By Michael Drennan

This spring the Environment Board for the City of Evanston unveiled a plan to reduce environmental pollution in Evanston through improved building practices and materials.   Ordinance 14-0-09, also known as the "Green Building Ordinance" (GBO) would require new construction and additions to buildings of more than ten thousand square feet to comply with standards for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).  Created by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) LEED certification is a sophisticated tool for demonstrating developers' commitment to using sustainable materials, employing innovative energy saving features and best practices, and considering the preexisting environment of a building.

Adoption of this ordinance would place Evanston among the ranks of major cities like Seattle, Atlanta and Minneapolis demonstrating environmental stewardship.  Hardly an accident, the presentation of this ordinance culminates several years of agreements and plans on the city's part to become more “green.”  The Strategic Plan for Evanston adopted in 2006 commits the city to pursue best environmental practices in its operations.  And while some may dismiss our adoption of the Mayor's Agreement for Climate Change as incapable of halting global warming, the agreement clearly states a common desire to take responsibility for our part of it.  The community, called on to plan how we would meet or exceed our obligations under the Kyoto Protocol, then created the Climate Action Plan.  Organized by Carolyn Collopy, the city's new Sustainability Coordinator, residents drafted two hundred specific strategies for reducing that footprint.  One of these involved adopting LEED certified building practices for developments and building renovations.

LEED certification accounts for a variety of aspects relating to building design and system performance, including site planning, waste management, water management, energy management, material use, indoor environment, and innovation and design process.  The developer follows a  checklist provided by the USGBC when designing the structure or planning renovation (see attached).  Several important prerequisites of “green” design must be met, but buildings gain different levels of certification through a point based system of improvements, including daylighting, access to and accommodations for alternative transportation, maximising open space, wastewater treatment and reuse, and of course optimal energy performance, including the use of renewable energy.  According to the ordinance developers must earn silver certification for new construction and major renovations; a total of thirty five points out of a possible seventy.  (the minimum for certification is twenty six).

The green building ordinance for Evanston stipulates the developer must show the USGBC has reviewed and approved the building's design before the city will grant a certificate of occupancy.  Failure to demonstrate how the structure will fulfill expectations will penalize the developer relative to overall compliance and as a function of construction value.  Keen to the present economic environment however the bill includes several developer friendly elements.  Unlike similar ordinances in other cities the GBO does not require them to post ordinance bonds before hand.  In addition the city manager may adjust the amount of the penalty, and there's a two year window for action between the application date and final certification. Finally it stipulates an allowance for educating developers not already LEED certified in how to pursue certification.

One might argue that during times of economic hardship Evanston cannot afford the luxury of such environmental standards; that we should be grateful for any construction that comes our way, as that's about all anyone can afford right now anyway.  This argument fails to satisfy me on several levels.  First the vast majority of improvements and building renovations occuring in Evanston are under ten thousand square feet; roughly the size of a six unit townhouse development.  The ordinance accounts for energy efficiency in smaller commercial developments through reference to one or more sustainable measures put forward by the American Society for Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).  And the adoption of green building practices have been shown to save cities and towns billions of dollars over the years, savings that continue to accrue well past the initial return on investment.

Beyond its modest scope, developer friendly elements and relatively benign impact on the pocketbook the ordinance has significant environmental value.  It would dramatically reduce the almost one hundred eighty thousand metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2E) generated by buildings in Evanston; roughly thirty eight percent of our total carbon emissions.  Finally we've been worrying about the environment for years, literally since the early 1970's without taking strong measures to address our impact.  Just as we now enjoy and appreciate the action of owners and developers long gone in planting the tree-scape that defines our city, so to will this ordinance demonstrate to our great grandchildren our affection for them, and our civic pride.

By Michael Drennan