New Legislation Could Have the Effect of Removing the Equivalent of 12,000 Cars from the Road OAKLAND, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Home Builders Association of Northern California today joined Oakland City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente and a coalition of environmentalists, home builders and other community leaders in introducing the city’s first residential Green Building legislation. “The Home Builders Association of Northern California is pleased to stand with Council President De La Fuente in announcing this important ordinance,” said Joseph Perkins, president and CEO of the HBANC. “Building green is good for our environment, good for home builders, good for home buyers and good for our economy.” The legislation could have far-reaching impacts as regional housing forecasts put the number of new homes that will need to be developed in Oakland at more than 14,000 units by 2014. Based on that number, the new legislation could effectively reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions from new housing by an amount equivalent to taking 12,000 cars off the road. “Climate change and global warming are staggering problems and we need bold solutions to help combat them,” Perkins said. “New building technologies have put the goals outlined in Oakland’s proposed Green Building ordinance within our reach and make it possible for us to reduce greenhouse gas emissions without putting housing out of reach of families while providing for sustainable economic growth.” To illustrate the point, the announcement was made at Zephyr Gate, a new 130-unit housing development built by HBANC member Pulte Homes in Oakland’s Central Station that already complies with the standards proposed in the city’s draft Green Building ordinance. Zephyr Gate exceeds state building codes for energy efficiency and other green building measures and earned certification from Build It Green’s GreenPoint Rated system. The additional cost for achieving GreenPoint Rated certification was about $175 per unit, an amount that residents quickly recover from reduced utility and water bills, which can be as much as 65 percent lower than in housing constructed using more conventional building practices. Build It Green is the Alameda County-based green building organization whose innovative GreenPoint Rated system is one of the primary tools the City of Oakland would use under the proposed ordinance to measure whether new home developments are meeting the requirements for green construction. “At a time when rising gas prices and concerns about global warming are pushing consumers to change their behavior, building green makes good business sense,” Perkins said. “Ensuring we have clear, flexible and consistent green building standards like Build It Green’s GreenPoint Rated system will enable the home building industry to continue producing green homes that are affordable for Oakland’s working families.” Among the provisions included in the draft ordinance, which will be refined in coming weeks for presentation to the Planning Commission and City Council in September, are: Using Build It Green’s GreenPoint Rated system. Requiring achievement of 50 points on the GreenPoint Rated scale, with minimum points required in Energy Efficiency, Resource Conservation, Indoor Air Quality, Water Conservation. Applying the standards to residential developments of 20 units or larger (this may be lowered in final proposal). Includes city projects, affordable housing and multi-family projects. Smaller projects and remodels may also be included. Making the ordinance effective for all new housing applications after January 1, 2009. “Promoting investment in Oakland has always been a priority of mine and residents of Oakland want to see leadership on energy and global warming issues,” said Council President Ignacio De La Fuente. “A Green Building Ordinance would certainly be a step into the right direction."
