VII.1. Sustainability Building Policy; Howard
CITY OF HOPKINS
Memorandum
To: Honorable Mayor and Council Members
Mike Mornson, City Manager
From: Kurt Howard, Planner
Date: December 19, 2023
Subject: Sustainable Building Policy
_____________________________________________________________________
PURPOSE
The purpose of this item is to discuss the topic of sustainable building policies, present
research findings on best practices and existing policies from other Minnesota
communities, and seek direction from the City Council on an approach towards
potential policy development.
INFORMATION
What is a sustainable building policy?
Sustainable building policies are tools used by local jurisdictions to increase the degree
to which new development contributes to improvements in public health, environmental
justice, and environmental and economic sustainability. This is accomplished by
requiring, incentivizing, or encouraging development to occur in ways that reduce
carbon emissions, reduce waste, protect natural areas, mitigate stormwater runoff, and
contribute to other sustainability goals.
Basis for a sustainable building policy in Hopkins
A stated goal of the Cultivate Hopkins 2040 Comprehensive Plan is to encourage
sustainable practices in locating, designing, constructing, and maintaining development
in the city, with an associated strategy of exploring implementation of heightened
development review through Green Building Codes and sustainable building
regulations. Additionally, during the Partners in Energy planning process, one of the
four Focus Areas identified by the Energy Action Team was sustainable development,
with an associated strategy of developing a Hopkins sustainable building policy.
Existing policies and recommended best practices
To date, at least eight Minnesota cities have adopted some form of formal sustainable
building policy, including St. Paul, St. Louis Park, Rochester, Edina, Maplewood,
Duluth, Minneapolis, and Northfield. There is also a significant amount of guidance and
resources available from the Center for Energy and Environment (CEE) to assist cities
who may be considering sustainable building policies. One of the central
recommendations of CEE’s guidance is the encouragement of some degree of
standardization among policies across cities. It is suggested that standardization has
many benefits, including helping the development and construction industry become
Planning & Economic
Development
practiced at complying with policies that are familiar and reducing competition for
development among cities.
A degree of standardization is evident among six of the eight cities that have adopted
sustainable building policies. Their general policy framework consists of two main
components:
1. Leveraging existing third-party rating systems: several existing policies make
use of the many existing third-party green building rating systems, such as LEED
certification, Minnesota B3 Benchmarking, MN GreenStar Home certification,
and Enterprise Green Communities green building program. These rating
systems consist of sets of sustainability criteria and detailed pathways for
meeting the criteria. They are generally broad and cover several aspects of
sustainability, including water, energy, waste, and materials. The rating system
component of these policies entails requiring developers to choose from a list of
rating systems and their associated rating level that the development project
must meet to comply with the policy. The table below shows the most common
and recommended minimum rating systems and their associated levels by
building type:
2. City-specific criteria: the other main component of the general policy
framework utilized by several existing sustainable building policies is a city-
specific list of sustainability standards that must be met in all cases. These city-
specific criteria offer cities a high degree of customization to ensure the policy is
delivering on a particular set of a city’s sustainability goals and priorities.
However, these standards are also typically performance-based and give
developers flexibility in how to meet the standards, which can drive innovation
and cost efficiencies. It is recommended that cities prioritize criteria for adoption
that balance progress towards city goals with the administrative obligations
associated with implementing the policy and verifying compliance. For this
reason, many existing policies have developed city-specific criteria that reference
previously existing standards as show in the table below:
While there is a fair amount of standardization among existing sustainable building
policies across Minnesota, there are also precedents for alternatives to the general
policy framework described above. For instance, the City of Duluth’s policy offers
developers the option to either achieve certification under a third-party rating system or
use a point scoring system developed by the City to earn a minimum number of points
based on the size of the project in order to be considered compliant with the policy.
Points can be earned in categories ranging from energy efficiency, alternative energy,
passive solar, water, vegetation, urban agriculture, or transportation. The City of
Maplewood’s policy bases its requirements for most buildings on the 2012 International
Green Construction Code or the ICC 700-2008 National Green Building Standards for
low density residential buildings.
Applicability
In addition to the general policy framework, another foundational component of a
sustainable building policy is its applicability. Given the regional competition for
development, cities often balance priorities of encouraging development while achieving
goals that are specific to the community, including sustainability targets. For this
reason, it is advised that a sustainable building policy’s applicability be based on a set
of policy triggers that leverage a city’s unique leverage points. It’s worth noting that
most existing sustainable building policies contain provisions for waiving the
requirements, in whole or in part, by the Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA)
or City Council after considering the advantages and disadvantages of a waiver, and
upon demonstration by the developer of a compelling public purpose.
Among existing sustainable building policies, policy triggers include:
• Projects for which the City or HRA is to become the sole tenant
• Projects of a specified size
• Projects receiving any amount of financial assistance through the City or HRA
• Projects receiving more than $200,000 in financial assistance through the City or
HRA
• Projects specifically receiving Tax Increment Financing (TIF)
• Projects requesting Planned Unit Development approval
Some of these policy triggers are similar to Hopkins’ recently adopted Inclusionary
Zoning Policy, which applies affordability requirements to any new or existing residential
project that meets one or more of the following criteria:
1. A market-rate residential rental project that adds or creates twenty (20) or more
residential units and that receives:
• Discretionary land use approvals including a comprehensive plan
amendment, zoning code text or map amendment or approval pursuant to
a planned unit development (PUD); or
• Financial assistance from the City or Housing and Redevelopment
Authority (HRA)
2. Any residential development for which the developer voluntarily chooses to
provide affordable dwelling units pursuant to the Inclusionary Zoning Policy
For a potential sustainable building policy, staff’s preliminary recommendation is to
keep the policy triggers somewhat consistent to those of the Inclusionary Zoning Policy,
but set a threshold for financial assistance that is above the maximum award amounts
for existing financial assistance programs including the Façade Improvement Program
($25,000) and the Hopkins Climate Solutions Fund ($10,000).
