Bellevue City Council approves eco-friendly plans

Greener days await Bellevue.

The City Council approved parts of an elaborate environmental initiative last week.

The initiative approved June 11 lays out the city's plans to study tree cover, expand recycling efforts at parks and fields, use natural drainage practices, and provide incentives for building "green" as part of a continual push to improve environmental stewardship.

"I think it's very important because the quality of life is determined by our surroundings," said Sheida Sahandy, assistant to the city manager. "It's a really highly held value to our people based on our surveys."

Plans to boost recycling throughout the city include providing recycling containers and pickup services at 23 community parks and beach parks and 24 school ballfields maintained by the city.

To make building "green" easier, city staffers will be trained in new energy-efficient and environmentally friendly building practices so they are as knowledgeable in green-building technology as they are in traditional practices.

The city will rewrite its stormwater standards to make it easier for residents and builders to use natural drainage practices such as green roofs or rooftop gardens, Sahandy said.

Natural drainage methods mimic the way water naturally is absorbed into the ground so it does not create runoff, which causes flooding, erosion and pollution.

The City Council also approved the first step in launching a tree program under the initiative, agreeing to fund a study that will measure the city's tree canopy, or tree cover.

The city last approved a tree-canopy study in 1999. Information from the study will be used to create future tree-planting plans.

Another place the city would plant trees is in public rights of way.

The city also will provide tree education and assistance programs for private-property owners.

Taya Flores: 206-464-3825 or tflores@seattletimes.com