About The
Green Hive

Industry Support

September 1, 2009

California Energy Commission
Media and Public Communications Office
1516 Ninth Street, MS-29
Sacramento, CA 95814-5512
RE: Letter of Support - The Green Hive

To Whom It May Concem,

RBF Consulting is pleased to submit this letter of support to the Califomia Energy Commission (CECl on behalf of The Green Hive organization, as Kris Kimble (CEO) pursues grant funding from CEC to fully launch The Green Hive Design and Resource Library, Exhibition Space, Incubator Offices, Event Center, Marketplace, and Library Lounge Cafe. The Green Hive's mission to "be an integrated forum/marketplace that promotes community interaction, education, products, and a 'green' lifestyle" responds to the intensifying need for California to be a leader in the sustainability movement throughout our nation.

RBF Consulting is a multidisciplinary planning and engineering firm with 15 offices throughout all of California, as well as parts of Arizona and Nevada. We provide a wide spectrum of professional services related to land development/ which filter through every facet of the building industry. In fact, each of the professional service disciplines RBF Consulting offers would greatly benefit from The Green Hive organization's ability to be the full-service sustainability resource center envisioned.

In practice, RBF Consulting's Planning Department regularly conducts community-wide outreach and visioning workshops related to Cities' General Plan Updates, and development of Community Master Plan/Specific Plan documents - all of which are being requested to integrate the most "up-to-date" sustainability performance measures available. In a given year (conservatively), RBF Consulting's planning teams facilitate upwards of 50+ community outreach workshops and design charrettes. Through these events/ we literally connect with thousands of residents,
merchants, property owners/developersl and elected/appointed public officials. Once fully operational, RBF Consulting would be grateful for the opportunity to link The Green Hive sustainability forum into our own client outreach and education service efforts - through either their stationary and/or mobile sustainability resource center(s).

As you know, the sustainability movement will only progress as quickly as the ability for "green" information and technology to be disseminated. RBF Consulting is confident that, with the help of the CEC and other industry partners/sponsors, The Green Hive organization would be an exemplary channel for current sustainability information to be widely shared.

In the world of construction masonry/ a "hive" holds a prominent place as a symbol of industry and cooperation. We hope that you recognize and value the determined enthusiasm of The Green Hive team in providing a sustainability forum forthe high-level of collaboration that is very much needed by our industry.

Please feel free to contact either of us directly/ should you wish to discuss The Green Hive further.

Susan J. Harden, AICP, CMSM, LEED-AP
Vice President I RBF Consulting
Principal | Urban Design Studio

Magaret E. Bulat
Associate RBF Consulting
Lead Community Planner | Urban Design Studio

 

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