Questions for the Council
• Do you support developing a sustainable building policy?
• What are the priority sustainability impacts that a potential policy should target?
• Do you generally support an approach to policy development that includes a
combination of third-party rating systems and city-specific criteria?
• How should the applicability and triggers of a potential policy be determined?
FUTURE ACTION
If the Council chooses to move forward with a sustainable building policy, staff will work
with internal stakeholders and subject matter experts to develop a policy and return to
the Council with a draft policy.
Attachments:
• Minnesota Municipal Sustainable Building Policies Guide
Updated February, 2022
Originally published January, 2021
Prepared by
Katie Jones, Marisa Bayer
Center for Energy and Environment
In collaboration with
Hennepin County
MINNESOTA MUNICIPAL SUSTAINABLE
BUILDING POLICIES GUIDE
Policy Framework and Implementation Recommendations
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OVERVIEW
Cities throughout Minnesota seek to improve public health,
environmental justice, and environmental and economic
sustainability. As cities set targets to reduce carbon
emissions, reduce waste, protect natural areas, and mitigate
stormwater runoff, many are turning to building-related
strategies to help achieve these goals.
Generally, cities have three main levers to create change:
mandatory requirements, process incentives, and financial
incentives. Because the State of Minnesota sets the building
code, cities are unable to establish building requirements that
are more strict than existing code; however, with financial
levers and authority over land use, cities have tremendous
potential to use sustainable building policies as a tool to make
progress toward sustainability goals.
To date, Minnesota cities have taken three approaches in the
application of sustainable building policies, listed below in
order of impact:
1. Mandatory approach (Recommended). This policy
approach identifies default sustainability requirements
for funding programs and land use variances above
certain thresholds. These requirements are in addition
to other program and land use requirements.
2. Scoring approach. Buildings are scored on a set of
criteria and those with the highest scores qualify for
city program funding and approval.
3. Suggestion approach. Developers are strongly
encouraged to consider sustainability in construction
through a sustainability questionnaire.
Based on research of existing policies and interviews with
Minnesota cities, we identified best practices and
recommendations for creating a framework and implementing
a mandatory sustainable building policy.
The intent of this guide is to provide a resource for cities
considering sustainable building policies and to encourage
standardization across cities. Standardization has many
benefits including improving efficiency and cost-effectiveness
across the region, facilitating the adoption of sustainable
building practices, and reducing competition among cities for
development.
Sustainable Building Policy
Defined
Sustainable building policies
establish minimum
sustainability criteria that go
beyond existing state code for
new construction or
significantly renovated
developments. Included criteria
typically target areas for
pollution reduction and
resource conservation. Also
known as green building
policies.
Existing Policies
As of 2022, eight Minnesota
cities have some type of
formal sustainable building
approach: Duluth, Edina,
Maplewood, Minneapolis,
Northfield, Rochester, St.
Louis Park, and Saint Paul.
The affected building types,
triggers, and criteria vary by
policy, although some
standardization is taking
shape. See the Appendix for
detailed comparison of the
policies.
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POLICY FRAMEWORK GUIDE
A policy framework addresses the fundamental questions of “what” and “who” — what does the
policy cover, who does this apply to, who manages the policy, and what happens with non-
compliance.
Identify City Overlay and Applicable Rating Systems
The first step is to understand the universe of existing third-party green building rating systems.1
Such rating systems provide processes for developers to achieve the city’s aims. Rating
systems are often similar but not identical. For that reason, the city should note the strengths
and weaknesses of the rating systems relative to one another and make a list of priority impacts
the city wants to target. That list, along with considerations of other city goals, becomes a city
overlay — a set of specific measurable minimum requirements that go beyond the base
construction code and may exceed a standard’s requirements.
Figure 1: Example relationship between the city overlay and an existing rating system for a single-
family home new construction. A development must comply with everything in the city overlay.
For many components, the MN Green Communities rating system meets the city’s criteria.
However, as this example shows the city is specifically targeting higher building performance with
DOE Zero Energy Ready certification.
Applicable rating systems and the overlay should both be included in a policy. The two work in
tandem, giving the city high-level policy customization, while giving developers flexibility in how
to meet the targets. One benefit for the city is that using such rating systems lessens the need
for specialized staff. In addition, leveraging existing rating systems that are well known in
today’s construction industry allows for ease of communication and cost-effectiveness of
implementation.
1 Green building rating systems — sets of sustainability criteria with detailed and proscriptive pathways for
meeting the criteria. They are generally broad covering many sustainability areas (e.g., water, energy, waste,
materials) and can include topic focused standards (e.g., Sustainable Buildings 2030 energy standard).
DOE Zero
Energy
Ready
Homes
ENERGY
STAR®
certification
Water
conservation,
waste
diversion,
indoor
environmental
quality,
etc.
