Built Environment 3.3: Green Building

The whole world is recognizing that we need a major shift in how we deal with energy and the environment. Given the Island’s particular transportation constraints, it is especially important to increase the efficiency with which our buildings use resources — energy, water, and materials — while reducing building impacts on human health and the environment. This can be done through better siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal — the complete building life cycle. We should also be concerned about other building impacts on its surrounding area, such as light pollution and noise, and should optimize the impacts of renewable energy projects by looking at their impact on scenic values and historic resources.

Though there is great interest in green building on the Vineyard, there are presently no regulations or incentives to actually make it happen. In addition to energy-related issues (see section 4: Energy and Waste) there is a wide variety of other things we could do, such as minimizing demolition of existing buildings or scrapping of building materials, using environmentally sound building practices, using green building materials (reused, reusable, non-toxic), and ensuring the highest indoor air quality.

Objective B4: Encourage use of environmentally sound building “green-building” techniques and minimize the negative environmental impacts of building and human habitation.

·  Strategy B4-1: Set energy/green-building standards for new construction and major renovations. We should require higher basic energy standards for new construction and major renovations (such as Energy Star Plus certification, the Commonwealth’s anticipated “stretch” building code, or a custom code for the Island such as VineyardBuild). We could require LEED certification for major projects and, as it becomes more affordable and accessible, require it for all building projects, possibly subsidizing the cost by non-profit organizations and year-round homes. The MVC has already adopted such a policy for projects subject to Commission review.

Strategy B4-2: Set up a program to encourage energy/green-building standards for existing buildings. Owners should be encouraged to incorporate energy efficiency and green building techniques in their buildings, especially when they are carrying out other renovation or expansion projects. The Vineyard Energy Project and town energy committees’ efforts in this regard could be expanded to include other green building issues. This can be done through education and technical assistance, which can provide advice about possible energy savings and the other advantages of ·  environmental building design, and can help with access to materials, products, and expertise. Just the decision to preserve an existing structure rather than demolish and replace it is an environmentally friendly choice, compared to demolition and new construction.

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Strategy B4-3 Ensure that renewable energy facilities are compatible with historic and community character. The current energy crisis will likely lead to the proliferation of renewable energy facilities such as wind turbines and solar panels. A challenge is balancing energy and green building objectives, with other objectives such as scenic values and historic preservation. Examples include the impact of wind turbines on neighborhoods and scenic vistas, or the installation of highly visible solar panels on historic buildings. Based on the recommendations above, there would be a project review process in historic areas and traditional neighborhoods, and along scenic roads, to ensure that impacts are minimized by using efficiency measures first and by siting turbines or solar panels where they are less visible. Outside those areas, regulations should be combined with a project reviews for larger wind turbines and arrays of solar panels, to minimize their visual impact, and to ensure that those projects that do have a significant impact on the public or abutters, are warranted.  For example, the Wind Energy Facilities Siting Plan (see section 4.) should, minimize visual and noise impacts especially from public places. When renewable energy facilities that compromise other objectives must be installed, it is desirable that the benefits accrue to those who will be negatively impacted; for example, those who see large, community wind turbines could get reduced and stabilized rates.

·  Strategy B4-4: Manage building construction processes. A construction process can be very disruptive of a neighborhood, especially for large projects that extend over several years, for projects with nearby abutters, and for projects where the only access is a narrow, shared road. As part of the project review process (special permits, site plan review, and MVC DRI review), applicants for potentially problematic projects should be required to submit and follow a Construction Management Report that outlines how impacts would be minimized.

Objective B5: Minimize the general ongoing environmental impacts of human habitation on its context.

Many broad impacts – such as light, noise, and chemical use – emanate from the presence of human habitation in a community. These impacts don’t respect property lines and are becoming increasingly problematic as we concentrate development. Impacts can be on immediate abutters or on a larger neighborhood. People living close together are particularly affected by stray lighting, noisy machinery, and the use of pesticides on neighbors’ properties.

·  Strategy B5-1: Require dark sky compliant lighting. Poorly designed outdoor lighting shines on abutting properties, causes glare that can be a safety hazard for drivers and can interfere with navigation in Island harbors, and creates a sky glow that can block out the view of stars. The fact that the Vineyard is surrounded by miles of unlit ocean means that by controlling lighting on-Island, we can be especially successful in reestablishing a dark sky over the Island. Dark-sky compliant lighting regulations require that lights be fully shielded to only shine down, be glare-free, use correct lighting levels, and are only used when needed (e.g. during business hours and motion-activated security lighting for commercial buildings). This could be accompanied by upgrades to public buildings (which are some of the worst offenders) as showcases, a public information campaign publically acknowledging good examples, encouraging lighting review to be included in subdivision covenants, and privately approaching owners of problematic properties.

·  Strategy B5-2: Limit the use of toxins. Towns should explore the possibility of regulations on the use of pesticides and other chemicals used in landscaping should be explored, especially in the most problematic areas such as sensitive watersheds, significant habitat, and dense neighborhoods.

·  Strategy B5-3: Limit nuisances. Regulations and enforcement procedures dealing with smoke and odor, such as from outdoor wood stoves, as well as the impact of noise from construction, landscaping work, and home businesses should be reviewed and improved if possible.

·  Strategy B5-4:  Curtail use of two-stroke engines.  Two-stroke engines are especially polluting (and a common source or noise complaints). Promote use of electrical equipment when available, such as leaf blowers, weed trimmers and lawnmowers.