1. The City of Coral Gables wishes to promote and encourage new development utilizing sustainable design and construction best practices. It recognizes the positive environmental impacts of energy efficient building designs, construction, operation and maintenance methods and materials. It also strives to combat the depletion of natural resources such as clean air, water and natural light.
2. The City of Coral Gables has established a Sustainability Master Plan (SMP) to serve as a strategic roadmap to guide efforts and decision making in order to make the City a more sustainable and resilient community. In addition, the Green Elements of the City’s Comprehensive Plan (CP) establish goals for certified green building development. The sustainable design and construction standards contained in this section are derived from the SMP and CP conservation measures and management policies and shall also be in full compliance with the Florida Building Code currently in effect.

1. Green Building Requirements: The following new construction is required, within twenty-four (24) months after the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy or Completion, whichever is less, to achieve no less than Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification under the latest applicable version of the LEED Green Building Rating System of the US Green Building Council (USGBC), or Silver certification by the Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC), or under another nationally recognized certification program approved by the City Manager or City Manager’s designee:
   1. All buildings over 20,000 square feet not owned by the City of Coral Gables.
   2. City of Coral Gables buildings and buildings constructed on City of Coral Gables property. This requirement may be waived by the City Manager or City Manager’s designee if it can be demonstrated that compliance with this requirement would create an unreasonable burden on the construction project that would be inconsistent with furtherance of the economic development goals of the city.
   3. Commercial and multi-family buildings where the developers of such property request a right-of-way encroachment (except for awnings and signs), abandonment or vacation of right-of-way, mixed use site plan review, planned area development or receiver site for Transfer of Development Rights, which requests require the review of the Planning and Zoning Board and approval of the City Commission.
   4. Failure to comply with this subsection will result in a forfeiture of the Green Building Bond (as defined in subsection C below).
2. Green Building Bond.
   1. Prior to the issuance of a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy or Completion for a project that is subject to the requirement of this section, the developer/owner/contractor shall provide the City with a performance bond, cash or irrevocable letter of credit payment (Green Building Bond) in the amount of three (3%) percent of the master building permit construction cost value.
   2. The City will hold the Green Building Bond for the time necessary for the green certification, or equivalent, to be issued or twenty-four (24) months after issuance of the Certificate of Occupancy or Completion; whichever is less. Upon receiving final documentation of certification from the developer/owner/contractor, the City shall release the full amount of the bond within thirty (30) days.
   3. If the developer/owner/contractor is unable to provide proof of green certification, or equivalent, within twenty-four (24) months after issuance of the Certificate of Occupancy or Completion, the full amount of the Green Building Bond shall be forfeited to the City. Any proceeds from the forfeiture of the bond under this section shall be allocated toward funding Sustainability Master Plan initiatives.

The following provides guidance to property owners, architects, contractors and others who are using solar energy in their buildings.

1. Equipment shall be located and designed to be compatible with the aesthetics of the building.
2. The parapets on flat roofs shall be used to screen solar energy systems.
3. Solar panels or modules on pitched roofs may be permitted with the approval of the Board of Architects.
4. Solar shingles on pitched roofs shall minimize the visual contrast between materials.
5. All solar panels shall be mounted on the roof and not projecting from walls or other parts of structures.
6. The aesthetic design of solar panels shall be consistent with the properties of the materials.
7. Any battery storage or solar equipment shall be visually screened from view of a street with a wall or landscaping, or retain approval by the Board of Architects for aesthetic compatibility.

1. Purpose and Applicability. The purpose of these regulations is to provide practical standards and requirements for the composition of concrete that reduces greenhouse gas emissions associated with the concrete composition while maintaining necessary strength and durability. The requirements of this section shall apply to the construction of all concrete buildings and elements of concrete of all buildings within the MF2, MF3, MF4, and MX zoning districts.
2. Requirements. Supply concrete shall undergo in-situ carbon dioxide mineralization, such that post-industrial carbon dioxide (CO2) is injected into the concrete during mixing and chemically converted into a mineral. The concrete mix may be adjusted to utilize the strength enhancement property of CO2 to optimize cementitious content. All CO2-mineralized and optimized concrete mixes shall meet the concrete performance requirements provided in the submitted permit specifications.
3. Compliance.
   1. Building Permit Issuance. Prior to the issuance of a building permit involving concrete construction, verification from the concrete provider of in-situ mineralization of Carbon Dioxide shall be submitted and reviewed for compliance by the Director of Development Services, or their designee.
   2. Final inspections. Prior to completion of the final inspection involving concrete construction, batch certificates or Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) shall be provided by the concrete provider and reviewed for compliance by the Director of Development Services, or their designee.
4. Exemptions.
   1. Technically infeasibility exemption. An applicant may request an exemption and demonstrate that compliance with these requirements is not technically feasible, such as the lack of commercially available materials; cost of compliance is disproportionate to the overall construction costs; or compliance would negatively impact the historic or architectural integrity of the buildings
   2. Granting of exemption. The Director of Development Services, or their designee, shall review and determine if compliance is technically infeasible. The Director of Development Services, or their designee, shall determine the maximum feasible threshold of compliance reasonably achievable for construction. If determined that compliance is technically feasible, the construction shall comply with these regulations.
   3. Appeal. The applicant or aggrieved party may file an appeal of the determination in accordance with the provisions of Section 14-208.

(Ord. No. 2023-36, 12/12/23)