City Overlay:
Single Family
Residential
Rating System: MN
Green Communities
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Leverage existing third-party rating systems
Cities with existing sustainable building policies recognize the value of standardization
across the region — the more ubiquitous the rules, the more practiced the industry
becomes at complying with them and the more cost-effective implementation becomes.
Because of the unique characteristics of different building types, policy requirements
should specify the appropriate rating system for each building type. The table below
shows the most common and recommended minimum rating systems and their
associated levels by building type.
Municipal,
Commercial, Mixed-
Use, Industrial
• LEED for New Construction and Major Renovations;
Certified Silver or higher
• B3 Guidelines
Multifamily
• LEED for New Construction and Major Renovations;
Certified Silver or higher
• B3 Guidelines
• GreenStar Homes; Certified Silver or higher
• Green Communities *
Single-family
• LEED for Homes; Certified Silver or higher
• MN GreenStar; Certified Silver or higher
• Green Communities*
Parking • Park Smart Silver
*For projects with MHFA funding, it is recommended that the MN Overlay version be used.
Establish City Overlay Criteria
Below we lay out the most common overlay criteria. Where possible, criteria are
performance-based, which gives developers flexibility, and drives innovation and cost
efficiencies. Cities should prioritize criteria for adoption that balance needs for
implementation with city goals to ensure policy success.
It is also important to note that as environmental and economic conditions change,
flexibility within each criterium is valuable. For that reason, it is recommended that a
department director be charged with promulgating the detailed overlay requirements. It is
also critical to include a third-party verification component in the policy. Verifiers should
be proposed by the developer and acceptable to the city.
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Recommended Overlay Criteria Recommended Rule
Predicted and actual energy use
Meet SB 2030 Energy Standard through
design and operation; for 1-3-unit buildings,
meet DOE’s Zero Energy Ready Homes
standard.
Predicted greenhouse gas
emissions
Calculate and report.
Predicted and actual use of
potable water
Achieve 30% below the water efficiency
standards of the Energy Policy Act of 1992.
Predicted use of water for
landscaping
Achieve 50% reduction from consumption of
traditionally irrigated site.
Utilization of renewable energy Evaluate 2% of on-site renewables; install if
cost-effective using SB 2030 guidance.
Electric vehicle charging
capability (if parking is
included)
Install conduit that allows charging stations to
be installed at a future date.
Diversion of construction waste
from landfills and incinerators
Achieve 75% diversion rate
Indoor environmental quality
Use low-VOC (volatile organic compounds)
materials including paints, adhesives,
sealants, flooring, carpet, as well as ASHRAE
thermal and ventilation minimums.
Stormwater management
Adhere to quantity and quality requirements,
including infiltration rate, suspended solid,
and phosphorous reductions.
Resilient design
Document a design response to several
identified potential shocks and stressors such
as utility interruption, extreme rainfall and
transportation interruption. Design Team shall
integrate the identified strategies into the
design of the project.
Ongoing monitoring of actual
energy and water use
Benchmark using ENERGY STAR® Portfolio
Manager annually.
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Policy Triggers
Given the regional competition for development, cities often balance priorities of encouraging
development while achieving community-wide goals, such as sustainability targets. For this
reason, we 1) encourage the greatest number of cities to adopt similar sustainable building
policies to standardize the practice across a region, and 2) recommend cities consider their
unique leverage points for the greatest impact. Cities can use the following triggers to activate a
sustainable building policy:
1. Funding incentives. The most straightforward trigger is a
developer’s request for public funding. To date, several cities
have successfully used a minimum trigger of $200,000 in
cumulative public funding. The types of qualifying funding
sources vary. We recommend maximizing public funding
sources for the greatest impact. (See examples below.)
2. Land use incentives. Though there is little track record of this
approach for sustainability in Minnesota, it is used in other
areas of the country. For cities with established zoning rules,
we recommend cities consider three types of land use triggers:
a. Planned unit development (PUD). Where a city has a
large tract of land for development, it can set high-level
density and other rules, such as a sustainable building
policy, for the site, while giving the developer flexibility
in how that is accomplished.
b. Premiums. Setting clear expectations for developers
can reduce costs and encourage specific types of
development. We recommend cities consider codifying
sustainability premiums as an incentive for density and
height bonuses.
c. Variance. Where not codified as premiums, cities
should consider applying a policy when more intense
variances are requested.
3. Process incentives. Cities can create faster approval processes and higher prioritization in
permit and inspection reviews for developments that adhere to the sustainable building
policy. This has not yet been tried in Minnesota but has been done elsewhere.
4. Building size. Because larger building developments have the greatest environmental
impact and more sophisticated design teams, we recommend that a policy apply to buildings
that meet the following size thresholds. This trigger is only activated when a project receives
a funding, land use, or process incentive.
a. New construction of 10,000 square feet and greater.
b. Significant renovation of buildings 10,000 square feet and greater that include a new
heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.
Funding Sources
Comprehensive policies count all
public dollars toward the
threshold that triggers
compliance including:
1. Community Development
Block Grants (CDBG)
2. Bonds
3. Tax Increment Financing
(TIF)
4. HOME Investment
Partnership Program
5. Housing Redevelopment
Authority funds
6. Land write-downs
7. Low-Income Housing Tax
Credits (LIHTC)
8. A dedicated Sustainable
Building Policy fund
9. Any other Federal, State,
Regional (e.g., Met
Council), or City funding
source
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Enforcement
Enforcement can be approached from two angles — either for financially incentivized projects or
for those triggered by land use and process incentives.
