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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 6.2 Green Building CITY CLERK File # ~-'~ ,,~ lc)lq ! O I AGENDA STATEMENT CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: March 16, 2004 SUBJECT: Public Hearing- An Ordinance of the City of Dublin Creating a New Chapter 5.61 to the Dublin Municipal Code - Green Building Practices for City Projects. Adding this new Chapter will allow for a uniform approach in using Green Building practices for City ProjeCts. Report Prepared By: Joni L. Pattillo, Assistant City Manager ATTACHMENTS: 1) Proposed Green Building Ordinance 2) City Council Agenda Statement without Attachments dated February 17, 2004 RECOMMENDATION: 1) Open the Public Heating 2) Receive StafFs Presentation ...~,~~3) Receive Public Testimony Question Staff and the Public 5)Close Pubhc Heating and Deliberate 6) Waive the reading and adopt the Ordinance adding new Chapter 5.61, Green Building Practices to the Dublin Municipal Code FINANCIAL STATEMENT: It is possible that this Ordinance will result in increased costs for certain capital improvement projects. The precise costs are unknown. It is estimated that City projects requiring LEEDTM silver certification under the proposed Ordinance could experience cost increases of up to 2% of the total project cOst and an additional $20,000 to $40,000 for the LEEDTM application process. Another potential outcome might be a need to adjust Development Fees associated with Public Facilities to accommodate the estimated increase of 2%. However, green buildings typically result in significant life cycle savings, often exceeding the initial investment by as much as ten times. COPIES TO: ITEM NO. ~ H/cc-forras/agdastmt. doc DESCRIPTION: City Council directed Staff at the March 2, 2004 City Council meeting to bring back the proposed Green Building Ordinance, for its second reading and possible adoption. The proposed Ordinance contains the City Councils' recommended changes from the February 17, 2004 City Council meeting which were to incorporate the LEEDTM Silver rating, or a City-approved equivalent for all City building projects with the estimated cost of construction of $3,000,000 or greater in value into the proposed Ordinance. GREEN BUILDING DESCRIPTION: Green building is a whole systems approach to the design, construction and operation of buildings - from the early stages of development (e.g. recycling C&D debris) through the final finishes of the building (e.g. using sustainable products). Conventional design and construction methods can produce buildings that negatively impact the environment as well as the health and productivity of the building occupants. These buildings can be expensive to operate and contribute to excessive resource and energy consumption, waste generation, and pollution. By contrast, green building provides a means for mitigating the undesirable environmental impacts of conventional building methods. This is accomplished by employing building materials and methods that promote natural resource conservation, energy efficiency and good indoor air quality. Although sustainability is a global issue, building plans are approved and constructed locally, and it is at this level that cities may have the greatest impact. The adoption of the proposed Green Building Ordinance will formalize the City of Dublin's green building practices and define a process for design, construction and operation of certain city buildings. In addition, adoption of the Ordinance will further demonstrate the City's commitment to environmental, economic, and social stewardship, yielding cost savings to the City taxpayers through reduced operating costs for City facilities, providing healthier work environments for employees, and contributing to increased conservation of natural resources. COSTS AND BENEFITS OF GREEN BUILDING: Fiscal Impact The State of California recently released the most comprehensive analysis of the financial costs and benefits of green building titled The Costs and Benefits of Green Building (October 2003). The study reported that the average additional cost for substantial green building design was slightly less than 2% (of the building's total design and construction cost), which translates to approximately $3-5/sf. This conclusion was made after a survey of 33 LEEDTM buildings. The majority of the additional cost is attributed to the increased architectural and engineering design time necessary to integrate sustainable building methods into projects. The earlier green building gets incorporated into the design process, the lower the cost. Addressing each of these factors can minimize additional capital costs: · Identify projects to be LEEDTM certified at the establishment of the project budget · Include LEEDTM requirements in RFQs and RFPs · Use LEEDTM early in the design process · Train project managers in LEEDTM management skills. It is important to point out that the cost of green buildings will vary significantly depending on the specific project goals. While there are many significant benefits that can be included in a project at no additional cost (orientation, Iow VOC paints, recycled content carpet, etc.), some features will cost more. Estimates for additional initial costs are as low as 0 to 2%. A LEEDTM Study conducted for the City of Portland indicated that green building impact on the budget is small - from 2.2% extra cost to 0.3% savings. The City of Seattle found that after a 3-year implementation period, the incremental cost for meeting LEEDTM Silver dropped from 6% to 0.1% for small projects and from 4% to 0% for large projects. While building to LEEDTM standards may result in additional funding for initial design and construction, LEEDTM buildings are more economical than conventional buildings (i.e.: non green) over their lifetime. Energy and water efficient buildings can reduce operating costs significantly. Use can be cut to less than half of a conventional building. Additionally, healthy indoor environments can increase employee productivity and reduce absenteeism. The State report found that the 20-year Net Present Value of the life-cycle savings in energy, emissions, water, waste, and commissioning for a LEEDTM Certified or Silver Building averaged $15.98/sf, while the 20-year Net Present Value for improved productivity and health is $36.89/sf. The report concluded that a minimal upfront investment of about 2% of construction costs typically yields life cycle savings of over ten times the initial investment. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal supports the report's findings. Other Costs/Benefits In addition to potential project cost increases, other important green building considerations include the possibility of limited product aVailability and material selection and longer project completion schedules. The product market for green building materials, including recycled content products, while still somewhat limited, has improved dramatically over the past several years. It is anticipated that the market will continue to mature as more organizations adopt green building policies, resulting in even greater choices for green building products. It is also important to note that LEEDTM is flexible and allows for many options regarding which green building elements to incorporate in a given project. LEEDm is based on a point system, so if it becomes apparent that a specific product is unavailable, points could be earned by "greening'' other areas of the project. True green building takes a holistic approach to a building and requires involvement from site planning and conceptual design through construction. If a project is identified as a green building from the start, it is more likely that the project would be completed in the same amount of time as a conventional project. However, project delays can be more likely and more significant if the project is changed midway through design. Project components such as site orientation, daylighting, Heating, Ventilations and Air Conditioning (HVAC), windows etc. are integral components to designing an efficient building. If one of these elements is changed, it could create the need for a major redesign because of how the components are interrelated. Green building will require more discussion and goal setting at budget development stage of the project in order minimize changes after the conceptual design has been approved. While not as easily measurable as the life cycle savings, other green building benefits should be considered including environmental (conserving of energy, water and other natural resources; improving air and water quality and a reducing of solid waste) and community benefits (minimizing strain on local infrastructure, strengthening established goals related to increase density, mixed use and transit-oriented development, improving stormwater and erosion control, increasing bicycle and pedestrian access and contributing to community health, vitality and aesthetics). KEY ELEMENTS OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE: Staff has developed an Ordinance (Attachment 1) that defines and sets thresholds for incorporating green building practices in civic projects. The key elements of Dublin's proposed Civic Green Building Ordinance are as follows: · The Ordinance only covers city sponsored projects, defined as any new construction or renovation primarily funded or sponsored by the City, conducted on City-owned property, or managed by City personnel from design through construction. "City Project" or "Project" shall also include any Buildings constructed for the City's use under a build-to-suit program or project. All City building projects with the estimated cost of construction of $3,000,000 or greater in value shall be designed to meet designated minimum LEEDTM Silver rating as specified in the Ordinance, or a City-approved equivalent. · All projects following the LEEDTM rating system shall be registered and certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. · TraditiOnal public works and parks projects or projects with the estimated cost of construction, ' of $3,000,000 or less, shall not be required to achieve a LEEDTM rating. · Within twelve (12) months of the effective date of this ordinance, the Green Building Compliance Official shall submit proposed Operational Guidelines to the City Council containing specifications necessary or appropriate to achieve compliance with the Green Building Practices stated in this Chapter. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the City Council open the Public Hearing; receive Staff Presentation and comments from the Public; question Staff and the Public; close the Public Hearing and deliberate; waive the reading and adopt the Ordinance adding new Chapter 5.61 to the Dublin Municipal Code, Green Building Practices for City Projects. oRDINANCE NO. - 04 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN AMENDING THE MUNICIPAL .CODE BY ADDING A NEW CHAPTER 5.61 MANDATING GREEN BUILDING PRACTICES FOR CITY PROJECTS The City Council of the City of Dublin does hereby ordain as follows: SECTION I: ENACTMENT The Municipal Code is hereby amended by adding Chapter 5.61 which shall read as follows: CHAPTER 5.61 GREEN BUILDING PRACTICES FOR CITY PROJECTS Section 1. FINDINGS The City Council of the City of Dublin hereby finds and declares that: A. The design, construction, maintenance, and demolition of buildings and structures within the City can have a sighificant impact on the City's environmental sustainability, resource usage and efficiency, waste management, and the health and productivity of residents, workers, and visitors. B. "Green" building design, construction, and operation