Howard lawmakers passed a package of bills ? and a host of changes to the legislation ? to promote green building standards.
The County Council unanimously approved Monday evening Howard County Executive Ken Ulman’s green legislation that enourages environmentally-friendly building techniques. The legislation requires private builders to apply for certification in nationally accepted Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The law also provides tax incentives for achieving higher levels of LEED certification. Publicly owned buildings of more than 10,000 square feet must be certified.
Among the amendments, many of which were introduced by the administration, were:
- Removing the bond developers would have to pay to ensure the building would achieve certification.
- Including fines for those failing to apply for certification
- Increasing the requirement for private buildings from 20,000 square feet to 50,000 square feet.
- Changing housing incentives so not all the housing used to encourage green neighborhoods comes from the county?s allotment for the rural western area
Despite the changes, the legislation is still strong, Ulman said after the vote.
“This brings [the environment] to the forefront,” he said.
The council also tabled the green neighborhoods checklist, which is the residential part of the package outlining ways for developers to design environmentally-friendly neighborhoods.
