The residential sustainability standards chapter of this title is enacted for the purpose of assuring that new construction of, and significant additions to, one household dwellings and two household dwelling structures contribute to the achievement of community goals as detailed in the city comprehensive plan. The regulations contained in this chapter are intended to contribute to efforts to increase energy efficiency in habitable structures; encourage use of renewable energy; decrease the quantity and increase the quality of stormwater run-off; reuse and recycle materials; and preserve existing structures.

(Ord. 1913, 2012)

(1)

No building permit shall be issued for construction of a house, cottage (as an individual form type, or within a cluster or compound form type), or duplex from type within a form zone, or new one- or two-household building within a legacy use zone ("new construction"), and no such construction shall be performed, unless such construction achieves the minimum points required by section 18.24.030 below.

(2)

No building permit shall be issued for construction of an addition with new habitable space equal to or greater than 25 percent of the existing habitable floor area of house, cottage (as an individual form type, or within a cluster or compound form type), or duplex form type within a form zone, or new one- or two-household building within a legacy use zone ("addition"), and no such construction shall be performed unless such conditions on the property, which may include the addition, demonstrate achievement of the minimum points required by section 18.24.030 below. For purposes of this chapter, habitable space shall consist of heated floor area within a dwelling unit. Existing floor area that is either remodeled (e.g., updated kitchen) or finished (e.g., basement) is exempt.

(Ord. No. 2209, § 7, 6-6-2003; Ord. 1913, 2012)

Appeals associated with this chapter shall be submitted according to the procedures outlined in chapter 18.12, appeals and variances under title 18.

(Ord. 1913, 2012)

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Applicants for additions must achieve a minimum of 15 points from the below menu, and applicants for new construction must achieve 25 points total from the below menu. If the Energy Star option is selected, the remaining ten points must come from categories other than the energy conservation category. All applicants must achieve at least one point from three out of four menu categories. Applicants will also receive point credits for menu items installed within the previous ten years, provided that such improvements are in place on the day of the application and that such improvements have not been used as a basis for points on prior applications.

Definitions

(a)

Energy Star: A voluntary labeling program to identify and promote energy-efficient products, new homes, commercial and industrial buildings, and design projects for commercial buildings.

(b)

HERS Rating: The Home Energy Rating System is a scoring system used to determine the energy efficiency of a home.

(c)

IECC: The International Energy Conservation Code is a building construction code that regulates the energy efficiency of structures.

(d)

RESCheck: A software program that simplifies compliance with the IECC by automating the calculations required for reporting.

(e)

SRI: The Solar Reflectance Index is a measurement of the ability of a surface, such as pavement or a rooftop, to reflect solar energy and reduce heat gain.

(f)

U Value: The measurement of the rate of heat loss indicated in terms of the U-factor (U-value) of a window assembly. The lower the U-factor, the greater a window's resistance to heat flow and the better its insulating properties.

(Ord. 1913, 2012)

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