SR 06:089 - Laserfiche WebLink

SUMMARY The proposed amendments to Chapter 17.50 of the Pleasanton Municipal Code would require residential development to conform to "green building" measures, similar to those currently implemented for commercial development above 20,000 square feet and City-sponsored projects. Projects are defined in the proposed text as "Covered" and "Non-covered" projects related to the size, residential type, and timing of construction as well as location in the City; e.g., development within the Downtown Specific Plan Area continues to be classified as "Non-covered," meaning it is exempt from mandatory green building compliance. The amendments implement the same planning process currently adhered to for commercial and civic projects. Staff believes the proposed Ordinance amendments implement the direction provided by the City Council and addresses the concerns of both the public and private stakeholders. The Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the proposed Ordinance amendment with minor modifications. Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council: BACKGROUND The City of Pleasanton was at the forefront of local government implementation of green building measures when adopting the Commercial and Civic Green Building Ordinance in December of 2002, as it will also be in the consideration of an amendment to that Ordinance to incorporate requiring green building measures for residential structures. At the direction of the City Council in 2004, staff has been diligently pursuing community outreach, public education, and coordination of stakeholders in evaluating a potential Code amendment that would include requirements for residential developments to also "build green." Staff conducted a two-step collaborative process: Step 1: Staff initiated the first step of the process in May 2004 continuing to July 2004, introducing several discussion points to stakeholders consisting of both private and public interest groups which are defined below. (Please refer to the Planning Commission Staff Report for a listing of those discussion points.) Step 2: In the second step in the process, staff presented a draft Ordinance to these same groups. The draft Ordinance shown in Exhibit A includes the results of the discussion points during the 2004-2006 review period, additional comments, and revisions as directed by the Planning Commission March 8, 2006, along with various text amendments included by staff for text clarification and clean up. (Exhibit A is a clean copy reflecting all of the changes to the Ordinance that SR 06:089 Page 2 of 8