To see if the Town will vote to amend Title VI, Article 3 of the Bylaws of the Town of Arlington, entitled “Building Code,” to adopt the Municipal Opt-In Specialized Stretch Energy Code for the purpose of regulating the design and construction of buildings for the effective use of energy and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, pursuant to the entirety of 225 CMR 22 and 23 including Appendices RC and CC, including future editions, amendments or modifications thereto; or take any other action related thereto.

(Inserted at the request of the Town Manager and Clean Energy Future Committee)

(5 - 0)

The Select Board strongly supports adoption of this local option statute (and associated model bylaw) provided by the Commonwealth to enhance energy efficiency and electrification requirements for new residential homes and commercial developments.  Such action builds upon the Town’s long-standing efforts and previous adoption of the original “Stretch Code.” Should Town Meeting approve, Arlington would join Brookline, Newton, Somerville and Cambridge (among others) in taking the next step toward meeting the Town’s “Net Zero” energy goals.  The “Specialized Stretch Code” essentially amends the building code as applied in Arlington to provide for design and construction standards to meet heightened baseline energy efficiency requirements.  These requirements in turn incentivize electric heating and cooling systems which are less dependent on fossil fuels and consume less overall energy.

The Board appreciates the Sustainability Manager and Building Inspector’s past and planned future efforts to educate and prepare contractors for the application the Specialized Stretch Code, as well as its alignment with housing affordability goals in Arlington.  Indeed new construction of affordable housing has often been a proving ground for energy efficiency standard improvements.  Town Meeting members can find additional details on the Specialized Stretch Code in the informational materials included in the Appendix to the Board’s report.

That the Town hereby accepts the “Specialized Stretch Code” as provided in G.L. c. 25A sec. 6, and enacts Title VI, Article 6 (B) of the Town of Arlington Bylaws, entitled “Specialized Energy Code” for the purpose of regulating the design and construction of buildings for the effective use of energy and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, pursuant to the entirety of 225 CMR 22 and 23 including Appendices RC and CC, including future editions, amendments or modifications thereto, with an effective date of January 1, 2024.

Further:

That the Town hereby amends Title VI, Article 6, to add a new section B “Specialized Stretch Code” as follows.

SPECIALIZED ENERGY CODE

1.      Definitions

International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) – The International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) is a building energy code created by the International Code Council. It is a model code adopted by many state and municipal governments in the United States for the establishment of minimum design and construction requirements for energy efficiency, and is updated on a three-year cycle. The baseline energy conservation requirements of the MA State Building Code are the IECC with Massachusetts amendments, as approved by the Board of Building Regulations and Standards and published in state regulations as part of 780 CMR.

Specialized Energy Code – Codified by the entirety of 225 CMR 22 and 23 including Appendices RC and CC, the Specialized Energy Code adds residential and commercial appendices to the Massachusetts Stretch Energy Code, based on amendments to the respective net-zero appendices of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) to 3 | P a g e incorporate the energy efficiency of the Stretch energy code and further reduce the climate impacts of buildings built to this code, with the goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from the buildings sector no later than 2050.

Stretch Energy Code – Codified by the combination of 225 CMR 22 and 23 1 , not including Appendices RC and CC, the Stretch Energy Code is a comprehensive set of amendments to the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) seeking to achieve all lifecycle cost-effective energy efficiency in accordance with the Green Communities Act of 2008, as well as to reduce the climate impacts of buildings built to this code.

2.       Purpose

The purpose of 225 CMR 22.00 and 23.00 including Appendices RC and CC, also referred to as the Specialized Energy Code is to provide a more energy efficient and low greenhouse gas emissions alternative to the Stretch Energy Code or the baseline Massachusetts Energy Code, applicable to the relevant sections of the building code for both new construction and existing buildings.

3.      Applicability

This energy code applies to residential and commercial buildings.

4.      Specialized Code Incorporated Herein

 The Specialized Code, as codified by the entirety of 225 CMR 22 and 23 including Appendices RC and CC, including any future editions, amendments, or modifications, is herein incorporated by reference into Title VI of the Town of Arlington Bylaws.  The Specialized Code is enforceable by the inspector of buildings or building commissioner.

Select Board Report

Presentation by Clean Energy Future Committee

Letter from Pat Hanlon, Precinct 5