In March 2012, the small community of West Liberty was nearly destroyed by a monstrous tornado. Seven lives were lost, 400 homes demolished, $50 million of damage incurred, and most of the downtown devastated.
Rather than view this crisis as a hopeless tragedy, however, the 3,400 residents instead saw an opportunity to rebuild their town as a 21st century, sustainable community and to develop a path to create a more competitive, entrepreneurial economy. Now, this “Rebuilding West Liberty Kentucky” effort will be featured on the PBS show Eco-Sense for Living on Aug. 28 at 6:30 p.m. (KET2).
Rebuilding West Liberty Kentucky is a multifaceted approach to redevelop a small town in coal country as a national model for sustainability and is a Clinton Global Initiative America Commitment to Action. The project, which was developed through a comprehensive strategic planning process involving community leaders and prominent state nonprofits, is being managed by Fahe, a nonprofit network that serves Appalachia.
The first phase of the rebuilding project involves the construction of state-of-the-art, energy-efficient homes that utilize renewable technologies, and the educational promotion of its innovations to schoolchildren and similarly-situated rural communities across the country. At its heart is a $7.9 million plan to construct 52 new Energy Star certified housing units that will serve hundreds of community residents who have been displaced by the storm.
A 48-unit multifamily, energy-efficient development by Winterwood Inc. opened this spring to replace similar housing that was destroyed in the tornado. The focus is now on four single-family homes that will provide a test case for innovative new designs and technologies to be utilized as the project expands. These site-built homes will include solar that will be designed eliminate all utility costs for these homeowners and provide a replicable model for an energy-efficient future.
The project also includes the installation of a web-enabled Energy Efficiency Education Dashboard that will provide a global audience real-time monitoring of the energy improvements, video tours of the facilities, and a curriculum for public schools in Kentucky and perhaps the United States.
This project is a collaboration among city leaders and leading Kentucky nonprofits, as well as the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research, Kentucky Innovation Network office at Morehead State University, and the Regional Technology and Innovation Center.
“Our first priority, of course, is to rebuild our town, we are also very excited to serve as a model for the whole country,” said West Liberty Mayor Mark Walter. “We’re so thankful to all of our partners and to the Clinton Global Initiative in helping establish our community as a national leader in energy efficiency.”
“While we experienced quite a tragedy in 2012, I’m so proud of the way our community has come together behind this innovative Rebuilding West Liberty idea,” noted Hank Allen, CEO, Commercial Bank of West Liberty.
For more information on how the public can assist this effort, click here. To view the Eco-Sense for Living episode online, click here.
From FAHE
Seems like the article forgot about the 21 houses that Habitat for Humanity rebuilt as a part of the effort to rebuild he community. Greg Dyke, the ED of HFH in Morehead made that project happen, with few volunteers and lots of dedication.