§ 230-9. Sustainable certification.

(a)

Intent. The City of Chamblee is committed to minimizing the short-term and long-term negative impacts construction has on the environment. The intent of this section is to provide owners and occupants of commercial buildings, offices, industrial buildings, multiple residences and senior citizen multiple residences with energy and water savings; good indoor air quality and healthy, pleasant and productive surroundings. A further intent of this section is to benefit the community by having buildings constructed that are resource-efficient and conserve energy.

(b)

LEED. The City of Chamblee hereby adopts the latest version of the Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEEDNC) Rating System Version 4. The LEED-NC system (for new construction) establishes several levels of environmental achievement from the certified rating to a platinum rating. The ratings are attained by earning LEED points in the categories of sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality and innovation and design process. Alternatively, compliance with the requirements of this section may be achieved for new construction as set forth herein by certification from Green Globes as promulgated by the Green Building Initiative (GBI). Other certifications may be approved in lieu of the LEED certification upon submitting documentation to the Development Director demonstrating that the proposed certification is comparable.

(c)

Applicability. This section shall be applicable to all new construction of a commercial building, office building, industrial building, multifamily, equal to or greater than 20,000 square feet of gross floor area space. Furthermore, this section shall be applicable to all new construction of municipal buildings regardless of square footage.

(d)

Sustainable Certification Checklist .

(1)

Every applicant who files a building permit application for construction of a commercial building, industrial building, office building, or multifamily equal to or greater than 20,000 square feet of gross floor area, shall provide a completed LEED checklist or Green Globes certification on a form acceptable to the Development Director.

(2)

A building permit shall not be issued unless the LEED checklist or Green Globes certification shows that the proposed building will achieve enough points to attain LEED certified status or Green Globes certified status. No applicant shall be issued any building permits until the following are submitted and reviewed: (1) copies of the LEED checklist (or alternative certification); and (2) the registration of the proposed project with the USGBC (United States Green Building Council), or in the alternative, the registration of the project with the proper agency.

(e)

Sustainable Certification Closeout. No certificate of occupancy shall be issued unless and until the applicant produces verifiable documentation from the USGBC or GBI which affirms that the project is LEED certified or Green Globes certified. However, upon completion of construction, satisfactory inspection by the Development Director and confirmation that all documentation has been submitted for required certification, the Development Director may issue a certificate of occupancy. Prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy, the applicant shall submit a performance bond to ensure successful completion of the certification as set forth below. If the developer achieves certification status, the bond shall be released to the applicant.

Sustainable Certification Fee Table

Certification Bonds	20,000—50,000 square feet	More than 50,000 square feet
Combined Design and Construction Review	$10,000.00	$20,000.00

 

(f)

Sustainability Measures.

(1)

Applicability. The sustainable development measures in this section shall be addressed by any new buildings and/or any redevelopment in excess of the 70 percent threshold outlined in Section 270-9, Redevelopment Thresholds that are exempt or not required to comply with the Sustainable Certification requirements of Section 230-9.

(2)

Exemptions. Existing single-family lots shall be exempt from the sustainability measures of this section.

(3)

Calculation and Evaluation.

a.

Minimum Points Required .

1.

All projects, unless otherwise noted, shall achieve a minimum of 5 points from any combination of the sustainable development measures as valued in Figure 230-9 "Sustainability Measures & Values."

2.

New single-family lots not exempted from the requirements of this section shall achieve no fewer than 3 points (i.e.; each lot in a project with the development of more than one lot).

3.

No partial points will be accepted.

b.

Minimum Requirements of the Measure . All points shall be awarded based on meeting the minimum requirements of each sustainability measure, as indicated in this section or elsewhere in the UDO.

c.

Newly Constructed Measures. Measures count only if they are part of the new development application; measures already in place at the time of application do not count, unless clearly shown on the plans and approved by the Development Director.

d.

Required Documentation. The following documentation is required:

1.

Documentation of which measures and total number of points the applicant will achieve shall be indicated on the Development Permit application submitted to the City.

2.

Documentation is required to clearly illustrate the extent to which the minimum requirements of each of the selected measures is to be met through permanent construction or policies.

(4)

Energy Category Measures.

a.

Energy Efficiency . Newly constructed buildings must demonstrate an average 10 percent improvement over the energy code currently in effect in the city. To receive credit for this measure, calculations shall be provided that compare the energy code requirements to the performance of the proposed building.

b.

Renewable Energy . Incorporate renewable energy generation on-site with production capacity of at least 5 percent of the building's annual electric or thermal energy, established through an accepted building energy performance simulation tool. The following renewable energy generation sources are applicable: solar thermal or photovoltaics, ground-sourced heating or cooling, fuel cells and micro-turbines using non-fossil fuel and wind energy conversion. Other means of generating electricity without using a fuel, such as kinetic, heat exchange, approved by the Development Director.

c.