can have a significant positive effect on energy and resource efficiency, waste and pollution generation, and the health and productivity of a building's occupants over the life of the building. C. Green building benefits are spread throughout the systems and features of the building. Building "green" can include, among other things, the use of certified sustainable wood products; aggressive use of high recycled content products; recycling of waste that occurs during deconstruction, demolition, and construction; enhancement of indoor air quality by selection and use of construction materials that do not have chemical emissions that are toxic or irritating to building occupants; modification of heating,, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems to provide energy efficiency and improved indoor air; use .of water conserving methods and equipment; and installation of alternative energy methods for supplemental energy production. D. The U.S. Green Building Council, developer of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEEDTM) Commercial Green Building Rating System and LEEDT~ Reference Guide, has become a leader in promoting and guiding green building. E. Requiring certain City projects to incorporate LEED'm green building measures is necessary' and appropriate to achieve the benefits of green building. A1-FACH M ENT 1 F. Green design, construction, and operation decisions made by the City in the construction and remodeling of City buildings result in environmental benefits and cost savings to the City over the life of the buildings. By calling on the City to include green building measures in its own facilities, the City Council provides taxpayers a benefit through environmentally friendly, cheaper to operate buildings and simultaneously helps to. develop markets for recycled, recyclable, and environmentally sound materials. G. It is critical to both the economic and environmental health of the City that the City provides leadership to both the private and public sectors in the arena of energy efficiency and "green" construction. The most immediate and meaningful way to do this is to include energy efficiency and green building elements in as many public buildings as feasible. H. It is in the public interest to address the appropriateness of mandating green building requirements for private projects separately from, and subsequent to, applying such requirements to City Projects. Accordingly, unless and until the City Council determines otherwise, the provisions of this Chapter shall not apply to private sector development. Section 2. DEFINITIONS A. "Green Building Practices" means a whole-systems approach to the design, construction, and operation of Buildings and Structures that helps mitigate the environmental, economic, and social impacts of construction, demolition, and renovation. Green Building Practices such as those described in the LEEDTM Rating System, recognizes the relationship between natural and built environments and seeks to minimize the use of energy, water, and other natural resources and provide a healthy productive environment. B. "Building" means any Structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy as defined in the Dublin Building Code. C. "Structure" means that which is built or constructed, an edifice or building of any kind or any piece of work artificially built or composed of parts joined together in some definite manner and permanently attached to the ground. D. "City Project" or "Project" means new construction or renovation primarily funded or sponsored by the City, conducted on City-owned property, or managed by City personnel from design through construction. "City Project" or "Project" shall filso include any buildings constructed for the City's use under a build-to-suit program or project. Traditional Public Works Projects and Parks Projects are not considered "City Projects" for the purpose of this Chapter. E. "Construction" means the building of any building or structure or any portion thereof. F. "Renovation" means: (1) a structural change to the foundation, roof, floor, or exterior of load-beating walls of a facility, or the extension of an existing facility to increase its floor area; or (2) alteration of an existing facility, such as to significantly change its function, even if such renovation does not include any structural change to the facility. 2 G. "Initiated" means officially identified and fully funded to offset all the costs associated with the project as found in the City Capital Improvement Plan. H. "Conditioned Space" means an enclosed space in a building that is provided with a mechanical heating/cooling system as defined in the Dublin Building Code. I. "Estimated Cost of Construction" means the total projected cost of completing a proposed Project, including fees, design, construction and land. J. '"LEED Accredited Professional~m'' means an experienced building industry practitioner who has demonstrated his/her knowledge of integrated design and his/her capacity to facilitate the LEEDTM certification process on the LEEDTM Professional Accreditation exam. The exam, administered by the U.S. Green Building Council, tests an individual's understanding of green building practices and principles, and familiarity with LEEDTM requirements, resources, and processes. K. "LEED Rating Systemxw'' means the most recent version of the' Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEEDTM) Commercial Green Building Rating SystemTM, or other related LEEDTM Rating System, approved by the U.S. Green Building Council, as applicable to the Project. L. "Traditional Public Works Projects" means heavy construction projects, such as pump stations, flood control improvements, roads, bridges, as well as traffic lights, sidewalks, bike paths and associated infrastructure on City-owned and maintained property. M. "Parks and