Sustainable Miami Valley Tool Kit

A Resource Guide for Local Government

October 2019

Sustainable Miami Valley Tool Kit Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Air Quality 4

Energy 9

Food 14

Green Building & Redevelopment 20

Land Use & Development 25

Solid Waste 30

Transportation 35

Trees, Native Species & Land 41 Management

Water Quality 47 The Great Miami River in Dayton

Each chapter of the Tool Kit contains Introduction suggested policies, codes, ordinances, programs, and projects which local Your overview to the Sustainable Miami government can adopt or adapt to address Valley Tool Kit. nine separate environmental topic areas:

Green Building & Air Quality Food The Sustainable Miami Valley Tool Kit is Redevelopment designed to serve local government officials Land Use & Solid tasked with making their communities more Energy Development Waste environmentally sustainable, while also conserving budget dollars. Additionally, it Trees, Native Trans- Water Species & Land can be useful for businesses and residents portation Quality Management of the Miami Valley inclined to work with their local governments to make lasting positive change in their communities. Each topic has its own chapter, but naturally, there is a great deal of overlap between

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these topics, and there are cross-references throughout the Tool Kit. The suggestions Contacts & Resources

found in each chapter are categorized for even easier comprehension. “Community Look for these blue boxes in every Education & Outreach” suggests ways to chapter for local and state contacts and demonstrate leadership or educate great resources from organizations on community residents about the local each topic. government’s sustainability efforts. “Internal Operations” are steps an administration can take with community staff, the publicly- initiate and earn points in the Regional owned buildings, properties, and vehicles. challenge. The “Ordinances and Policies” category At over 50 pages, this Tool Kit may seem highlights official actions elected officials can overwhelming at first. It is true, there is a lot adopt to guide their community to a more in here to consider, but communities should sustainable path. Finally, “Broader use the Tool Kit to find the right beginning or Collaboration” refers to opportunities to next steps, and not feel they need to take on partner with other local governments and too much at once. Use the Tool Kit’s other organizations to effect regional or structure to navigate through the lists and state-wide change. select one or two topics or ideas. Keep your The Miami Valley Regional Planning community’s efforts manageable, and Commission is pleased to partner with the contact MVRPC staff for support or Dayton Regional Green Initiative to promote guidance. A good overarching starting point this resource guide for our Region. For the is to create an Environmental Advisory 2019-2020 program year, the Sustainable Committee of citizens, businesses, elected Miami Valley Tool Kit is linked with the Bring officials, and community staff BYG. Your Green Community Challenge. Perhaps this body could award an annual Throughout the chapters, look for the “BYG” Sustainability Champion recognition for your resident volunteers. By getting many minds and many hands working together, you may be able to create a more effective sustainability effort in your community. And remember: communities should seek professional guidance before making changes to ordinances, codes, and policies.

Getting started is not difficult: sign up through the Bring Your Green portal site and use the challenge as an opportunity to showcase your community’s sustainability tag for policies, programs, and projects that work. Participating communities will be directly link to the Bring Your Green prompted throughout the challenge with government tracking platform. Use the Tool opportunities to engage with your residents, Kit as your community’s catalog of efforts to

2 BYG - Bring Your Green community staff, and local businesses about • Montgomery County Soil & Water sustainability and the environment. Conservation District • National Recycling Coalition Acknowledgements • Ohio Department of Natural Resources • Ohio Department of Transportation • Preble County Solid Waste District The Sustainable Miami Valley Tool Kit was • Public Health Dayton-Montgomery County inspired by a document produced by the • Regional Air Pollution Control Agency Cuyahoga County Office of Sustainability. • Reuse International Many thanks to Director Mike Foley for • Shared Harvest Foodbank encouragement to adapt the resource guide • The Foodbank, Inc. for the Miami Valley. This guide adopts a • The Ohio Environmental Council similar tone and structure to the Cuyahoga • document, and updates the resources and U.S. Green Building Council – Ohio program suggestions to reflect recent Community developments and programs based here in • University of Dayton the Miami Valley. The lists found in each • Woolpert chapter were reviewed by regional experts, • Wright State University beginning with representatives of the Dayton Regional Green action teams for each topic. As a document that primarily exists on the MVRPC is grateful for the assistance web, the Tool Kit can be updated regularly provided by these organizations in the as new information becomes available. review of the drafts of this Tool Kit and Please join these organizations listed above contributions of additional resources: and contribute your knowledge and expertise • Arthur Morgan Institute for Community to this effort. Send your comments and Solutions / Agraria Center suggestions to the Sustainable Planning • B-W Greenway Community Land Trust Department at [email protected]. • Cincinnati Energy Alliance The contents of this document reflect the • City of Cincinnati views of the Miami Valley Regional Planning • Co-op Dayton Commission (MVRPC), which is responsible • Dayton Children’s Hospital for the facts and accuracy of the data • Dayton Regional Green presented herein. MVRPC is not responsible • Emersion Design for content from linked external resources. • Energy Optimizers, USA, LLC The contents do not necessarily reflect the • Five Rivers MetroParks views of the U.S. DOT or ODOT. This • Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority document does not constitute a standard, • GreeneCATS Public Transit specification, or regulation. • Hall Hunger Initiative • Heapy Engineering • Miami Conservancy District • Montgomery County Environmental Services

Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission 3 common sense steps to reduce air pollution, Air Quality like keeping their cars tuned up. These efforts have helped reduce air pollution in the The Miami Valley’s air quality is the best Miami Valley Region. it has been in 50 years. Transportation The Regional Air Pollution Control Agency sources continue to be a significant (RAPCA) has been monitoring ambient air contributor to our pollution and GHG pollution in the Miami Valley since the inventory. 1970’s. The primary pollutants RAPCA

monitors include ground-level ozone (O3)

The Issues and fine particulate matter (PM2.5), as these pollutants affect human health within a few hours to a few days. RAPCA provides a The Dayton Region is working to maintain daily Air Quality Index (AQI) report to and improve healthy air quality on a indicate how clean (healthy) or polluted continuing basis. Over the years, industries (unhealthy) our air quality is, using the Air have updated processes and increased Quality Index scale. However, when the air efficiencies in order to reduce air pollution quality is unhealthy, RAPCA, in conjunction emissions. Governments have improved with MVRPC, issues an Air Pollution transportation infrastructure and built energy Advisory. This means that residents of the efficient buildings to reduce their emissions. area may be experiencing breathing Residents of the Miami Valley have taken

4 BYG - Bring Your Green difficulties especially vulnerable groups like children, the elderly and people with 1976 respiratory diseases and should reduce their time spent outdoors. Residents are also encouraged to take additional actions to 42 76 reduce air pollution during this time. 35 U.S. EPA and RAPCA data demonstrate that over the last three decades, air quality in the Miami Valley has dramatically improved. The 82 number of days with an AQI of 101 or above 131 (unhealthy) has continuously decreased, as there were 159 days of unhealthy air quality in 1976, compared with only four days of unhealthy air quality in 2018 (Source: RAPCA).

Understanding ground-level ozone (O3) 2018 formation and particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution is key to making decisions that 4 0 0 improve air quality. Stratospheric ozone occurs naturally and protects the earth from 104 ultraviolet rays. Tropospheric, or ground- level, ozone does not occur naturally. It is a pollutant formed by a chemical reaction 255 between NOx (nitrogen oxides), VOCs (volatile organic compounds), and sunlight, resulting in O3. The NOx is created by fossil fuel combustion, including tailpipe emissions, Good Moderate oil refineries, and similar process. VOCs are USG Unhealthy formed by the off-gassing of paints, Very Unhealthy adhesives, solvents, and petroleum products. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution consists of microscopic particles, small enough to lodge deep in the lungs through

normal breathing. PM2.5 can be directly emitted from utilities, industrial processing, tailpipe emissions, and even wood fires. A number of health issues arise from regular

exposure to PM2.5, including coughing, wheezing, reduced lung function, asthma attacks, heart attacks, strokes, and early death.

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Although RAPCA does not regulate or Air quality monitor greenhouse gases (GHGs), they are an air quality issue and contribute to climate Local contacts • Air pollution regulations and monitoring — change. The U.S. EPA lists the following as Eileen Moran, RAPCA, 937-225-4435 GHGs: [email protected] • Climate action planning — Mark Charles, 1. Carbon Dioxide Dayton Manager of Sustainability, 937-333- 2. Methane 3600, [email protected] 3. Nitrous Oxide • Health impacts of air pollution — Brian 4. Fluorinated Gases Huxtable, RAPCA, 937-225-4435, [email protected] The primary sources of GHG emissions are • Health impacts on children — Jessica from fossil fuel combustion for energy Saunders, Dayton Children’s Hospital, 937- 641-3385, [email protected] production and transportation. GHGs are • Regional air quality planning — Matt heat-trapping gases that, with increasing Lindsay, MVRPC, 937-531-6548, concentrations in the atmosphere, are [email protected] forcing climate changes. This includes • RAPCA AirLine for updated Air Quality global warming, an increase in catastrophic Index and pollen and mold counts – weather events, and changes to precipitation 937.223.3222 and vegetation patterns. Prolonged, Resources significant warming to our Midwest climate • AirNow air quality forecast will have detrimental impacts on our • American Lung Association - Ohio infrastructure, agriculture, and health. • Clean Diesel Grant Programs: Therefore, decreasing the concentration of o Ohio EPA GHGs in our atmosphere is vital to air quality o U.S. EPA and our quality of life. • MVRPC Air Quality Awareness Program – MiamiValleyAir.org • Dayton Asthma Alliance • Oak Ridge National Laboratory Operations What Communities can do Best Practices Guide: Idle Reduction • Ohio EPA Division of Air Pollution Control • U.S. Department of Energy publications The common thread among these air quality about idle reduction issues is that reducing energy consumption • U.S. EPA ozone web pages by transportation and the built environment • U.S. EPA particle pollution pages will reduce the emission or formation of • Fourth National Climate Assessment (2018) • City of Cincinnati GHG Emissions data ozone, PM2.5 and GHGs. All communities in the Miami Valley can contribute to cleaner air page • Miami Valley Data Commons by encouraging their residents to choose to drive less and use less fossil fuel energy, and developing ways that facilitate those driving alone. It also means making sure the choices. That means making sure that community’s codes and ordinances allow for walking, bicycling, and transit use are safe, the kinds of compact land use that make comfortable and convenient alternatives to active transportation a good option, and

6 BYG - Bring Your Green facilitate renewable energy use. The vehicles to the community fleet. Both the suggested programs, policies and projects Ohio EPA and U.S. EPA offer diesel that follow serve as a menu of options for emission reduction programs to assist in your community to continue on the path to vehicle conversion or replacement. sustainability. • Encourage staff to explore sustainable transportation options like carpooling, vanpooling, biking, taking transit or walking to work by promoting benefits like saving Community Education & Outreach money, time and its impact on the • Work with RAPCA and MVRPC’s Air environment. MVRPC's Rideshare Quality Awareness Program to provide Program is available to assist with information about the ways residents and matching staff to others to form carpools or businesses can reduce air pollution (both vanpools. outdoors and indoors). • Encourage employees to use electric • Notify community residents when RAPCA vehicles by allowing workplace charging. and MVRPC’s issue Air Pollution • Prohibit unnecessary idling of city vehicles Advisories. BYG and encourage staff to be idle-free at • Distribute Air Quality Awareness Program home, too. Idle-Free Campaign support materials to residents to promote actions to materials from RAPCA and MVRPC are take to reduce air pollution. MVRPC staff is available at no cost to schools, libraries, available to provide materials for day care centers, municipalities and distribution at your community events, businesses in Clark, Darke, Greene, information for your newsletters and other Miami, Montgomery and Preble Counties. educational opportunities. The Centerville-Washington Park District • Host a RAPCA air permitting workshop in has a good anti-idling policy. BYG your community for your local businesses. • Adjust city operations on Air Pollution • Set a goal for carbon emissions reduction Advisory Days to avoid unnecessary and work with partners throughout the city driving, refueling, or other activities that to plan implementation strategies. The City emit VOCs (volatile organic compounds), of Cincinnati’s Green Cincinnati Plan is a such as street paving or painting. Also, good model. avoid activities that emit fine particulate • Partner with your Public Health district to matter (PM2.5), such as using diesel host tobacco cessation classes for your engines or lawn mowing with a gas- employees and/or residents. powered mower. BYG

