Best Practice Action 3.5
GreenStep City Best Practices: Buildings and Lighting
New Green Buildings No. 3
Construct new buildings to meet or qualify under a green building framework.
Best Practice Action Detail
Best Practice Action 5
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.
- 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.
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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. |
Who's doing it
Duluth -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed: 2012
Implementation details:
According to the Unified Development Code 50-19, all urban residential zones allow multifamily dwellings. For food production, community gardens are permitted uses in all urban residential zones, and urban agriculture is allowed with a special use permit. Energy generation in the form of solar, wind, or geothermal are permitted uses in all urban residential zones.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
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For more information contact:
Adam Fulton (City staff) | afulton@hermantownmn.com | 218-729-3618
Partners:
Detroit Lakes -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed:
Implementation details:
The City of Detroit Lakes is a regulated MS4 permittee, which requires an in-depth SWPP (Storm Water Prevention Plan). The MS4 permit requires annual reporting and best practice implementation. The City of Detroit Lakes issues Land Disturbance Permits and inspects related activities within the City limits to ensure compliance to stormwater rules and requirements. The City is regulated by the Pelican River Watershed District, which also regulates stormwater runoff.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
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For more information contact:
Kelcey Klemm (City Staff) | kklemm@cityofdetroitlakes.com | 2188475658
Partners:
Inver Grove Heights -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed: 2008
Implementation details:
The City of Inver Grove Heights has adopted a Northwest Area Zoning Ordinance (2008) that promotes Low Impact Development (LID), or green infrastructure, in Northwest Area development projects. This requires at least 20% of a PUD to be preserved as open space/natural areas, and at least 50% of the required natural area should be kept in a natural state with native vegetation. The City of Inver Grove Heights has also adopted a Vertical Access Wind Turbine Ordinance (2013), allowing wind turbines in specified zoning districts.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
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For more information contact:
Ally Sutherland (City Staff) | asutherland@invergroveheights.org | 651-604-8511
Partners:
Jordan -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed:
Implementation details:
City zoning code has design and performance standards that "are designed to prevent and eliminate those conditions which depreciate property values that cause blight or are detrimental to the environment" (Zoning Code 154.126-0). The code also has a section on solar panel requirements (154.394). We also have a dedication section of the code pertaining to Alternative Energy Systems (154.391)
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
Through implementing these codes we have seen addition permits for solar panels as well as native plantings in many developments. Most recently our new Community Education Recreation Center has installed over 3 acres of native plantings in the front yard.
Descriptive File:
Descriptive links: http://library.amlegal.com/nxt/gateway.dll/Minnesota/jordan_mn/cityofjordanminnesotacodeofordinances?f=templates$fn=default.htm$3.0$vid=amlegal:jordan_mn
For more information contact:
Nathan Fuerst (City staff) | nfuerst@jordanmn.gov | 952-492-7929
Partners:
Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed:
Implementation details:
The Leech lake housing authority implemented a renewable energy and land use ordinance which requires adopting storm water guidelines.
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For more information contact:
Brandy Toft (City staff) | air@lldrm.org | 218-335-7429
Partners:
Greenstep Advisor
Melissa Wenzel, Built Environment Sustainability Administrator, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, 651/757-2251, melissa.wenzel@state.mn.us