Recreation Projects" means landscape construction projects, such as sports facilities, play grounds, trails, as well as sports lighting, parking, restrooms and associated infrastructure on City-owned and maintained property. N. "The Green Building Compliance Official" means the person who is authorized and responsible for enforcing this Chapter for any given City project, as designated by the City Manager. Section 3. MANDATORY GREEN BUILDING PRACTICES A. City Projects: All City Projects initiated on or after March 16, 2004, with the Estimated Cost of Construction of $3,000,000 or greater, shall meet: "Silver" rating under the LEEDTM Rating System, or a City-approved equivalent. All projects following the LEED rating system shall be registered and certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. The Green Building Compliance Official or his/her designee shall undertake such registration and application for certification. B. All City Projects initiated on or after March 16, 2004, with the Estimated Cost of Construction of $3,000,000 or less shall be designed and constructed using as many green practices as appropriate to the project as specified in the Operational Guidelines. These Projects shall not be required to be registered and certified by the U.S. Green BUilding Council. The Green Building Compliance Official or his/her designee shall be responsible for verifying the appropriate green building componeffts. C. Traditional Public Works and Parks Projects: The Green Building Compliance Official shall promptly undertake research to identify suitable mechanisms for applying Green Building Practices to Traditional Public Works and Parks and Recreation Projects. Within twelve (12) months of the effective date of this ordinance, the Green Building Compliance Official shall submit proposed Operational Guidelines to the City Council requiring the application of appropriate Green Building Practices to Traditional Public Works and Parks and Recreation Projects. D. Exemptions: If a City Project has unique circumstances that make compliance with this Chapter infeasible, the Green Building Compliance Official may grant an exemption as set forth in the Operational Guidelines. Section 4. STANDARDS FOR COMPLIANCE A. The Green Building Compliance Official shall be responsible for the development and maintenance of Operational Guidelines which contain specifications necessary or appropriate to achieve compliance with the Green Building Practices stated in this Chapter. The Operational Guidelines shall be proposed [or promulgated] after securing and reviewing comments from affected City Departments. B. The Operational Guidelines proposed [or promulgated] by the Green Building Compliance Official under this section shall provide for at least the following: 1. Criteria to escalate or lower the $3,000,000 threshold contained in this Chapter; 2. The incorporation of the Green Building Practices of this Chapter into the appropriate design and construction contract documents prepared for the applicable City Projects and Traditional Public Works and Parks Projects; 3. Guidelines specifying how contractor bids or responses to Requests for Proposals must indicate plans for meeting all applicable LEEDTM or Traditional Public Works and Parks and Recreation Green Building criteria required under this Chapter. . All. projects following the LEED rating system shall be required to have a LEEDTM Accredited Professional on the Project team; 4. Guidelines specifying how green and sustainable practices and products will be incorporated in the operation and maintenance of City projects; 5. Guidelines specifying how the Green Building Compliance Official will administer and monitor compliance with the Green Building Practices set forth in this Chapter and with any rules or regulationd promulgated thereunder, and make recommendations to the City Council concerning the granting of waivers or exemptions from the requirements of this Chapter, including Certification of City Projects. 4 Section 5. UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES Compliance with the provisions of this Chapter may be waived in unusual circumstances where the City Council has, by resolution, found and determined that the public interest would not be served by complying with such provisions. SECTION 1I: 'SEVERAB[LITY If any chapter, section, subsection, subdivision, paragraph, sentence, clause or phrase of this Ordinance, or any part thereof, is for any reason held to be unconstitutional, invalid, or ineffective by any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity or effectiveness of the remaining portions of this Ordinance or any part thereof. The City CounCil hereby declares that it would have passed each chapter, section, subsection, subdivision, paragraph, sentence, clause, and phrase of this Ordinance irrespective of the fact that one or more chapters, sections, subsections, subdivisions, paragraphs, sentences, clauses, or phrases be declared unconstitutional, invalid, or effective. To this end, the provisions of this Ordinance are declared to be severable. SECTION llI: EFFECTIVE DATE This ordinance shall take effect and be in force thirty (30) days from and after the date of passage. The City Clerk of the City of Dublin shall cause the Ordinance to be posted in at least three (3) public places in the City of Dublin in accordance with Section 36933 of the Government Code' of the State of California. PASSED AND APPROVED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Dublin, on this __ day of ,2004, by the following vote: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: MayOr ATTEST: City Clerk CITY CLERK File # AGENDA STATEMENT CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: FebruarY 17, 2004 SUBJECT: Civic Green Building Ordinance Report Prepared By: Joni Pattillo, Assistant City Manager ATTACttMENTS: 1) LEED: Good.for BusNess, Good for the Environment 2) LEEDTM Rating System 3) State Study: Costs & Benefits of Green Building, Execpt~ve summary 4) Seattle Project Cost Graph 5) Wall Street Journal: Green-Building Benefits Outstrip Extra Costs 6) Comp0xison of Green Building Ordinances in the Bay ~ea 7) Proposed City of Dublin Green Building Ordinance ' ! RECOMMENDATION:/1) ' Provide commems and direction to Sm_ffregardin~ theI proposed Green B~fild~ Or~nm~ce with specific d~re~tion ' regarding the desked level of LEEDTM certification. 