The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About11-20-2019 -2.1 Building codes supplemental memo CITY OF SARATOGA Memorandum To: Mayor Cappello & Members of the Saratoga City Council From: Debbie Bretschneider, City Clerk Date: November 20, 2019 Subject: 2.1. Adoption of the 2019 California Building Codes with Local Modifications (Written Communications) After publication of the agenda packet for the November 20, 2019 City Council Meeting, these written communications were received for 2.1. Adoption of the 2019 California Building Codes with Local Modifications. 11/18/2019 Dear Mayor Cappello, Vice Mayor Miller, and Council Members Kumar, Bernald, and Zhao: Thank you for your climate leadership is proposing an all-electric Reach Code. As a student at Palo Alto High School and a Palo Alto resident, I am thrilled with the climate leadership you are showing in proposing this leading, nearly all-electric code. Cities in the Bay Area need to step it up when it comes to climate-related policies. Adopting this Reach Code will make our buildings safer, healthier and better for the climate. Thank you for working to protect Saratoga and the greater area for the future! There are a variety of benefits to building all-electric: All-electric buildings improve air quality. All-electric buildings reduce building costs. All-electric buildings are more resilient than gas. All-electric code is easier for staff, developers, and public. We would like you to consider two items to strengthen the code. First, we ask that you consider going all-electric in all new construction, eliminating gas entirely. Second, we ask you to set a date for staff to come back with a plan for eliminating gas in ADUs by 2021. Thank you for your climate leadership. Zoë Wong-VanHaren 11/18/2019 Dear Mayor Cappello, Vice Mayor Miller, and Council Members Kumar, Bernald, and Zhao: Thank you for your climate leadership is proposing an all-electric Reach Code. As a (# of years) resident/student in/worker in/business owner in Saratoga (or similar, in the area), I am thrilled with the climate leadership you are showing in proposing this leading, nearly all-electric code. Adopting this Reach Code will make our buildings safer, healthier, and better for the climate. Thank you for working to protect Saratoga for the future! There are a variety of benefits to building all-electric: • All-electric buildings improve air quality. • All-electric buildings reduce building costs. • All-electric buildings are more resilient than gas. • All-electric code is easier for staff, developers, and public. We would like you to consider two items to strengthen the code. First, we ask that you consider going all-electric in all new construction, eliminating gas entirely. Second, we ask you to set a date for staff to come back with a plan for eliminating gas in ADUs by 2021. Thank you for your climate leadership. Bruce Naegel Sustainable Silicon Valley and Carbon Free Silicon Valley 650 996 5793 Mobile bnaegel@sustainablesv.org The Campaign for Fossil Free Buildings in Silicon Valley 350 Silicon Valley,Acterra,Bay Area for Clean Environment,Carbon Free Silicon Valley, Carbon Free Palo Alto,Carbon Free Mountain View,Citizens’Climate Lobby San Mateo County,Citizens Environmental Council of Burlingame,Clean Coalition,Climate Reality Santa Clara County,Coltura,Fossil Free Mid-Peninsula,Kitchens of Life,Menlo Spark,Menlo Together,Mothers Out Front South Bay,Pacifica Climate Committee,Peninsula Interfaith Climate Action,Project Green Home,SIDCO Homes,San Carlos Green,Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter,Sustainable San Mateo County,Sustainable Silicon Valley,Sunnyvale Cool,Silicon Valley Youth Climate Action,and Silicon Valley Youth Climate Strike. 20 November 2019 Saratoga City Hall 13777 Fruitvale Ave Saratoga, CA 95070 Mayor Manny Cappello Vice Mayor Howard Miller Council Member Rishi Kumar Council Member Mary-Lynne Bernald Council Member Yan Zhao Via email: mcappello@saratoga.ca.us, hmiller@saratoga.ca.us, rkumar@saratoga.ca.us, mlbernald@saratoga.ca.us, yzhao@saratoga.ca.us RE:STRONG SUPPORT FOR REACH CODE ADOPTION,ITEM 2.1,WITH RECOMMENDED IMPROVEMENTS Dear Mayor Cappello, Vice Mayor Miller, and Council Members Kumar, Bernald, and Zhao: Thank you for your climate leadership in proposing a nearly all-electric Reach Code.We’d also like to thank staff for thoughtful public input and a well-written analysis.We ask that you take the next step to pass a fully all-electric Reach Code, for far greater positive impact. On behalf of the Campaign for Fossil Free Buildings in Silicon Valley ,this letter expresses our strong support for your proposed ordinance, with recommendations to strengthen it further. The Campaign for Fossil Free Buildings in Silicon Valley is comprised of the organizations listed above,working together to support an accelerated phase out of fossil fuels in buildings.A swift transition away from fossil fuel use is necessary to avoid the very worst and irreversible impacts of climate change.Preventing the use of fossil fuels,including natural gas,in new construction Contact IdaRose Sylvester, IdaRose@menlospark.org; and find info at www.FossilFreeBuildings.org will create more affordable,cleaner,healthier,and more resilient housing and buildings for communities throughout Saratoga. Many local cities are taking swift action to prevent new uses of natural gas,a fossil fuel.Thank you for being among them.Menlo Park adopted a nearly all-electric Reach Code,requiring exemptions for gas cooking and gas fireplaces.In November,Mountain View adopted an all-electric Reach Code to prohibit gas in all but a few specific building types (such as laboratories),but in all applications,and Morgan Hill recently passed a prohibition on gas in all new buildings.On October 29,the City of San José,the tenth largest in the nation,banned gas in new ADUs,single family home construction,low-rise residential construction,and municipal buildings.Many more cities will follow this year.Cities are recognizing how important a fossil-free future is to our communities’ health, safety, climate, and future. In addition to our strong support for this ordinance,we have two recommendations to make it even stronger and help Saratoga become even more resilient. 