L.A. Set To Become Next Big City To Mandate Green Development

"Under the L.A. rules, new buildings with more than 50 units or 50,000 square feet of floor area would be required to meet national standards established by the U.S. Green Building Council, a Washington-based nonprofit organization that is working with cities across the country. The measure is expected to come before the City Council early next year."

"Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa applauded the Planning Commission's action. 'In the city with the dirtiest air in America, reducing our carbon footprint is not a luxury but an absolute necessity,' he said. 'Green building may be the most significant thing we can do.'"

"The first recommended measures include wiring buildings for solar-energy systems, using high-efficiency heating and air conditioning units, and installing toilets and shower heads that use less water. In addition, half of demolition and construction waste would have to be recycled, and low-irrigation landscaping would be mandated for lots greater than 1,000 square feet."

"For developers willing to submit their projects to the council for [LEED] silver certification, the commission Thursday approved a measure to expedite permits that could save builders from two months to a year."

"The business community was sharply split on the measures. The California Building Industry Assn. said the rules would raise home prices and cause a bureaucratic 'train wreck.' But the Los Angeles Business Council, an influential group of developers and architects, lauded the effort as 'practical and realistic . . . a tidal change in altering the way we perceive future development in the city.'"