Developers aiming for LEED certification in new construction and rehabilitation would be entitled to a partial refund of building permit application fees under one ordinance proposed by Healy. The refunds would range from 10% on buildings that meet the minimum criteria for certification to 25% on projects that pursue LEED Platinum, the highest designation under the guidelines developed by the US Green Building Council.
City-owned buildings and municipal projects, including those costing more than $1 million to renovate, would also adhere to LEED guidelines if the council enacts Healy's proposed ordinance 08-176. The ordinance sets LEED Silver as the minimum standard for new or existing buildings, and also mandates the pursuit of the US Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star Building label on new construction. These requirements would be waived for new construction if earning LEED Silver and Energy Star designations increases the cost by 20%, and for modifying existing structures if the cost of LEED certification exceeds $20,000 or 1% of the building's market value.
The proposed new ordinance also would showcase an upcoming municipal project as a pilot project that would have to achieve LEED Platinum as well as an Energy Star rating. According to published reports, that project would be the proposed new headquarters for the Department of Public Works and the Jersey City Incinerator Authority. In June, the city revealed that its planned new communications center and West District police station were aiming for LEED.
Healy is also asking the council to consider an amendment to an existing ordinance which would require the city to purchase green vehicles, including hybrid electric vehicles or those that use alternative fuels such as biodiesel or ethanol. Known as the Green Fleet Vehicle Initiative, these requirements would be waived if the purchase price is 30% greater than that of a normal vehicle. If so, the city would then have to buy fuel-efficient vehicles rated at 20 miles per gallon or more in the city and 29 mpg or greater on the highway.
Still another proposed ordinance would require the purchase of products and materials that are certified as green, whether by the EPA or Green Seal. Cleaning products, carpeting and Energy Star-rated electronic devices would be covered by this ordinance. The city's purchasing agent could opt for conventional products if buying green costs too much—more than 75% above the cost of conventional—or poses questions about safety or effectiveness.
According to published reports, the state Department of Environmental Protection rates Healy's proposals as the most comprehensive green plan seen thus far in New Jersey.
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Paul Bubny
Paul Bubny is managing editor of Real Estate Forum and GlobeSt.com. He has been reporting on business since 1988 and on commercial real estate since 2007. He is based at ALM Real Estate Media Group's offices in New York City.
