A. Building Official Authority: The City is committed to incentivizing energy efficient and sustainable development and construction on all new construction and major renovation projects throughout the City, and this chapter authorizes the City building official to expedite building plan review for that purpose. To support and implement this commitment, the City building official shall publish, within sixty (60) days after execution of this chapter, the "Expedited Plan Review Process" (process), to be implemented by the Division of Building Services and Business Licensing (BSL). This process will be available on the BSL website (www.slcgov.com/ced/buildzone/
). This process will include a section entitled "Standards for Eligible Green Building Projects" that describes, in detail, the LEED and/or ENERGY STAR requirements, including the type and distribution of points that will need to be met for a project to qualify under the "Expedited Plan Review Process".
B. Application: Projects that are in keeping with the City's aggressive initiative to lessen the impact on the environment will apply for expedited plan review by:
1. Submitting an application for expedited plan review that demonstrates how the project will meet the City's current "Standards for Eligible Green Buildings" as documented in the published "Expedited Plan Review Process";
2. Meeting with City staff to discuss how the project will comply with the City's current "Standards for Eligible Green Buildings"; and
3. Submitting a refundable green building deposit of one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) for projects valued up to and including one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00); five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) for projects valued at more than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) up to and including one million dollars ($1,000,000.00); and ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) for projects valued over one million dollars ($1,000,000.00). All deposits shall be in the form of a cashier's check or credit card payment.
C. Determination; Refund: After meeting the three (3) criteria above, City staff will determine within three (3) business days if the project is approved for expedited plan review. If the project is not approved, City staff will notify the applicant and refund the green building deposit within fourteen (14) business days.
D. Completion Of Project: Once the project is completed and appropriate certification has been obtained as described in the City's "Standards for Eligible Green Buildings" within the "Expedited Plan Review Process", the applicant who was previously approved for expedited plan review may apply for a refund of the green building deposit. If the project does not meet the "Standards for Eligible Green Buildings" as approved by City staff and demonstrated by appropriate certification, the green building deposit will not be refunded, depending on circumstances and at the sole discretion of the building official.
E. Forfeit Of Deposit; Extension: If a project that received expedited plan review has not obtained the necessary LEED or ENERGY STAR certification within one year after a certificate of occupancy is issued by the City, then the applicant's monetary deposit shall be forfeited to the City unless the applicant timely files an application for an extension of time to obtain the necessary certification ("Application for Extension"). If applicant fails to file an application for extension within three hundred ninety five (395) days from the date the certificate of occupancy was issued, then applicant's monetary deposit shall be forfeited to the City. Upon the timely filing of an application for extension, the City may grant a one year extension of time to applicant to obtain the necessary certification. The City may thereafter grant any additional timely applications for extension filed by applicant, provided the City determines, in its sole discretion, that the applicant is actively pursuing the requisite LEED or ENERGY STAR certification. Any extensions of time granted to applicant by the City shall begin on the date the pertinent application for extension was granted by the City.
F. Interest: Interest will not accrue on any deposit made under this chapter. (2019 Compilation)