CitiesGoGreen - January 2009 - (Page 11) What are you doing in your community or position to make a difference? What would help you get started or move forward? Tell us about it in 500 words or less. Email to Steps@CitiesGoGreen.com We’re Taking Steps An Innovative Library in Queen Creek, Arizona ovember’s opening of the Queen Creek Library in Queen Creek, Arizona, represents an historical change among libraries in the United States. Built and owned by the Town, the library is a pioneering branch of the Maricopa County Library District (MCLD) incorporating innovative and environmentally conscious building practices. It also tosses aside the Dewey Decimal System. Customers will enjoy a filing system similar to that of a modern bookstore, with the benefits of a healthy, sustainable environment. “Even though we’re a small community, we want to be leaders in the green movement and show that everyone can do their part,” said Queen Creek Mayor Art Sanders. Located in the southeast corner of Maricopa County, Queen Creek’s 23,000 residents enjoy the benefits of small-town living close to the Phoenix metropolitan area. Designed by Dawn Brown of the Dick & Fritsche Design Group, the 47,000 sq. ft. facility is the first municipal building constructed under the Town of Queen Creek’s Green Building Policy, approved in 2007. The Town has strong rural roots, so residents feel an exceptionally strong connection to the environment. This sense of responsibility for the planet paved the way for the Town’s innovative building policy. “Queen Creek has been a pioneer in many areas and we (staff and Town Council members) felt that there was an opportunity to set a standard in Arizona on how public buildings should be built,” said Queen Creek Town Manager John Kross. “The library represented an opportunity to pursue the green building options in earnest. Not only did we think that building environmentally and energy sensiJanuary 2009 by Marnie Schubert N tive buildings was good public policy, but we thought that in the long term, Queen Creek could be a leader in this area amongst municipalities and perhaps encourage green industry and more economic development. Although it is difficult to draw a direct correlation to this policy, we have been working with one very strong solar manufacturing lead for some time now and are hopeful about a company locating to our area.” The innovative building houses the library, includes a recreational center and will be the heart of the community, encouraging a wide variety of activities and celebrations. The $18 million building contains a Teen Oasis, the vibrantly colored, three-dimensional Mary Lou Fulton Children’s Center, four quiet study rooms, a bookshop, 34 Internet-accessible computers, personal wireless Internet access and conference and meeting space. Among the many green design features, the facility will be heated by hot water and cooled by a highly energyefficient electromagnetic chiller, meaning that the bearings in the machine are held in a magnetic field, without any oil. This efficiency results in a lower amount of electricity being used. In comparison to Queen Creek’s existing municipal buildings, a savings of approximately 20 to 25% is anticipated on electric bills. Low water-use fixtures have been used throughout the building, and run-off from the site is collected underground in a state-of-the-art water retention system that filters the water before returning it to the aquifer. The Town hopes the library qualifies for LEED certification, and is awaiting notification of LEED status. Tracy Corman, the Town’s Project Manager for the library, was excited about the Town Council’s decision to enact a policy for building green. “The Town is responsible for making effective use of public funds, and building the library with all the environmentally sound features saves residents money in the long term. It also helps ensure the Town is keeping the community healthy, not just physically, but environmentally and socially, as well.” For more information about the Town of Queen Creek, visit www.queencreek. org. To learn more about Maricopa County Library District, visit www.mcldaz.org v Marnie Schubert has more than 14 years experience in broadcasting, advertising, marketing and public relations, including work for the Florida Today newspaper and the community of Celebration, Florida. She has served as Division Manager for Communications and Marketing for the Town of Queen Creek, AZ since November 2007. Send your ideas and comments to Steps@CitiesGoGreen.com We’ll share them with other readers as a resource. 11 http://citiesgogreen.com/issues/january-2009/were-taking-steps/an-innovative-library-in-queen-creek-arizona http://citiesgogreen.com/issues/january-2009/were-taking-steps/an-innovative-library-in-queen-creek-arizona http://citiesgogreen.com/issues/january-2009/were-taking-steps/an-innovative-library-in-queen-creek-arizona http://www.queencreek.org http://www.queencreek.org http://mcldaz.org http://www.CitiesGoGreen.com
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