Iowa City earns 4-STAR Community Rating for sustainability
The City of Iowa City was awarded a 4-STAR
Community Rating for sustainability excellence on March 9 by being formally certified in the STAR Community Rating System (STAR). This certification
program helps evaluate local sustainability, including social, economic,
and environmental performance measures. While other cities in Iowa have also been recognized with the 4-STAR rating, Iowa City earned the highest score with significant areas of excellence noted in
transportation, a growing economy, a strong education system, and a creative
arts culture.
Sign-up is now underway for the
2016 Iowa City Community Garden Plot program through the Parks and Recreation Department. Community plots are available for rent at Wetherby Park, located at 2400 Taylor Drive, and Chadek Green Park, located at 1920 Friendship Street. To sign up, stop by the Customer Service Desk in the lower level of Robert A. Lee Recreation Center at 220 S. Gilbert Street between the hours of 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. Plot sizes and prices vary. For more information, visit https://icgov.org/gardenplots.
Time to get outside and enjoy spring!
As the temperatures continue to climb, so do the variety of activities available in Iowa City's numerous parks. The H2O boat rental and concessions facility at Terry Trueblood Recreation Area, 4213 Sand Road SE (at the intersection of Sand Road and McCollister Blvd.), will open for the season April 29 - May 1, so plan to take advantage of fun water-based activities in the upcoming months! H2O is operated by Fin & Feather. For details about rentals, hours of operation, and other info, visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/FinFeatherH2o/.
House-moving project will save historic home
In early May, the historic Houser-Metzger House will be moved from its Iowa Avenue location to its new home at 623 College Street. The original home at the College Street address was struck by lightning last October and burned. Unfortunately, the home was determined to be irretrievable and was demolished, leaving an empty space in a row of historic homes.
The Iowa Avenue properties at 410 and 422 Iowa Avenue had been purchased by a developer. Plans called for demolishing the two historic homes on those sites, but now the Houser-Metzger House will be relocated to College Street, where it will fit nicely in the College Green Historic District.
Friends of Historic Preservation were able to salvage some materials from the original College Street home before it came down, including a large leaded glass window and smaller oval windows, stairway, doors, and radiators, as well as front porch railings, columns, and some trim and siding from the home's exterior. In addition to keeping the items out of the Landfill, this Friends of Historic Preservation project will offer these historic building materials and goods for sale to other homeowners at the Salvage Barn, located in the East Side Recycling Center complex on Scott Blvd.
Sustainability Spotlight: Carri Fox-Rummelhart
This month, we will be highlighting the
sustainability efforts of Housing Program Assistant Carri Fox-Rummelhart and the City of Iowa City Housing
Authority Division, where she works. Carri assisted the City's Sustainability Coordinator, Brenda Nations, with Iowa City's STAR system measurement, which evaluates local sustainability efforts. Read more about Carri and her experiences at www.icgov.org/sustainability.
Are you signed up for Facebook and Twitter updates?
Connect with us on social media! We’ll be
posting sustainability facts and updates from the City of Iowa City with our hashtag #SustainableIC. We’re active on Facebook, Twitter,
and Instagram, so be sure to like and follow!
This newsletter is published by the City of Iowa City Office of Sustainability Services. To subscribe (there's no charge!), visit www.icgov.org/e-subscriptions. For more info about the City's sustainability efforts, contact Brenda Nations, Coordinator, at 319-887-6161 or brenda-nations@iowa-city.org.
