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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSustainable Housing Guidelines v2 Climate Action Group Local 20/20 Sustainable Housing Guidelines These guidelines were developed with the intent of providing strategies for policy-making, planning and development of our buildings, neighborhoods and communities. They are not intended to be prescriptive or to offer uniform, rigid metrics or benchmarks, but rather to provide a comprehensive overview of how to approach equitable, sustainable neighborhood building. Fossil fuel free • Heat pumps for heating and cooling • Heat pump water heater • Induction or electric cooktop • Electric oven • Electric fireplace Energy efficient • High efficiency windows and doors • Higher level of insulation in ceilings • Sufficient insulation in walls Optimize carbon sequestration if trees exist on the lot • The City of Port Townsend will be developing an Urban Forest Management Plan in the near future. It will include a revised Tree Ordinance that will address items shown below. • Selective thinning of existing trees goes hand-in-hand with sustainable development o Trees on the west and north sides of the home are most valuable for comfort and temperature mitigation inside, weather mitigation (stormwater capture and wind buffer) and solar optimization o Consider retaining corner stands of trees and understory plants. o Retain native understory along property borders to benefit biodiversity. These understory plants, typically less than 6-ft tall, may include serviceberry, blueberry o Cut trees to allow for construction of new home/building. Leave remaining trees and understory. • Leaving native trees and vegetation on properties during development does more than sequester carbon. It provides a no-water (or low water) landscape, mitigates stormwater issues, mitigates wind and temperature in the neighborhood. Build close to town • This means building close to existing infrastructure, so there’s less construction to provide clean water, wastewater and stormwater piping/infrastructure to new homes. All construction emits CO2. • There is a link between Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) and climate change. Transportation accounts for 66% of CO2 emissions in Jefferson County. Transportation related CO2 reduction efforts can be supported by providing electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure and considering strategies to reduce VMT. If current development patterns do not change, VMT in the US will experience a rise of 48% by 2030 and 102% by 2050. By creating walkable, cyclable compact communities connected to local and regional transit, Smart Growth development can effectively slow the growth in VMT by significantly reducing the need to drive. Optimize passive solar design Request a solar review • Power Trip Energy, Cascadia Solar (Frederickson Electric) or other solar providers can be contacted to review solar potential onsite, at no charge. • For a wooded site, it is beneficial to retain the carbon storage provided by existing trees/understory as much as possible. Our Jefferson PUD power source is 96% carbon neutral and our existing trees are carbon sequestration workhorses.