Two years of effort pays off. San Mateo passed new ambitious green building standards on Monday after a year-long voluntary period.
These are the most significant standards in the County and among the leaders in the Bay Area and state. One of the largest cities on the peninsula (90,000 pop) set standards for new residential (75 pts Build it Green), new commercial (LEED Silver), and remodels.
Details of the standard which goes in effect January 1st here: main ordinance and standards compliance matrix
Special acknowledgement goes to Mayor Brandt Grotte for championing the standards and to consultant Jill Boone (now at Santa Clara County) who shepherded the city’s sustainability plan.
Daly City appears ready to follow suit though with a plan that is not as strong but still has merit. The Daly City plan is similar to the San Mateo County standard adopted last year.
Under the proposed Green Building Ordinance, developers of new residential structures would need to show their project will have a certain level of eco-friendly measures before being granted a building permit.
The City Council is scheduled to review the ordinance Nov. 23 and could consider approving it next month. It could take effect in January.
"I think for Daly City it's important," Councilman David Canepa said Friday. "We will be building in a way that reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and homeowners will benefit with utility cost-savings."
The ordinance is modeled after a similar one approved last year by San Mateo County supervisors, said Peter Pirnejad, Daly City's assistant director of economic and community development.
Update: Turns out Redwood City also wants to get in on the act with a similar standard as Daly City and San Mateo County. While a good thing, it's too bad they are not using the city of San Mateo as the model. The proposed Redwood City standard utilizes both Build it Green (residential) and LEED (commercial).
Redwood City's ordinance is modeled after a similar law passed a year ago by San Mateo County supervisors that requires certain projects to get at least 50 points on a green building checklist before their permits are approved.
For example, a builder gets two points for insulating hot water pipes in the kitchen and two points for using recycled wood decking content, according to the checklist developed by the nonprofit Build It Green. Installing a photovoltaic system that supplies a house with 90 percent of the energy it needs will earn a builder 18 points.
Other Peninsula cities have passed similar laws in recent years, including Hillsborough, San Mateo, Brisbane and Palo Alto. Several other cities are still working on green ordinances, said Jeffery Liang, green building coordinator for San Mateo County.
Redwood City's ordinance applies to all new buildings and residential additions of more than 1,000 square feet and is expected to go into effect by early next year.
Officials say a common concern is that using green building techniques is more expensive, but experts say the opposite is often true.
"I think the industry's come around. I haven't heard any concern at all about cost," said John LaTorra, Redwood City's building manager. "If you plan it right and you are selective in your materials, some of those materials are less costly."
Rafael @www.climateatbay.net
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