NORTHAMPTON — After debate and some revisions to its final draft, the Northampton City Council has passed a measure that will effectively ban the use of fossil fuels in all new buildings and major renovation projects citywide.
During its Jan. 16 meeting, the council reviewed the measure once again following its passing through Legislative Matters Committee and Ordinance Committee meetings for discussion and edits over the last two weeks.
The ordinance is part of a state-sponsored program that 10 municipalities are set to take part in. Northampton is the only participant in Western Massachusetts with other members mostly coming from Boston suburbs or on Martha’s Vineyard.
“This is an ordinance that allows us to enter into the competitive process of the state’s fossil fuel free demonstration project, [which] only applies to new construction and major renovations,” said City Council President Alex Jarret.
This ordinance will take effect on Jan. 27.
The final draft of the now passed ordinance can be viewed on the city’s website and to review the full meeting discussion on the ordinance and its final changes visit the Northampton Government Video Archive YouTube channel.
“I received a call this afternoon from someone who was firmly opposed at the hearing, and said they were very surprised at the amount of outreach that was done. They thought it would just be voted in and that was that, but they really appreciated all the work and they feel like it’s in a much better place, so I was heartened to see that process of listening to the public happened,” said City Council President Alex Jarret on feedback he received regarding the edits made between the public forum and council meeting.
During the Jan. 6 Legislative Matters Committee meeting, there was a public forum opened so community members could have dialogue with councilors on the then proposed measure. During that meeting, many leaders of local architect firms voiced their concerns about the challenges that could arise from taking on the new measure.
During the public hearing, Northampton City Action and Project Administration Director Ben Weil explained some of the exemptions in the ordinance. Although new hearing systems installed in buildings would have to meet the new guidelines “like-for-like” replacements of existing fossil fuel equipment, such as a boiler with another boiler, would be permitted, Weil explained during the Legislative Matters meeting.
“Replacements are not considered a major renovation. They’re not incurring this thing. So, it’s not like all of a sudden you can’t replace your boiler with anything other than a air-to-water heat pump. That wouldn’t be reasonable,” Weil explained. “If new equipment is not being added, then it’s not part of the discussion.”
Several exemptions were in place already for certain types of buildings and facilities for when the building code will take effect. Research labs, hospitals and medical offices would be exempt from the new code, as would be outdoor cooking and heating appliances and emergency generators. Historical buildings are also exempt if the ordinance requirements would change the historic fabric of the building.
During that meeting several people objected to the ordinance saying it would bring on stricter requirements. Co-manager of the firm Jones Whisett Architects Dorrie Brooks said while she supports eliminating fossil fuels, the city was not exactly in the best position as its counterparts to take on this state sponsored program.
“We’re not Newton. We’re not Arlington. The value of the properties in this city are significantly lower, you know the quality and condition of many of them. They’re in desperate need of renovation. Both our downtown and many residences,” said Brooks. “The challenge is that if we take this and add this burden on top of other burdens that a property owner has in trying to renovate their property, we create the conditions by which they may choose not to renovate at all.”
Another practicing architect noted that even stretch codes aiming to reduce fossil fuel usages implemented in some communities have caused projects to be halted, something that could be exacerbated through this ordinance.
On the other side of the argument, Adin Maynard of Power House Energy Consultant said adoption of the ordinance would be a way to apply pressure on utility companies to electrify their systems and become more sustainable.
“Utilities are publicly regulated, shareholder-owned companies. As we know in our capitalist society, they’re not going to do that on their own goodwill,” Maynard said. “As hard as it is, we have to step up in this moment and take initiative and be the leader to electrify our grid.”
Before the council ultimately voted to approve the new ordinance, councilors gave some final remarks on the decision. Councilor at-large Garrick Perry said while he is in support of the ordinance he has struggled to hone in on what exactly is the incentive for the city with this ordinance outside of attempting to promote better practices for the environment.
“We will be able to give some data to the state. Whether that’s beneficial to us is up in the air,” Perry said. “I do believe in the overall goals of electrification and being a forward thinker but I also want to say that we don’t know what the outcome of that is going to be and so I hope everything works out.”
Ward 1 Councilor Stanley Moulton said going forward there will still be opportunities for the public to be educated on this new ordinance and he thanked the several people around the city involved in the work getting this ordinance ready to go. He added it’s important for Northampton to be representing the western region of the state in this state program.
“I think it’s important that Northampton be a leader and contribute to the pilot project that the state is running because there may be some things that are unique to Northampton that the state needs to be aware of,” Moulton explained. “If the city is granting a number of exemptions because the utility can’t deliver the electricity, the sate needs to know that so some regulatory action can be taken.”
