The first update in five years to Arlington’s Green Building Incentive Program is likely to have more stringent rules but also more pathways for developers to meet them.
The Arlington government in 1999 began providing incentives for developers willing to go beyond minimum requirements in environmentally friendly design. The program was updated in 2014 and again in 2020.
Now, approaching five years since the last revision, county-government staff propose that sweeping changes be considered as a five-year pilot program with “the flexibility built in to adapt with the market,” said Paul Roman, the county’s green-building program manager.
Under a draft proposal, there would be tiered paths for developers to receive either bonus density or, in some cases, direct financial incentives after meeting the local government’s sustainability objectives. New projects, redevelopment of existing properties and repurposing — such as from commercial to residential — would be eligible.
Developers also will be able to qualify by addressing climate-resiliency issues, including noise pollution, air pollution, light pollution, stormwater issues, tree canopy, heat islands — even by developing properties to bird-friendly specifications.
Providing incentives is a tacit acknowledgment that going beyond legal requirements comes with a cost to developers. But those costs should be manageable, said architect Victoria Kiechel, a consultant to the county government.
“We’re hoping to allay developers’ fears of massive cost increases,” she said at an Oct. 7 webinar, while acknowledging “there is a cost associated with learning the ropes” of the new process.
In some cases, property developers will qualify for incentives by building to standards created by the nonprofit Phius. Kiechel said that, based on experiences in other parts of the country, it costs between 3% and 8% more for properties to reach Phius standards compared to typical construction.
The upside? “It creates healthy, resilient buildings,” she said.
Roman noted that changes could come to the measure as it makes its way through the public-engagement and advisory-commission gauntlet.
“Nothing is etched in stone. Items may be revised,” he said.
Anticipating County Board action sometime in 2025, staff recommend a six-month education period after the vote, so those in the Arlington development arena can wrap their arms around the new process.
That, said Roman, “hopefully will curb the apprehension.”