2) Direct Staffto malce thc appropriate modifications to ~e Ordinance, if any, and present ~e Ordinance for ks fi~t' readin§ ~t fl~e next Coux~ciI Meeting. FINANCIAL STATEMENT: .... It is possible that this Ordinance will .result in increased costs .for .... certain capital improvement projects. The precise costs are unlmown and will partially depend 9n the desired level of certification selected by the City Council. It is estimated that City projects re~luiring LEEDTM silver certification under the proposed Ordinance could experience cost increases of up to12% of the total project cost and an additional $20,000 to $40,000 for the LEEDTM application process. ~other potential outcome might be a need to adjust Development Fees associated with Public Facilities to. accommodate the estimated increase of 2%..However, green buildings typically result in significhnt life cycle savings, often exceeding the initial investment by as much as ten times, DESCRIPTION: As part of its 2003-2004 Goals and. Objectives, the City Council directed Sta. ffto prepare a green btilding ordinance. This report provides a description and analysis of green building as well as a comprehen:, 'rye account of the development and key components of the City's proposed green building Ordinance. ~ COPIES TO: ~., ATTACHMENT H/cc-formslagdastmt. doc ....... ~'-- GREEN BUILDING DESCRIPTION: . Green building is a whole systems aPPr0ach to the design, Constructi°n and operation of buildings- ~,,from the early stages of development (e.g. recycling C&D debris) through the final finishes of the buildin~ ('e.g. using sustainable products). Conventional design and consU'uction methods can produce buildings that negatively impact the i envirOnment as well as the health and productivity of the building occupants. These buildings can b~ waste generation, and expensive to operate and contribute to excessive resource and energy consumption, ' pollution. By contrast, green building provides a means for mitigating the undesirable environmental impacts if conventional building methods. This is accomplished by employing building materials and~methodd:~, that promote natural resource conservation, energy efficiency and good indoor air quality. ~ . Although sustainability is a global issue, building plans are approved and constructed locally, and it Is at this level that cities may have the greatest impact. The adoption of the proposed Green Building Ordinance will formalize the C~ty of Dubhn green building practices and define a process for des/ construCtiOn and operation of certain city buildings. In addition, adoption of the Ordinance will fur aer 'demonstrate the City's commitment to environmental, economic,' and social stewardship, yielding cz,st savings to the City taxpayers through reduced operating costs for City facilities, providing healthier ~ork environments for employees, and contributing to increased conservation of natural resources. U.S. Green BUilding Council and LEEDTM The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) is a national nonprofit organization that was f~rmed in 1993 Its owin membership includes representation from organizations across the building industry, including architecture and engineering firms, builders, manufacturers, government agencies, real estate developers, universities, and others. USGBC develops industry standards, design practices and greeN building education. It is the developer and administrator of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEEDT~r) Green BUilding Rating System. A description of the LEEDTM rating system is included in the article LEED: Good for Busines& Good for'the Environment (Attachment 1). The complete LEEDTM rating system is also included as Attachment 2. LEEDTM was developed t° define "green building" by providing a standard for measurement. The LEEDTM Rating System defines "green building" as a building that is designed to minimize envirorr nental' impacts in the following ways: 1. Sustainable Sites - i.e. building with access to mass transit and reducing stormwater mn-off 2. Water Efficiency- i.e. water efficient landscaping 3. Energy and Atmosphere - i.e. reducing energy consumption in the buildings . 4. Materials and Resources - i.e. designing for the storage and collection ofrecyclables ani construction and demolition waste management 5. Indoor Environmental Quality- i.e. reducing the quantity of indoor air contaminants, such as Volatile Organic CompoUnds (VOC), and increasing daylighting in the buildings · LEEDTM uses existing, proven technologies to guide commercial, public and.instituti°nal. . . buildings, ii. ~ is now the most widely used green building rating system nationally. Many jurisdictions ~ncludmg Alameda County, Berkeley, Pleasanton, San Jose, San Francisco, San Mateo County, Santa Monica, Portland,' and Seattle have developed their green building programs using LEEDTM as a standard or guide. Several projects in Alameda County, including: me'Alameda County Hall of Justice and the Alamed~ County jUVenile Detention Center, Pleasanton Fire Station, Berkeley Fire Station, and two Universit~ of California Student Housing projects, are being designed using LEED~r~ as a standard. LEED performance-based, with four levels of certification (Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum). Certification is solelY perfOrmed bY USGBC. COSTS AND BENEFITS OF GREEN BUILDING: Fiscal ImRact The State of California recently released the most comprehensive analysis of the financial costs and benefits of green building titled The Costs and Benefits of Green Building (October 2003) (Attachm.l.ent 3). The stUdy reported that the average additional cost for substantial green building design was slightl~ less than 2% (of the building's total design and construction cost), which translates to approximately $3-~5/sf. 