Environment & Sustainability

• As a former Massachusetts Sierra Club board member, I strongly support Winchester’s wide range of sustainability initiatives. 
  
  
• I support the Town’s Climate Action Plan, including initiatives to both reduce emissions and adopt measures aimed at resiliency, and I believe the addition of a full-time sustainability director has been a terrific step forward for the Town.
  
  
• I endorse Winchester becoming a state-designated Climate Leader Community, building on our current status as a Green Community. In particular, I support the recent adoption of a specialized energy code by Town Meeting, the electrification of Town Hall and other municipal buildings (such as Lynch, which is also being built with solar arrays), and converting Town operations to renewable energy, as well as the recent effort to increase the share of renewable energy in WinPower while growing the program’s reach. Being designated a Climate Leader Community will also make Winchester eligible for significant state capital funding for key projects.
  
  
• At the same time, with climate change a reality, I support projects that aim to help the Town adapt, covering everything from programs that mitigate the health impact of rising temperatures to the development of green infrastructure and preservation of open space for stormwater. Protecting our tree canopy is also a key part of both climate adaptation and preserving the Town’s overall character.
  
  
• Finally, I believe the focus of our housing development efforts should be on already-developed town parcels that are transit centered and served by existing utilities, not wooded or undeveloped land far from transit.