The City of West Hollywood is hosting the 2021 Green City Awards on Wednesday, December 8, 2021 at 6:30 p.m. as a part of the Public Facilities Commission’s annual televised meeting.
The event will take place in a virtual teleconference format via Zoom. Community members may join using the Zoom meeting link at https://us06web.zoom.us/j/
Viewers may view a livestream of the 2021 Green City Awards ceremony through the City’s WeHoTV YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/wehotv; on streaming services by searching for “WeHoTV” on AndroidTV, AppleTV, FireTV, and Roku; and through broadcast on Spectrum channel 10 within the City of West Hollywood.
For the 2021 Green City Awards, the City of West Hollywood’s Public Facilities Commission has selected three recipients to receive awards:
Two “Green Champions” will receive a Green City Award — Heidi Schooler for “Heidi’s Garden” in the Individual Adult category; and Bikes and Hikes LA in the Business category; and
One “Green Seedling” will receive the Green Seedlings Prize — Faring for “9176 Sunset Blvd” in the conceptual projects Green Seedlings category.
Heidi Schooler’s “Heidi’s Garden” is an example of one individual’s ongoing effort to beautify a multifamily residential surrounding with plants grown from seed and rescued from sets before being discarded. The colorful flora is maintained using water-wise landscaping principles and helps to support beneficial insects such as pollinators, hummingbirds, and squirrels — all of which she sees daily. She believes her efforts inspired the landlord to plant a cactus garden in front of the building about five years ago. The project nomination notes: “[Heidi’s] goal was to not only bring life to our home, but also to our neighbors, and to inspire them.”
Bikes and Hikes LA, located at 8500 Santa Monica Boulevard, is an outdoor adventure company that offers biking, hiking, and walking tours. The business is focused on eco-friendly, health-conscious, and sustainable/carbon neutral ways to experience the region. At its store, Bikes and Hikes created a protected monarch butterfly sanctuary and a spot for foster dogs. Bikes and Hikes aims to remove existing barriers that impact bike-riding and hiking, and has developed unique community-based educational outreach programs to encourage local community members, school groups, and visitors to enjoy the outdoors, impacting car culture and reducing people’s reliance on motor vehicles. The project nomination notes: “Bikes and Hikes LA believes everyone deserves the opportunity to choose bicycling regardless of income, education, or background — and this is the motivation behind everything that we do.”
“9176 Sunset Blvd” is a conceptual design project by Faring, a real estate development firm, along with project partners Gensler and The John Buck Company. The design makes the case for project innovation, sustainability, and community compatibility. The existing site, which is situated along the world-famous Sunset Strip and is comprised of a car dealership and surface parking lot, would be the site of an all-electric five-story building with a mix of retail, food and beverage, and creative office uses. The design raises the bar in new building construction practices in eliminating the use of natural gas (a fossil fuel) to heat water and occupant spaces. Additional sustainability components would include passive heating and cooling strategies, recycled foundation materials, water-efficient plumbing fixtures, solar photovoltaic panels, bicycle parking spaces, electric vehicle-capable parking spaces, durable materials, sustainable finishes, a green roof, green screen façade, landscaped terraces, and the intent to pursue LEED-Gold certification. The project nomination notes: “9176 Sunset Blvd is fighting global-warming by proving that the newest and best structures in our communities can also be the most environmentally conscious.”
Additionally, the City of West Hollywood will present an “Urban Forest Preservation Champion” Award to Angee Beckett for her dedication to the preservation of the City’s Urban Forest. Beckett is the Executive Director of the West Hollywood Tree Preservation Society, and her work has been instrumental in local large tree preservation and in the City’s adoption of its Heritage Tree Program and Urban Forest Management Plan. The City and its Public Facilities Commission had originally planned an Arbor Day event in March 2020 with the City’s Women’s Advisory Board to celebrate Women’s History Month, but the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This award will be conferred to formally applaud Beckett’s important work in the West Hollywood community including her leadership in a primarily male-dominated industry.
The City of West Hollywood’s Green City Awards complements the City’s longstanding leadership of green policies and practices. The awards program is administered by the City of West Hollywood and its Public Facilities Commission. To learn more about the City of West Hollywood’s Green City Awards Program, please visit www.weho.org/gca.