The financial incentive is often needed to encourage and make such developments viable in the
first place, making a financial penalty for non-compliance challenging to employ. For that
reason, the best practice is to be proactive on the front end, providing sufficient resources and
check-ins during the design development process to ensure compliance along the way.
For projects triggered by land use and process incentives, the city could enact a fine for
violation, which has been done in other American cities with some as high as $500 per day for
non-compliance. In either case, compliance with the sustainable building policy should be
included in the development agreement and loan documents.
Evaluation
Cities should evaluate a policy’s impact and adjust over time in order to meet stated goals. A
best practice is to build a framework for these components within the policy itself by requiring an
annual progress and impact report and setting a reassessment timeline (e.g., every 3-5 years)
for overlay criteria and the approved third-party rating systems.
Codify the Policy
After the city council or board adopts the sustainability building policy, it is important to codify
the policy within or near zoning- and planning-related chapters in city code because a
sustainable building policy concerns land development.
IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE
Before approval, it is important to have a plan to address questions of “how” — namely, how to
operationalize the policy. Policy adoption alone will not ensure a sustainable building policy will
be successful. Additional steps are needed to create structure, ownership, and awareness of
the policy.
Identify Leaders and Collaborators
Policies are often managed by departments that are responsible for education, awareness, and
enforcement. In some cases, these responsibilities may fall across departments, so it is
important early on to identify the department and individual who will take primary ownership for
the policy. Below is a list of key stakeholders to involve:
Sustainability Staff
As topic specialists, sustainability staff should either lead or play a significant part in
policy development and assist in policy implementation. Such staff can advocate for the
policy internally and educate external stakeholders. In addition, any initial meetings with
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a project’s development team should include sustainability staff or other designated,
qualified individuals who can speak to the technical nature of sustainability requirements.
Planning Department
City planning departments should be involved in the management of the sustainable
building policy. City planners are responsible for reviewing project applications, engaging
with developers, and ultimately drafting the developer’s agreement, which is the
document holding a project developer accountable for following policies and codes.
External Collaborators
External partners can provide technical assistance to project teams to meet policy rating
systems. These generally fall into two categories:
• Specific: A partner that develops and manages an individual rating system is best
equipped to answer questions regarding pathways for compliance for their rating
system (e.g., USGBC for LEED).
• Broad: A partner that can answer questions across multiple rating systems.
Increase Awareness of the Policy
A key question to ask is: how do developers, architects, and contractors know the policy exists?
If the policy is new, or if major changes have been made to an existing policy, cities should take
proactive steps to inform their development community about how this policy will impact future
projects. At minimum, cities should post the policy clearly on the city’s website for easy access.
Additional engagement would build support and acceptance of the policy. We recommend cities
offer trainings, networking events, and building tours, as well as engage building associations to
spread the word about the policies. Cities could also partner on outreach initiatives to increase
reach and minimize cost.
Community Highlight: St. Louis Park, MN
Because the City’s Community Development Department oversees project and land use
applications as well as financial incentives for development, it is a natural fit for the
sustainable building policy to be managed by that department. Sustainability staff, who are
in a different department, remain engaged by attending project meetings with developers to
educate them about the City’s climate goals and aspects of the policy. The City also keeps
an architecture and engineering firm on retainer for more detailed review beyond
sustainability staff’s abilities and to help developers meet the goals of the policy.
Community Highlight: Rochester, MN
The City of Rochester hosts green building tours to showcase successful implementation of
their policy in new development. Developers and architects can tour new buildings, ask
questions, and learn how their peers are following Rochester’s sustainable building policy.
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Identify Projects Subject to the Policy
Although a policy itself specifies minimum requirements for subject developments, the city must
create a process to easily identify incoming projects that meet those requirements. This is
accomplished by leveraging existing development review processes. Planners also often use
checklists and review guides to ensure projects meet required development policies and codes.
For that reason, we recommend cities use this process to integrate a review for the sustainable
building policy. Cities should make sure someone with sustainability expertise, either
sustainability staff or other designated reviewers, attend development review meetings.
Educate Project Teams
Once the city has identified an eligible project, the policy should be reviewed with the project’s
development team to ensure they understand all the components of the policy. This is a great
opportunity for development teams to ask questions and for city staff to champion their policy.
This meeting should be scheduled after a project application or funding application is received
to ensure policy criteria can be incorporated as early as possible in the design process. Having
the right people at the meeting will ensure that the policy expectations are clearly
communicated, and any questions are addressed. On the city’s side, this meeting should
include those involved in managing the policy, such as sustainability and planning staff. If the
city is working with an external collaborator to help with technical assistance, including them in
this meeting would be advantageous. From the project team, the architect and owner’s
representative should be invited so that the team responsible for designing and funding the
project understand the expectations.
Ensure Compliance
A best practice for compliance is for cities to connect project teams with external collaborators
who are technical experts in both the development process and sustainability requirements.
Cities then track compliance with the list of requirements. Because most projects that have been
subject to sustainable building policies in Minnesota have been commercial, mixed use, or large
multifamily, city staff have relied on the B3 Tracking Tool to monitor compliance for most
recommended overlay criteria and then have separate manual tracking mechanisms to track
any remaining criteria.
