City Council approves green-building policy

The policy requires that any new building built by the city must be certified at the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver level for new construction. Additional requirements are also in place for energy efficiency, water use and construction waste management.

The policy also states that any city-owned remodeling project must use Energy Star equipment whenever possible.

“The reason we’re doing this is the tremendous payoff over the life of the building,” Councilman Dan Chiles said, noting that the policy also includes a requirement that green-building techniques must pay for themselves in 10 years. “That’s where you see the benefits – not just in the usability of the building but in the remarkably low operating costs.”

The LEED certification requirement is a change from the original suggested policy, which suggested that new construction achieve enough points to be certified but not go through the actual certification process. The U.S. Green Building Council estimates that LEED Silver certification adds about 2 percent to construction costs.

Councilwoman Mary Collette, who chairs the Community Involvement Committee that helped develop the policy, said the city could act as an example for others.

“There’s no mandate for anyone in the private sector in this resolution, but we feel like when people see the benefits and the gains of green and sustainable projects, it sends the right message to the community,” she said.

See SBJ’s March 3 issue for more Springfield City Council news.