Evanston aldermen tonight are scheduled to vote on a compromise plan for adding renovation projects to the city’s recently adopted green building ordinance.
The ordinance amendments, recommended unanimously by the Green Building Ordinance Committee appointed by the mayor, would give building owners the option of either following the same third-party certification process used for new construction, or selecting from a list of city-specified options for making their project more environmentally friendly.
The ordinance would require three items from the list for projects less than 5,000 square feet, five for projects up to 20,000 square feet, and seven for projects larger than that.
The list includes 27 options for improving stormwater management, water use, lighting, mechanical systems, building enclosure, material reuse and interior finishes.
Developers of renovation projects in Evanston had strongly objected to the original proposals in the green building ordinance that would have required them to fully comply with the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program, saying it would kill off such projects because of the added costs involved.
Related link
Report and draft ordinance (from council packet)