TITLE
Recommendation to request City Manager to direct the Department of Planning and Building to explore ways to expand the existing Green Building Program to include private development.
DISCUSSION
Benefits of Green Building:There are more than 76 million residential buildings and nearly 5 million commercial buildings in the U.S. today. These buildings together use one-third of all the energy consumed in the U.S., and two-thirds of all electricity. By the year 2010, another 38 million buildings are expected to be constructed. The challenge will be to build them smart, so they use a minimum of nonrenewable energy, produce a minimum of pollution, and cost a minimum of energy dollars, while increasing the comfort, health, and safety of the people who live and work in them. Building "green" is an opportunity to use our resources efficiently while creating healthier buildings that improve human health, build a better environment, and provide cost savings. A green building, also known as a sustainable building, is a gructure that is designed, built, renovated, operated, or reused in an ecological and resourceefficient manner. Green buildings are designed to achieve resource conservation, including energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water conservation features; consider environmental impacts and waste minimization; create a healthy and comfortable environment; reduce operation and maintenance costs; and address issues such as access to public transportation and other community infrastructure systems. Green Building in Long Beach: On June 20, 2000, the City Council adopted the Long Beach 2010 Strategic Plan, which made sustainability a basic guiding precept. The 2010 Strategic Plan established an overarching goal of becoming a Sustainable City and made this a main priority for the City of Long Beach. Action steps were identified to reach the goal of becoming a Sustainable City, which included developing Green Building Guidelines, developing baseline data and ...
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