TITLE
Recommendation to authorize City Manager to work with Long Beach Development Services and the City Attorney’s Office to prepare an ordinance enacting a Green Building Program for Private Development based on the Green Building Program for Private Development - Draft Program Summary. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
The term "Green Building" refers to the emerging practice of designing, constructing and operating buildings to meet a higher standard of energy and resource efficiency while making them healthier and more comfortable for their occupants. The first example of this type of building in Long Beach is the Mark Twain Neighborhood Library, completed in August 2007. Built in adherence to the City's Green Building Policy for Municipal Buildings, which was adopted by City Council in 2003, the library used the LEED green building rating system.
Seeking to further expand the practice of green building to cover private development projects, in November 2006 the City Council approved a process to explore and develop a green building program for private development using a "Green Ribbon" Committee stakeholder approach. At the same time, the City Council also adopted an Interim Green Build ing Policy for Private Development that would require large development projects (50+ units for residential or 50,000+ sq. ft. for non-residential) to meet minimum green building standards by using the LEED green building rating system. At the time, Long Beach became one of the first large cities in the U.S. to make green building mandatory for large private projects. Soon after the City Council adopted the Interim Policy, the first project subject to it was submitted (the North Long Beach Target Store).
In April 2007, 24 Green Ribbon Committee members were convened from local architects, builders, contractors, designers and developers. The Santa Monica-based non-profit Global Green USA was retained to provide expert facilitation and technical assistance to the process. Global Gre...
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