Residents Consider Green Community Requirements

Residents got a look at what it would mean for Needham to go green Monday night, during a public hearing held at .

The Green Communities Study Committee was appointed by the Board of Selectmen to explore whether Needham should seek designation as a Massachusetts “Green Community." On Monday, committee members presented the possible benefits of such a designation—including a possible $125,000 grant to help fund energy-savings projects in town—and also talked about what new regulations might require of homeowners and developers.

Among the requirements for Needham to become a Green Community is adoption of the Stretch Energy Code—building regulations that would require new construction and major renovations to be approximately 20 percent more energy-efficient than under current regulations.

“It’s really going to push contractors to a higher level of performance, a higher standard, than currently exists,” explained Ed Quinlan, a member of the study committee.  “Some builders out there today are already building homes to that quality.”

The Stretch Energy Code, in some ways, helps “level the playing field,” Quinlan said, requiring all builders in town to meet those standards.

“We’re anticipating that the average cost to a homeowner/builder for new home construction or major renovations is probably in the order of 2.4 percent [over current costs],” he added.

For minor renovations that don’t impact the building’s envelope—basically its walls, windows or roof—the new regulations would have zero additional cost, Quinlan said.

The additional costs would come from needing to meet specific requirements, such as installing energy-efficient windows or a specific kind of insulation to reduce air leaks, as well as hiring a Home Energy Rating System, or HERS, consultant, which costs between $600 and $1,200 in Massachusetts, Quinlan said.

The HERS rater would review the construction process from the beginning to ensure the home is meeting Stretch Code efficiency requirements.

Though setting stricter building code regulations will require more time from the town’s inspectional services department, residents' use of mandatory HERS raters also could help curb that additional labor cost for the town, Quinlan said, as a certified HERS consultant is qualified to provide the necessary inspections.

“Clearly there’s an education [factor], making sure that the builders and also the design professionals are aware of the Stretch Code and are building and designing to the Stretch Code,” he said.

Along with additional costs, there are savings that come with more efficient homes.

Green Communities Study Committee member Bob Ernst said the state had estimated an average annual energy savings of $1,300 for a new, 3,000-square-foot home built to meet the Stretch Code.

“There are savings to be had, just from the fact that you’re making the house tighter and more energy efficient,” he said.

Along with adopting the Stretch Energy Code, Needham would have to meet a few other requirements to qualify as a Green Community—some of which have already been covered.

The town already has zoning in place that would allow for renewable and alternative energy research facilities (though it does not specifically mention these types of structures), and the town has recently worked to established a quicker permitting process that study committee chairman Jerry Wasserman said would meet the state's requirement.

The town also must establish a baseline for energy use among town facilities and create a plan to reduce that usage by 20 percent.

“At this stage, we have through Town Meeting received funding to bring in a consultant to do this, regardless of whether we join Green Communities,” said Wasserman, who also serves on the Board of Selectmen. “We want to maximize the efficiency of our buildings and facilities.”

As an example, he mentioned the at 500 Dedham Ave., which currently houses town offices and will eventually be the home of the Department of Public Works once Town Hall renovations are complete. The new structure runs on a geothermal heating and cooling system, which uses heat from below the earth’s surface to maintain temperatures inside the building.

Another Green Communities requirement is to have a plan in place to purchase fuel-efficient vehicles whenever possible—with the exception of emergency and police vehicles and heavy-duty equipment such as dump trucks.

Wasserman said the town has already started looking at fuel-efficient vehicles as a way of cutting costs in the long term—including purchasing a few hybrid vehicles even though that is not required for the state designation.

About 20 people attended the hearing on Monday. Some came with questions while others mainly wanted to express their support of Needham going green.

“I think this is a really exciting initiative,” Walnut Street resident Lynn Klatt said. “I can see how there would be some slight hesitation about initial costs, but I think over the long term those costs will be mitigated by the energy savings the residents or municipality would enjoy.”

Klatt also said that being a green community would “contribute to a better quality of life in Needham.”

Coolidge Avenue resident Joe Goldstein also supported the move.

“If these costs [of construction or renovations] are rolled into a mortgage or loan and paid over time, the annual costs are actually negative [savings outpace costs],” he said.

With about 90 Massachusetts communities having adopted the Stretch Code, including a few of Needham’s neighbors such as Dedham and Natick, Goldstein said he felt it was only right for Needham to join in.

“A community such as Needham which is known as a leader on environmental issues [...] is in danger of falling behind,” he said, adding that the town could see benefits in terms of real estate values and the community’s attractiveness.

Resident John Comando asked whether the committee had looked at all the potential costs to the town if the Stretch Code was passed, such as administrative time, additional training and inspectional services. 

Study committee member Rick Zimbone, chairman of the Finance Committee, said the group had acknowledged there would be some additional costs, like the ones Comando mentioned, but that they had not tabulated specifically what those costs would look like.

Comando said many Needham consumers and builders were already pursuing energy efficiency in new homes and renovations and questioned the need to mandate it.

Following Monday’s public hearing, the Green Communities Study Committee will review the comments made and consider whether to recommend to the selectmen that the town adopt the Stretch Code and apply for designation as a Green Community.

Then the selectmen will make their recommendation and possibly put the Stretch Code on for the November special Town Meeting. If approved by a majority vote at Town Meeting, the code will be adopted. It is then up to the selectmen whether Needham will seek the Green Community designation, Wasserman said.

He encouraged residents to continue to provide feedback. Comments can be submitted via the town Web site or mailed to: Green Communities Study Committee, Public Services Administration Building, 500 Dedham Ave., Needham, MA 02492.