Haverhill City Councilor John A. Michitson asked the Council’s Planning and Development Committee to explore policies that incentivize developers to use sustainable and environmentally friendly construction practices.
In terms of incentives, Councilor Mitchitson cited the Seattle Living Building Pilot Program which provides developers with additional height and floor area ratio in exchange for meeting rigorous climate resiliency measures. The ultimate goal cited by Councilor Mitchitson is for new buildings to generate more energy than they use.
The City Council unanimously voted to refer the matter to the Planning and Development Committee for further research and discussion. Updates will be posted on the NSR blog.