The Hamptons: beautiful and still comparatively unspoiled in parts and near enough to Amagansett’s “Lunch” restaurant and the great St. Peter’s Catch Fish Store and Channing Daughters winery and a bunch of other cool things that it’s hard not to like it. While neither Stephen nor I spends much time in the Hamptons (you’ve probably guessed that I’ve logged some off-season time in Montauk), we have spent some time on Southampton at gbNYC, thanks to some extraordinary green buildings and a solar-powered pool and a forward-thinking bit of legislation from last year that held all new construction residential buildings in Southampton to Energy Star standards. Which is pretty great for a bunch of reasons, and is made that much greater by the announcement that they’re now mandating the same standard for commercial buildings. In the Southampton News, Jessica DiNapoli reports on the discussion leading up to the writing of the amendment back in early February, and finds things surprisingly civil, logical and forward-thinking.
Archive | LEED Creep
LEED 2009 Creeps Into New York City’s Greener, Greater Buildings Plan
By Stephen Del Percio on February 11, 2010 in LEED Commentary, LEED Creep, Legislation, New York City
Although the costs of auditing were raised by opponents to the plan earlier this year, mandatory energy audits are now required every ten years, though buildings certified under LEED 2009 for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance or which receive EPA’s Energy Star label are exempt. It’s this exemption that’s of particular interest to us here at GRELJ.
Green Building Initiative Offering February Existing Buildings Webinar Series
An upcoming series of webinars will explore implementing the Green Globes rating system in the context of existing buildings.
Green Construction Law: As Legislation Proliferates and Insurance Issues Emerge, Is Green Building’s Future Being Compromised?
Across the country, green building legislation could have significant legal and insurance implications that practitioners are just beginning to explore in earnest.
San Francisco’s Proposed Green Building Legislation: Progressive or Plain LEED Creep?
By Stephen Del Percio on December 20, 2007 in LEED Commentary, LEED Creep, Legislation, San Francisco
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has proposed some of the country’s toughest green building legislation applicable to private construction.
Pittsburgh Approves Green Density Bonuses, Will Consider LEED Mandate for Public and TIF Projects
Two green building bills in Pittsburgh- one approved and one pending- illustrate green building legislation at its finest and, perhaps, at its worst.
NAHB to Congress: Keep Dangling Green Building Carrots, Don’t Wave Sticks
In testimony yesterday before the House Small Business Committee, the National Association of Home Builders emphasized its belief that voluntary energy efficiency programs and tax incentives remain the best approach for reducing residential energy consumption across America rather than blanket federal mandates. Pennsylvania home builder Frank Thompson told the Committee that “Congress should be promoting […]
Surety Industry Raises Red Flags Over D.C. Green Building Act
Concerns over LEED creep (the application of LEED mandates to private projects) include the potential for awkwardly- or hastily-drafted legislation to change the risk structure associated with a given green construction project for various project stakeholders. For example, back in early August, the Surety and Fidelity Association of America (“SFAA”) and the National Association of […]
More Green Building Legislation Including Green Globes as Option
The Green Building Initiative announced last week that Kentucky and Illinois have become the tenth and eleventh states in the nation to incorporate the Green Globes green building rating system into local legislation. (gbNYC has written a number of posts discussing Green Globes and comparing it with LEED). Kentucky’s bill recommends that its Finance and […]
Green Building Legislative Compromises Could Help Ease Concerns over LEED Creep
Nassau County on Long Island is on the verge of requiring project teams to adhere to LEED when constructing new county buildings or renovating existing county buildings. However, the proposed legislation will not require the county to apply for any level of LEED certification from USGBC. According to New York Newsday, Nassau Commissioner of Public […]
