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greenprint in the news
Home-upgrade plan killed
By: John C. Ensslin And Stuart Steers
The Rocky Mountain News
July 5, 2007
Mayor rejects bid to require 'green' fixes before sales
One of the more ambitious ideas put forward by Mayor John Hickenlooper's task force on global warming may have been uprooted at a tree-planting celebration.
Hickenlooper has rejected a proposal generated by his Greenprint Denver initiative that would have required homeowners to invest up to $1,000 in energy conservation improvements before they could sell their homes.
"While the Greenprint Denver Council's recommendations were intended to stimulate discussion, not to dictate policy, and I applaud the goal, I don't think we need to insert additional burdens on homeowners trying to sell their houses right now," the mayor said in a statement Tuesday.
Instead of the city issuing mandates, Hickenlooper said, he hopes energy-efficiency goals can be achieved by working with Realtors and home builders.
Marlena Fernandez Berkowitz, mayoral spokeswoman, said Wednesday the energy-conservation proposal was only one of several recommendations the task force made to Hickenlooper.
"This is one that will not get enacted," she said.
The mayor's decision comes about three weeks after a group of Realtors approached him informally at a tree-planting celebration outside a Habitat for Humanity house in north Denver.
Several members of the Denver Board of Realtors told Hickenlooper of their concerns about what effect the mandate would have on a stalled real estate market.
"Several of us know the mayor," said Rich Delanoy, who has served as co-chairman of the board's government affairs committee. "We were the first trade group to endorse him for mayor."
Delanoy said Wednesday that he is concerned about the effect such a requirement could have on the timing of home sales.
"Timing is of the essence," he said. "If you get put in a situation where you are required to do something else, it puts you at a disadvantage."
He also questioned the wisdom of such a mandate at a time when Denver ranks highly in foreclosure rates.
"We talked about it, and the mayor said he wanted to get together with us and see if we can find some common ground," Delanoy said. "I hope to be involved in those discussions."
Delanoy said most of his colleagues have been open to the idea, but want to make sure it doesn't harm the market.
The "time-of-sale" energy-conservation ordinance the task force suggested was modeled in part on plans adopted in California.
Homeowners would have been required to spend up to $1,000 on attic insulation, pipe wrap, blankets on hot-water heaters, weather stripping and other measures.
Residential energy-conservation ordinances were adopted in San Francisco and Berkeley, Calif., in the late 1980s.
San Francisco hasn't enforced the ordinance, hoping residents will voluntarily follow the rules.
Berkeley, on the other hand, has the most ambitious energy- conservation program in the country. It's been accepted, local officials say, because the city and power company created a fund that pays most of the cost for residents who insulate their attics.
A recent study estimated that Berkeley had reduced its carbon emissions 8.9 percent from 2000 to 2005.
Think global, act local
Denver may ask residents to make personal sacrifices to combat global warming. Ideas being considered:
- Making heavy users of electricity and natural gas pay more
- Charging residents who throw away a lot of trash
- Setting energy-efficiency standards for new construction
- Giving carpoolers and hybrids priority for parking
What's next?
The plan will be presented to community groups in the next several months, and the City Council will hold hearings this summer. Denver's goal is to have the Climate Action Plan in place by the end of the year.
Article URL: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5615987,00.html
