tours of local green facilities and even sign up for classes offered by the local community college, College of the Canyons, regarding sustainability and the environment.
• Sustainable Development: In an effort to partner with the development community, builders can access the page and find information on both the City of Santa Clarita’s green development requirements as well as locate resources on state and federal incentive programs that promote the incorporation of green design into their projects. They can also get updates on the City of Santa Clarita’s upcoming paperless plan submittal program. Finally, the site provides current information on pieces of legislation that impact the planning and building process.
• Residents and Businesses: In partnership with local utility companies, these pages provide a wealth of information on how residents and businesses can take simple, inexpensive steps that will help the environment and improve their bottom line. These pages focus on City programs, energy and resource efficiency, climate change, and available stimulus package funds.

Most recently, the City’s new green website is featured on the Institute for Local Government’s page for Best Practices of Promoting Community and Individual Action (http://www.ca-ilg.org/promoting).

Since going live, the site has met with considerable success and content is being added continually to keep up with the demand for information. Please direct any questions to David Peterson, Assistant Planner II, with the City of Santa Clarita's Planning Division. Mr. Peterson can be reached at (661) 284-1406 or via email at dpeterson@santa-clarita.com.