HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-05-22 City Council (13)City of Palo Alto
City Manager’s Report
TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL 6
FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: PLANNING AND
COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT
DATE:MAY 22, 2000 CMR:255:00
SUBJECT:ORDINANCE REGULATING CONSTRUCTION OF WOOD-BURNING
FIREPLACES (WOOD-SMOKE ORDINANCE)
The purpose of this report is to respond to questions raised by the City Council regarding the
proposed Wood-Smoke Ordinance.
BACKGROUND
On May 1, 2000, Council voted unanimously to adopt the Wood-smoke Ordinance. The goal
of this ordinance is to reduce air and water-borne pollution and the health risks associated
with it that are caused by wood-burning activities, principally fireplace usage during winter
months. In order to achieve this goal, the ordinance prohibits the installation of new wood-
burning fireplaces in all types of new construction. Wood-burning heaters certified by the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), pellet-fueled heaters, andgas fireplaces are exempt
from this prohibition. Additionally, all wood-burning appliances designed for outdoor use
or exclusively for cooking purposes are exempt from the provisions of the ordinance. The
ordinance also allows for the replacement of existing wood-burning fireplaces through
reconstruction or remodelingl
DISCUSSION
At the first reading of the Wood-Smoke Ordinance, questions were raised by Council
concerning: 1) the replacement of existing wood-burning fireplaces, and 2) whether any
fireplace typology (e.g., Rumford fireplaces) or related wood-burning appliances (e.g.,
EcoFire Super Grate) not already certified by the EPA or recommended by the Bay Area Air
Quality Management District (BAAQMD) should be allowed under the provisions of the
ordinance.
Regarding the replacement of existing wood-burning fireplaces, the ordinance will allow
them to be rebuilt and/or remodeled, even if they were part of a structure, usually a single-
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family residence, that has been totally demolished and replaced with another, similar
structure. However, in order to maintain a demolished wood-burning fireplace, two criteria
need to be met: 1) plans and related building permit documentation for the proposed
replacement structure must be provided simultaneously with those for demolition, and 2) any
proposed wood-buming fireplace must be plumbed to accommodate gas as an alternative fuel
source. The first criteria will avoid potential confusion over whether a wood-burning
fireplace could be "grandfathered" after the fact--it will need to be approved for replacement
at the time of demolition. The second criteria will create an incentive to replace wood-
burnink fireplaces with a cleaner burning fuel source through the installation of needed
infrastructure, in this case a gas line.
Regarding amending the ordinance to allow certain types of fireplaces and/or alternative
wood-burning appliances that do not presently meet EPA certification standards, there does
not appear to be a basis for doing so. Based on information received from the BAAQMD, it
is unlikely that any traditional, masonry-construction, wood-burning fireplace is capable of
meeting EPA certification standards. Therefore, while the air pollution emissions from
traditional fireplaces may vary, based on their respective methods of construction, none will
provide the benefits of wood-burning appliances certified by the EPA and recommended by
the BAAQMD.
PREPARED BY:Luke Connolly, Senior Planner
DEPARTMENT HEAD:
DGirEecDtoWr ofA~p1 aG~uniiy
Environment
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
EMILY HARRISON
Assistant City Manager
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