Community Highlight: Saint Paul, MN
The City of Saint Paul uses funding and size minimums to determine the projects subject to
their sustainable building policy. After public project funding is requested and before it is
approved, the staff member responsible for managing the policy is notified of the project.
Staff send a letter to the project team detailing compliance requirements for the project, and
soon after they hold a meeting involving the project team to review these requirements.
Sustainability staff leverage this opportunity to walk through the policy step by step to make
sure there are no surprises for the project team.
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Another best practice is to leverage other existing processes for front end-confirmation of
sustainable design, such as Xcel Energy’s Energy Design Assistance program and other similar
utility programs that incentivize energy modeling to meet building performance criteria.
Enforce the Policy
Enforcement comes into play once a project receives the necessary approvals to start
construction. In most cases, following the previous steps will ensure that a project adheres to
the policy; however, if the project does not meet minimum standards, enforcement may be
necessary. Formal enforcement should be codified in the policy, so developers understand the
implications of not complying. Informally, city staff can communicate with project teams about
the negative impact to their relationship and concerns over future projects following city policies.
Evaluate Impact
Evaluating the policy’s impact helps city staff and city decision-makers understand if the policy
achieved the intended goals. Project reports should detail the size, cost, and anticipated savings
compared to actual performance. A summary of these along with the collective environmental
benefits (e.g., gallons of water and greenhouse gas emissions saved compared to code) should
be shared with city council, staff, and the public. In addition, annual or biennial reviews with
project teams, city staff, and external collaborators give valuable input into the effectiveness of
the policy. Cities should talk to project teams about what worked and what could be improved
about the sustainable building policy’s implementation process. They should also talk to external
collaborators and sustainability experts about the latest trends and best practices for
sustainable buildings. Having both quantitative and qualitative data on the policy’s success will
be useful during future policy updates to strengthen its impact.
FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS
Going forward, these policies should evolve as new sustainability standards become available
and as city goals around reducing structural racism and ensuring equity become clearer and
more focused. As cities find alignment on these issues, they should continue to exchange best
practices and evolve together. We recommend cities check in on at least a biannual if not
quarterly basis. This could be led by cities themselves or by an external coordinator.
Areas that may warrant further exploration include:
• Compliance tracking tool. Cities currently lack a holistic method for tracking
compliance for all property types and may benefit from the development of one.
Community Highlight: Rochester, MN
The City of Rochester structures their Tax Increment Financing (TIF) agreements as pay-as-
you-go disbursements, giving the city the opportunity to withhold future disbursements if a
project does not adhere to certain policies or codes. The city has used this approach for
projects in the Destination Medical Center and throughout the municipality.
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• Additional compliance strategies. Another possible route to ensure compliance is by
leveraging permitting and inspections processes. However, because construction code
is prescriptive and most sustainability criteria is performance-based, there has been no
attempt in Minnesota thus far to take either of these two routes:
o During permit approval. Because cities approve permits that give the green
light for construction, they could explore issuing permits only once design models
adequately indicate that sustainability requirements will be met. Incorporating
permit approvals that are based on modeled designs of performance would
necessitate thorough consideration of expertise and permitting staff needs.
o During inspections. Building inspectors could take a bigger role in ensuring
sustainability criteria are incorporated during construction. Similar to design
review for permits, inspectors evaluate a building based on prescriptive code. For
that reason, inspector scope would need to expand to include evaluation against
a performance-based model design.
• A one-stop-shop for expertise on sustainable building policies. An external
collaborator would not only consult on multiple rating systems, but also serve as a single
point of communication for technical questions and compliance monitoring for project
teams and cities, respectively. This type of group has not yet been established to serve
Minnesota cities. However, such a partner with broad expertise, design review
experience, and implementation support ability could serve multiple cities while reducing
sustainability staff needs.
Although sustainable building policies have been around more than a decade in Minnesota,
there remain great opportunities for more cities to leverage such policy tools and for better
standardization among cities to ease implementation. As cities actively invest in new
developments or receive developer requests outside existing zoning rules, they can use these
policies to achieve sustainability goals. In the end, the built environment has strong impacts on
environmental health and livability, and sustainable building policies are an important tool to
build the physical environment that cities want and need.