Internal operations • Improve the energy efficiency of city Ordinances and policies buildings through energy audits, lighting • Anti-idling ordinance — Vehicle engines and HVAC improvements. BYG should not idle any more than is absolutely • Improve the efficiency of the municipal necessary. Excessive idling wastes fuel, vehicle fleet. Explore opportunities to add causes air pollution, and shortens engine hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and/or electric life. A simple way to communicate this

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message is to enact an anti-idling communities in the Miami Valley Region can ordinance, which makes it illegal to idle for help by: more than a few minutes. An effective anti- idling ordinance makes it illegal to idle • Supporting effective state air quality more than 5 minutes in warm weather or implementation planning (such plans 10 minutes in cold weather. Common- outline the emissions budgets and control sense exceptions are provided for safety measures the areas will take to attain and and emergency vehicles and other maintain clean air standards). vehicles that need to idle for various • Supporting land use planning to develop reasons. An example of a good policy vibrant, walkable communities that provide comes from Cleveland. Locally, Five convenient transportation options and Rivers MetroParks and Centerville reduce the need to drive to a destination. Washington Park District have anti-idling • Supporting the funding of public transit policies. BYG services and increased bicycle facilities. • Support the transition to electric transportation by installing free public Level 1 or Level 2 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at key public destinations, such as core parking areas within a downtown, libraries, and community centers. BYG • Alternate Fuel Corridors – see Transportation chapter. • Complete streets — see Transportation chapter. • Mixed-use zoning — see Land Use and Development chapter. • Transit-oriented development — see Land Use and Development chapter. • Density bonuses — see Land Use and Development chapter. • Tree protection — see Trees, Native Species & Land Management chapter. • City aggregation programs for green power — see Energy chapter.

Broader collaboration Since air pollution is not constrained by community boundaries, some of the most important actions to improve air quality will require collaboration at the regional scale. All

8 BYG - Bring Your Green Solar Field at Curran Place, University of Dayton

evident throughout Ohio. The closure of Energy coal-fired generation plants and the increasing share of production from Energy systems are in the midst of renewable sources, particularly wind power, historic transitions and local herald a coming future of clean (or cleaner) governments can benefit from these energy. Although fossil fuels continue to advancements. dominate the energy mix in the United States, the growth of renewable energy is a clear trend, having doubled since 2008. The Issues While nearly all baseload electricity generated in our Region is fueled by natural Over the past decade, a historic transition gas, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has been underway in the energy market. lists over 200 renewable energy facilities in As a fuel for electricity generation, coal is Darke, Greene, Miami, Montgomery and steadily losing market share, especially Preble Counties. Together, these facilities within the Miami Valley. In 2012, Dayton have a capacity of over 20 megawatts. Power & Light (DP&L) shut down the six Generation from renewable sources varies coal-fired generating units at Hutchings based on time of day, time of year, and daily Station in Montgomery County, replacing weather conditions. This amount of them with natural gas generators. renewable generation is conservatively estimated to be sufficient to power about The global transition from fossil fuels to 2,200 homes. renewable forms of energy production is

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Renewable energy sources are more Energy sustainable and offer some definite advantages over carbon-based sources. The Local contacts main drawback to carbon-based fossil fuels, • Municipal and school energy procurement and efficiency programs – Ken Swink, SW like coal, is the pollutants generated from Ohio EPC, 937.890.3725, their use, including particulate matter (PM10 [email protected] and PM2.5), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), sulfur • Comprehensive energy audits – DP&L has dioxide, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a searchable list of auditors on their Channel Partners page. and greenhouse gases (GHGs). These • Energy finance - Jerry Brunswick, Dayton- pollutants pose real threats to human health, Montgomery County Port Authority (PACE), the natural environment, agriculture, and 937.226.0457x120, [email protected] climate stability. The environmental costs of • LED street lighting — Robyn Livesay, Miami Valley Lighting, 937.259.7192 fossil fuel production and its waste by- • Municipal climate action plans: products are concerns as well. The market is • Mark Charles, Sustainability Manager, moving away from the “dirtiest,” or highest City of Dayton, 937.333.3600 polluting, of fossil fuels – coal – simply • Oliver Kroner, Sustainability Coordinator, because it is better business to use cleaner City of Cincinnati, 513.352.6992, [email protected] fuels. • Solar permitting — Robert Beeler, Dayton Power & Light, 937.331.4094, By demonstrating, educating, and facilitating [email protected] energy efficiency, along with supporting local • Home Weatherization – Craig Idle, MV renewable energy development, Community Action Partnership, communities can help their residents save [email protected], 937.341.5000 • Local energy policy – Trish Demeter, The energy, the environment, and money. Ohio Environmental Council, Renewable energy, such as rooftop solar [email protected], 614.487.7506 energy systems, can reduce our • Ohio Energy Efficiency Program – Manny dependence on fossil fuels, while also Anunike, [email protected], reducing our need for out-of-region power 614.466.4092 generation. Locally produced energy can be cleaner, more reliable, and more resilient. Resources Together, such efforts can build your • American Council for an Energy-Efficient community’s sustainability “brand” that can Economy - Local Energy Efficiency Policy attract new business and residents. • Database for State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE) • DP&L Energy Efficiency Programs What Communities can do • EPA Local Government Climate and Energy Strategy Series • Green Energy Ohio There are many ways for local governments • Grow Solar Resources and Training to participate in and encourage the transition • Community energy aggregation — to cleaner energy either by providing • Miami Valley Data Commons incentives or removing unnecessary barriers. Educating your residents about energy efficiency, the many ways to buy clean

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energy, and financing options is a great way • Conduct feasibility studies to inform to get started. residents about the cost-effectiveness of energy alternatives. Community Education & Outreach • Provide information about green leasing • Develop and communicate a climate action practices so the interests of building plan that reveals the major sources of owners and tenants are aligned to save carbon pollution in your community and the energy. • energy-saving ways to reduce emissions. Help educate the public about local clean The Green Cincinnati Plan and Cleveland’s energy installations via municipal Climate Action Plan are good models. publications and support of the annual • Offer residents the option of purchasing Green Energy Ohio tour and the National clean power through community Solar Tour. • aggregation. In Ohio, villages, cities, Encourage your residents to use the Public Utility Commission’s townships and counties may be Apples-to-Apples tool aggregators. BYG to compare utility providers and switch to • Encourage residents and businesses to renewable electricity and natural gas take advantage of low-cost energy audit providers. services provided through Vectren, DP&L and the Dayton Regional Green program. Internal operations • Connect eligible residents with Miami • Adopt goals and a strategic energy plan for Valley Community Action Partnership's renewable energy usage, energy use Home Weatherization Assistance Program, reductions, and/or carbon emissions which helps renters and low-income home reductions (e.g., derive a percentage of the owners improve their home's energy city’s electricity from solar or wind efficiency and in turn reduce their utility sources). Communities across the state bills. are taking action. The U.S. Department of • Help educate residents about energy and Energy has a step-by-step guide for water conservation, including opportunities community energy planning. BYG to achieve deep energy reductions in • Measure, monitor, and publicly report your existing housing. NOPEC has a great municipal greenhouse gas emissions. One online tool for residents to use. approach is submitting all of your buildings • Provide services to make it easy for at the Bring Your Green tracking platform. residents to install solar power. Solarize BYG Cincinnati program is an example. • Require the purchase of EnergyStar • Inform households and businesses of equipment for all municipal procurements. financing opportunities for energy • Conduct an energy audit of all city-owned improvements, including loans, rebates buildings and then implement cost- and tax abatements and credits, net effective improvements in building energy metering, energy conservation subsidy performance. The City of Beavercreek exclusions, clean energy financing, and conducted an audit encompassing seven PACE and RPACE. public facilities in 2012.

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• Establish an energy manager position or Public Buildings dedicate a staff member to manage municipal energy usage. BYG Energy Case Studies

• Conduct a citywide survey of solar Kettering Middle School suitability for public buildings and vacant Installation of 150kW solar photovoltaic sites. Kansas City, MO, and Minneapolis, rooftop system at existing Kettering MN did this. BYG Middle School • Establish a Reinvestment Fund (using previous utility cost savings) to create a revolving mechanism for funding energy improvements. BYG • Educate building and electrical inspectors about permit and installation procedures for renewable energy systems. A good guide is here. Cincinnati District 3 Police HQ • Install energy-efficient and cost-effective 40,000 square foot new Net Zero LED street lighting. This can be part of a Designed building, includes 330 KW “Smart City” initiative which may link to solar system to produce 100% of the different funding streams. building’s consumption. • Vehicle fleet efficiency — See Transportation chapter. • Tree planting — See Trees, Native Species & Land Management chapter.

Ordinances and policies • Update the zoning regulations and streamline the permitting process for small- scale solar and wind systems. The Solar Photos Courtesy of Energy Optimizers, LLC America Board for Codes and Standards recommends an expedited permitting process. Vermont has a 10-day expedited • Zoning for mixed-use and transit-oriented permitting process. The American Planning districts — See Land Use & Development Association has examples from multiple chapter. communities in Ohio and across the country. The solar ordinance from Orange Broader collaboration Village is here, and a summary of planning and zoning issues for wind turbine • Work with financial institutions and other permitting is here. BYG partners, such as Dayton Regional Green • Consider benchmarking and disclosure and Dayton Montgomery County Port ordinances for large commercial buildings. Authority, to provide energy efficiency and • Green building incentives — See Green renewable energy financing options, such Building chapter. as Property-Assessed Clean Energy (PACE). BYG

12 BYG - Bring Your Green

• Create community aggregation for clean power generation service options available in Ohio. Examples are Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council (NOPEC) and Southeast Ohio Public Energy Council (SOPEC). • Work with Ohio General Assembly members to restore Ohio’s energy efficiency and renewable energy mandates and programs. BYG • Work with other cities to adopt the latest version of the energy conservation code and get renewable energy and geothermal energy incorporated into the Ohio Building Code. • Join other local governments across the country for greater utilization of solar energy from on and off site solar projects that serve municipal operations. Leverage the experience of other municipalities who have gone before and shared their solar project development challenges and opportunities. U.S. EPA has a portal to get you started. BYG • Work in regional planning forums, such as MVRPC, to promote land use patterns and methods of transportation that use less energy.

Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission 13 The child food insecurity rates (FIR) are Food even higher (17 percent to 21 percent).

How can Miami Valley communities County FIR Child FIR Darke 11.9% 18.9% increase the share of our diets that Greene 12.8% 18.3% comes from our “foodshed?” Miami 11.8% 17.4% Montgomery 17.0% 21.6% The Issues Preble 12.0% 18.8%

There is an emerging consensus that a Paradoxically, great agricultural abundance stronger local food system can bridge the and high rates of food insecurity exist side- gap between agricultural abundance and by-side in Ohio and the Miami Valley. When food insecurity, while also fostering a more measured by total commodity value by state, resilient local economy and social fabric. The Ohio ranked 16th in the nation in agricultural more we buy locally grown produce and production in 2018. At the same time, overall locally raised animal products, the more we food insecurity rates in the Miami Valley can help local farmers stay in business. It range from about 12 percent to 17 percent. also helps farmers transition from an increasingly-challenged commodity market

14 BYG - Bring Your Green to more diversified farms that are healthier building neighborhood and community for the planet and help to mitigate climate connections around local community and weather extremes. This chapter gardens. Local foods are an opportunity for explores ways local governments can residents to learn about new foods, such as support local food systems and reduce traditional foods from immigrant hunger. communities, and how to prepare them.

