Letters to the Editor: June 4 – 10, 2015
LEED Certification is More than ‘Just a Plaque’
Editor,
I was amazed by the comment of Dr. Toni Jones in the News-Press article last week regarding the new Mount Daniel Elementary School not being LEED certified because educating children was more important than a “plaque”. To sum up LEED certification into it being just a “plaque” is not worthy of a leader of our great school system.
LEED certification is a rigorous set of building standards that include ensuring good air quality and circulation, high energy efficiency, and building techniques designed to endure for the long-term (thereby reducing future repair costs).
I know because my family built one of the few LEED-certified homes in the area.Yes, in addition to paying the third party certifiers we also paid an extra $500 to hang a plaque on the front of our house. After all that we went through, we felt we deserved it.
We involved our three children in the learning process of building sustainably and I believe it was a great educational experience.
The good news is that even if Mount Daniel isn’t build to LEED specifications, your chosen builder can incorporate the LEED principles while building – but it’s helpful to have a third party making sure that actually happens. You may not get the plaque, but the students, teachers and staff will benefit.
I hope Falls Church City will be a leader of green building in the future. I greatly commend Council member Daniel Sze, the News-Press, and the City of Falls Church building permit and inspection office who were all so incredibly supportive of our own efforts to build green.
Our children deserve thoughtful design, commitment to the environment and a clean air future. The savings in the long run far outweigh the short term cost.
Anjali Hansen
Falls Church
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