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The beauty of the ocean, bays and marshlands is key to the future of the Cape Region, a fact not lost on Dewey Beach officials as they shape the town’s comprehensive plan.
Top environmental concerns are pollution in the bays and housing developments popping up as quickly as spring bulbs.
Green technology offers Earth-friendly alternatives to common practices that harm the Earth, such as stormwater runoff and using inefficient air conditioners.
Some green practices have been around for quite a while, but people are just beginning to embrace them, said Mike Harmer, civil engineer and Dewey Beach planning and zoning co-chairman.
“We’re all seeing our rivers and streams being polluted, and there are natural solutions for it,” he said.
Harmer proposed encouraging use of green technology in Dewey Beach and he urged adding a section in the comprehensive plan at the Saturday, March 18 planning meeting. Harmer hopes to see town council eventually add Earth-friendly ordinances to the town code, such as requiring green technology in the new developments planners say are likely over the next 20 years.
Homeowners looking to renovate also have many eco-savvy ways to improve their homes and landscapes while also protecting the earth.
Going with the flow
Better stormwater management is on Harmer’s list of green-friendly strategies that Dewey should adopt.
Traditional stormwater management collects runoff in pipes and dumps the water directly into the bay. A more eco-friendly plan uses filtration to keep sediment out of the bay.
“Sediments choke up the bay and accumulation on the bottom can lead to dissolved oxygen issues and affect environmental growth,” Harmer said.
Bio-ponds filter storm water, he said. Special ponds, built with several layers of sand and gravel, feature plants that force sediment to settle, leaving pure water to enter the ground water.
More parking lots are bound to cover land in Dewey Beach, Harmer said. While the town does not expect to build its own public parking, more businesses mean more parking. While Dewey wants to encourage private solutions to provide more parking, planning commissioners say those solutions must not damage the town’s ground water or the bay.
Porous parking lots are an option to reduce runoff. Harmer said special asphalt absorbs the water and filters it into the ground, resulting in cleaner water joining the groundwater, instead of dirty runoff dumping into the bay.
Take it inside
While Dewey planners are considering reducing the floor-to-area ratio to prevent oversized houses, they also encourage homeowners to implement green technology. When renovating homes, Harmer suggests thinking about energy-saving appliances. Geothermal air conditioning systems are available that use the coolness of the ground water, which stays at 58 degrees, to cool a building. Warm water is pumped into the ground through a system of pipes, he said, and then cooled to use for air conditioning. While this system costs a little more to install, it saves money in the long run, he said. The cost of energy is increasing, and appliances and systems that use less energy will save money over a long period of time.
There are also many green interior options for homebuilders. More and more eco-friendly companies are offering building materials made from recycled fibers and renewable resources.
Carpet padding and carpet made from recycled plastic is available and eco-friendly, and wood for flooring and decking can be harvested in ways that do not destroy forests.
Alternatives to hardwood floors are also growing in popularity, such as cork and bamboo, which can be harvested without destroying the trees that produce them.
Interior paint has been developed using fewer petroleum products, resulting in less odor and fewer harmful toxins released into the air.
Cleaning up
There are even simpler solutions, such as using cleaning fluids that are derived from less harmful chemicals. Stain removers made from orange peel and cleaners from lemon juice are effective for cleaning and often cost less, Harmer said.
“They do a better job than common chemicals and you’re also getting worker safety benefits with people with asthma and allergies,” Harmer said. Many national and state parks use these types of chemicals, he said, and Dewey Beach town administrators are considering making the change too. Dewey Town Hall could be the next clean, safe haven, town Manager Gordon Elliott said.
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