APPENDIX
See a table summary of current Minnesota municipal sustainable building policies here:
https://www.mncee.org/minnesota-municipal-sustainable-building-policies-guide
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CategorySubcategoryCitySaint PaulSt. Louis ParkRochesterDuluthEdinaMaplewoodMinneapolis - EnterpiseMinneapolis - Residential 1-3Minneapolis - MultifamilyNorthfieldPolicy Sourcehttps://stpaul.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=3287262&GUID=CF83D092-B5F9-443B-8B72-28AA846CE8A8&Options=&Search=&FullText=1https://www.stlouispark.org/home/showdocument?id=18588https://www.rochestermn.gov/home/showpublisheddocument?id=26828https://duluthmn.gov/media/5536/form-udc-sustainability-checklist-120.pdfhttps://edina.novusagenda.com/AgendaPublic/CoverSheet.aspx?ItemID=12522&MeetingID=1775https://library.municode.com/mn/maplewood/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH12BUBURE_ARTIIBUCO_S12-41GRBUhttps://lims.minneapolismn.gov/Download/RCAV2/25330/Draft%20Sustainable%20Building%20Policy.pdf; https://lims.minneapolismn.gov/Download/RCAV2/25330/Draft%20Sustainable%20Building%20Policy.pdfhttps://lims.minneapolismn.gov/Download/RCAV2/15500/Sustainability-Policy---1-to-3-units_Final.pdfhttps://lims.minneapolismn.gov/Download/RCAV2/11549/Sustainable%20Building%20Policy%20Resolution.pdfhttps://northfield.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=5368140&GUID=850E8118-34C3-4768-84A9-7FE4A878A6CC&Options=&Search=&FullText=1NameSustainable Building PolicyGreen Building PolicySustainable Building Guidelines Sustainability StandardsSustainable Building PolicyGreen Building Code Enterprise Sustainable Building PolicyMinneapolis Homes Sustainability PolicySustainable Building PolicyAdoption ModeOrdinanceResolutionResolutionResolutionOrdinanceOrdinanceResolutionResolutionResolutionResolutionSystem UsedCity Overlay + Third Party Rating SystemCity Overlay + Third Party Rating SystemCity Overlay + Third Party Rating System* Third Party Rating System - OR - Point SystemCity Overlay + Third Party Rating SystemGreen CodeCity Overlay + Third Party Rating SystemCity Overlay + Third Party Rating SystemCity Overlay + Third Party Rating SystemCity Overlay + Third Party Rating SystemMunicipalYesYes, for buildings 15,000 square feet and greaterYesYes, for developments 10,000 square feet and greaterYesYesYes, for projects 10,000 + sqftYesCommercialYesYes, for buildings 15,000 square feet and greaterYesYes, for developments 10,000 square feet and greaterYesYesYesMultifamilyYesYesYesYes, for developments 3 units and greaterYesYesYesYesSingle FamilyYesYesYesYesYesYesYes, for residential 1-3 unitsYesIndustrialYesYes, for buildings 15,000 square feet and greaterYesYes, for developments 10,000 square feet and greaterYesYesYesParkingYesYesYesYesRenovations / AdditionsNew construction means the planning, design, construction and commissioning of a new building, or an addition to an existing building if such addition requires installation of new mechanical, ventilation, or cooling systems.Renovations of municipal, commercial, and industrial buildings at least 50,000 square feet and greaterRenovations performed on an existing building or portion thereof consisting of at least 10,000 square feet for non-municipal buildings and 2,500 square feet for municipal buildings, and requiring installation/replacement of HVAC systems. Additions of 10,000+ sqft that require new HVACYesThis policy will apply to all additions, renovations, and site work (including workspaces) on buildings that the City owns or leases when project costs are 50% or more of the total building valuation. For renovation projects less than 50% of the total building value and leased space not owned by the City, this policy will beused as a best practices guide and evaluate on a case-by-case basis any renovations required by the City, proprietary ownership of HVAC, electrical, and water systems, and other considerations that affect the City’s influence. When the City is determined to have influence in renovations that fall within policy criteria, these policy standards will apply. Renovations performed on an existing building or portion thereof consisting of at least 10,000 square feet for non-municipal buildings and 2,500 square feet for municipal buildings, and requiring installation/replacement of HVAC systems. Additions of 10,000+ sqft that require new HVACMechanismsProject receiving more than $200,000 in financial assistance or is built with the intent of having the City or HRA become the sole tenant.Private developments receiving more than $200,000 in financial assistance; residential private MF $200,000+ and single family $10,000+All tax increment financed projectsProjects of specified size.Projects receiving financial assistance through the City or HRA. No $ threshold. OR projects requesting Planned Unit Development approval. OR projects in which the City or HRA is to become the sole tenant.Projects receiving city financingMunicipal projects only.Minneapolis Homes projectsProjects receiving financial assistance from the City, EDA, or HRA. Projects receiving $300,000 or more in public fianncial assistance are required to follow the policy. Those receiving $150,000-299,999 must comply or prove they are unable to. OR projects in which the City or HRA is to become the sole tenant. Funding Sourcea. Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) b. Tax Increment Financing (TIF) c. HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) d. Multi-Family Housing Revenue Bonds e. Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) f. Any other Federal, State, or Metropolitan Council (Met Council) funding source g. Any other City of Saint Paul funding source h. Any other HRA funding source i. Notwithstanding the above, City Funding does not include the following: a. Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Cleanup and Investigation Grants b. Met Council Tax Base Revitalization Account (TBRA) Contamination Cleanup Grants c. Met Council TBRA Site Investigation Grants d. Conduit Bonds issued for the benefit of qualified 501(c)(3) entitiesa. City of St. Louis Park Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) b. Housing Improvement Area Loans c. Housing Rehabilitation Fund d. Reinvestment Assistance Program Revenue Bonds (private activity bonds are negotiable) e. Tax Increment Financing (TIF) f. Tax Abatement Housing Authority (HA) g. Funds Land h. WritedownsTax Increment Financingi. Tax Increment Financing (TIF) ii. HRA Fundsiii.Metropolitan Council Livable Communities Grantiv. Housing Improvement Area v. Affordable Housing Trust Fund v. Conduit Bondsvi. Land write-downs below market valuevii. Other funds that are available to the City of Edina and Edina HRANotwithstanding the above, Financial Assistance does not include environmental remediation funds such as the following: i. Department of Employment and Economic D Development (DEED) Cleanup and Investigation Grants ii. Met Council Tax Base Revitalization Account (TBRA) Contamination Cleanup Grantsiii. Met Council TBRA Site Investigation GrantsAny for muni projects.Any for Minneapolis Homes Financed projects.a. Tax Increment Financing (TIF)b. HRA Fundsc. EDA grants and forgivable loansd. Land write downse. Bondsf. Tax abatementg. Low-income housing tax credith. MIF i. Conduit financingj. Other funds requiring approval by the City of Northfield, Northfield EDA and Northfield HRANotwithstanding the above, Financial Assistance does not include environmental remediation funds, including but not limited to such as the following:, a. Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Cleanup and Investigation Grants.Municipal (select 1)i. LEED for New Construction and Major Renovation; Certified Silver, Gold or Platinum ii. B3 iii. Saint Paul Port Authority Green Design Reviewi. LEED for New Construction and Major Renovation; Certified Silver, Gold or Platinum ii. B3i. LEED for New Construction and Major Renovation; Certified Silver, Gold or Platinum ii. B3i. LEED for New Construction and Major Renovation; Certified Silver, Gold or Platinum ii. Points (# of which depends on building size))i. LEED for New Construction and Major Renovation; Certified Silver, Gold or Platinum ii. B32012 International Green Construction Codei. LEED for New Construction and Major Renovation; Certified Gold ii.State of Minnesota B3 Guidelines iii. Passive House US Certified Commerciali. LEED for New Construction and Major Renovation; Certified Silver, Gold or Platinum ii. B3Commercial (select 1)i. LEED for New Construction and Major Renovation; Certified Silver, Gold or Platinum ii. B3 iii. Saint Paul Port Authority Green Design Reviewi. LEED for New Construction and Major Renovation; Certified Silver, Gold or Platinum* ii. B3*i. LEED for New Construction and Major Renovation; Certified Silver, Gold or Platinum ii. B3i. LEED for New Construction and Major Renovation; Certified Silver, Gold or Platinum ii. Points (# of which depends on building size))i. LEED for New Construction and Major Renovation; Certified Silver, Gold or Platinum ii. B32012 International Green Construction Codei. LEED for New Construction and Major Renovation; Certified Silver, Gold or Platinum ii. B3Multifamily (select 1)i. LEED for New Construction and Major Renovation; Certified Silver, Gold or Platinum ii.State of Minnesota B3 Guidelines certified iii. GreenStar; Certified Silver, Gold or Platinum iv. Green Communities; Certifiedi. LEED for New Construction and Major Renovation Certified Silver, Gold or Platinum** ii. GreenStar; Certified Silver or greater** iii. MN Green Communities - MN Overlay**i. LEED for New Construction and Major Renovation; Certified Silver or greater ii. GreenStar; Certified Silver or greater iii. MN Green Communities - MN Overlayi. LEED for New Construction and Major Renovation; Certified Silver, Gold or Platinum ii. Points (# of which depends on building size))i. LEED for New Construction and Major Renovation; Certified Silver, Gold or Platinum ii.State of Minnesota B3 Guidelines certified iii. Enterprise Green Communities; Certified2012 International Green Construction Codei. Green Communities; Certifiedi. LEED for New Construction and Major Renovation; Certified Silver, Gold or Platinum ii.State of Minnesota B3 Guidelines certified iii. Green Communities; CertifiedSingle Family (select 1)i. LEED for Homes ii. GreenStar; Certified Silver, Gold or Platinum iii. MN Green Communities - MN Overlayi. LEED for Homes** ii. GreenStar; Certified Silver, Gold or Platinum** iii. MN Green Communities - MN Overlay**i. LEED for Homes ii. GreenStar; Certified Silver, Gold or Platinum iii. MN Green Communities - MN Overlayi. LEED for Homes; Certified Silver, Gold or Platinum ii. Points (# of which depends on building size))i. LEED for Homes ii.State of Minnesota B3 Guidelines certified iii. Enterprise Green Communities; CertifiedCC 700-2008 National Green Building Standardsi.MN Green Communities - MN Overlayi. LEED for Homes ii.State of Minnesota B3 Guidelines certified iii. Green Communities; CertifiedIndustrial (select 1)i. LEED for New Construction and Major Renovation; Certified Silver, Gold or Platinum ii. B3 iii. Saint Paul Port Authority Green Design Reviewi. LEED for New Construction and Major Renovation; Certified Silver, Gold or Platinum* ii. B3*i. LEED for New Construction and Major Renovation; Certified Silver, Gold or Platinum ii. Points (# of which depends on building size))i. LEED for New Construction and Major Renovation; Certified Silver, Gold or Platinum ii. B32012 International Green Construction Codei. LEED for New Construction and Major Renovation; Certified Silver, Gold or Platinum ii. B3ParkingPark Smart Minimum Silver CertificationPark Smart Minimum Silver CertificationPark Smart Minimum Silver CertificationUniversal Sustainability Requirements (a.k.a. overlay)a. Predicted and actual energy use b. Predicted greenhouse gas emissions c. Predicted and actual use of potable water d. Predicted use of water for landscaping e. Utilization of renewable energy f. Electric vehicle charging capability g. Diversion of construction waste from landfills and incinerators h. Indoor environmental quality i. Stormwater management j. Resilient Design k. Ongoing monitoring of actual energy and water use2% of energy needs to be met on site through renewable energy; that projects be electric vehicle