New Sustainable Buildings and Sites Policy for City Capital Projects
The Sustainable Buildings and Sites Policy for municipal facilities in Seattle, Resolution 31326, was signed by Mayor McGinn on October 12, following the unanimous vote of approval from City Council. The legislation increases standards for the design, construction and operation of City buildings and sites in order to support city-wide goals for sustainable development.
The policy builds on Seattle’s existing green building policy initiated in 2000, the nation’s first, by expanding the scope beyond new construction of large projects to include tenant improvements, leases, small projects, and landscaped sites and parks. With the full spectrum of development included in the proposed policy, all aspects of the city’s built environment will be sustainably designed, built, maintained and operated.
The approved legislation reflects the city’s environmental priorities by going beyond LEED Gold certification to include key performance requirements for energy, water, waste and transportation. The City will establish pilot projects to test new approaches and standards, such as the Living Building Challenge and the Sustainable Sites Initiative and will update procedures to facilitate implementation and require annual reporting of performance.