'This conclusion was made after a survey of 33 LEED~ buildings.' The majority of the additional c6, st is attributed to the increased architectural and engineering design time necessary to integrate sustainable building methods into projects. The earlier green building gets ine°rPorated into the design proeess~ the loWer the cost. Addressing each of these factors can minimize additional capital costs: Identify projects to be LEEDTM Certified at the establishm_en~.0fthe project budget Include LEEDTM requirements in RFQs and RFPs Use LEEDTM early in the design process "· Train project managers in LEEDan~ management skills. It is imp°rtant to Point out that the cost of green buildings will vary significantly depending on the s ~eeifie project goals. While there are many significant benefits that can be included in aproject at no additional cost (orientation, low VOC paints, recycled content carpet, etc.), some features w111 cost. more. Es_ti~n. ates for additional initial costs are as !ow as 0.to 2%..A'LEED~ Study conducted for the C~ty of Portla~d indicated that green building impact on the budget is small - from 2.2% extra cost to 0.3% savings. The City of seattle found that after a 3-Year implementation period, the incremental cost for meeting LEEDX~a'Silver dropped from 6% to 0.1% for small projects and from 4% to none for large projects! (Attachment 4). While building to LEEDTM standards may result in additional funding for initial design and construe~tiOn, LEED~ buildings are more economical than conventional buildings (i.e.: non green) over their lifetime. Energy and water efficient buildings can reduce operating costs significantly. Use can be cut to less than half of a conventional building. Additionally, healthy indoor environments can increase employee productivity and reduce absenteeism. The State report found that the 20-year Net Present Value of the life-cycle savings in energy, emissi)ns, water, waste, and commissioning for a'LEEDTM Certified or Silver Building averaged $15.98/sf, w~ le the 20-year Net Present Value for improved productivity and health is $36.89/sf. The report cOncluded that a minimal upfront investment of about 2% of construction costs typicallyiyields life cycle savings of over ten times the initial investment. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal' supports the report's findings (Attachment 5). In addition to potential project cost increases, other important green building considerations incl~de the poSSibility of limited product avaitabilit~ and material selection.and longer project completion sched~ules. The product market for green building materials, including 'recycled content Products, whi. still somewhat limited, has improved dramatically over the past several years. It is anticipated that the ,market will continue to mature as more organizations adopt green building policies, resulting in even greater choices for green building products. It is also important to note that LEEDTM is flexible and allo~vs for many options regarding which green building elements to incorporate in a given project. LEEDTM is~ based on a point system, so if it becomes apparent that a SPecific product is unavailable, points could be ~amedi J by "greening" other areas of the project. True green building takes a holistic approach to a building and requires involvement from site planning and conceptual design through construction. I~ a project is identified as a green building from the gtart, it is more likely that the project would be completed in the same amount of time as a conventional project. . ro'ect dela s can 'be more likely and more significant if the project is changed midway through However j y ~ . ~ desi f~rPexam le Project components such as site orientation, daylighting, Heating, Ventitatmns and gn p . · Air Conditioning (HVAC), windows etc. are integral components to designing an efficienX building.. If one of these elements is changed, it could create the need for a major redesign because of how the comp.'Onents are interrelated. Green building will require more discussion and goal setting at budget development stage of the project in order minimize changes after the conceptual design has been approved. While not as easily measurable as the life cycle savings, other green building benefits sho~d be cOnsidered including environmental (conserving of energy, water and other natural resources; imp~roving air and water quality and a reducing of solid waste) and community benefits (minimizing strain o,n local .. infrastructure, strengthening established goals related to increase density, mixed use and transit-orientedl development, improving stormwater and erosion control} increasing bicycle and pedestrian acc?s and contributing to Community health, vitality and aesthetics). ACCOMPLISltMENTS ~ PROCESS: . ' The following section Provides a brief history of the city's efforts related to green building includin~ the steps leading to the development of the proposed green building Ordinance. Construction and Demolition Ordinance . . On February 15, 2000, the Dublin City Council adopted a Construction and DemolitiOn Ordinar~ee, the first of its kind in Alameda County, which was based on a model developed by the Alameda County Waste Management Authority (ACWMA). The purpose of the Ordinance is to require maximum ~easible · recycling at new 'construction sites, and