It is fair to ask, “What is local food?” The local food economy in the Miami Valley Definitions of what area can be considered is holding its own in the marketplace. There local vary. The term “local” means different are community gardens and urban farms things to a restauranteur, a grocer, or a local growing fresh produce. Farmers markets dot farmers market. Distances can range from the Region and can be found in every as few as 30 miles to as many as 400 miles. county. Miami County even has a virtual Grocers sometimes define local as within a Farmers Market, which enables year-round day’s drive, or a half day’s drive. The Dayton access to locally grown and produced foods. Regional Green Food Access Team has Community Supported Agriculture programs adopted a “foodshed” for our Region as (CSAs) facilitate direct sales from producer matching the combined watersheds of the to individual consumers. Great Miami River and Little Miami River. In Meanwhile, food insecurity is a serious all of these cases, the central concept is that concern in our Region. Food insecurity is food is “local” if is grown, harvested, and defined as lacking access to enough processed near enough for the consumer to nutritionally sufficient food for an active have an opportunity to interact with (i.e. get lifestyle for all members of a household. to know) the farmer/producer or close Closures of grocery stores have created or enough to visit the farm. expanded food deserts, where access to There are many benefits from a healthy local healthy food is of greater difficulty. In this food system. Locally-based transactions respect, the marketplace is not serving the between farmer and consumer keep local needs of all residents in the Miami Valley. incomes circulating in the regional economy. In response to this issue, the Montgomery It supports efforts at farmland preservation County Food Equity Coalition has launched by reducing local farmers’ dependence on a Food Equity Action Plan initiative. It is large commodity markets. Local food modeled after the “Whole Measures” processing can be a source of local food approach to equitable community food system employment. Local foods are system planning. Led by Public Health healthier and fresher – they often have less Dayton-Montgomery County, the initiative pesticide and herbicide residues than has formed working groups on the topics of factory-farmed produce and livestock. Due to Vibrant Farms, Healthy People, Thriving shorter shipping distances, they are not Local Economy, Food Insecurity, Strong picked unripe and trucked from far away. Communities, and Sustainable Ecosystems. The social benefits of local food systems The initiative aims to release its report in include building personal connections 2020. between rural and urban communities, while

Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission 15 A state-level advocacy group, Ohio Smart Agriculture (OSA), issued a report and call to Food action in 2019 to support the goals of Regional Contacts reduced hunger, increased food production, • Farmers markets —B-W Greenway a more robust food economy, and improved Community Land Trust, 937.867.5212, environmental protection in Ohio. Many [email protected] recommendations from the OSA report are • Local food economy — Lela Klein, Co-Op Dayton, 937.716.1717, suited for local or regional implementation. [email protected] • Local food legislation, Jenita McGowan, Two programs in Ohio seek to connect City of Cleveland Chief of Sustainability, people in food insecure households with 216.664.2405, local food producers. Produce Perks [email protected] • provides a dollar-for-dollar matching OSU Agriculture Extension offices: Darke County – 937.548.5215 incentive for customers who use their SNAP Greene County – 937.372.9971 benefits at local farmers markets. The Miami County – 937.440.3945 Produce Prescription program, a project of Montgomery County – 937.224.9654 Preble County - 937.456.8174 Case Western Reserve University, builds on • Regional food planning — Haley Carretta, a network of farmers markets. It partners Public Health-Dayton & Montgomery with health clinics to provide $40 monthly County, 937.496.3308, “prescriptions” for fruits and vegetables for [email protected] • pregnant women, new moms, and patients Regional food policy — Mark Willis, Hall Hunger Initiative, 937.225.3056, with hypertension. [email protected] • Sustainable food services for institutions — What Communities can do Stephanie Corbett, Case Western Reserve University, 216.368.6174, [email protected] • Community Gardening – Kaitlyn Lawry, There are numerous ways communities can Five Rivers MetroParks, 937.275.7275, support the Miami Valley’s local food [email protected] economy. These efforts will keep money • Urban garden zoning — Fred Collier, Cleveland Planning Commission, circulating in your community, build social 216.664.3468, [email protected] cohesion, and improve your residents’ • Soil Health – Susan Jennings, Arthur health. Morgan Institute for Community Solutions, 937.767.2826, [email protected] Community Education & Outreach • Vacant land and urban agriculture — Mike • Highlight the many benefits of local food in Grauwelman, Montgomery County Land Bank, 937.531.7035, community newsletters and events. [email protected] • Distribute the B-W Greenway Local Foods • Green School Yards – Doug Horvath, Five Directory to residents and businesses in Rivers MetroParks, 937.275.7275, either print or electronic form to assist [email protected] institutions in buying local food. Explore local food purchase agreements. BYG • Encourage the development of farmers to host farmers markets on weekends or markets in your community. Allow schools after-school hours.

16 BYG - Bring Your Green • Encourage partnerships between • Food waste and hunger exist side-by-side community neighborhoods and Homefull to on our communities. Facilitate connections establish a community garden or urban between institutions that produce food agriculture. waste and agencies that distribute food to • The Marianist Environmental Education people experiencing food insecurity. The Center (MEEC) provides workshops for the Dayton Foodbank can assist in this effort. public on vegetable gardening and • Educate citizens about how the growing pollinator gardens. Sponsor a workshop in practices of local farmers can impact water your community. and air quality, as well as the nutritional • Partner with the extension service of either content of food. Ohio State University or Central State University to bring the Expanded Food and Internal operations Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) to • Organize staff memberships in a local your community. The program utilizes Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) interactive discussions and activities to program. guide low- and moderate-income • For city food services, set a procurement participants through a series of community- goal for obtaining healthy food that is based workshops. These workshops are grown locally within the Great Miami and/or aimed at improving diet quality, food Little Miami Watersheds. Cleveland safety, and physical activity. Adult Heights has a policy requiring the city to participants also gain skills in food consider purchasing local and Fair Trade preparation and managing their food food. BYG budgets. • Offer a bid discount to local food providers • East End Community Services offers when bidding contracts. Cleveland’s policy gardening, food preparation, nutrition, and is a model. food preservation classes. • Colleges and High Schools can work with • Share Five Rivers MetroPark’s Earth to the Food Recovery Network and K-12 Table resources and programming with Food Rescue, respectively, to ensure that your residents. leftover, prepared foods are donated to • Support campaigns that encourage local agencies fighting hunger. The community members and community University of Dayton has a Food Recovery institutions to purchase from local food Network chapter. producers, artisans, businesses, and • Have community staff and leadership farmers in your community and the Region. participate in the Annual Food Summit • Encourage your school district to prioritize organized through the Montgomery County local food for school breakfast and lunch Food Equity Coalition. programs. Additionally, schools can • Leverage economic development participate in the OSU Extension’s Farm to resources to provide technical assistance School program. and financing to new and expanding food- • Wright State University and Five Rivers based businesses in your community. MetroParks have helped numerous school districts start school gardens. BYG

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• Make it easy for community gardens to access water from fire hydrants or other Food sources. The City of Dayton, Department of Water has a model program. Additional resources • Montgomery County Food Policy Coalition • Help develop neighborhood centers and • B-W Greenway’s Local Foods Directory community kitchens at community • Ohio Local Food Guides from OSU gardens. BYG Extension • Midwest Climate Adaptation Resources for Ordinances and policies Agriculture from the USDA • Miami Valley Data Commons • Plan for food uses — Encourage the • Developing a Sustainable Foods Business creation of food businesses through land Roadmap for Cuyahoga County • Hall Hunger Initiative use and economic development plans. The • Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm “Resettle Youngstown” initiative, part of the • Agraria Center for Regenerative Practice Youngstown 2010 Plan, has led to a city • Ohio Ecological Food and Farm policy allowing urban homesteads (houses Association (OEEFA) • with an adjacent one- to two-acre area) for OEEFA Annual Conference 2020 • OSU Extension Service intensive urban food production. • Ohio’s Food Hubs • Permit urban farming uses — Allow urban • Food Rescue / Ugly Food CSAs gardening and small-scale agriculture on • American Planning Association Urban residential, commercial, and other Agriculture Knowledgebase

properties. The National League of Cities • Foodbanks serving Miami Valley counties: has numerous example policies, codes, • The Foodbank Dayton, Inc. (Greene, and ordinances. Montgomery and Preble Counties) • Ohio EPA has a model zoning code to • Shared Harvest Foodbank (Butler, Darke, Miami, Preble, Warren Counties) encourage organic waste composting and

urban agriculture. • Protect urban gardens — Cleveland’s standards. Cleveland Heights’ urban garden district zoning classification vegetable/edible gardens zoning provides legal protection to significant amendment is a model — see section community garden sites. 1121.12(l). • Permit animals - Local communities are • Establish a Public Market to enhance food revisiting restrictions on farm animals in security/justice, connect consumers with residential areas in order to allow chickens, local farmers/producers, and foster locally- ducks, rabbits, bees, goats, and other based economic development. livestock, under certain conditions. The • Establish Healthy Food Zones in City of Xenia has adopted an Accessory coordination with efforts to increase access Use code for the Raising of Small to healthy, fresh foods. Livestock (see chapter 1224.01) • Pesticide ban — See Trees, Native • Front-yard gardens — Some communities Species & Land Management chapter. allow homeowners to use front and side

yards for edible plant gardens, while

defining acceptable maintenance

18 BYG - Bring Your Green Broader collaboration Miami Valley. Support the replacement of imported products with local products and A major part of the sustainable food picture expand regional exports to national is the development of a regional food system markets. that links cities and the surrounding • Work with local restaurants to reduce food countryside. Communities in the Miami waste. Encourage them to offer steep Valley can all be thinking about how they fit discounts during their final hour of into the bigger picture, and they can be operation for foods likely to be thrown out if engaged in a number of initiatives, such as: not sold. These businesses can • Work with county Land Banks and local collaborate on a smartphone app that food advocates to streamline the process highlights such deals in real time. Food For of transferring vacant parcels to urban All is an example from Boston, MA. agriculture uses. • Work with the OSU Extension to establish an urban agriculture model of practice with standards, site control guidelines for public access, and possible discounts on property tax and water use. • Support small (15-50 acres) organic farms, which have a valuable and sustainable role to play in our local food economy. Communities of all kinds can support efforts of the Organic Farmers Association and the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association to foster organic farming. • Work with Montgomery County’s Food Equity Coalition to help convene sustainable food advocates and figure out ways to plug the gaps in the regional food system. • Map “food deserts” with Public Health Dayton-Montgomery County and other partners. Then, develop programs to promote the sale of healthy foods in those areas. • Develop kitchen incubators to help launch food processing businesses. • Organize food-waste composting on a regional scale. Private sector composting companies operating at a community scale or regional scale exist in the Miami Valley. • Build on the competitive advantage of food and beverage business clusters in the

Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission 19 Downtown Piqua, Ohio

Older homes and commercial buildings are Green Building & more likely to have issues related to accessibility for people with disabilities, or Redevelopment health hazards such as lead pipes, lead paint, or asbestos. Older buildings may be What approaches can communities take less water and energy efficient. Also, the to balance redevelopment, green buildings may just be (or look) “dated.” This building, and historic preservation? mix of concerns may result in reduced investment in the parts of communities with Communities develop over time. The older buildings, eventually lowering property building stock within each community serves values and tax revenues. as a testament to the ebbs and flows of development over the years. Even edge The pairing of green building and historic communities that are still developing outward preservation may present a strategy for have older, existing buildings, communities to revitalize neighborhoods, overwhelmingly in private ownership, that preserve character, and bring back pose sustainability challenges. Structures investment. These buildings have the built for a particular use, or in a particular advantage of existing infrastructure, style, may have design characteristics that including utility lines, and the fact that they limit the range of alternative uses. are already built. Demolition of existing

20 BYG - Bring Your Green buildings or construction of new buildings is • As part of climate change planning, track relatively expensive. Conversely, retrofitting and publicly report carbon emissions. Set a a building is a fraction of the cost. Creative goal to reduce emissions from buildings in ideas for adaptive reuse of a building, or your community. BYG creative retrofit, can preserve character, • Integrate energy efficiency and healthy enable new uses, and increase a building’s homes resources and programs to provide energy efficiency. A community’s codes and a one-stop approach for assistance. ordinances need to balance the goals of • Include green building, historic redevelopment, green building, and historic preservation, and healthy house tips in preservation, so that no single objective civic publications (newsletters, websites, impedes the others. etc.). Preservation Dayton provides guidance on historic preservation. The Bay Green building is also an essential Village Green Team provides an example. sustainable approach for new development. • Educate building occupants about how Communities need to encourage the building materials impact their health from construction of new buildings that are organizations such as Mindful Materials healthy human environments (no off-gassing and the International Well Building of VOCs in materials used), that use less Institute. energy and water, that incorporate natural • Host educational seminars from U.S. light, that preserve natural resources and Green Building Council, Ohio Community local habitats, and that use sustainable (USGBC Ohio) or Preservation Dayton on materials. These practices will result in green building and/or historic preservation future building stock that ages well and costs topics. less to upkeep. • Share information about energy saving opportunities from window replacements What Communities can do with community residents.

