WEST NEWBURY — More public education on the implications of a bylaw change that would impact the way new homes are constructed is needed before selectmen will consent to bring it to Town Meeting floor.
As part of an ongoing effort to qualify West Newbury as a Green Community in the state's eyes, the Energy Advisory Committee discussed with the board last Wednesday the five criteria under the Green Community Act and the strategies the EAC proposes for achieving them.
The act promotes higher energy-efficient standards for new residential and commercial buildings, and facilitates the permitting process for alternative energy projects. Towns that are deemed Green Communities under the guidelines are eligible for specific state grants.
The biggest sticking point for selectmen was a criterion to minimize life-cycle energy costs for new construction. To meet it, the EAC recommends adoption of the Board of Building Regulations and Standards (BBRS) Stretch Energy Code, a standard Parker says will eventually become part of state building code anyway.
The code requires approximately 20 percent greater energy efficiency than the existing base energy code in new residential buildings and 20 percent in new commercial buildings. It saves money by reducing home energy costs, while also lessening carbon footprints and contributions to climate change, said EAC Chairman Rick Parker. "It reduces our vulnerability to energy supply and cost fluctuations, and helps ensure environmental quality for future generations." It also increases comfort levels in homes by reducing drafts and temperature variations, he added.
However, Chairman Bert Knowles and Selectman Dick Cushing rejected a motion to bring the proposed bylaw change to Town Meeting in April. Both men felt the public was not yet adequately informed about how the new code impacts costs and other decisions a property owner makes when constructing a new home.
Cushing said efforts at education should be similar to what has been done for other town initiatives. If that happens, he would support putting it on the warrant regardless of whether he personally favored the idea.
Knowles suggested having local architects and others in the construction field speak at public forums about their experiences working under the Stretch Code. The committee should not rely solely on input from Green Energy advocates, he stressed.
As "an old, New England Yankee," Knowles said he was not in favor of "imposing regulations" on design standards. "I would like to leave that decision to the party doing the building and footing the bill," he said.
Selectman Tom Atwood agreed more information on the anticipated payback period for the mandated energy efficiencies was needed but objected to the vote of his colleagues, saying "the board should not be closing down debate."
He encouraged the EAC to bring the issue before voters via a citizen's petition. Selectmen must put on the annual warrant any petition that is signed by 10 registered voters.
The board questioned a vehicle replacement policy requirement that stipulates any new municipal vehicles purchased must meet certain fuel-efficient standards. Based on weight and usage, most of West Newbury's fleet is exempt. Any vehicle over 8,500 pounds is exempt, ruling out most trucks in the fire and public works departments. And police cruisers are exempt because they utilize fuel differently due to their need to shift quickly from idling to high speed, said Liz Callahan of the EAC.
She believes the policy would only apply to a 2005 Ford assigned to the animal control officer, a 2009 Ford Ranger assigned to DPW and, possibly, a 2007 Ford F150 assigned to police. The logical replacement for these vehicles may already meet the standards, Parker noted. The EAC will provide selectmen with a draft of the policy to review.
The board agreed to bring to voters a plan to designate an "as-of-right sitting" for renewable energy generation through installation of a Solar PV system adjacent to Page Elementary School. It requires a change to the zoning bylaw and adoption of an overlay district.
And they voiced no objections to the EAC's plans to meet two final criteria — an expedited application and permit process for as-of-right energy facilities and the establishment of an energy use baseline for the town and a development of a plan to reduce usage by 20 percent within five years.
"You could do very well to get a few of these on the rolls and fight the battle for the Stretch Bylaw in a year or two — or three," offered Cushing.
Parker will check with the Planning Board to see if it is still willing to hold a public hearing on EAC's recommendations despite the selectmen's vote.
As of last December, 86 Massachusetts towns qualified as Green Communities; 104 adopted the Stretch Code as of November 2011. The smallest Green Communities Grants awards to date were about $131,000.
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