HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-04-21 City Council (5)TO: HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: CITY MANAGER
DATE: APRIL 21, 2003
6
DEPARTMENT: CITY MANAGERS OFFICE
CMR: 243:03
SUBJECT: PROPOSED POLICY ON GREEN BUILDING
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that Council adopt a policy on sustainable, "~een" building practices for City
construction and building maintenance operations.
BACKGROUND
On April 2, 2001 the City Council adopted a policy on sustainability. As part of the
implementation of the policy, staff developed the City Sustainability Plan. One of the goals of
the plan is to establish a policy on City construction and building maintenance.
DISCUSSION
The proposed Green Building Policy (Attachment A) is intended to help reduce the impact that a
given building or construction project has on the environment. Construction of new buildings,
renovation of existing facilities, and site improvements related to development account for one
of the largest drains on natural resources and the biggest impact on the environment of any
current human endeavor. The built environment is the largest consumer of energy in the world,
and the construction industry worldwide is responsible for the use of more raw materials than
any other industry. Most of these raw materials are non-renewable.
The purpose of this policy is to reduce the overall environmental footprint of any City
construction or building maintenance project. This will be accomplished by addressing five key
areas of City construction and building maintenance operations.
New Construction: Designing all new buildings to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design) certification.
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Renovation: Renovation of existing City facilities witl be done using ~een building
techniques and materials.
Site Improvement Projects- High priority will be given to protecting the natural surroundings
of any construction site or open space improvement project with regard to native species
protection, water runoff, water conservation, and potential watershed contamination.
Maintenance of Existing Facilities: Steps will be taken to ensure that the most cost effective,
energy and water efficient systems and components are specified when replacement is called
for.
Demolition: Deconstruction and salvage of building components will be done whenever
practical to divert the maximum amount of debris from landfills.
If the City Council adopts this policy staff will develop procedure for implementing the policy
such as including life-cycle cost analysis as part of the scope of work for design of new city
buildings and site improvements; training City staff on "~een" design, construction and
maintenance issues; and developing guidelines for building demolition and salvage operations
consistent with the policy.
RESOURCE IMPACT
Staff believes that implementation of life cycle costing in planning for construction and
rehabilitation projects will show that, over a project’s life, incorporation of sustainable elements
will prove cost-effective as well as environmentally beneficial. Any required additional fun~ts to
cover the additional costs to Capital Improvement Projects will be taken from the Sustainability
Fund for General. Additional staff time will be required to finalize the procedures associated
with this policy. Staff resources are expected to come primarily from Public Works Department
and the City Manager’s Office.
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
This new policy is consistent with Council’s Sustainability Policy, the Comprehensive Plan, and
past Council actionsl
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Not a project under the California Environmental Quality Act. (CEQA)
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Policy Statement
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ATTACHMENT A
GREEN BUILDING POLICY
The City of Palo Alto intends to incorporate sustainability into the City’s building and
construction practices, as part of the Council’s overall Sustainability Policy. Specifically:
New Construction - All new City buildings over 10,000 square feet shall be designed
to achieve Leadership In Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.
Renovation - Renovation of existing City facilities shall be done using
environmentally sound, green building techniques and materials.
Site Improvement Projects - Careful planning and consideration shall be given to site
improvements to City buildings, parks, and open spaces. Aspects such as the
preselwation of native plant and animal species, drainage and runoff, potential
watershed contamination and the use of drought- resistant landscaping will be given
thorough review.
Maintenance of Existing City Buildings and Facilities - Life cycle cost analysis shall
be undertaken for building system or component replacement projects where
appropriate in the judgement of the Public Works Director or his designee in an effort
to specify the most energy, water and maintenance efficient systems in relation to
initial cost.
Demolition - On projects where demolition is required, in order to maximize the
amount of waste materials diverted from landfills, @construction techniques will be
employed whenever practical; all salvageable items will be recovered and sent to
appropriate facilities.
PREPARED BY:
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
Sustainability Coordinator
Bob )~/drri~, Senior ProjeCt Manager
Mike ~or,S%’~ ~’v"
~~i rec~~_r~kSana er
EmiI.~ Harrison, Assistant City M g
CMR 243:03 Page 3 of 3