Green Roof . Install a vegetated roof for at least 50 percent of any building roof area or roof deck; a minimum of 2,500 square feet is required to receive credit.

d.

Heat Island Reduction . Use any combination of the following strategies for 35 percent of all on-site, non-roof hardscape areas, including sidewalks, plazas, courtyards, parking lots, parking structures, and driveway: coverage of the surface at canopy tree maturity in 15 years, and/or solar reflective paving and roofing with a SRI (solar reflectance index) of at least 29.

e.

Energy Efficient Fixtures. Installation of ENERGY STAR appliances and LED light bulbs for a minimum of 80 percent of the fixtures and equipment.

(5)

Water Category Measures.

a.

Building Water Efficiency . Indoor water use in new buildings and major renovations must be an average 20 percent less than in baseline buildings. Baseline water usage shall be determined based on fixtures per the Energy Policy Act of 1992 and subsequent rulings by the United States Department of Energy or a similar method approved by the development director. To receive credit for this measure, calculations shall be provided that compare the baseline water usage to the performance of the proposed building.

b.

Water-Efficient Landscaping . Reduce potable water used for landscape irrigation by 50 percent from a calculated midsummer baseline case by using either one of the following methods: utilizing all xeriscape plant materials and providing no permanent irrigation system, or using only captured rainwater with an irrigation system.

c.

Pervious Pavement . Install an open grid or pervious pavement system that is at least 40 percent pervious on 65 percent of all hardscape surface areas, including sidewalks, plazas, courtyards, parking lots, and driveways. The water shall be directed into the groundwater or other acceptable storm accommodation per the Development Director.

d.

Water Reclamation. Install a water collection device to be used in lieu of potable water for irrigation, water features, etc. not already required by this chapter.

(6)

Transportation Category Measures.

a.

Enhanced Bicycle Amenities Measure. Inclusion of 2 of the following earns 1 point. Inclusion of 3 of the following earns 2 points:

1.

Lockable enclosed bicycle storage. Provide secure, enclosed bicycle storage space for 10 percent of building occupancy with no more than 10 spaces required.

2.

Employee shower facilities. Provide a minimum of one shower facility per 150 occupants, minimum of one total.

3.

Repair Center. Provide a designated bicycle repair center open to the public and consisting of, at least one air pump, water, and basic tools for minor repairs.

b.

Transportation Access Measure. Site must be within 1/4 mile of an existing or proposed transit stop with provision of enhanced access to transit and shall include one or more of the following:

1.

Construction of a bus turnout on development property or in adjacent street right-of-way and appropriate dedication.

2.

Construction of shared use paths installed with a minimum of 12 feet of width.

3.

Provision of direct platform connection to rail station.

4.

Additional easement for provision or enhancement of transit.

5.

Other items approved by the Development Director.

c.

Transportation Demand Management. Provision of 3 or more of the following transportation demand management tools on the project:

1.

Shuttle services with route connecting a minimum of three external sites to the subject property. Properties applying for a parking reduction per section 250-7, Shuttle Service, are not eligible for these points toward a sustainability measure requirement.

2.

Flex-time work schedules by employers to reduce congestion at peak times.

3.

Provision of building or project bicycle rentals for use by any occupant.

4.

Free ride home in case of emergency or sickness for employees using transit.

5.

Provision of transit passes to building occupants for a period of 2 or more years.

6.

Other tools that encourage transit and bicycle use, or reduce personal vehicular traffic may be approved by the Development Director.

(7)

Alternative Measure. The applicant may submit an alternative sustainable development measure for approval by the Development Director. The measure shall further a sustainability goal and shall not be considered standard practice for current developments. The measure shall be unrelated to any of the other measures defined in this Section. Based upon their review, the Development Director shall approve for the number of points to be awarded. Required documentation shall clearly illustrate that the measure furthers a sustainability goal.

Figure 230-9 Sustainability Measures & Values

	MEASURES	VALUE
ENERGY CATEGORY	Building Energy Efficiency	3 points
	Renewable Energy Sources	5 points
	Green Roof	4 points
	Heat Island Reduction	2 points
	Energy Efficient Fixtures	1 point
WATER CATEGORY	Building Water Efficiency	2 points
	Water-Efficient Landscaping	1 point
	Pervious Pavement	2 points
	Water Reclamation	1 point
TRANSPORTATION CATEGORY	Enhanced Bicycle Amenities Measure	1 to 2 points
	Transportation Category Measure	4 points
ALTERNATIVE	Alternative Measure	1 to 3 points

 

(Ord. No. 743 , 12-19-17)