Sustainable Design Blog

green, architecture, community center, City of Sarasota, architect, clinic

Sally & Sam Shapiro Babies & Children's Medical Center Breaks Ground

On February 23rd the Glasser Schoenbaum Human Services Center broke ground on their newest addtion to the campus, a 12,000 sf Children's Clinic. The clinic will be built on city owned land and run by the Sarasota County Health Deparment. 

Approximately 10,000 people receive services from the 17 not-for-profits on our campus. It is important to realize that some of these agencies could not perform the services they do if not for the opportunities provided by the Center. The agencies pay no rent, which saves their resources, allowing them to concentrate on delivering services.

It is also important to know that The Glasser/Schoenbaum Human Services Center does not benefit from The Season of Sharing, or receive federal, state, city or county funding. Visit their website, www.gs-humanservices.org.
ground breaking2 resized 600Dr. Lou Bertha McKenzie-Wharton, The Shapiro Family, & Ms. Betty Schoenbaum

ground breaking

Peter Hayes, Le-En Chung, Micheal Carlson, & Jedd Heap
   
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Florida Power & Light, City of Sarasota, renewable energy

City of Sarasota gets bullied by Florida Power & Light

I began to study sustainable design, renewable energy and energy conservation in 1983 while studying architecture and environmental design at Ball State University.   Energy did not command the same sense of urgency that it does today.  The demand for increased renewable energy development and the rapid changes in technology, knowledge and economic forces are drastically different than they were 27 years ago.  The pace of change is continuing to accelerate as the City of Sarasota locks itself into a 30 year deal with Florida Power & Light.  2040 is an eternity when you imagine how much the energy landscape is expected to change even 10 years from now.

The City of Sarasota seems to have forgotten that the City signed the U.S. Conference of Mayors resolution Adopting the “2030 CHALLENGE”.  The U.S. Conference of Mayors resolution document in part states:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors will
work to increase the fossil-fuel reduction standard for all new buildings to carbon neutral by 2030, in the following increments:

60% in 2010

70% in 2015

80% in 2020

90% in 2025

Carbon-neutral by 2030 (meaning new buildings will use no fossil fuel GHG emitting energy to operate); and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors will urge mayors from around the nation to develop plans to fully implement the above mentioned targets for all new and renovated buildings within the City; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors will work in conjunction with
ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability and other appropriate organizations to join this effort to develop plans to fully implement similar targets as mentioned above.

I do not see how a 30-year agreement with Florida Power and Light, even with a few commitments to renewable components, can even begin to address – let alone accomplish - these goals both now and by 2030. It will not.

I have a vested interest in how I receive my electrical power.  

Carlson Studio's office is in the City. 

Michael Carlson

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