Thirty-five years ago this summer, I unpacked my books at my first college teaching job. A freshly minted doctorate degree in my pocket, I immediately had to embark on the study of a whole new subject matter. I was a political scientist, schooled in U.S. foreign policy and international relations, but was told I had to also teach a course in environmental politics because the course, taught by my predecessor, had become one of the most popular at the college. That predecessor, Dave Orr, has ended up teaching environmental politics at Oberlin College in Ohio, where he has had a national impact.  

In April, I went to hear Dave at Town Hall in Seattle speak about something he has spearheaded called “The Oberlin Project.” I tell you about it because if we play our cards right on Vashon we can do something as significant and life-affirming right here — if we play our cards right, and if we play them quickly.

The Oberlin Project is a planned $300 million redevelopment of rust-belt Oberlin that Dave describes as a “working model of sustainability that integrates economic revitalization, green-building, education, agriculture, forestry, public policy, renewable energy and finance into a system in which the parts reinforce the vitality and resilience of the larger whole.”  

Put differently, the City of Oberlin, Oberlin College and the Oberlin Public Schools have embarked on a cooperative effort to redevelop downtown Oberlin, with the common overarching goals of creating a sustainable economy based on efficiency and renewable energy, while creating a practical, educational experience for the region’s students. 

• Every-thing they build will be jointly planned and coordinated and will exceed LEED platinum standards for resource efficiency, recycling and conservation. 

• Everything they build will include students at every level of planning, building and operation.  

• Everything they build will incorporate a post-carbon energy system based on efficiency and renewable energy.  

• And, everything they build will use forest resources from the surrounding 20,000-acre greenbelt and will ultimately provide a large market for the failing small farmers.

On Vashon, we may be about to spend upwards of $60 million on two different projects within a half mile of each other at the central Island intersection of Vashon Highway and Cemetery Road. First, there’s the $47.7 million bond we passed to build a new high school. Then there’s the $16 million Vashon Allied Arts hopes to raise for a new performing arts center. 

In addition, there’s at least the prospect for redevelopment at the old K2 manufacturing facility. The previous owners of an option to buy K2 said their development plans entailed as much $50 million additional investment at virtually the same location. All told, that could mean more than $100 million of investment that is presently being pursued on three separate tracks with little to no coordination.

The key to the Oberlin Project is that the city leaders, college leaders and school district leaders are intimately and integrally planning a Green District in the center of Oberlin. They are planning together and will implement those plans together for the combined mutual benefit of each organization and, more importantly, for the town as a whole. There are no silos allowed: no solo acts, no duplications, no separate architectural plans.  

I have the utmost respect for the people of Vashon who agree to serve. School board members and administrators and Vashon Allied Arts board members and administrators have devoted countless hours to the new school building campaign and the plans for the performing arts center. They last thing they need or deserve are badly researched or simplistic suggestions lobbed in from outside. 

At the same time, I have urged members of both groups to spend some crucial time now, before it’s too late, jointly planning their projects, less than a half-mile apart, to be sure all efficiencies are being met and that, together, the tens of millions of precious dollars being invested will meet the common over-arching goals of creating a sustainable economy, based on efficiency and renewable energy, while creating a practical, educational experience for the Island’s students. Furthermore, I urge them to consider the implications of the possible developments at K2, perhaps including regular discussions with the present owners and interested buyers.  

That’s exactly what they’re doing in Oberlin, Ohio.

— Steve Haworth is retired from CNN, where he handled corporate public relations. This is the first of a two-part series he plans to write about this issue.