1.Please motion to make the Reach Code All-Electric by removing the gas option for residential cooking and fireplaces: Please require that all new residential buildings be all-electric.If you wish for gas to be allowed in some applications,in some circumstances,please consider the Menlo Park-style approach, which allows developers to seek exemptions under certain circumstances. We are concerned that due to inertia,developers will continue to install gas lines for gas dryers, cooking,and fireplaces,which cause extremely hazardous levels of indoor air pollution and leak devastating amounts of methane into our atmosphere.Mountain View City Council opted to make this exact motion during the first reading of their Reach Code,removing the gas pathway for residential cooking and fireplaces.They cited health,safety and cost benefits for residents, as well as the City’s climate goals. Although in the past,gas stoves were considered more desirable,induction stoves are now the preferred choice of knowledgeable residents and chefs from such esteemed restaurants as the French Laundry.If desired,a residential customer can have an inexpensive,portable burner for any cooking application for which they want gas. 2.Please direct Staff to return to Council at a set date with a plan for requiring all-electric new ADUs by 2021. With modern,extremely efficient electrical appliances,additional panel capacity is seldom necessary with electrification,additions,and ADUs.We can connect you to experts to discuss this, if that would benefit you. Contact IdaRose Sylvester, IdaRose@menlospark.org; and find info at www.FossilFreeBuildings.org There are a variety of benefits to building all-electric: All-Electric Buildings Improve Air Quality.We deserve to live in healthy homes!The combustion of gas in our homes produces harmful indoor air pollution:(nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide,nitric oxide,formaldehyde,acetaldehyde,and ultrafine particles).This indoor pollution can cause serious respiratory diseases as well as serious long term conditions. All-Electric Buildings Reduce Building Costs.All-electric buildings will reduce construction costs and allow California to address its serious housing crisis.All-electric buildings eliminate the need to install costly gas hookups.Cost analyses of all-electric vs.mixed fuel consistently show all-electric as being less expensive to build. 1 All-Electric Buildings Are Safer.Gas pipelines are vulnerable to methane leakage, over-pressurization,and failures due to earthquakes.Some recent major pipeline explosions and major leaks:Aliso Canyon (2016 and 2015),Carmel (2014),San Bruno (2010),and Rancho Cordova (2008).This does not even mention the extremely common leaks in natural gas pipes that often go completely undetected. All-Electric Buildings Are More Resilient Than Gas.The recent PG&E shutoffs show us that we need to build in resiliency in our new buildings.New gas appliances now rely on electricity to run,and gas as well as electrical shutoffs happen in emergencies.In fact,the electricity came back first after the Sonoma fires,but the gas took much longer to restore.In emergencies,such as fires and earthquakes,all our utilities go down and self reliance with electrical appliances, solar and storage is the best option. All-Electric Code Is Easier for Staff,Developers,and Public.An all-electric code will save your planning department staff significant time,will cut down on developer time by eliminating complex compliance margins,decrease permit time,decrease building time,ensure consistent application of the code across applicants, and be easier for the public to understand. Thank you for your leadership! Sincerely, IdaRose Sylvester, Fossil Free Buildings Silicon Valley Diane Bailey, Menlo Spark Bruce Hodge, Carbon Free Palo Alto Justine Burt,Co-Chair,Green Sanctuary Committee,Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Palo Alto Janelle London, Coltura Gary Latshaw, Chair of the Guadalupe Group of the Loma Prieta Chapter of the Sierra Club Carol Cross, Fossil Free Mid-Peninsula 1https://rmi.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/RMI_Economics_of_Electrifying_Buildings_2018.pdf and https://www.ethree.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/E3_Residential_Building_Electrification_in_California_April_2019.pdf Contact IdaRose Sylvester, IdaRose@menlospark.org; and find info at www.FossilFreeBuildings.org Terry Nagel, Chair, Sustainable San Mateo County, and former Mayor, Burlingame Barbara Fukumoto, Sunnyvale Cool Zoë Wong-VanHaren, Menlo Spark Susan Butler-Graham, for Mothers Out Front South Bay James Tuleya, Chairperson, Carbon Free Silicon Valley Bruce Karney, The Climate Reality Project Suzanne Emerson, San Carlos Green Helen Deng, AMHS Student, Silicon Valley Climate Strikes Hoi Yung Poon, board member, Bay Area for Clean Environment; co-founder, SV Youth Climate Action; co-chair, environmental committee, SV Democratic Club Abhimanyu Jayarman, SV Youth Climate Actions and Strikes Linda Sell, board member SV Democratic Club; board member, Bay Area for Clean Environment Tara Sreekrishnan, Silicon Valley Youth Climate Action Bruce Naegel, Carbon Free Silicon Valley and Sustainable Silicon Valley Debbie Mytels, Chair, Peninsula Interfaith Climate Action Hoai-An Truong, Mothers Out Front South Bay and Silicon Valley Youth Climate Action Bruce Karney, The Climate Reality Project Lauren Weston, Acterra Cc: Keith Weiner, Building Official, keithw@saratoga.ca.us Debbie Bretschneider, City Clerk, debbieb@saratoga.ca.us Contact IdaRose Sylvester, IdaRose@menlospark.org; and find info at www.FossilFreeBuildings.org