Mayor Thomas M. Menino recently released Boston’s proposed green building zoning article at a public meeting convened by the Boston Redevelopment Authority and the Mayor’s Office of Environmental and Energy Services. Boston will become the first major city in the U.S. to require adherence to the US Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certified standard as part of the private development review process.
“High performance buildings are the future,” Mayor Menino said. “As we continue to grow our city, we will do so in a way that is even more sustainable. Green buildings are good for the environment, public health, and the bottom line.”
Mayor Menino launched the Green Building Task Force in the summer of 2003, illustrating his commitment to green building and smart growth. Comprised of experts in every area of building design, construction, management, and financing, as well as public health and environmental experts, the Task Force conducted a uniquely comprehensive exploration of green building’s full range of opportunities and challenges. Among their findings: Green buildings not only decrease negative effects on the environment; they can also generate substantial cost savings for building owners and tenants, reduce our dependency on imported energy, and enhance worker health and productivity. Also, by promoting new green buildings and development, as well as “greening” Boston’s existing buildings, the City seeks to stimulate business growth and job creation for Boston. The Green Building Task Force issued its recommendations to Mayor Menino in November of 2004.
“The Task Force worked for a year on recommendations that would respond to the Mayor’s request. We reached consensus in the fall of 2004, based on agreement that implementation would include extensive education of both the public and private sectors,” Joy Conway said. “The City has followed the plan and as a result is now in position to show how it has sustained its commitments and leadership position on green building policies.”
The new Green Building zoning provision, Article 37 in Boston’s zoning code, will require that projects over 50,000 square feet meet a basic level of certification, known as the level “Certified,” according to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Building rating system, as defined by the Boston Interagency Green Building Committee. Using the LEED-New Construction standard requires earning 26 points to meet the level of certified. In addition to the LEED points, four additional points that reflect priorities of the City are being proposed in the areas of modern mobility (transportation), modern grid (energy), historic preservation and groundwater.
“Boston’s commitment to green buildings, renewable energy, and energy efficiency has the potential to leverage significant economic development opportunities much like the life sciences industry,” BRA Director Mark Maloney added.
The city already counts a number of green building success stories, including John Hancock Financial’s U.S. Headquarters on the South Boston Waterfront, Project Hope’s new headquarters in Dorchester, and the Artists for Humanity building in South Boston, the first LEED Platinum building in the city. Also, numerous projects that are either under construction or are in the design and planning phase are incorporating green building approaches.
The Mayor’s Green Building strategy is one of the major reasons that Boston has been recognized as the 7th most sustainable city in the nation by SustainLane, a national organization advancing cross-sector sustainable development for state and local government. The city has implemented numerous sustainability initiatives under Mayor Menino’s leadership, including:
Green Power: the city procures 8.6% of its electricity load from renewable sources, representing the largest municipal purchase of electricity in New England;
Clean vehicles: the city has implemented a new vehicle procurement policy requiring the purchase of alternative fuel vehicles, including hybrids, or a vehicle of similar fuel economy;
Clean Fuel: the city recently purchased 650,000 gallons of biodiesel fuel for use in all of its heavy equipment and diesel vehicles, thereby reducing emissions by 12-17%;
Energy Efficiency: the city is undergoing a major overhaul of existing city-owned facilities to reduce energy consumption, including retrofitting traffic signals to LED’s which are 90% more efficient than traditional bulbs, installing solar panels at schools, and investing $6 million in energy conservation measures at city owned facilities.
“The Mayor’s green building and sustainability agenda is improving public health and the quality of life in our neighborhoods, while also saving taxpayers money,” said James W. Hunt, Chief of Environment and Energy for the City of Boston. “These are sound investments that will pay dividends for all Bostonians well into our future.”
