Wednesday, July 29, 2009
News Atlanta's green-building ordinance tabled until September
Posted by Thomas Wheatley @thomaswheatley on Wed, Jul 29, 2009 at 7:22 PM
Funny how quickly things can change in the City of Atlanta.
When we first reported on the city's proposed sustainable building ordinance, a monster piece of legislation that would require most new construction in Atlanta to be more eco-friendly, word was that it was expected to sail through. What better time than one of the worst development markets in recent memory to push for a policy that'll make the city more green and help future residents save cash on their energy bills?
Well, expect the unexpected. At yesterday's Community Development and Human Resources committee meeting, councilmembers decided to table the legislation.
The basic line we're hearing from sources is that there were some provisions in the ordinance that stakeholders wanted to "work on." That's code for "wait a gosh darn minute, we've got some concerns."
Word is that some trade groups that represent builders and realtors would prefer to see incentives — not mandates — for constructing more energy-efficient builders.
If everyone can come to an agreement by the next committee meeting on Sept. 1, the ordinance will get another hearing.
Comments (2)
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I certainly hope that wisdom prevails here. Atlanta had a chance to be a very forward-thinking city in terms of green development. Let's hope that the delay is only temporary; some of the provisions of the bill are excellent.
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Atlanta is already a nationally-recognized leader in green development (No. 3 city in the country for green buildings, according to SustainLane.com). Why do we need an ordinance -- with its accompanying red tape and cost increases -- to mandate what is already a market-driven success?
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