salvage· and reconstruction for remodeling and de~.,.olition projects. The City's Ordinance has been used as a model for other jurisdictions throughout the State and is,one of the few that includes.a performance security requirement. The Ordinance has been eXtremely sucCessful and has had a dramatic impact on the City's diversion rate. In 1999, the City had a diversion rate {f 33%. Thanks in large part to the success of the Ordinance; the City's diversion rate for 2001 was 50%. Fire Stations 17 and 18 Construction Grant Award for Utilizing Green Building Jl~ractices 'The City of Dublin Was awarded $100,000 by the' ACWMA that was equally divided for the constr~ction of the two fire stations to incorporate green building materials and practices. The City of Dublin and Eden Housing, t? developer of the.C.ity.of.D.u~blin?,,.Aff~°rd.a~ble, S~eni?r, ,Houiing project, were selected through a competitave process to pammpate in me lvxum-ramny Axxorttame Housing Green Building Design Assistance Program from ACWMA. A $5,000 grant was awarded help subsidize Eden Housing's participation in the development, of Multi-Family Green Building i Guidelines. City of DUblin's Housing Element Included in the City's State-approved Housing Element of the General Plan is a policy on the promoiion of energy efficiency in new projects. The elements that support this policy are: "' .Continue to implement the City's Construction and Demolition Recycling Ordinance; - Continue to provide on-site training for City Building and Planning Staff on !Green Building techniques. - Continue to review proposed developments for solar access, site design techniques, ahd use of landscaping that can increase energy efficiency and reduce lifetime energy costs.x~ 'thout significantly increasing hoUsing productions costs. - Provide access to information on energy conservation and financial incentives (tax credit, .utility rebates, 'etc.) through public information to be provided at the City's public c ~6unter, on the.City's Web site, at public libraries and community centers. Training and Educational :Opportunities · ..The City, in cooperation with the'ACWMA, has coordinated several green building workshops to e~ducate Staff and developers on Green Building practices. The workshOps have included a recent Tri-~alley Builders workShop on Green Building Initiatives and a Tri-Valley Building Inspectors Workshop on Green Points. Additionally, several Staff members have attended the LEEDTM. ~aining inspecting program, i Green Building }York Group ~ . . · The process of developing a green building ordinance began with the fo..rmatton of a green b~d~n~ wo.r,k group comprised of Staff members from Community Development, Public Works, Parks aha tzommumty Services, and the City Manager's Office as well as Staff and consultants from the ACWMA. Th~ group began by reviewing several green building ordinances from Bay area jurisdictions including the ,:City of Pleasanton and Alameda County and the ACWMA Civic Green Building Model Ordinance. A :.matrix comparing the various ordinances is included as Attachment-6 .... PROPOSED CIVIC GREEN BUILDING ORDINANCE: Staffhas developcd an ordinance (Attachment 7) that defines and sets thresho!ds £or incorporath~g ~reen building practices in civic projects. The key elements of Dublin's proposed Civic Green Building i Ordinance are as follows: · The Ordinance only covers City sponsored projects, defined, as any new construction or renovation~ .. nmanly' ' fun. ded or sponsored by_ the City, conducted., on City-owned. property,, or managed, by! C~ty ~ersOnnel from design throUgh construction. "C~ty Project" or '~Project" shall also melu~e any Buildings constructed for the City's use under a build-to-suit program or project. · All City building projects with the estimated'cost of construction of $3,000,000 or greater i~ value | shall be designed to meet a designated minimum LEEDTM rating as specified in the Ordin~ ~ce, or a City-approved equivalent. Staffhas included three options for the. Council to consider: LEEDTM "Certified" · LEEDTM "Silver' · LEEDTM "Certified", and strive for LEEDTM "Silver" · All projects following the LEEDTM rating system shall be registered and certified by the U.S Green Building Council.. ' · Traditional public works and parks projects or proj. ects with the.estimated ,cost of constmctiOn of $3,000,000 Or less shall not be required to achieVe a'LEEDTM rating. · Within twelve (12) months of the effective date of this ordinance, the Green Building Comp!iance Official shall submit proposed Operational Guidelines to the City Council containing specifications necessary or appropriate to achieve compliance with the Green Building Pracfi, ces stated in this Chapter. DISCUSSION OF KEY ELEMENTS , An explanation of the work group's discussions and decisions related to the key components liof the Ordinance is provided below. Building types. The work group quickly realized that there were two separate elements of a green building progran~l: civic buildings and private development. The'work group concluded that it should first focus on develop~ing an ordinance that would apply to civic buildings such as upcoming Emerald Glen Park Recreation ~Center. Once completed, the City could investigate options for private development. One of the most co ,m,,¢ellmg reasons for developing an ordinance limited to civic buildings, was the'idea that the City should "~ead by example." If the City is ever to' require developers to incorporate, green building practices. ~, their developments, the work group felt that it was important that the City first impose a similar, ~f no~ more aggressive requirement on itself. AdditionallY, the ACWMA Model Ordinance was developed for civic buildings and it was agreed that the model Ordinance would be used as a starting point for developing the City's Ordinance. The A( ZqMA also.has a design assistance and grant program in place to assist member agencies in implementin green building practices and incorporating sustainable products into public facilities. LEED XM Certification Rating The proposed Ordinance is based on LEEDTM because Staff believes the. nationally recognized L] ~ED~a rating system to be the most comprehensive rating system available and it is the standard used b~ other jurisdictions in the Bay Area. The proposed Ordinance includes three options for the Council to e~nsider regarding the level of LEEDTM certification that will be required for City Projects. LEEDTM is a design rating system with 69 possible points· For ·classification as a LEEDTM b.