Costa Mesa adopts energy plan
Lolita Harper
Nobody on the City Council could argue Monday that energy
conservation was crucial, but one council member was concerned with a
proposal to give such environmentally cautious developments priority
over others.
Council members unanimously approved a nationwide energy-saving
program requiring all new city buildings to meet various conservation
requirements -- outlined in the Environmental Protection Agency’s
Energy Star program -- and encouraging private developers to do the
same.
Because the city legally cannot offer any financial incentives for
economic developments -- such as discounted permit fees -- city
planners recommended the city give the Energy Star projects
preference.
Councilwoman Karen Robinson said she was very concerned that there
could be legal consequences to blatantly favoring one type of project
over another.
“Someone else’s project is going to get put somewhere else or
moved aside,” Robinson said. “Have we looked at all of the
ramifications of that and the cost to the city?”
Don Lamm, the assistant city manager, said he did not anticipate a
problem with the priority incentive and predicted that few projects,
if any, would be negatively affected. It depended on the work load,
he said. If there were suddenly dozens of Energy Star projects
flooding City Hall, planners may not have time for other
developments, he said. But that outcome is highly unlikely, he added.
“If we had a couple dozen [energy-saving projects], that would be
great and then you could come back to us if you were drowning [in
work],” Councilwoman Libby Cowan said.
Planning commissioners had outlined energy conservation as one of
their chief goals months ago and recently recommended the City
Council approve participation in the Energy Star program.
The program includes small businesses, schools, hospitals and
residential buildings, a staff report shows, and concentrates on
buildings that have exceeded the state energy code by 15%.
Energy Star is largely recognized by major builders and provides
certification of buildings that have succeeded in meeting more
stringent environmental codes, a staff report outlines. Builders can
tout that they have been recognized as energy-efficient, which would
let buyers know it would cost less to operate there.
Certification and support is performed by the EPA and would not
require any increased city staff attention. In addition, planners
would give such projects priority when reviewing the plans.
Cowan encouraged program adoption as recommended by city staff,
but Robinson adamantly fought for a provision that would require the
City Attorney’s Office to analyze the possible affects.
“You take just one week and a development is completely off
schedule,” Robinson said. “I just want to analyze the legal
implications, if any, of bumping a plan check.”
Cowan appeased her colleague and amended her original motion,
although she said it was an unnecessary addition.
The council unanimously supported it.
* LOLITA HARPER covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)
574-4275 or by e-mail at lolita.harper@latimes.com.
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