Residing on a test site at an undisclosed URL is the new HR Green website. Following months of fact-finding, research, focus group studies and development, the site is slated for a soft launch in mid-June. When the go-button is pressed, no one will be more pleased than Julia B. Hillegass, public information and community affairs administrator for the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (HRPDC).

“The site is exactly where we want it to be, as we test all the bells and whistles and navigate among the many places it will take us,” she said.

Since last July, Hillegass, and members of the HR Green executive committee have met monthly with Cahoon & Cross Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations to plan for an important HRPDC initiative— consolidating its HR Clean, HR Fog, HR Storm and HR Wet brands under one regional umbrella campaign called HR Green.

The five-year campaign will revolve around the website, a central, one-stop location where residents may access information on everything from recycling and sustainable water use to storm water awareness and how to safely dispose of fats, oils and grease.

“We discovered in our focus group studies that residents want to be good environmental stewards, but don’t know where to gather the information they need,” said Hillegass. “The site’s biggest virtue is that it will allow visitors to search quickly for topics they desire, while learning about related information that may also be of interest.”

Other features include pages with easy-to-use “green” practices to implement in your home, yard, business, community and classroom; an interactive calendar with landing pages and Google locator map for regional events; and social media feeds for viewing recent blog, facebook and twitter feeds.

After the soft launch, the HR Green site will undergo a final testing phase before the public launch in July. This will be followed by the roll-out of an advertising campaign and public events to promote the site.