Cranberry Considers Sustainability Recommendations

A new study will help guide Cranberry Township toward a more sustainable future. The township enlisted the help of the group Sustainable Pittsburgh to find opportunities for conservation and smart growth. The 200-page document includes recommendations like the purchase of recycled materials, better recycling programs in township offices, and even simple measures like turning off computers at night.

Chief Strategic Planning Officer John Trant says he knows many people consider Cranberry to be "the poster child for sprawl." But he says the township has already been pursuing sustainable initiatives that many people don't know about. For instance, about 80 percent of traffic lights in the township use LEDs, which require less energy. He also says the township's commissioners made the unpopular decision during the high-growth 1990s to require sidewalks in all residential areas. In April, township commissioners adopted five sustainability principles to guide future development. Those principles are: be distinctive, be prosperous, be healthy, be engaged, and be committed.