• Encourage your school district to adopt This chapter recommends ways that green building principles when building communities in the Miami Valley can new schools or rehabilitating existing encourage sustainable building practices for schools. The State of Ohio requires that both new and existing structures. new schools receiving state support Complementary topics and suggestions achieve LEED-Silver status. However, related to compact development, mixed-use, districts can adopt their own standards for and walkable districts can be found in the renovations or self-funded projects. (LEED Land Use and Development chapter. The stands for Leadership in Energy and Energy chapter has resources on facilitating Environmental Design, and is the leading renewable energy. Finally, the Water Quality green building standard.) chapter recommends ways to reduce • Show support for green schools projects development impacts on surface water and by participating in a Green Apple Day of groundwater. Service. • Where buildings are being demolished, Community Education & Outreach encourage “deconstruction,” which reclaims building materials and recycles

Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission 21

construction waste, reducing the amount of Green Building & material sent to the landfill. • Share solar-ready construction guidelines Redevelopment

with the development community and Local Contacts residents. • Architectural resources for Green Building and Historic Preservation — Jane Treiber, Internal operations AIA Dayton, 937.291.1913, [email protected] • Adopt an energy efficiency program with • Green Building/LEED/WELL targeted reductions in energy use in city • Michael Berning, Heapy Engineering, buildings and operations. Cincinnati has a [email protected], 937.271.1973 • MaryEllen Etienne, Director, USGBC Climate Action Plan with an energy goal to Ohio, [email protected], be carbon neutral by 2035 and to reduce 917.238.6218 energy usage by two percent annually. • Yasha Ogg, Emersion Design, • Set a minimum green building standard [email protected], 513.841.9100 (e.g. LEED Silver, Enterprise Green • Nadja Turek, Woolpert, Communities) for all new construction and [email protected], major renovations in municipal buildings. 937.531.1287 Many standards exist, including • Green Building/Policy — Jenita McGowan, Cleveland Chief of Sustainability, 216-664- EnergyStar, LEED, and WELL. Cleveland’s 2405, [email protected] Sustainable Municipal Building Policy is an • Healthy Housing — Mandy Metcalf, example. Environmental Health Watch, 216-961- • Train building and planning department 4646, [email protected] • Historic Preservation – Holly Hornbeak, staff to provide technical assistance about Dayton Planning & Community green building. Development, 937.333.3681, • Set healthy building and community goals [email protected] • using healthy building standards (e.g. Preservation Dayton – Monica Snow, 937.234.4704, WELL, Fitwel) for new construction and [email protected] major renovations. • Passive House design — Alex Melamed, • Maintain municipal buildings and grounds Green Generation Building Co., Yellow Springs, OH, 937.361.9705 using safe, non-toxic products. • Green Schools – Nadja Turek, Woolpert; [email protected], 937.531.1287 Ordinances and policies • Tax Abatements—Paul Yankie, Green Building Consulting, • Create a sustainable building committee to [email protected] explore opportunities and recommend policies. • Green building guidelines and certification green residential construction and — Encourage the development of green commercial site development. BYG buildings with special guidelines and • Healthy building incentives – Make recognition. Orange Village’s Orange Goes wellness-focused buildings a priority for Green Certification Program is an example publicly financed projects. of a community recognition program for • Green building incentives — Make green building a requirement for public financial

22 BYG - Bring Your Green incentives. For example, Cincinnati offers increasing tax abatements for higher levels Green Building & of LEED certification. Cleveland’s Redevelopment residential tax abatement for new Resources construction and major remodeling projects • Green Buildings for Cool Cities: A guide for requires developers to meet a green advancing local green building policies building standard (e.g. LEED Silver, the • Financial incentives and regulatory Enterprise Green Communities, Passive programs for green buildings in Ohio House, Living Building Challenge, or the • Historic preservation resources National Association of Home Builders’ • Life-cycle analysis and energy performance Green Building Standard). BYG of public buildings • Historic preservation — Sustainability • U.S. Green Building Council of Ohio includes renovation and adaptive reuse of • National League of Cities: Green Buildings older buildings to extend the life of the • WELL Building Standard valuable materials in those buildings while preserving the historic character of the community. Communities can promote • Support the strengthening of state building historic preservation and gain access to codes to require better insulation, energy state grants by becoming a Certified Local performance, water conservation, and Government under the state’s Historic other green building practices. Sustainable Preservation Office and by adopting a local building codes would reduce the need for Historic Preservation Ordinance. special green building certifications, which • Create a tax incentive program - Offer tax can be expensive to obtain. breaks for investments that maintain • Integrate the recommendations of the historic homes, and/or tax abatements to MVRPC Going Places Regional Land Use construct green buildings. Involve historic Vision into community comprehensive preservation advocates when developing planning and encourage neighboring strategies for vacant buildings and communities to do the same. demolition. Cincinnati’s tax abatement • Be engaged with regional efforts to program is an example. develop financing programs for energy • Housing management — To protect the efficiency and renewable energy projects quality of existing housing stock and — See Energy chapter. promote healthy indoor air quality, develop • Work with USGBC Ohio to expand and enforce housing management codes programs to assist with upgrades of for maintenance, point-of-sale inspections, commercial and residential buildings. and rental registrations. Requirements can Forming a 2030 District is one such public- be tied to proactive, healthy home private partnership opportunity. inspections and lead paint maintenance • Support financing programs for healthy requirements. Also, require vacancy and home interventions, such as medical foreclosure registrations. insurer reimbursement for health-related home repairs. Broader collaboration • Advocate for continued historic preservation tax credits and other

Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission 23

preservation funding at the federal and state levels. • Advocate for tax abatements for green buildings that adhere to LEED standards (e.g. Cincinnati’s tax abatements has led to Ohio’s ranking as the #7 State with Green Homes).

24 BYG - Bring Your Green

The Greene Town Center, Beavercreek, Ohio

types. Our Region’s community diversity Land Use & includes older first-ring suburbs, edge suburbs that continue to annex and grow, historic county seats, rural villages, Development townships, and unincorporated hamlets. These communities are of different ages, Vibrant, walkable, mixed-use districts are sizes, and character, with each exhibiting increasingly popular and sustainable. different development patterns. Such How can local governments foster diversity makes the Miami Valley a place developments that are both fiscally and where all residents can find a community environmentally sustainable? where they desire to live, and every business can find a suitable place to locate. The Issues Even though our communities have unique

characteristics, they share regional From the central city of Dayton to the most challenges, such as changes in population. agricultural townships, the Miami Valley has Some communities continue to see the full spectrum of community sizes and population growth, but the region as a whole

Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission 25

has only grown by 0.03 percent since 1980. Climate change is also becoming a land use In addition, our Region’s median age is planning issue. Communities are interested in increasing. Between the 2000 and 2010 keeping ecosystems intact, as that can help Census, the median age in each county rose, an area mitigate and adapt to climate change. and in three of the five counties (Darke, Miami, and Preble) the 2010 median age was Many zoning codes and land use ordinances above 40, which was higher than the national do not allow for compact, mixed-use median age of 37.2. In order to serve our developments. Additionally, they provide no aging population, communities will need to guidance in planning for an aging population, alter the way they plan. For example, as climate change, weather extremes, or shifting people age, they drive less, especially at economics. Communities will need to address night. Our future land use plans must take this these issues when updating their into consideration. comprehensive plans and zoning codes. Fortunately, there are tools Miami Valley Our Region’s present development pattern is communities can use to inform the critical characterized by urban and suburban sprawl. decisions to be made about how, and where, Sprawl is the expansion of auto-dependent individual communities intend to develop in development into rural or less populated the future. Compiled by the Miami Valley areas, creating large distances between Regional Planning Commission, the Planning residential and commercial uses. To illustrate: Tools page provides planning officials with our region has roughly the same population guides, resource links, and best practices for as it did in 1970, but 83 percent more development of many different types of local developed, urbanized land cover. This trend plans. is unsustainable; it requires a large amount of expensive infrastructure, and eliminates tree What Communities can do canopy.

Luckily, there is a growing demand for vibrant, It may seem like a daunting task, but updating mixed-use, walkable developments that community plans, codes, and zoning is a intermingle commercial and residential land highly effective way to guide development in uses. This type of development pattern is a manner that reflects community priorities. highly sustainable, serves the aging Some communities have not updated their population’s needs, and creates a sense of plans in a long time, and, as studies have community. People of all ages want to live in documented, while zoning codes can be used vibrant front porch style communities, where to support sustainability goals, older codes they can interact with neighbors while leaving tend to incorporate fewer sustainability their cars behind. They want destinations like principles. cafes, corner markets, and neighborhood parks to be easily accessible by bicycle or on The resource lists below present some foot. All of the above increase quality of life, practices being adopted by local reduce sprawl, and minimize community governments. The overall theme is the expense in creating and repairing promotion of more compact, resilient and infrastructure. cost-effective patterns of development.

26 BYG - Bring Your Green

Community Education & Outreach Land Use & Development

• Convene a civic forum series or advisory Contacts committee concerning the desired • Regional planning and transportation — placement of future land uses in your Brian O. Martin, Miami Valley Regional community. The Going Places framework Planning Commission (MVRPC), 937.223.6323, [email protected] offers indicators and targets for moving • Comprehensive plans — Martin Kim, Miami toward greater sustainability. It is a good Valley Regional Planning Commission, resource to use when updating a 937.223.6323, [email protected] comprehensive land use plan. • Better Block events — Jason Segedy, City of Akron, 330.375.2770, • Organize a “Better Block” project to [email protected] demonstrate ideas for redeveloping a • Conservation development and cottage shopping district as a vibrant, walkable development — Kirby Date, Cleveland State place, such as the projects that cities of University, 216.687.5477, [email protected] Akron and Youngstown did in 2015. • Greenspace planning — Matt Lindsay, • Create a pop-up shop event to establish the Miami Valley Regional Planning need for neighborhood corner commercial Commission, 937.223.6323, uses in residential areas. [email protected] • Mixed-use development — Joyce Braverman, Shaker Heights Planning, Internal operations 216.491.1432, [email protected] • Locate government offices in a mixed-use • Transit-oriented development — Brandon district with foot traffic to leverage other Policicchio, Greater Dayton RTA community assets. For example, the new 937.425.8330, administration buildings in Xenia and Piqua [email protected] • Envision – Nadja Turek, Woolpert, were placed in those cities’ historic [email protected], 937.531.1287 downtowns. • Vacant land re-use — Mike Grauwelman, • Provide municipal officials with Montgomery County Land Bank, 937.531.6921, [email protected] opportunities to hear about the history and

purpose of land-use planning. The Miami Resources Valley Section of the American Planning • Miami Valley Data Commons Association offers an annual Planning and • American Planning Association, Miami Zoning Workshop on the first Friday of Valley Section every December, which covers the latest • MVRPC Going Places Initiative trends in planning. • Miami Valley Regional Planning • Adopt an infrastructure and land-use Commission planning process that considers the long- • Inclusionary zoning tool kit term sustainability and life-cycle costs of • Ohio Balanced Growth Program • Retrofitting Suburbia development. The Institute for Sustainable by Ellen Dunham- Jones and June Williamson Infrastructure offers Envision, a project • Smart Growth America – this includes assessment tool. The INVEST tool from the National Complete Streets Coalition and Federal Highway Administration evaluates Institute for Form-Based Codes. the sustainability of transportation • Transit-supportive density guidance paper infrastructure.

Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission 27

• Learn about projected weather impacts of advantage of the convenience provided climate change, and how green-scaping by multi-modal transportation options and and protecting local ecosystems can help the vitality that mixed uses can bring to a mitigate and adapt to them. community.” • Form-based codes — There is growing Ordinances and policies interest in form-based zoning codes, which regulate the form (site layout) and massing • Review and update your community’s of buildings, parking areas, and landscape zoning code to require, encourage, or at areas, rather than the uses of a building or least allow practices related to a site. While a complete overhaul of a sustainability. zoning code is a big project, local • Transit-oriented development (TOD) - High communities may want to consider a form- quality transit supports development, and based code for business districts in order to dense development supports transit. But promote the development of walkable this relationship does not happen by districts. Dublin, Ohio and New Rochelle, accident. It takes planning and the right New York provide case studies. policies. Greater Cleveland RTA offers • Inclusionary zoning — The entire region is guidelines for doing it right. Communities stronger and more equitable when all with TOD policies are in a better position to communities offer affordable housing. A receive capital grants from federal, state model is Montgomery County, MD which and regional authorities for transit, air has produced 13,000 units of affordable quality, or brownfields remediation. housing while still offering communities an • Mixed-use districts — Encouraging mixed- opt-out. use rather than single-use zoning districts • Density bonuses — Developers can be can help create vibrant places with higher offered incentives to build developments property values and can help revitalize that are transit-oriented, include mixed- areas with outmoded real estate. Ohio- uses, or have inclusionary housing, by based models include: offering density bonuses (increasing the o Mayfield Heights’ Mixed Use District in its allowable number of dwelling units per zoning code is an overlay to encourage acre). Cleveland Heights has a special higher intensity mixed-use development mixed-use zoning overlay district to (as an option to the underlying zoning that encourage creative development projects currently exists on the property). with higher density (see Chapter 1145 of the o Cleveland’s code for Urban Form Overlay city code). The American Planning Districts (to preserve the pedestrian- Association has guidance on density oriented character of unique shopping bonuses to incentivize the development of districts) and Live-Work Overlay Districts. affordable housing. Another way to o Shaker Heights’ Commercial Mixed Use encourage sustainable development District zoning (see Chapter 1234), which requires designs that “encourage a practices is with expedited permitting. • Cottage housing development — One way compact mix of retail, service, office, to encourage attractive housing that is housing and public activities to coexist in affordable and relatively dense is to allow a manner that reflects human scale and cottages in planned unit developments. emphasizes pedestrian orientation, taking

28 BYG - Bring Your Green

Cottage homes are relatively small with lots been developed by the Ohio Balanced often 3,000 sf or less and they surround a Growth Program. It provides guidance for a large shared greenspace. more thorough review of local codes. • Conservation subdivisions — This type of development, coined by author and planner Broader collaboration Randall Arendt, “encourages the preservation of environmentally sensitive While home rule allows local governments to areas without reducing residential make their own land-use plans, these plans densities.” At least 50%-70% of the are affected by regional market forces and environmentally sensitive land, public investments (especially transportation undeveloped greenspace, or agricultural investments). Thus, as communities in the land must be placed in conservation Miami Valley work to ensure their future easements in perpetuity. Homes are then clustered on the remaining portions of land, stability, they should be engaged in regional allowing for reduced infrastructure costs. initiatives, such as: • Conservation Development – Similar to • The Institute for Livable and Equitable conservation subdivisions, this style of Communities, a joint initiative of the Dayton design requires 40% of the natural area to Foundation, the Del Mar Institute and the remain as open space. Conservation Miami Valley Regional Planning easements are not required and the Commission. developed area can be residential or non- • residential. Local guidelines are here and The Miami Valley Equity Initiative. • here. The City of Fairborn’s 2016 The First Suburbs Consortium of Dayton, ’s efforts to Comprehensive Plan includes conservation Ohio raise awareness of the development as a future land use type. The development and redevelopment needs of Montgomery County’s mature and maturing Ohio Balanced Growth Program includes guidelines here. suburban communities. • ’s • Environmental justice — Consider the The Montgomery County Land Bank impacts of development and infrastructure efforts to deal with blighted properties. projects on minority and disadvantaged • Long term disaster recovery planning work populations. Work to engage these in the wake of the 2019 tornadoes. This populations in the decision-making process. work is being led by the Miami Valley • Health impact assessments — Consider the Regional Planning Commission. health impacts of development and • The Ohio Balanced Growth Program’s infrastructure projects. Columbus Public efforts to promote land use practices that Health has completed numerous HIA in protect water quality. Franklin County. • Development practices to protect water quality — See the Water Quality chapter and the Ohio Balanced Growth Program’s Best Local Land Use Practices. • Urban garden zoning — See Food chapter. • An excellent checklist of recommended codes and policies related to land use has

Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission 29 Montgomery County Solid Waste Transfer Station, Moraine, Ohio

Solid Waste (MSW), or the sum of residential Solid Waste and commercial waste streams in the U.S., dates back at least to the 1650’s. It is a Solid waste services are a major critical service for communities of any size. It responsibility of local governments. Are protects public health, preserves community there ways to reduce the amount of appearance, and supports a desirable quality waste and reduce the cost of services? of life. Municipal waste management and recycling services are likely among the most frequent and visible forms of interaction The Issues between local governments and their residents.

“Garbage collection” is a central Ohioans, like all Americans, produce a responsibility of local governments in the considerable amount of solid waste. United States. Local regulation of Municipal Approximately 4.7 pounds of waste was

30 BYG - Bring Your Green generated per person per day in 2017 Solid Waste according to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. The amount of MSW Miami Valley Solid Waste Districts disposed by Ohioans in 2017 totaled over 10 • Darke County Solid Waste Management District, Krista Fourman, million tons. [email protected], 937.547.0827 • Greene County Solid Waste Management As we know, simply disposing of solid waste District, Dana Storts, is not considered an adequate or sustainable [email protected], 937.562.5929 solid waste management strategy. • Miami County Solid Waste Management Therefore, residents, businesses, and even District, Lauren Karch, [email protected], construction sites must focus on reducing 937.440.3488 x8700 the amount of waste sent to the landfill by • Montgomery County Solid Waste reusing or recycling as many materials as Management District, Robert Downing possible. Recycling programs, however, are [email protected], 937.496.3108 • Preble County Solid Waste Management becoming increasingly complicated. In a District, Beth Wright, solid waste market with relatively low landfill [email protected], 937.456.6880 tipping fees, there may be little incentive for a government to participate in a recycling Resources • program. Recycling rates for in Ohio seem to Miami Valley Data Commons • have reached a plateau. The market for Association of Ohio Recyclers (AOR) • Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ISLR) these materials is also changing. • National Recycling Coalition (NRC) International pressures for lower • Ohio Association of Litter Prevention and “contamination” rates have changed the Recycling Professionals (OALPRP) economics of mixed recycling, which is • Organics Recycling Association of Ohio forcing changes in how recycling programs (ORAO) are managed and how they are • Reuse International communicated to the public. While some • Solid Waste Association of North America communities are moving back to source- (SWANA) separated recycling (dual stream) to combat • Zero Waste International Alliance (ZWIA) contamination issues, others are cancelling • Ohio EPA Division of Materials and Waste recycling programs altogether. Management • Ohio EPA Division of Environmental and What Communities can do Financial Assistance • Social marketing campaigns for recycling

Community Education & Outreach • Host a Recycling or Zero Waste town hall • Provide educational information to meeting for residents and invite the local residents and businesses about waste Solid Waste Management District to reduction and recycling. County Solid answer questions. Waste Management Districts have • Host a visit to the Montgomery County comprehensive resources and some offer Solid Waste District’s Environmental grants for community education programs. Learning Center, featuring hands-on exhibits and a green parking lot.

Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission 31

• Keep your community’s website updated • Benchmark residential recycling services with the latest information about municipal against top performing communities in the recycling, community reuse opportunities, Miami Valley and learn best practices for and waste disposal programs. Think about waste reduction, including automated how to use the web and social media to collection using carts, seasonal yard waste change attitudes about waste and collection, and consistent education recycling, such as Cleveland’s “One programs. Simple Act” campaign concerning what • Review current waste collection contracts can or cannot be recycled. for cost-saving opportunities, such as • Partner with your community’s recycling automated collection and separate hauler to conduct a Contamination disposal pricing. Increase emphasis on Curbside Audit to determine if residents recycling. Contact your Solid Waste District are recycling properly, Share the results for a bid template. BYG with your residents. • Establish a program to donate edible but • Help recruit volunteers for projects and unwanted food (food rescue) and manage programs sponsored by your county Solid organic discards (wasted food), which is a Waste District. Many community efforts to large portion of the waste stream. Work combat litter and illegal dumping are with your county’s foodbank to establish a dependent on community volunteers. A pickup schedule. Set up a community “Trash Bash” is an example of a roadside compost site at a community garden or clean-up/recycling event that requires other demonstration site. Likewise, the many volunteers and will also protect water Dayton Foodbank is setting up an quality. anaerobic organic waste digester; this may • Participate in county level efforts to be a model for your community. address scrap tire dumping. Contact your • Offer year-round resident drop-off for county Solid Waste District for more household hazardous wastes, computers, information. pharmaceuticals, fats, oils and grease. • Encourage ideas that treat waste as an Participate in your Solid Waste District’s opportunity to create new business and annual scrap tire event. BYG employment. The Zero Waste NEO group • Follow best practices for managing is working toward that goal. hazardous wastes and training city staff. • Partner with your local school district on a • Cultivate city staff leaders by encouraging Zero Waste class project. them to participate in the Master Recycler • Plan a zero waste event using the Zero Program. Join a state or national solid Waste Event Planning Guide. BYG waste organization (see resources section) for additional guidance and training. Internal operations • Implement a recycling program at city hall and other municipal buildings, and then • Set specific goals for waste reduction, conduct a waste audit to identify the reuse, and recycling within the remaining sources of waste, along with the community’s own buildings. Also make and best ways to reduce them. implement a plan to reach those goals. • Apply for a grant for the development of a BYG recycling program in public spaces.

