The City of Worcester has ended its attempt to temporarily stop enforcing strict environmentally friendly building codes, citing feedback from the state.
The City of Worcester has ended its attempt to temporarily stop enforcing strict environmentally friendly building codes, citing feedback from the state. “Following further discussion with state officials, the municipality is no longer seeking a pause to the specialized stretch code. No action can be taken until three years after the effective date of the policy,” Worcester City Manager Eric Batista wrote in a Monday statement.The Worcester City Council had been exploring a temporary pause from the specialized stretch energy code, which requires new buildings to be more efficient through tighter building envelopes and prewiring for electrification in buildings using fossil fuels. It is the most stringent of three energy codes Massachusetts municipalities can adopt.Developers and local business groups had called for a pause at the council’s April 16 meeting, saying the costs and complications of the codes were driving away development. During that council discussion, City officials did not outline the mechanics of the pause; state law does not include provisions for temporary movement from one level or code to another.Batista’s decision to stick with the specialized stretch codes came about a half-hour after the end of a small protest outside of City Hall, where environmental activists urged the City Council to retain the eco-friendly codes.“The renovation at the Lakeside Apartments demonstrates our specialized code policies provide sustainable affordable housing that benefits tenants by reducing utility bills, preventing mold growth, and improving air quality,” said Nelly Medina, coordinator at Mothers Out Front Worcester and resident of the Worcester Housing Authority’s Lakeside Apartments.Another speaker said other Worcester policies were impacting housing development, not the City’s energy codes.A protest was held on Monday against the City's plans to pause the specialized stretch energy code. PHOTO | ERIC CASEY“What we're really falling short on is that 44% of Worcester is still zoned exclusively for single-family homes,” said Kiara Munz, member of the Worcester chapter of advocacy group Strong Towns. “It's our over reliance on special permits, delaying building with our short-staffed planning department instead of by-right building. It's the absence of targeted rezoning and permitting reform the housing production plan itself calls for.”The City Council on Tuesday night will consider Batista’s recommendation to file the item calling for a stretch code pause, meaning it would not be adopted. Eric Casey is the managing editor at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the real estate and banking & finance industries.
