A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a Planning Board recommendation to adopt Article 22 Green Building Requirements Zoning Petition

CITY OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS PLANNING BOARD CITY HALL ANNEX, 344 BROADWAY, CAMBRIDGE, MA 02139 Date: November 12, 2019 Subject: Article 22 Green Building Requirements Zoning Petition Recommendation: The Planning Board recommends ADOPTION. To the Honorable, the City Council, On October 29, 2019, the Planning Board (the "Board") held a public hearing on a zoning: petition (the "Petition"), developed by City staff and referred to the Board by the City Council, to amend provisions of Articles 2.000 and 22.000 of the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Cambridge related to the Green Building Requirements in Section 22.20. The proposed changes include increasing the minimum performance standard for Green Building Projects using the "LEED" rating system from "Silver" to "Gold" for projects of 50,000 square feet or more, allowing either the "Passive House" or "Enterprise Green Communities" rating system to be used as an alternative to the "LEED" rating system, and requiring an enhanced green commissioning plan for projects subject to Green Building Requirements. At the public hearing, the Board received information and testimony from Community Development Department ("CDD") staff and one member of the public. Following discussion with CDD staff on the rationale behind certain aspects of the Petition and deliberation among Board members, the Board voted to enthusiastically recommend that the City Council adopt the Petition. The Board supports the City's efforts to encourage more sustainable new construction and recognizes the importance of adopting these provisions to advance the goals of the City's Net Zero Action Plan. Board members also discussed the relationship between the design of buildings and energy efficiency and suggested that the Board and staff could develop design guidelines that will help the Board incorporate those factors into project review. The Board noted the absence of comment in opposition to the Petition and appreciates the outreach done by CDD and the Net Zero Task Force to incorporate the views of different stakeholders. Respectfully submitted for the Planning Board, Catherine Preston Connolly, Chair. Page 1 of 1