New "Green" Sam's Club Opens Today In Fayetteville
Last updated Wednesday, September 12, 2007 8:25 PM CDT in Business
By Kimberly Morrison
THE MORNING NEWS
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At first glance, the new Sam's Club in Fayetteville looks quite like any other.
Shoppers likely wouldn't know, were it not for signs at the entryway and throughout the store tipping them off, that this is a special "green" store, and the first of its kind in an area gaining national recognition for its efforts in environmental sustainability.
The store was first unveiled Wednesday for club members who got a sneak peak at the store's unique features and be its first shoppers.
A public opening is scheduled for today at 9:15 a.m. and will include an appearance by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck at 10 a.m. Also scheduled is a cooking demonstration tomorrow by local chef Miles James.
The opening allows community members to see store features, several of which are unique to the store at 3081 N. Highway 112, designed to lessen the local environmental impact from recycled building materials and composted waste to maintaining an on-site watershed.
The 100-acre Clabber Creek ecosystem is home to several endangered species. The land was minimally developed upon recommendation by the Audubon Society and Sierra Club. Placement of the building was planned around the land's protection and an additional retention pond in the rear of the property allows natural water filtration systems to cleanse water before it is discharged back into the creek.
Water conservation was a factor of local importance engineers took into consideration when they designed features such as harvesting rainwater from the roof and using it to irrigate the landscape and provide water to the cooling tower serving the refrigeration system.
Inside the store, 219 skylights are coupled with a high efficiency lighting system that adjusts artificial light according to how much natural light comes through the skylights. This system is called "light harvesting" and uses less electricity while generating less heat. Similarly, high-efficiency LED lighting can be found throughout the store, and motion-sensored lighting at the freezer and cooler units helps conserve energy.
Although the store is not labeled as a high-efficiency store, energy efficiency is a big component, translating into dollars saved by the company, said Sam's Club spokeswoman Susan Koehler.
"There is an important bottom-line factor to sustainability," Koehler said, declining comment on store-specific operations costs and savings. "It makes it not only the right thing to do, it makes it a good thing to do from an operations perspective."
Fayetteville Mayor Dan Coody, who has been gaining national attention for his efforts to make Fayetteville a leader in community sustainability, sees the store as a step in the right direction and calling the Sam's Club "a huge asset to Fayetteville in so many ways."
The store even gained the local Sierra Club's seal of approval, said local Sierra Club representative Dot Neely.
"It's nice to think they've come to an awareness and have a commitment in reducing their carbon print," Neely said.
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