New Ferndale ordinance to require for more LEED projects

metromode, 2/2/2009

Ferndale already has a reputation as a city of tree huggers, but now city officials want the inner ring suburb's buildings to embrace the environment around them, too.

The City Council recently debated a new ordinance that recommends all of the structures owned or funded by Ferndale be sustainable. It plans to do that by suggesting that silver certification of LEED standards be incorporated into the city's building stock.

City officials believe this policy will help encourage new construction or redevelopment projects to include sustainable design and building practices in buildings that are environmentally responsible, energy efficient and healthy places to work.

City officials quoted statistics that say that buildings consume approximately 70 percent of the electricity produced in the U.S. while creating 30 percent of the country's greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. The hope is that such policies will help curb building-energy consumption and emissions.

Source: City of Ferndale
Writer: Jon Zemke

Ferndale