Posted on February 4, 2009 by Chris Cheatham

How to Regulate Green in Virginia

Last week, we discussed a law in Virginia that prohibits municipalities from creating green building codes or mandates.  In short, Dillon's Rule only grants to municipalities those powers that are explicitly granted by the state.  The Virginia Code has specifically granted the power to create a building code to the state; municipalities, on the other hand, can create zoning ordinances. 
 
Recently, I had the pleasure of sitting down to speak with Joan Kelsch, Environmental Planner for Arlington County, about the Arlington County green building programs.  Arlington County has taken advantage of the opportunity to create zoning ordinances by promulgating two programs that stimulate the development of green building projects:  (1) a Site Plan Program; and (2) a Bonus Density Program. 

Lets start with the Site Plan Program.  According to Kelsch, in Arlington County "green building policies are technically voluntary but site plan projects do allow Arlington County to ask for specific proffers from developers."

What is a site plan project?  A site plan is a large project that requires a special exception to the zoning ordinance in order to be built.  Because site plans require an exception to the zoning ordinance, Arlington County is able to require specific green building requirements, including:

(a) LEED™ Accredited Professional
(b) LEED™ Scorecard.
(c) LEED™ Tracking.
(d) Construction Waste Management.
(e) Energy Star Appliances.

In addition, Arlington County is also incentivizing green building development through its Bonus Density Program.  Under the Bonus Density Program, projects larger than zoning would normally permit are allowed if the developer promises to achieve a specific LEED certification level. 

We will be looking at Arlington County's Bonus Density Program in more detail, in part, because the enforcement mechanism involves a four-letter word that has created problems in Washington, D.C. (hint: bond).

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Posted on January 28, 2009 by Chris Cheatham

Green Building Regulation in Virginia: Zoning In

I hope you survived the dramatic cliffhanger from Monday.  Now, time to answer the question, how do Virginia cities and counties regulate green building if they cannot adopt a building code? 

Such a dramatic pause for such a mundane answer:  zoning ordinances. 

The Virginia code specifically delegates to the municipalities the right to create zoning ordinances:

“The planning commission of each locality may, and at the direction of the governing body shall, prepare a proposed zoning ordinance including . . . a text setting forth the regulations applying in each district.”

Under the Dillon Rule, the state creates the building code at the state level but cities and counties can create zoning ordinances at the local level. 
Local governments have recognized the opportunity to regulate green building through zoning ordinances.  You may remember this great quote from a previous post:

“Arlington County is deliberately pushing the limits of state law to insist on green standards for development. . . . Arlington pioneered green building standards through its planning and zoning . . . process.”

Next week, we will examine Arlington County's green building regulations.  In the meantime, I have something very special for Friday.

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Posted on January 26, 2009 by Chris Cheatham

Virginia Green Building Regulations: Avoid the Building Code

This past weekend, I spent a lot of time preparing a slideshow for the William & Mary Environmental Law & Policy Review Symposium, "It's Not Easy Being Green."  As you may recall, I will be presenting on green building regulations in Virginia.  Guess what we are going to discuss on Green Building Law Update this week?  That's right, green building regulations in Virginia. 

Hold on, stay with me. Virginia is actually a very interesting state for developing green building regulations. 

As you may recall, in the past, a reader asked how a Virginia city or county can regulate green building with the Dillon Rule in place.  The Dillon Rule essentially says this: 
"Municipal corporations have only those powers that are expressly granted . . . ." 
One power that is expressly not granted to municipal corporations (cities and counties) is the right to craft a building code:
“The Board is hereby directed and empowered to adopt and promulgate a Uniform Statewide Building Code. Such building code shall supersede the building codes and regulations of the counties [and] municipalities . . . .”
It is clear that Virginia cities and counties cannot require green building through a building code.  Such a building code would have to come from the state legislature.  But there are instances of Virginia cities creating green building regulations.  How do they do it?  I will explain on Wednesday. 

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Posted on October 15, 2008 by Chris Cheatham

Pushing the Limits of Green Building Regulations

Last week, Green Building Law Update wrote about the Dillon Rule and how it is thwarting Virginia cities’ green building regulations. Under the Dillon Rule, the Virginia legislature is empowered with passing building codes, thus preempting city building codes or building regulations.

As we detailed, Indiana also follows the Dillon Rule but was successful in passing a green building regulation. The regulation was actually an executive order passed by Governor Mitch Daniels requiring new state buildings to achieve green building certification. You may remember that Governor Tim Kaine passed a similar executive order in 2007 requiring the incorporation of green building strategies in public construction. So how are Virginia cities including green building regulations?

  • Alexandria, Virginia has set a goal “to achieve LEED-Silver rating for all new City-owned facilities over 5,000 square feet.”

  • Arlington County “encourages private developers to evaluate the environmental impacts of all site plan projects.”

Importantly, notice the language in these green building provisions. Virginia cities have recognized that green building regulations affecting private projects must be passed in the Virginia State Legislature and so they either set “goals” or “encourage” green building. But this doesn’t mean the Virginia cities aren’t testing the limits of the Dillon Rule:
 

Arlington County is deliberately pushing the limits of state law to insist on green standards for development. A decade ago, Arlington pioneered green building standards through its planning and zoning approval process.
 

Arlington County has created one of Green Building Law Update’s favorite green building incentive structures. Stay tuned to read more about it.

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Posted on October 8, 2008 by Chris Cheatham

Dillon Rule Hampers Green Building Efforts

Now that our discussion of Southern Builders v. Shaw Development is over (whew!), Green Building Law Update is going to take the rest of the week to answer some reader questions.  The first question comes from Erica: 

How should a locality located in a "Dillon Rule" state, such as Virginia, go about establishing a mandatory green building program?

Good question Erica.  Lets get everyone on the same page first.  What exactly is the Dillon Rule?  The Dillon Rule is a peculiar rule that basically limits a city’s rulemaking ability so that the city can only make rules when expressly granted by the state: 

“This rule provides that municipal corporations have only those powers that are expressly granted, those necessarily or fairly implied from expressly granted powers, and those that are essential and indispensable. When a local ordinance exceeds the scope of this authority, the ordinance is invalid."

The Dillon Rule is upheld in Virginia, which means that cities are not allowed to create their own building codes.  Virginia Code section 36-98 states “the Board is hereby directed and empowered to adopt and promulgate a Uniform Statewide Building Code. Such building code shall supersede the building codes and regulations of the counties, municipalities and other political subdivisions and state agencies.”

What does this have to do with green building?  We have previously highlighted the Virginia legislature’s disagreement over green building regulation.  While the Virginia legislature continues to disagree as to the proper green building rating system, Virginia cities are watching cities all around them pass green building regulations.  

So how does a Virginia city get around the Dillon Rule so it can enact green building regulations?  My first instinct was building codes, but clearly that is not an option.  What other states use the Dillon Rule.  Indiana?  Indiana!  And Indiana recently imposed green building regulations!  How did that happen?  Stay tuned…

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