TITLE
Recommendation to declare ordinance amending the Long Beach Municipal Code by adding Subsections 21.25.206.D, 21.25.407.D, 21.25.506.6, 21.25.508.A.3, and Section 21.25.400, all related to Green Building construction, read and adopted as read. (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 Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system.
Seeking to further expand the practice of green building to cover private development projects, the City Council approved a process to explore and develop a green building program for private development in November 2006. At the same time, the City Council also adopted an Interim Green Building Policy for Private Development that required 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. Since then staff has worked with community stakeholders and Green Building policy experts to develop Zoning code amendments that will bring Green Building techniques to a wider variety of development projects. On October 21, 2008, the City Council was presented a draft Green Building policy outline and authorized staff to craft an ordinance to enact it.
The attached proposed Zoning Code amendment will:
1. Make the current Interim Green Building Policy permanent by establishing it in a Green Building Section within Title 21 (Zoning Regulations) of the Municipal Code;
2. Include new construction an...
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