2017-07-05 ClimateAwards2017Winners

Home

Honorable Mentions - Small City Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine Sustainability and Resiliency Ordinance It is well known that the City of Miami Beach is one of the most vulnerable coastal cities to the impacts of sea level rise and climate change. The Sustainability and Resiliency Ordinance establishes high standards for sustainable development, in order to minimize the city's carbon footprint and the impacts of a changing climate. In 2015, the city completed its first Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory. The results of this inventory revealed that the built environment represented over 75 percent of the community's emissions. The City of Miami Beach has adopted the Sustainability and Resiliency Ordinance, to help reduce the city's GHG emissions and promote more sustainable development. The ordinance requires that new development over 7,000 square feet or additions of 10,000 square feet to existing buildings be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certified or International Living Future Institute Petals, Net Zero Energy, or Living Building Challenge certified. This ordinance will help with reducing the city's GHG emissions by increasing energy efficiency in buildings, encouraging water and resource conservation, reducing waste generated by con- struction projects, reducing long- term building operating and maintenance costs, improving indoor air quality and occupant health, and encouraging sound urban planning principles. These efforts will contribute to reaching state and local commitments on reducing GHG emissions. Through this ordinance, the city will design, build, and operate a new generation of efficient, environmentally responsible, healthy and resilient buildings. If a building does not achieve the required certification by the time an application for a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCO) is submitted, the applicant must pay a Sustainability Fee or post a bond in the amount of five (5) percent of the construc- tion cost. The fee is based on the average estimated cost of achieving LEED Gold certification. The applicant then has a year from the time in which a Certificate of Occupancy (CO) or Certificate of Completion is obtained, with the possibility of a one-year extension, to get a full or partial refund of the fee. If the applicant achieves a level LEED certification that is lower than Gold, then a partial refund of the fee can be issued depend- ing on the level of certification achieved. Any money not re- funded is deposited into the Sustainability and Resiliency Fund. The city will utilize this revenue to undertake improvements that increase the overall resiliency of the city, including environmen- tal restoration projects, environmental remediation projects, environmental monitoring, green infrastructure, enhanced storm water quality improvements, and sustainability planning efforts. Community involvement and planning was an essential compo- nent in developing this ordinance. During discussions with several stakeholders regarding the impact of this program on single- family residential properties, staff analyzed all single family homes that went through the design review process and determined that the average home was 6,452 sq ft; the median size was 5,165 sq ft; and the average size of the top 25 percent of homes was 7,186 sq ft. Utilizing this information, it was suggested that larger homes, which generally have the greatest environmental impact, be built to the green building standards outlined in the ordinance to mitigate their impact. This program was implemented in April 2016 and the city an- ticipates that in the upcoming years, it will be able to track the positive impacts of this ordinance. Additionally, the ordinance is exceptional since it requires a high level of certification for full compliance. Although typical green building ordinances set the minimum certification level at Certified or Silver, this ordinance sets the minimum level at Gold. It is important to note that this ordinance also allows for International Living Future Institute certifications. This is one of the most comprehensive green building standards available, and incorporates such aspects as water, energy, health, materials, equity, and beauty.