ready (including prewiring); it will include a resilience component, that is a tool for developers to identify “shocks and stressors” a building may encounter and potentially alleviate; and it will require tracking actual water usea. Predicted and actual energy use and greenhouse gas emissions - meet SB 2030 Energy Standard through design and operation*** b. Predicted and actual use of potable water: 30% below Energy Policy Act of 1992levels*** c. Predicted and actual use of water for landscaping: 50% reduction from consumption of traditionally irrigated site*** d. Diversion of construction waste from landfills and incinerators: 75% diversion rate*** e. Indoor Environmental Quality: Low VOC materials includes paints, adhesives, sealants, flooring, carpet as well as ASHRAE thermal and ventilation minimums*** f. Stormwater Management: Quantity and quality requirements, including infiltration*** g. Comply with benchmarking ordinance h. Obtain a written cost estimate for achieving “green” certification by at least one third party sustainable building programa. Predicted and actual energy use and greenhouse gas emissions - meet SB 2030 Energy Standard through design and operation b. Predicted and actual use of potable water: 30% below Energy Policy Act of 1992 levels c. Predicted and actual use of water for landscaping: 50% reduction from consumption of traditionally irrigated site d. Utilization of renewable energy: Evaluation of 2% of on-site renewables; installation if cost-effective using SB 2030 guidance e. Electric vehicle charging capability: install conduit that allows charging stations to be installed at a future date f. Diversion of construction waste from landfills and incinerators: 75% diversion rate g. Indoor Environmental Quality: Low VOC materials includes paints, adhesives, sealants, flooring, carpet as well as ASHRAE thermal and ventilation minimums h. Stormwater Management: Quantity and quality requirements, including infiltration rate, suspended solid and phosphorous reductions i. Resilient Design: Document a design response to several identified potentiala. Predicted greenhouse gas emissionsi. Calculated and reportedb. Electric vehicle charging capabilityi. 5% of parking spaces must be dedicated to Level 2 or higher charging stations –OR- ii. Install conduit that allows 10% of spaces dedicated to Level 2 or higher charging stations, which would be installed at a future datec. Energy efficiency standardi. For 1-4 unit residential New Construction and Major Renovation projects:1. US Department of Energy Zero Energy Ready Homesii. For all other residential and commercial New Construction and Major Renovation projects:1. Sustainable Buildings 2030d. Bird-safe glazingi. For New Construction and Major Renovation projects seeking LEED:1. Achieve bird collision deterrence pointii. For New Construction and Major Renovation projects seeking all other Sustainable Rating Systems:1. Follow B3 Guideline S.9: Bird-Safe Buildinga. Diversion of construction waste from landfills and incinerators: 75% diversion rate a. Total Annual Energy Use - meet SB 2030 Energy Standard and benchmark annually b. Renewable Energy - meet 10% of annual energy need on-site thru renewables if cost effective thru use of social cost of carbon and 15-year simple payback; project must be solar capable c. EV-ready for all parking; charging capacity for 20% of total spaces levelsd. Benchmark indoor and outdoor water use e. Predicted and actual use of potable water: 50% below Energy Policy Act of 1992f. Natural hazard assessment and design response; as defined by specific project’s RFPg. Assessment of renewable energy generation battery storageh. Irrigation – designed landscape requires no potable water after 2-year establishment periodi. Stormwater management – must meet new Mpls Stormwater and Sanitary Sewer Guide; seek to retain on site j. Bird Strike – WBTF of 45 or less for non-critical sites; 15 or less for critical sitesk. Native plantings – 25% of site native plants; biochar and compost when possiblel. Pollinator friendly plantings – utilize pollinator species when possiblea. Minimum efficiency standard - Department of Energy Zero Energy Ready Homes (ZERH) ProgramCouncil directed staff to develop these but none have been adopted as of 2022.02.07.a. Predicted greenhouse gas emissionsi. Calculated based on predicted energy use, as ascertained through the sustainability rating system modeling, using utility emissions factors and reported to the City in metric tons of CO2eb. Energy efficiency standardi. For 1-4 unit residential New Construction and Major Renovation projects:1. US Department of Energy Zero Energy Ready Homes ii. For all other residential and commercial New Construction and Major Renovation projects:1. Sustainable Buildings 2030c. Renewable energy standardi. Conduct economic and technical evaluation of providing 2% of building energy load with on-site renewablesii. Install if cost-effective using a payback of 15 years following the Sustainable Buildings 2030 methodologyUniversal Equity Requirementsa. Complete Racial Equity Impact Analysis formb. Incorporate Universal Designc. Wayfinding throughoutd. At least one private-use space (lactation room) Universal Engagement RequirementsUtilize the City's Racial Equity Impact Analysis (https://minneapolismngov.sharepoint.com/:w:/r/sites/c00003/SREAP/REIA/_layouts/15/Doc.aspx?sourcedoc=%7BF330B777-BED3-42C4-9FB0-5678238F4CC2%7D&file=Racial%20Equity%20Impact%20Analysis%20FULL%20.docx&action=default&mobileredirect=true) and guide (https://lims.minneapolismn.gov/Download/File/4827/REIA_Process_Guide.pdf)Point System CategoriesNoneNoneNoneLocation, Energy Efficiency, Alternative Energy, Passive Solar, Water, Stormwater, Vegetation, Urban Agriculture, Transportation* Developers must use one of the design tools and submit a checklist of credits likely to be achieved. Certification is not required.* Proposed developments receive higher priority for funding if proposals meet one of these standards** Proposed developments receive higher priority for funding if proposals meet one of these standards***For non-residential developments onlyRequirementsAffected DevelopmentsPolicy TriggersNotes