The Resolution, introduced by Commissioner Saltzman, recommends a series of new actions. All new city facilities must meet the Gold level of the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) system. LEED, a green building rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, has become the most widely used tool in the U.S. to help design and evaluate the environmental performance of a building.
Portland joins Scottsdale, Ariz. as the second city in the country to require LEED Gold certification for city facilities. Regionally, Vancouver, BC also requires all of their municipal facilities to achieve LEED Gold.
The city's investment in green building practices and technologies does triple duty. It helps clean up Portland's environment by protecting local watersheds, improving air quality, and creating new habitat. It enhances the city's livability through pedestrian and transit friendly buildings with healthier indoor air quality. It stimulates investment in sustainable economic development.
The city's updated policy addresses four major areas:
• City facilities (Buildings constructed, owned, leased and managed by the City of Portland). Increase LEED-NC (new construction) threshold for all new facilities projects from "certified" to "gold." Major retrofits and existing occupied buildings will achieve LEED-EB (existing buildings) "Silver" standards. Tenant Improvements and leased facilities will achieve LEED-CI (commercial interiors) "Silver" and/or G/Rated Tenant Improvement Guide certification. The city will also incorporate ecoroofs and Energy Star rated roofing when practical s into all operations and maintenance guidelines.
• City-funded private sector projects. City Council directs the Portland Development Commission (PDC) to adopt LEED-NC "silver" standards for all private-sector development more than 10,000 square feet that receive financial assistance from PDC and other public agencies (including value of fee or tax waivers) totaling over $200,000 or 10 percent of the total project costs.
• Public infrastructure. The construction and maintenance of public infrastructure (utilities, streets) will incorporate green practices established by the Water Bureau, Bureau of Environmental Services, Portland Office of Transportation and Office of Sustainable Development.
• Private sector development. All private-sector projects meeting LEED silver standards will receive special technical assistance from the city's Bureau of Development Services through their established "process management" program. Additionally, projects can access the city's nationally recognized G/Rated technical assistance program and Green Investment Fund (a five-year, $2.5 million grant program that supports cutting-edge green building technologies).