32 BYG - Bring Your Green • Provide access to recycling infrastructure • Deconstruction – Develop a deconstruction and services at public places such as and salvage policy that keeps reusable parks, community centers, schools, and building materials out of the landfill. libraries. BYG • Establish a construction & demolition • Apply for a Recycling Incentive Grant from recycling policy for municipal buildings. the Montgomery County Solid Waste BYG District, which helps district members • Recycling - Provide curbside recycling for enhance, increase, or promote recycling, residents with rollout containers no smaller waste reduction, litter prevention, than 50 gallons. BYG composting, and end use markets for • Composting — Review ordinances to recycled materials. support home composting. Invite the Solid • Establish Zero Waste guidelines for city Waste District to do a composting events. Invite Master Recycling volunteers workshop for residents. to community events to educate the public • Establish a community-wide composting about better waste management practices. program to manage food and organic Five Rivers MetroParks has a guide to waste. BYG Private sector composting their zero-waste event practices. companies operating at a community scale • Purchase event recycling containers and or regional scale exist in the Miami Valley. make them available for events such as • Ohio EPA has a model zoning code to block parties. encourage organic waste composting and • Host a Reuse Fair, a Repair Café or a urban agriculture. “FreeCycle” style swap meet event, as • Establish incentives to encourage waste South Euclid, OH has done. BYG reduction programs for businesses in your • Develop cooperative marketing with local community. BYG thrift stores to encourage reuse of clothing • Adopt the “Pay-as-You-Throw” approach and household goods from the waste for solid waste services. BYG stream. Or consider a contract with Simple • Require commercial & multi-family Recycling for free collection of textiles and recycling. BYG small household goods. • Buy Recycled – establish a policy to consider buying goods with recycled Ordinances and policies content. Use the Sustainable Procurement • Set a waste reduction goal for the Playbook for Cities for reference to assist community as a whole. Make and you in your planning efforts. The implement a plan to reach that goal. BYG Montgomery County Solid Waste District • Zero waste — Set a zero-waste goal and has a Buy Recycled Grant program to help create an implementation plan, as the City member jurisdictions get started. BYG of Oberlin has done. • Ban use of plastic bags. BYG • Reuse - Review existing ordinances and • Review the enforcement practices for make sure they allow all opportunities for illegal dumping ordinances to ensure waste reduction, such as composting, adequate deterrence. garage sales, separate pick-up days, and • For other rules, policies, and programs that even scavenging. BYG could be implemented at the local level to increase recycling and recovery rates while

Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission 33

reducing solid waste management costs, see the resources of The Institute for Local Self Reliance.

Broader collaboration • Explore cooperative contracting opportunities to save money and improve services for waste collection and recycling. The Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District offers guidance and a free consulting service. • Work with the County Solid Waste District, other communities, and local businesses to develop the local market for recycling and materials reuse, thus strengthening the economy. • Explore the sharing of, or joint bidding for, recycling equipment, such as carts and trucks. • Join and support efforts to establish food waste composting on a regional scale.

34 BYG - Bring Your Green

Fifth Street, Dayton, Ohio

infrastructure and the associated costs borne Transportation by communities to maintain them. Demand is growing for a transportation There is an emerging realization that this system with more choices of modes and sprawling transportation system creates fuels. Local governments can do a lot to mobility for some and limits mobility for promote a transition that improves others. According to the 2006-2010 health, quality of life, and the American Community Survey (ACS) 84 environment. percent of the region’s residents drive their automobile alone to work. At the same time, in our region six percent of households have The Issues no access to a private automobile. The system is increasingly costly for the public

sector to maintain. And at 75 cents per mile Between the 1980 and 2010 Census counts of driving according to AAA in 2018, it’s the combined population of Darke, Greene, costly for people to use. ACS data from Miami, Montgomery, and Preble counties 2011-2015 indicates that Miami Valley increased by 0.03 percent. At the same time residents spent an average of 26 percent of the Dayton urbanized area has grown by household income on personal over 39 percent. A larger urbanized area transportation, which is above the national means more roads, more utility average. infrastructure, more storm water

Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission 35

Also, an auto-centric transportation system problems discussed above with car-centric does not meet the mobility needs of large development, but they do promise cleaner, numbers of people — young, elderly, quieter, less expensive transportation for the disabled, poor — who cannot drive. And it future. contributes to health problems by depriving people of opportunities to get exercise as Communities looking to stay apace with this part of their daily routines. transition are requiring parking areas to be EV ready, including EV in their public fleets, Increasingly, local governments are being and providing public charging at public pressured to provide better transportation buildings and activity centers. Regionally, options for their residents. People want more MVRPC led a successful effort with transit access and safe, connected bike Metropolitan Planning Organizations in facilities. Residents without use of a private Cincinnati and Columbus in 2017 to car need transportation to life-essential designate Interstates 70, 75, and 675 as services such as medical and grocery trips. Alternative Fuel Corridors. This designation Coordination among public, non-profit, and for DC Fast Charging, Compressed Natural private providers of human service Gas, and Liquefied Natural Gas serves to transportation providers is increasingly raise public awareness of alternative fuels, important. Walkable places – either historic and has already resulted in a new DC Fast downtowns or newly built “town centers” – Charging location along I-70 in Huber are experiencing increased foot traffic and Heights. business. The market is responding with entirely new modes of transportation, such What Communities can do as ride hailing, bike and car sharing, and even scooters. Developers are designing mixed use spaces, and bringing housing There are real opportunities for local back to the central parts of cities. Land use governments to revitalize their community decisions by communities have a and improve quality of life by choosing a tremendous influence on the transportation different transportation and land use path. choices of the people that live and/or work The lists below offer a wide range of there. Please see the Land Use and practical approaches to consider. Development chapter for avenues to develop in ways that encourage reduced dependence Community Education & Outreach on automobiles. Raising awareness about alternative modes A parallel issue is the growing transition to of transportation is a valuable service local electric transportation. Electric vehicles (EV) governments can do for their residents, and are a small but rapidly growing segment of the whole Region. the automobile market. The number of plug- • Bike mode share (setting a goal to in vehicle models available in the U.S. increase biking) — Start with a baseline quadrupled between 2012 and 2019. The assessment, with data available from the legacy U.S. automakers (Fiat-Chrysler, Ford, American Community Survey Biking and GM) have committed to offer over 90 plug-in Walking to Work report and from the models by 2023. EV do not solve any of the MVRPC Transportation Data Commons.

36 BYG - Bring Your Green For local bike/pedestrian counts look at Transportation MVRPC’s Bicycle Counting Program Contacts information. Then conduct your own bike • Active transportation, Complete Streets — counts; MVRPC loans bicycle counters to Matt Lindsay, 937.531.6548, member jurisdictions for local short- [email protected] duration counts. After bike lanes are • Bike facility design — Laura Estandia, Bike Miami Valley, 937.496.3825, installed, conduct follow-up counts to [email protected] measure impact. • City bike planning, Protected bike lanes - • Pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities/traffic Brian Forschner, City of Xenia, 937.376.7285 fatalities — Download Ohio crash data by [email protected] • Health benefits of active transportation — year. Encourage Police and Planning Robert Harrison, CHC Coordinator, Public departments to put crash data on a map Health Dayton-Montgomery County, and to discuss local interventions. 937.224.3806, [email protected] • Organize a walking “audit” of your city to • Safe Routes to School, Safe Kids Coalition – Abbey Pettiford, 937.641.5853, draw attention to gaps in the pedestrian [email protected] infrastructure and raise awareness of the • Public Transit – Brandon Policicchio, Greater health, environmental and social benefits Dayton RTA, 937.425.8330, of walking. [email protected] • Trails and greenway planning — Matt Lindsay, • Bicycle Friendly Community — The MVRPC, 937.531.6548, [email protected] application process is free and includes a • Miami Valley Rideshare – Laura Henry, plan to make bicycling safe, comfortable, 937.531.6542, [email protected] and convenient for people of all ages and Mobility Managers abilities. Current award winners in the • Greene, Miami, Montgomery Counties - Miami Valley are Dayton, Piqua, Shannon Webster, GreeneCATS Public Springboro, Troy, and Yellow Springs. Transit, 937.708.8316, • Host a Bike to Work Day event in May [email protected] • Darke County – Michelle Caserta-Bixler, (National Bike Month) in an employment Catholic Social Services RideLink, center of your community. 833.289.0227, [email protected] • Walk Friendly Community — This program • Preble County – Tim Miller, Preble County recognizes communities supporting Transit, 937.456.4947, [email protected] walking environments that are safer, more accessible, and more comfortable. Dayton Ohio DOT Contacts received an Honorable Mention for their • District 7 – Bike & Pedestrian Coordinator, recent application to this program. Safe Routes to School, Safety Coordinator – Mary Hoy, 937.497.6838, • Safe Routes to School — Work with your [email protected] school district to develop a Safe Routes • District 8 – Bike & Pedestrian Coordinator, program to facilitate active transportation Safety Coordinator – Brianne Hetzel, 513.933.6624, [email protected] for students and the community in general. Safe Routes to School – Tom Arnold, A school or district travel plan 513.933.6588, [email protected] communicates the community's intentions • Central Office – Safe Routes to School - Cait around making active transportation safe Harley, 614.466.3049; Safety – Jordan Whisler, 614.644.8181; Bike Routes – Caraline and accessible, and it provides a blueprint Griffith, 614.644.8336 and funding opportunities for

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implementation. If your school district • Train service department and engineering already has a Travel Plan, work to staff on best practices for designing and implement its recommendations. An Active installing bike and transit facilities. Transportation Plan can serve the same • Develop a local bike infrastructure plan for purpose for a community. bikeways to connect community facilities, • Install publicly-accessible EV charging at amenities and the regional bikeways public facilities in the community, such as system. government offices, libraries, and • Miles of bike lanes/trails — Set a goal to community centers. Work with downtown paint a certain number of bike lanes per businesses to add EV charging in your year. Classify them by type (protected bike business district. BYG lane; bike lane; sharrows). Bike Miami Valley and/or MVRPC can advise on the Internal operations best practices for installing bike facilities. • Recognize employees who participate in • To stretch infrastructure dollars, align active living programs, such as walking a bikeway planning with capital improvement certain number of steps per day or entering plans so bike facilities are installed when national challenges like Bike to Work Day streets are fixed. or Bike Month. • Include funds in the capital budget for bike • Incentivize public employees to carpool to facilities. work. Miami Valley Rideshare can help • Adopt an infrastructure planning process your employees find car pooling matches. that considers the long-term sustainability • Encourage employees to purchase transit and life-cycle costs of roads and other passes with pre-tax dollars through infrastructure. WageWorks. • Install bike racks, changing areas, and Ordinances and policies showers in government buildings for use • Adopt a Local Complete Streets Policy — by bike commuters. Over 1,490 jurisdictions nationally, • Install preferential parking spots in city lots including Dayton, Piqua, Riverside, Troy, for carpools and electrified vehicles. Make and Yellow Springs, have adopted provisions for public employees to charge complete streets. The National Complete EV at the workplace. Streets Coalition reports that 52% of • Transition the city vehicle fleet to more complete streets policies are in small cities fuel-efficient vehicles, alternative fuel with populations under 30,000. To facilitate vehicles and EV. Clean Fuels Ohio can the adoption of local complete streets provide technical assistance and policies, MVRPC can conduct walking information about federal funding audits, facilitate complete streets policy opportunities. BYG development workshops, and provide GIS • Train police about the proper enforcement data. of bicycle laws. • Alternative performance measures to Level • Update your community’s ADA Transition of Service (LOS) — Communities are Plan to learn what areas in your considering the street experience for other community are in need of extra attention. users, like pedestrians or bicyclists, in addition to motorists. A bicycle level of

