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10/23/2018 12:00 AM

Old Saybrook Honored with Sustainable CT Certification


Old Saybrook is one of the first Connecticut municipalities to achieve certification as a Sustainable CT community. The town met high standards in a broad range of sustainability accomplishments to qualify for the prestigious Bronze certification.

Sustainable CT, a statewide initiative that supports and recognizes sustainability action by Connecticut communities, was launched last year and announced its first group of certified towns last week. In its application for Sustainable CT certification, the Town of Old Saybrook demonstrated significant achievements in actions in nine sustainable impact areas ranging from thriving local economies and vibrant arts and culture to clean transportation and diverse housing. Old Saybrook’s successfully completed actions included supporting the redevelopment of brownfield sites (Custom Marine Building), promoting the C-Pace Program, engaging in watershed protection and restoration, implementing low-impact development, supporting the arts and creative culture, assessing climate vulnerability, and implementing complete streets, amongst many other accomplishments.

“Sustainability is vital to every community, our state, and our country. The idea for Old Saybrook to become Sustainable CT certified came about a year ago when this program was launched and I realized all the great work our town has completed on this very topic,” said Old Saybrook First Selectman Carl P. Fortuna, Jr. “Old Saybrook’s town planner, Christine Nelson, put a lot of work into this and I thank her. This is a real feather in the town’s cap to be one of the first towns so recognized.”

“Congratulations to our 2018 certified Sustainable CT communities,” said Lynn Stoddard, executive director of the Institute for Sustainable Energy at Eastern Connecticut State University, which administers the program. “We are inspired by your leadership and eager to share your accomplishments in building efficient, thriving, and resilient communities.”

With input from municipal leaders across the state, Sustainable CT was developed under the leadership of the Institute for Sustainable Energy at Eastern Connecticut State University. The program is independently funded, with significant support from three Connecticut philanthropic foundations. The founding funders include the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, the Hampshire Foundation, and the Common Sense Fund.

Old Saybrook and other certified communities will be recognized on Tuesday, Oct. 30 at the annual Convention of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, followed by additional local and regional recognition events in the coming months.

For more information, visit www.sustainablect.org.