Adopt environmentally preferable covenant guidelines for new common interest communities addressing issues such as stormwater, greywater, native vegetation, growing food, clothes lines, electric vehicle charging, and renewable energy.
Best Practice of this action
Rating Guideline
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Guidelines allow native vegetation, raingardens and renewable energy installations. |
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Guidelines allow larger-scale food production areas. |
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Guideliness allow greywater reuse; dividing large houses into multi-family units. |
Resources
- Common interest communities are condominium associations, homeowner associations, housing cooperatives and the like. Cities can adopt guidelines governing the content of these homeowner covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&R) or other forms of deed restrictions to ensure that they allow, for example, installation of rain gardens, prairie grasses, pollinator-friendly landscaping, clothes lines, and renewable energy technologies.
- See the Walker, MN ordinance that addresses CC&Rs that block solar energy systems.
- Use the International Dark-Sky Association Guidance for U.S. Homeowners Associations to promote reduced/smarter outdoor lighting. See the GreenStep Dark Skies best practices for more.
Order Number
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