38 BYG - Bring Your Green Transportation on four-hour averages rather than peak hours. This helps design roads for typical Additional Resources needs rather than for maximum • Human Services Transportation Coordination congestion.) Plan • Encourage transit agencies to bring new • Greater Regional Mobility Initiative – a nine- routes or enhance current routes to your county human services transportation coordination plan community. Enhance transit stop locations • MVRPC Accessibility of Basic Services with bus turn outs, shade trees, shelter Analysis structures, benches and trash receptacles. • Miami Valley Data Commons Make sure bus stop locations are well • Center for Neighborhood Technology served by well-maintained, ADA compliant resources for transit-oriented development sidewalks. Incentivize private developers • Federal Highway Administration guidance for to welcome transit service and provide street design flexibility for bikes and good facilities for transit stops. pedestrians • Parking reform — Communities in Ohio, • Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure project such as Euclid, are granting more flexibility assessment tools in meeting parking requirements, including • National Association of City Transportation credits for shared parking, off-site parking, Officials (NACTO) Urban Bikeway Design and credits for transit and bike access. Guide • National Complete Streets Coalition Cleveland Heights has a policy for parking • Transportation for America maximums (rather than the usual minimum • Ohio DOT TIMS data resource number of spaces) and an innovative land- • Ohio DOT non-motorized Database System banked parking ordinance. Shaker Heights’ • State and US Bicycle Route System Commercial Mixed Use District zoning (see • Walkscore Chapt. 1234) has parking maximum • Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission provisions. And the Chagrin River Watershed Partners have a model parking Funding Resources code for reducing pavement and protecting • Transportation Alternatives water quality. • Safety • Require new parking development to have • Clean Ohio Trails a minimum number of spaces that are EV- • Recreational Trails Program ready, including pre-installed conduit and pads for EV charging equipment. • Transportation Coordination Planning – traffic stress (LTS) analysis assesses work with your county mobility manager to bicycling in your city from the bicyclists’ explore ways to support the local point of view. Ohio State University transportation coordination plan for the recently completed a study on conducting enhancement of transportation options LTS analysis with existing data sets. (reimbursement policies). MVRPC can assist communities looking to • Identify locations in your community to site study their roadways through this lens. (If alternative fuels stations, particularly for still using LOS for cars, explore the compressed natural gas, liquefied natural possibility of calculating peak flows based gas, and DC Fast Charging for electric

Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission 39

vehicles along the designated Alternative • Drive Ohio, Ohio DOT’s program to Fuels Corridors. advance research on emerging • Transit-oriented development — See Land transportation technologies. Use & Development chapter. • Efforts related to the Miami Valley Trails, • Vision Zero — Adopt a goal to reduce the such as ongoing work to fill critical trail loss of life from road collisions to zero. gaps, planning for east-west laterals such • Anti-idling ordinance — See Air Quality as the Great-Little Trail, and local planning chapter. to connect neighborhoods and downtowns • Health impact assessments — Consider to the trails. Participate in the MVRPC the health impacts of development and Regional Bikeways Committee to keep up infrastructure projects. An example is the on all these initiatives. assessment completed for the East Side • The new Institute for Livable and Equitable Greenway. Communities at MVRPC. • Zoning for mixed-use and transit-oriented districts — See Land Use & Development chapter.

Broader collaboration No community in the Miami Valley is a transportation island. Regional collaboration and planning are needed to develop a seamless transportation system that will strengthen all communities and will be sustainable in the future. So all communities should be engaged in regional initiatives, such as:

• MVRPC’s long range regional transportation planning process and human services transportation coordination planning process. • The Greater Region Mobility Initiative seeking to expand human services transportation coordination across nine counties in west-central Ohio. • Participate in the Greater Regional Mobility Initiative Council or the Human Services Transportation Coordination Council. • GDRTA and other transit agencies’ efforts to increase state funding for transit improvements.

40 BYG - Bring Your Green provide vital ecosystem services that result Trees, Native in cleaner air, storm water retention, transpiration, erosion prevention, carbon Species & Land storage, and wildlife habitat. Trees form a natural shield from ultra-violet rays of the Management sun. The shade and natural cooling from urban trees have the secondary benefit of Trees and native species are a vital part reducing heat island effects and saving of a community’s green infrastructure. energy. Trees also improve community How can local governments do more to aesthetics and raise property values. And of promote reforestation and sustainable course, trees can provide food and the land-use practices? valuable raw material of wood.

Healthy green open spaces are critical to the The Issues overall health of the urban landscape. This includes the use of native plant species that The natural and societal benefits of trees, thrive in our local soils, supporting native including urban trees, are numerous. Trees wildlife and insect species. Healthy soils are

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the most overlooked resource and are the refuge. That is dangerous to both humans most critical element to support healthy and wildlife. Planned, interconnected green ecosystem services. Healthy soils, especially space networks and corridors provide in urban environments, provide support for important benefits not just to the ecosystem plant life, store a vast amount of carbon, and but also to the economy. They entice clean storm water, allowing it to recharge our economic development with places for critical aquifer. Healthy soil is a complex recreation and garner higher land values living system that requires hundreds (and along their boundaries. sometimes thousands) of years to form. Living soils include not only a mix of silt, The use of native vegetation in urban sand, and clay, but also organic matter, landscapes, including native tree and shrub along with a complex mix of fungal species, helps to expand planned open mycorrhiza, beneficial bacteria, and millions space networks and the benefits they of other organisms. Living soil provides the provide. Native vegetation is critical to food we eat, sustains plants that provide the wildlife and insect species, which help to oxygen we breathe, and ensures clean water keep our ecosystem in balance. Native that we drink. Unfortunately, urban insects, for example, require specific plant development destroys this system by paving species to lay eggs and to use as food over soil with buildings, roads, and parking sources in order to develop into adults. lots. This living system can be destroyed These same insects are critical to pollinating with just a single pass of a piece of earth the plants that provide us with fruits and moving equipment, through compaction of vegetables. Landscapes containing a great the soil. Healthy open spaces, including diversity of species, including plants, sustainable urban farms, are a critical part of animals, and insects, retain a balance where our urban ecosystem and are rarely no individual species becomes dominant or considered in zoning codes or development out of control. The introduction of non-native practices. In many cases, the introduction of plant species results in problems affecting healthy native landscapes is prohibited in our local ecosystems. Many introduced, or many codes, such as weed ordinances. non-native, species provide no benefit to local wildlife or insect populations. In most Interconnected systems of green spaces are cases, they are introduced species that our critical for a healthy urban environment. native insects cannot use for food, so they These green spaces and interconnecting are not damaged or consumed by beneficial natural corridors contain living soils and insects. This allows the non-native species complex landscapes that provide cooling to become invasive and take over shade trees, refuge from the built landscapes, choking out or out-competing environment, and a natural habitat for wildlife native species. The result is a less diverse and insects to move around and through. A ecosystem or, in a worst-case scenario, fragmented and non-planned network of mono-culture landscapes. Our urban open space does not provide the same landscapes need to reflect - or at least benefit to a community or its wildlife. Without contain - elements of our native landscapes natural corridors connecting green spaces, to ensure overall environmental health. wildlife is at risk of wandering onto roads and into residential areas, seeking food and

42 BYG - Bring Your Green Trees face a lot of threats these days, especially urban trees. Recall the Emerald Ash Borer – an invasive beetle species Community Education & Outreach whose lifecycle was destructive to ash trees. A newer threat comes from the Asian • Educate residents about the benefits of Longhorned Beetle (ALB) – an invasive trees, native plants, and biological insect that threatens a wider variety of diversity. Sources of information include hardwood trees. The Asian Longhorned the Cox Arboretum, the Ohio Native Plant Beetle is already found in Ohio. Invasive tree Society – Miami Valley/Dayton Chapter, species, particularly the Bradford pear, are at Tree City USA, and the Ohio Department best a nuisance, but are also seen to be of Natural Resources Urban Forestry crowding out native trees in eastern forests. Program. A good way to engage residents Additional stresses for urban trees include is to sponsor training programs such as ongoing development and the resulting those offered by Five Rivers MetroParks or alterations in hydrologic patterns, soil the Ohio State University Extension, compaction, and road salt. Many of the including Master Gardener training and the benefits that trees provide, as listed above, Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist do not occur until a tree reaches program. In general, it is important to approximately 20 years of age. emphasize education of private property Unfortunately, the average lifespan of an owners because there is a lot more private urban tree is only 8 years. land than public land in the Miami Valley. • Use the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Over the last few years, many communities Asian longhorned beetle Tree Check in the Miami Valley have faced a significant materials to educate your residents about loss of tree cover due to insect infestations, the ALB and how to detect it. Protect the natural disasters, and trees reaching the end trees in your community. of their lifecycle. This has resulted in a • The Marianist Environmental Education decrease of tree cover in our Region. Center (MEEC) also provides workshops Conditions vary from community to for the public. community, but in a forested state like Ohio, • Inform residents of annual native plant achieving a tree canopy cover of between 40 sales at MEEC and Aullwood Audubon. to 60 percent is attainable. Few, if any, • Educate residents about the importance of Miami Valley communities meet such a maintaining soil quality. County Soil and target. Additionally, research has found that Water Conservation Districts have lower income neighborhoods are likely to resources. have less tree canopy cover than wealthier neighborhoods. Developing a tree plan to achieve greater, equitable canopy cover from healthy and diverse tree populations (i.e. tree species of varying ages) can provide a benefit to your community for generations.

What Communities can do

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Internal operations Trees, Native Species & • The maintenance of urban trees requires Land Management knowledge and skill, so employ or develop a relationship with a qualified arborist and Local contacts • provide adequate training and budgets for Regional Land Trusts: • Tecumseh Land Trust, Krista Magaw, existing staff. The Ohio Division of Forestry [email protected], offers a Tree Commission Academy for 937.767.9490 training. • Three Valley Conservation Trust, Randy • Assess your community’s tree canopy, Evans, [email protected], 513.524.2150 • B-W Greenway Community Land Trust, since an accurate inventory is needed for Matthew Lawson, 937.867.5212, good management. A field-based tree [email protected] inventory can also be useful. More • Beaver Creek Wetlands Association, information about types of urban forest Blythe Hazellief, 937.320.9042, [email protected] assessments can be found here. BYG • Develop a municipal tree planting program • Regional Park Districts funded at a level to maintain and restore • Darke County Park District, 937.548.0165 the tree canopy. The City of Hamilton has • Five Rivers MetroParks, 937.275.7275 • Greene County Parks & Trails, an excellent example of online mapping of 937.562.6440 tree plantings. Make sure to follow best • Miami County Park District, 937.335.6273 practices to plant the right trees in the right • Preble County Park District, 937.962.5561 places in the right way so they survive. • Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Also take projected climate changes into Urban Forestry Program, Wendi Van Buren, [email protected], account when selecting tree species. BYG 614.670.2653 • Become a Tree City USA — If your community has not already done so, become a Tree City USA by meeting the • Make the commitment to public education four standards of sound urban forestry and sustainable pollinator habitat and management: maintaining a tree board or become a “Bee City USA” community. department, having a community tree Vandalia and Wright-Patterson AFB are ordinance, spending at least $2 per capita both certified Bee Cities. on urban forestry, and celebrating Arbor • Use native plants on city, county, and Day. While meeting these minimum township grounds to set a good example standards does not guarantee a for sustainable landscaping. Many garden sustainable urban forest, it sends a centers are offering more native species message about the importance of trees, these days, and a list of Ohio native plant even in times of tight budgets. nurseries is here. County Soil & Water • Include storm preparedness in municipal Conservation Districts offer workshops on emergency response plans, so you can using native plants to create backyard deal with tree damage and wood waste habitats. reutilization in a safe and sustainable • Due to the mounting scientific evidence of manner. the health risks of common pesticides, stop using lawn care pesticides on city-owned

44 BYG - Bring Your Green land. Policies have been enacted in Yellow Trees, Native Species & Springs, Cuyahoga County, and the City of Cleveland Heights. Staff training about Land Management

healthy landscaping methods is offered by Resources Beyond Pesticides Ohio. • Miami Valley Data Commons • Aullwood Audubon Ordinances and policies • Trees and Storm Water Guide • Tree protection ordinance — Municipal • Cleveland Tree Plan • tree ordinances can address trees on Cuyahoga County Urban Tree Canopy Assessment public land (such as street trees), trees on • Holden Arboretum Community Forestry private land (tree preservation and Program landscape planting requirements), and the • International Society of Arboriculture ways that trees impact views or impact • iTree tools solar access. A guide is here. Also note • Ohio Urban Forestry Program that there is an emerging trend to focus • Pesticide-free policy/ordinance less on the protection of individual trees • Soil health today and more on ensuring a healthy • Sustainable Sites Initiative percent of tree cover in the future. • Technical Guides to Urban/Community • Tree and woodland protection in Forestry developing areas — Communities with • Tree City USA - The Arbor Day Foundation development occurring on wooded sites • Urban forestry toolkit for local governments have different tree protection needs than • Bringing Nature Home urban communities. The Ohio Balanced • White-tailed deer management Growth Program offers strategies for • Integrated Pest Management protecting blocks of trees in these areas and long-term strategies for ensuring adequate tree cover. Program offers guidance on natural areas • Permitting native and edible plants - To establishment and management. remove legal barriers to residents growing • Pesticide ban - More cities and institutions food or beneficial native plants, ordinances are stopping the use of pesticides for lawn should be modified to allow such uses. In care purposes, especially in locations Cleveland Heights, for example, the where children play. Here are the updated landscaping ordinance (see ordinances of Cleveland Heights and Chapt. 1166) is modeled on a typical Cuyahoga County. nuisance ordinance, but distinguishes • Complete and green streets — See native plantings and other alternatives to Transportation chapter. turf grass, and defines edible landscaping • Stream setbacks — See Water Quality as a substitute for lawns. The ordinance chapter. requires a plan, setbacks, and • Green infrastructure and storm water — maintenance of native landscaping to See Water Quality chapter. address the nuisance concerns that • Urban garden zoning — See Food chapter. typically accompany alternatives to turf. In addition, the Ohio Balanced Growth

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Broader collaboration To improve the ecological functioning and beauty of the regional landscape, all communities in the Miami Valley can:

• Support regional reforestation efforts. • Participate in multi-community greenspace planning and trail planning efforts. • Work with land protection organizations — such as Tecumseh Land Trust, Three Valley Conservation Trust, B-W Greenway Community Land Trust, Trust for Public Land, and the region’s many Park Districts — to protect parcels of high-quality greenspace.

