As of October 30, 2024, the City of Lone Tree is under Stage 1 Fire Restrictions
This is a change from the Stage 2 Fire Restrictions enacted on October 8, 2024.
Employee Sustainability Committee
Cross-departmental City staff members have formed the Employee Sustainability Committee. Our mission is to intentionally promote a sustainable Lone Tree community that serves the City’s current and future needs through a collaborative and innovative approach to environmental, social, and economic well-being.
Creating and maintaining healthy, safe, livable communities for today and future generations is something that the City has been focused on since it first incorporated. Sustainability is evident in how we grow, how we do business and the culture of our community.
The Lone Tree sustainability action plan is to continue to integrate sustainability into the City’s overarching plans, policies, and day-to-day functions as an organization. From our Comprehensive Plan to our 6 Big Ideas, the City strives to balance social equity and economic strength with the natural systems.
Be a Champion of Sustainability!
As part of our efforts, we are highlighting organizations that are dedicated to instituting sustainable practices. We know many organizations in Lone Tree are doing incredible work, and we want to highlight their efforts by featuring them as a monthly Sustainability Champion throughout our City’s website, newsletter, social media and more.
If you know of a business, HOA or even a citizen making a difference in our community through environmentally sustainable practices, nominate them to be our next Sustainability Champion!
Traffic Signal Synchronization & Adaptive Signals
Our Public Works team has worked hard to save you time and avoid wasted gas as you live, work and play in Lone Tree. If you can’t get there on foot, by RTD, or by utilizing Link On Demand, our new adaptive signals reduce idling time and emissions by moving vehicles through the City more efficiently. As you spend less on energy, so does the City. All of our traffic signals – we currently have 52 – have been switched over to LED lighting at an energy cost savings of 60 percent. All future installations of street lights will also be energy-efficient LEDs.
Green Building Codes Adopted
Lone Tree has adopted the International Code Council (ICC) body of building codes, which produce energy-efficient residential and commercial construction that decreases energy consumption, reduce lumber consumption by utilizing engineered materials and conserve water from low-flow plumbing devices.
The Building Division is also entirely paperless. Building permits are applied for and administered through an online platform. All plan review is performed electronically. We provide permitting and inspection at a reduced rate for solar energy projects.
Comprehensive Plan Guides New Development
Land-use policies and design guidelines call for compact, mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly development that supports transit and reduces reliance on automobiles. The City’s largest area for future growth is guided by a zoning and development plan that exemplifies smart growth. This includes the preservation of open space, parks, and pedestrian and bike connections, features smart-cities technology like fiber and LED street lights, and encourages transit, EV charging stations, etc. View the Comprehensive Plan and other planning documents.
Approximately 45,000 Trees Estimated to be in Developed Areas of Lone Tree
The Forestry Plan assists residents, business owners, and public officials in establishing and maintaining a healthy urban forest and is intended to guide activities for decades, providing continuity through successive generations of residents, commercial property owners and managers, and public officials.
Lone Tree is a naturally non-forested environment, which requires the identification and adoption of best practices in tree locating, selection, planting, and maintenance. View the City’s Forestry Plan here.
We Are a Tree City USA
Lone Tree is proud to partner with the Arbor Day Foundation and has attained Tree City USA status for nearly 20 years. Cities that gain Tree City USA status must show a commitment to forestry efforts by adopting a tree care ordinance, promoting Arbor Day each year, and having a designated staff member to serve as City Forester. Trees do more than add shade, beauty, and comfort while enhancing property values. Trees are an essential component of stormwater management. As such, trees are the only public infrastructure that grows in value over time.
How We Grow
City founders knew in 1995 that continued growth was an opportunity to shape how their surrounding environment would grow. Twenty-five years later, that forward-thinking smart growth approach has created a Lone Tree with more contiguous areas of open space, a complete system of parks and trails, important wildlife habitats, and preserved natural drainages. The Comprehensive Plan also focuses on efficient infrastructure investment, City services, and emergency services, which saves resources, time and money.
The City is working hard to ensure we are evolving with the times and technology. Light rail, micro-transit (Link On Demand), electric vehicle charging stations, and a focus on bike and pedestrian connectivity all work together to reduce carbon emissions and make Lone Tree a more sustainable community. This approach to growth has also attracted investment from the private sector, which contributes to the economic sustainability of the City.
How We Do Business
We will achieve Lone Tree’s Community Vision by doing things the best way, not just the expected way.
Of the 3,600 single-family homes that receive the City-provided trash service, nearly 75 percent recycle – an average rate of about 60 tons per month from Lone Tree residents. Public Works recycles concrete and asphalt, uses environmentally friendly de-icing materials, and inspection of detention ponds and drainage ways is business as usual. The City assists HOAs in reducing their irrigation needs and costs through better design of landscaping and efficient irrigation systems. Lone Tree also provides Dog Waste Stations and trash receptacles and has a focus on property maintenance and noxious weed control.
Our facilities emphasize sustainability as well, using existing structure and sites, to conserve resources. The Lone Tree Arts Center is LEED-certified, has LED lighting, and uses xeriscaping. The city is promoting a paperless workplace and looking at moving toward hybrid or electric city vehicles. Facilities Management and IT innovate new ways to advance technology and sustainability.
Culture of Our Community
Residents with active lifestyles and an appreciation for the environment are the core of Lone Tree’s sustainability. These are just a few features that show off Lone Tree’s community of sustainability:
- Community Garden
- Arbor Day/Tree City USA
- Farmer’s Markets
- Bike to Work Day
- Nature Walks on Bluffs
- Cultural and Educational Programming at Lone Tree Arts Center
- Schweiger Ranch
- Lone Tree Day of Service
Have a question or comment about sustainability in Lone Tree? Contact us here.