By Mike Fossano

The Woodward 5 Sustainability Partnership is hosting a public open house for residents and businesses on Tuesday, March 27 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Pleasant Ridge Community Center, 4 Ridge Road in Pleasant Ridge. Berkley, Ferndale, Pleasant Ridge, Royal Oak and Huntington Woods are seeking citizen feedback on topics like economy, education, environment, government and community that the five communities can address together to be more sustainable.

The participating Woodward Avenue communities, in conjunction with Oakland County, launched a partnership earlier this year to examine sustainability issues.

“I applaud these ‘Woodward 5’ communities for undertaking this partnership,” said Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson. “With limited economic resources at our disposal, it is more important than ever that communities find innovative ways to collaborate.”

The partnership engages a diverse cross-section of the community, including environmental, business, social services, health, and educational institutions. Above all, the goal of the group is to develop a plan which will help the communities work together and leverage shared resources for a sustainable future.

Oakland County Planning & Economic Development Services will provide $25,000 of in-kind services to match a $50,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to facilitate a South Oakland Multi-Community Sustainability Partnership.

This is the first of several public forums planned. The project is scheduled to be completed by September, 2013.

Oakland County has also been working with the cities of Rochester Hills, Auburn Hills and Rochester to develop a Tri-City Sustainability Partnership since 2011.