~ilding, buildings must satisfy seven prerequisites and a minimum number of points for the desired 1,evel of certification. Four levels of green building certification are aWarded based on the total number i~credits earned in each of six Categories: Sustainable sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Mhterials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality and Innovation and Design Process. To achi,'eve a "Certified" rating, projects must meet all of the prerequisites and earn a minimum of 26 points, lwith a minimum of 33 required for "Silver", 39 for "gold', and 52 for "platinum". 'The comparison of ordinances matrix indicates the requirements for various jurisdictions, i MoStl2f~[~ jurisdictions require either a certified or silver rating. Staff believes that a certified rating cohld be achieved with a few modifications to existing procedures such as. hii'ing" an architect that .is L~EDTM certified. Several of the City's recent projects, while not measured or certified using the LEEDTM standard, would most likely have come close to achieving a certified rating. In order to achieve.a silver rating, more effoi't would need to be devoted to the project during the ~deslgn phase and more green building elements would need to be included. Many Of the points in thel rating system can be earned at little or no cost. However the more points that are required, the more like[Iy that the green bUilding components assodiated with the those, incremental points will add to the cost[of the project. It is impossible to predict the exact fiscal impact of achieving a certain LEEDm rating, hqwever studies cited pre~riously ih the Staffreport indicate that a silver rating ~ould be achieved with lesslthan a 2% cOst increase. The proposed Ordinance includes three LEED?M certification options for the Council to co,~sider: Certified; Silver; or minimum certified and strive for Silver. staff requests direction f~om th.e C~ouncil regarding the desired level of certification required for City projects. ! · Threshold ' · The LEEDm rating system was developed and is intended for large new. construction andI major renovation projects. With this understanding, Staff completed a thorough analysis of the City's Capital Improvement Program in order to .determine the ,min.'imm. threshold tha~ shog!d, be..met..in, order.t0 ~equire LEEDx~a certification. Staff wanted to establish a threshold that would capture all of the major City projects that would be appropriate to require a LEEDa~ certification. The analysis revealed !that a threshold of $3. million would accomplish this goal. The proposed Ordinance states that all City ~rojects with the estimated cost .of construction of $3 million or greater in value shall be designed to meet a designated minimum LEEDTM rating. The current projects that wOUld require LEEDTM certifieatiofi under the proposed Ordinance include the following: · Emerald Glen Park Aquatic Center · Emerald Glen Park Recreation Center · Emerald. Glen Park Community Center · Community Theater There are many City projects with an estimated construction cost .of less than $3 million, however none would be appropriate for LEED?~ certification due to the nature and size of the projects. Additionally, there are many park and street projects that are over $3 million but would not require LEEDTM certification under the proposed Ordinance because .they do not fit in the Ordinance's 'definil[ion of construction and would not be appropriate for LEED Ot~erational Green Building Practice Gttidelines All City projects not-required to achieve LEEDz~v~ certification, whether due to the value threshold o~r the nature of the project will be required to incorporate Green Building Practices in the project. Upon adoption of the Ordinance, Staffwill work to develop an Operational Green Building Practice Guidelines that will specify appropriate green building practices for all City projects that do not qualify for LEEDTM certification, i Additionally, The Operational Green Building PraCtice Guidelines will include important implementation assistance for Staff regarding items such as the development of criteria to escalate or lower the $3 million dollar threshold, appropriate language for projects specifications and requeSt for qualificati°ns, add how the Green Building Compliance Official will administer and monitor compliance with the OrdinanCe. The Orctinance requires the Guidelines to be developed within twelve months of adoption of the Ordinmce. NEXT STEPS Once the work related to. civic projects is completed, the recommended next steps if the Council desires to have the Green Building program to be expanded to included private development it should identi~ this an item for consideration during the upcoming Goals and Objectives Process. REcoMMENDATiON: · Staff recommends that the City Council review'the proposed Ordinance and attached documents. and~. provide comments to Staff with specific directions regarding'the' desired level of LEEDTM certificatitbn. It is recommended that the Council. then direct Staffio make the appropriate modifications to the Ordinance. for presentation and first reading at the next City Council Meeting.