46 BYG - Bring Your Green

Great Miami River

our rivers for recreation and an enhanced Water Quality quality of life.

Protection of our rivers, streams, and The Clean Water Act’s regulatory approach groundwater are priority concerns for requires use of the best (and advancing) Miami Valley residents and communities. technology to minimize pollution discharges into rivers and streams. Permits issued and enforced by the Ohio Environmental The Issues Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) ensure that we are aware of, and can plan for, pollution Since the passage of the Clean Water Act in loads in our waterways. Over the decades, the 1970’s, the Miami Valley Region has the amount and concentrations of pollutants seen a visible and quantifiable improvement discharged into our rivers from industry and in its water quality. The return of fish, birds, wastewater treatment facilities has and other wildlife to our streams and rivers is decreased. a welcome sign of improving habitat and water quality. The removal of low head dams There is increasing interest in reducing non- and their replacement with paddling point sources of pollution. A “non-point structures, or simply open flow streams, source” of pollution occurs when rain washes shows us that people are also returning to various kinds of pollutants off the land and

Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission 47

into waterways. Lawn fertilizers, road salts, According to data from the Miami spilled chemicals, agricultural nutrients, and Conservancy District (MCD), our region is even just plain dirt are carried off streets, averaging five more inches of precipitation yards, parking lots, and farms, flowing per year than it did 30 years ago. Stronger directly into waterways. The Ohio EPA storm storms, heavier rainfalls, urban flooding, and water management program addresses destructive erosion are becoming more storm water runoff from urbanized areas. It common. Miami Valley residents want to requires local governments to take measures know their homes will be safe and the roads to reduce the concentrations of pollutants in passable. Businesses looking to expand or storm water runoff. In order to reduce storm relocate to our Region want to know that water pollutants while developing land in a polluted water and flooding will not be more sustainable manner, local governments issues. can approve ordinances allowing or requiring “green infrastructure.” “Green infrastructure” includes features such as pervious pavement, rain gardens, and bioswales. These features mimic the natural hydrologic function of the land and help retain or restore ecosystem services that are often destroyed when land is developed.

Nearly 100 percent of our drinking water in the Miami Valley Region comes from the Buried Valley Aquifer. Therefore, it is vital that local communities make groundwater protection a priority. Our region developed the State of Ohio’s model for drinking water Resources already exist to help local protection. Our innovative approach to governments in our Region plan for future “Wellfield Protection,” now known around the development. The MVRPC Open Space state as “Source Water Protection,” brought Plan identifies the critical open spaces that careful planning, thoughtful zoning, and should be protected in the Miami Valley regional cooperation to the issue of drinking Region. The MVRPC Going Places Regional water protection. Dayton’s Multi- Land Use Vision project developed a suite of Jurisdictional Source Water Protection planning and evaluation tools for Program, encompassing six separate communities to use when developing local jurisdictions, is one of many programs comprehensive plans. MCD (Miami across the region to assure safe drinking Conservancy District) staff can facilitate local water for all our residents. site design roundtables. These roundtables bring together leaders from local government Our region’s past successes, however, need agencies, the development community, and to be a prelude to continued effort to protect natural resource departments. These and enhance water quality. New issues and roundtables enable collaboration for concerns have appeared in recent years. developing policies that balance water

48 BYG - Bring Your Green

protection and economic development, Water Quality tailored to each community. Local Contacts Surface water quality and the protection of • Ohio EPA – Southwest District Office Surface Water Manager – Joby Jackson, the Buried Valley Aquifer are vital concerns [email protected], 937.285.6029 for the people of the Miami Valley. The lists • Miami Conservancy District – Sarah that follow provide a full range of policies, Hippensteel Hall, Manager of Watershed programs, and projects for communities to Partnerships, [email protected], 937.223.1278 consider as each does their part to protect • Miami Valley Regional Planning water quality now and for future generations. Commission – Matt Lindsay, Manager Environmental Planning, [email protected], 937.531.6548 • City of Dayton, Department of Water – What Communities can do Michele Simmons, Environmental Manager, [email protected], 937.333.3796 While considering approaches that fit the community and address local issues, it is Soil & Water Conservation Districts • important to remember that we all live Darke County SWCD, Jared Coppess - District Administrator downstream. Therefore, it is important to [email protected] have an integrated, yet flexible, regional • Greene County SWCD, Amanda McKay, planning approach to watershed District Administrator, management. [email protected] • Miami County SWCD, Kreig Smail, Community Education & Outreach District Administrator, • Distribute water quality tips to residents [email protected] and businesses. Educational resources are • Montgomery County SWCD, Ed Everman, available from a number of local District Director, [email protected] • organizations, including the county Soil & Preble County SWCD, BJ Price, District Administrator, [email protected] Water Conservation Districts, County Health Districts, and the Miami Conservancy District. • Educate the public on proper prescription • Promote rain barrel workshops offered by and drug disposal to reduce contamination county Soil and Water Conservation of water sources. See Solid Waste chapter Districts. for more information. BYG • Educate the public on the value of clean • Support your county Solid Waste District’s and safe drinking water through media and litter prevention projects and programs events. BYG through participation and volunteer • Collaborate to teach water conservation recruitment – see Solid Waste chapter for and stewardship in schools. BYG more information. • Promote tap water over bottled water to the community via events, newsletters, pay stubs, etc. BYG

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Internal operations in order to discourage dumping of pollutants. BYG • Comply with the Ohio EPA’s Municipal • Install green infrastructure on municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) property (such as rain gardens, bioswales, permit requirements. Municipalities in the bio-infiltration basins, or pervious urbanized area must adopt a storm water pavement) to reduce storm water runoff. management plan that details best BYG management practices for six minimum • Develop a Municipal Tree program — see control measures: Trees, Native Species & Land o public education and outreach Management chapter. BYG o public participation and involvement • Explore opportunities to add a Green Roof o illicit discharge detection and elimination to community-owned buildings. (IDDE) o construction site runoff control Ordinances and policies o post-construction runoff control o pollution prevention/good housekeeping • Model ordinances/regulations to protect for municipal operations streams and manage storm water — In recent years, local water quality experts Many local organizations can help have given a lot of thought to the essential communities comply with storm water regulatory tools a community needs to requirements, including the county Soil and protect water quality, public health, and Water Conservation Districts, county Public safety. A recommended suite of model Health Districts, and watershed groups. ordinances/regulations has been developed with local and state agencies. • Set a good example by following these There are models for: guidelines for municipal landscaping, used o Conservation development motor oil, street sweeping, salt storage and o Erosion and sediment control application, vehicle washing, spill clean-up, o Flood damage reduction and catch basin maintenance. o Illicit discharge detection and elimination • Eliminate irrigation with potable water to o Off-street parking the greatest extent possible. Strategies o Riparian setbacks include replacing water-intensive plantings o Storm water management (turf grass) with native plants, potentially o Wetland setback creating pollinator habitat; xeriscaping; o Native plantings and landscaping and/or using reclaimed or harvested water o Rainwater harvesting BYG for irrigation. • Perform a comprehensive review of • Implement a policy of using low- or no-flow ordinances and policies, as they relate to plumbing fixtures in municipal buildings. water resources. The Miami Conservancy Require the use of WaterSense labeled District (MCD) can guide your community fixtures and equipment whenever through the Better Site Design Roundtable applicable. planning process. BYG • Label storm drains to indicate the • Green infrastructure incentives — Provide destination of the water being discharged, incentives for private property owners to install green infrastructure (such as rain

50 BYG - Bring Your Green

gardens, bioswales, bio-infiltration basins, • Ban use of plastic bags. BYG or pervious pavement) to reduce storm • Regulate or incentivize water efficiency for water runoff. BYG municipal water customers managing large • Green streets — Require green landscaped areas. BYG infrastructure for storm water management • An excellent checklist of recommended to be included when maintaining city rights- codes and policies related to watershed of-way. U.S. EPA’s complete and green protection has been developed by the Ohio streets program provides guidance. Balanced Growth Program. • Downspout disconnection — Allow homeowners to disconnect downspouts Broader collaboration and/or install rain barrels. Chagrin River Just as watersheds cross municipal Watershed Partners can supply guidance boundaries, many of the actions to protect about the requirements for doing this and restore water quality must occur at a safely. The City of Parma has model regional scale. Communities can work language (see Chapter 2309). collaboratively to support initiatives such as: • Inventory and inspect home septic systems in your community. Work with your Public • The Great Miami Watershed Network BYG Health District to educate septic system • The Little Miami River Watershed Network owners on proper maintenance. BYG BYG • Tree protection — See Trees, Native • The Little Miami Conservancy Species & Land Management chapter. • Partners for the Environment • Pesticide ban — More cities and • Ohio’s Balanced Growth Program, which institutions are stopping the use of links land use to water quality. chemical pesticides for lawn care • Clean Sweep of the Great Miami River purposes, especially in locations where • Little Miami River Kleeners Clean Sweep. children play. Here are the ordinances of Cleveland Heights and Cuyahoga County.

Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission 51

Water Quality

Additional Resources • Best land use practices for water quality — Kirby Date, Ohio Balanced Growth Program, 216.687.5477, [email protected] • Citizen education about watersheds – Mike Schumacher, Little Miami Watershed Network, [email protected] • Integrated planning for storm water management - David Brumbaugh, Ohio EPA Surface Water, 614.644.2138, [email protected] • Ordinances for water protection — Heather Elmer, Chagrin River Watershed Partners, 440.975.3870, [email protected] • Rain garden design and rain barrels – Jeremy Huggler, Montgomery County Soil & Water Conservation District, 937.854.7645, [email protected] • Regional storm water policies — Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells, NEORSD Watershed Program, 216-881- 6600, [email protected] • Storm water facility planning and design – Ed Everman, Montgomery County Soil & Water Conservation District, 937.854.7645, [email protected] • Trees and water quality – Wendi Van Buren, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, 614.670.2653, [email protected] • Water and economic development – Mitch Heaton, Dayton Development Coalition, 937.229.9090, [email protected]

Resource Links

• Miami Valley Data Commons • Community riparian and wetland guidance • ODNR Rainwater and Land Development Manual • Ohio Balanced Growth Program • Ohio EPA Storm Water Program • Center for Watershed Protection • Rain Garden Manual • Stream maintenance guide for communities

52 BYG - Bring Your Green