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EPA to Help Carson City Develop Green Infrastructure, Improve Climate Resiliency

Release Date: 09/26/2014
Contact Information: Margot Perez-Sullivan, (415) 947-4149, [email protected]

SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that it will give technical assistance to help Carson City develop infrastructure that will contribute to greener, more vibrant neighborhoods and increase resiliency from the impacts of our changing climate.

Through its Greening America’s Capitals program, EPA will fund a team that will provide design assistance to Carson City for improvements along William Street, a former state highway that connects to downtown. The project will help the city explore how to incorporate green infrastructure through the use of native plants, and to enhance the neighborhood’s economic vitality.

“EPA is pleased to have this opportunity to work with Carson City as it pursues the vision of a more sustainable future,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “This project will help make Williams Street an economically thriving route into the heart of the city.”

"Carson City is proud to be a recipient of the EPA's Greening America's Capitals programs. As the state capital, Carson City is the face of Nevada both now and for years to come,” said Carson City Mayor Robert L. Crowell. “As such, it is important that we incorporate smart growth techniques into our development standards that promote an attractive business environment as well as desirable quality of life for millennials and retirees alike. This program will help us achieve that goal.”

The portion of William Street slated for redevelopment is near the center of the City which connects several neighborhoods to commercial services and community facilities. It is one of the only east-west connections across the new freeway that bisects the city from north to south. As a former state highway, William Street is designed to accommodate cars, and current conditions along the corridor create an unsafe environment for pedestrians and cyclists.

Support from the EPA will help the City in tackling the design challenge of creating a multi-modal corridor, including bikes and pedestrians that enhances economic vitality. As part of the design process, the City and EPA will actively engage with the local community in the planning process to create a more connected and attractive environment to residents and visitors alike.

Since 2010, EPA has helped 18 capital cities and the District of Columbia create community designs that help clean the air and water, stimulate economic development, and make existing neighborhoods more vibrant places. The final designs provide models for other communities interested in adopting similar approaches that can improve the environment, strengthen local economies, and protect public health.

Four other capital cities were also selected this week:

· Austin, Texas, will receive assistance to create design options to improve pedestrian and bike connections in the South Central Waterfront area, and to incorporate green infrastructure that reduces stormwater runoff and localized flooding, improves water quality, and increases shade.

· Columbus, Ohio, will receive assistance to develop design options for the Milo-Grogan neighborhood that use green infrastructure to improve stormwater quality, reduce flooding risks, and encourage walking and cycling.

· Pierre, S.D., will receive assistance to redesign its historic main street, South Pierre, in a way that uses green infrastructure to reduce stormwater runoff and improve resiliency to extreme climate conditions.

· Richmond, Va., will receive assistance to design options for more parks and open spaces, and to incorporate green infrastructure to better manage stormwater runoff on Jefferson Avenue, a street which serves as the gateway to some of Richmond’s oldest and most historic neighborhoods.

View design options for past recipients: https://www.flickr.com/photos/usepagov/sets/72157647526563747

More information on green infrastructure: http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/greeninfrastructure/index.cfm