UA Green Team

The City of Upper Arlington’s  Master Plan is the principal guiding document for preserving and enhancing the community’s makeup and quality of life. A goal of the master plan is to:

Maintain and develop more sustainable, walkable and competitive Upper Arlington in the future through innovation, efficiency, wellness and environmental stewardship. A sustainable community is designed with the consideration of environmental, social and economic effects in mind, where the community is dedicated to reducing its consumption of energy, water and food, and minimizing the creation of waste, pollution and emissions.

UA is committed to implementing sustainable, environmentally appropriate practices while following the regional sustainability agenda, with the goal of achieving zero-waste, zero-pollution and zero emissions by 2050.

The UA Green Team is: Jackie Thiel – Administrative Lead, Andrés Antequera – Communications, Justin Milan – Regional Liaison, Energy, Alyssa Kelly – Walkability/Bikes, Stormwater, PACE Program, Katy Rees – Recycling/Waste Diversion, Jeff Anderson – Park Development Projects, Operational Improvements, Sam Simmons – Urban Forestry, Urban Tree Canopy, Landscaping, Brian Mastin – Facilities Maintenance and Improvements, Carla Odebralski – Stormwater, Sanitary Sewers, Water Quality

• The City utilizes 100% renewable wind for City operations
• Upper Arlington was named a one-star Ohio Green Fleet community by Clean Fuels Ohio. The City operates two Nissan Leaf electric vehicles
• DC-Fast electric vehicle charging stations are available at the Municipal Services Center and the Public Services Center, and is a code requirement for larger parking lots
• The City participated in AEP Ohio’s Community Energy Savers Program in 2014 which resulted in a grant for new energy efficient outdoor lighting at Northam Park
• Upper Arlington is among the only communities in Central Ohio to allow rooftop solar panel installations on the front of residences and businesses (click for map of locations)
• All traffic signals, pedestrian walk signals, and street lights are LED. LED and other efficient lighting has been installed at the Municipal Services Center and Public Services Center
• Five COGO bike share stations have been installed between Kingsdale and Fifth Avenue
• The City has explored the installation of solar panels on several City facilities and looked for alternative means to finance such projects, including grants and power purchase agreements
• First Gold-certified Solsmart community in Ohio, showcasing the City as a leader in solar panel process and deployment
• Completed a studio project with The Ohio State University that examined the City’s emissions and energy use

• Upper Arlington has been named a Tree City USA community every year since 1990 and continues to plant hundreds of new trees each year
• Over the past 6 years, residents have maintained an average diversion rate of 45%; diversion efforts include: weekly curbside recycling collection, year-round curbside yard waste collection, food waste drop-off program, annual e-waste collection events, annual pumpkin collection, and holiday light recycling
• Upper Arlington offers a residential food waste collection program, with drop-off locations at the Municipal Services Center, Sunny 95 Park and Fancyburg Park
• The City has partnered with SWACO on their Recycle Right and Save More Than Food campaigns
• Sunny 95 Park is home to rain gardens that are among the largest in Central Ohio and rain gardens are found along Tremont Road at Kingsdale
• Upper Arlington has finished in the top five for several years in the Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation
• City Zoning code limits the amount of hard surfaces on a property and encourages permeable pavement, rain gardens and rain barrels to be considered throughout development design
• Launched a curbside pilot program for food waste compost pick-up
• Completed a studio project with The Ohio State University that examined active transportation means to get to the new Quarry Trails Metro Park

• The City is exploring the creation of a PACE program, which would allow residents and businesses to purchase energy efficient and clean energy improvements via an assessment on their property tax
• Unified Development Ordinance (UDO/zoning code) and Building Code have been updated to include and streamline sustainable practices
• All new commercial buildings built since 2007 have been eligible for LEED® certification
• Upper Arlington hosts a weekly farmers’ market at Northam Park which includes local farmers and vendors

• Upper Arlington has a sustainability section in the City’s Master Plan, which was among the first in the Midwest
• City officials hold positions on multiple boards and commissions throughout Central Ohio, including Sustainability Advisory Committee, Sustainable2050, Central Ohio Greenways, COTA Advisory Panel and Transportation Advisory Committee
• The City sponsors a table at the annual MORPC Summit on Sustainability
• Upper Arlington adopted the Franklin County Emergency Management Plan for hazard mitigation and response
• UA adopted a Stormwater Management Plan per Ohio EPA requirements

• Upper Arlington adopted a Complete Streets policy in 2014 and continues to expand shared use paths and sidewalks as part of a Transportation Plan
• New bike racks, trash cans and recycling bins have been installed at City facilities, including parks and swimming pools
• The City has implemented several Safe Routes to Schools and Active Transportation Plans to improve walkability within the community
• Upper Arlington has partnered with the Franklin County Soil and Water Conservation District on their Community Backyards program, which aims to be better stewards of the environment by offering education as well as discounted rain barrels, rain garden plants, and compost bins. UA also joined the Water Quality Partner program for businesses and governments
• The City’s outdoor lighting standards follow the Dark Sky® model in order to preserve the night sky
• The City’s solid waste and recycling vendor, Local Waste, utilizes natural gas-powered vehicles
• UA participates in several prescription medicine drop-off programs each year as well as accepts old prescriptions year-round to be dropped off at the police department to be discarded safely.
• Local boy scout troops participate in the “Swomp Romp” to help clean-up Turkey Run, hosted by the Engineering Division
• During snow events, the City uses a brine mixture in order to reduce the amount of salt needed
• Have hosted several sustainability events like an electric vehicle ride and drive, compost bin and rain barrel sales, sustainability summits and other community events