Sustainable Neighborhoods Program
Your neighborhood. Your ideas. Your home.
Wheat Ridge is searching for additional neighborhoods to join the program in Summer 2023! To learn more about the program and the application process, please join us for an open house on Wednesday, April 12 at 5:30 P.M. at City Hall Council Chambers. Completed applications must be submitted by Friday, May 12, 2023. APPLY TODAY! Please be sure to read the Wheat Ridge Application Guide and Application Frequently Asked Questions before you apply! Download the Signature Support Form and upload the completed form with your application. For tips on how to gather signatures with low-to-no contact, read the Signature Support Ideas document. If you have any questions, contact Mary Hester at sustainability@ci.wheatridge.co.us.
In 2020, The City of Wheat Ridge joined Lakewood, Denver and Fort Collins as the newest member of the Sustainable Neighborhoods Network! The Sustainable Neighborhoods Program gives residents the opportunity to become active partners in building a vibrant and sustainable Wheat Ridge community. Neighborhoods participating in this unique certification program receive guidance and support from city staff to organize workshops, projects and events that enhance the livability of their neighborhoods and reduce residents' ecological footprints. Participating neighborhoods earn program credits and recognition from the community and the City.
Sustainable Applewood Villages and Sustainable Paramount Heights were the first two Wheat Ridge neighborhoods to join the Sustainable Neighborhoods program. These neighborhoods worked in the fall of 2020 to develop a neighborhood communications plan, a neighborhood leadership team, and started to plan and implement low-to-no contact and/or socially distanced projects for their neighborhoods. Neighbors are currently working on a variety of projects like organized trash hauling, zero waste food truck events, seed swaps, composting workshops, home energy audits, and wildlife friendly yards. Visit the Applewood Villages and Paramount Heights pages for more information. In 2021, Sustainable Fruitdale and Sustainable Panorama Park were the next two neighborhoods to join the program. They are working to organize their neighbors and plan projects such as bicycle education workshops, yard waste pick ups and donation drives. Visit the Fruitdale and Panorama Park pages for more information.
A resource guide is a collection of information about a specific sustainability topic that increases the audience's awareness and encourages behavior change. A resource guide may be neighborhood-specific or may be applicable to a larger audience. If a neighborhood is interested in creating a resource guide for credits, complete the Resource Guide Planning Document below and submit it to the Program Manager for approval. Resource Guide Planning Document
A project plan is a step-by-step guide that clearly explains how the neighborhood group created and implemented a project (workshop, event, etc.). Think of a project plan as a "grab and go" document for another neighborhood group interested in completing a similar project. If a neighborhood is interested in creating a project plan for credits, the group may use the template below or create a plan with a different layout, however answers to all of the questions in the template below must be incorporated.
Project Plan Template
Decide as a neighborhood leadership team who would like to take on each of the ongoing leadership team roles - Secretary, Website Manager, Outreach Manager and Leadership Team Coordinator. Additionally, decide as a team how long the term commitment will be for the roles.
Ongoing Leadership Team Roles document
These project planning guides mirror the questions asked on the project proposal forms. To ensure the Website Manager has accurate information when submitting a project proposal, please complete the corresponding planning guide and send to Website Manager no less than 30 days prior to your project date. Workshop Planning Guide Special Event Planning Guide Neighborhood Club Planning Guide Implementation Planning Guide Implementation Goal Setting Guide
These credit guides mirror the questions asked on the credit forms. To ensure the Website Manager has accurate information when submitting a credit form, please complete the corresponding credit guide and send to Website Manager no more than 30 days after your project date. Upload any photos from the project to your neighborhood Drive photo folder. Workshop Credit Guide Special Event Credit Guide Neighborhood Club Credit Guide - Complete one form after each club meeting time Implementation Credit Guide - Complete one form after each incremental goal and after advanced goal
Mary Hester Sustainability Coordinator City of Wheat Ridge sustainability@ci.wheatridge.co.us (303) 235-2841