Agenda - 06-03-2008-5b5e - Laserfiche WebLink

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equip building roofs with photovoltaic panels. That the applicant has to make such requests shows how seriously out of date the EDD standards are. The intent of such requests by the C applicant is admirable, but wholesale "greening" of the entire project will fall far short of off- setting the transportation emissions that will be generated. In "Driving to Green Buildings..." Alex Wilson writing in the August, 2007 issue of Environmental Building News points out that while the energy efficiency of newly built commercial buildings has improved considerably, most of these buildings are being built far from transit-supported urban centers and the energy required to bring employees to them is greatly increased because most must travel much further by car to get to work. "The green building movement is making tremendous strides at improving the environmental performance of buildings... But...if we want to continue reducing the ecological footprint of buildings, we need to focus much mare actively on the transportation impacts that are associated with our buildings. Vlfith average new code-compliant office buildings `using' twice as much energy getting occupants to and from the buildings as the buildings themselves use for heating, cooling, lighting, and other energy needs, the green building community needs to focus greater attention on the transportation dependency of our buildings." (Available on-line at http://www.buildinggreen.corn/auth/article.cfm?filename=160901 a.xml ). The proposed Buckhorn project, located far from population centers along a corridor not served by public transit, may indeed implement numerous energy efficiency strategies but will be far less efficient than a similar project located within an urban center. Buckhorn's proposed primary uses -retail, movie theaters & hotel -will provide mostly low-wage jobs in an area where housing prices will not be affordable to these employees. They will have long commutes from distant housing they are able to afford. The Buckhorn application does not address this issue. Since the County's Economic. Development Districts are all located near Interstate highways, the \. EDD standards need to be updated to reflect potential public health impacts for people working & living in close proximity to heavily traveled routes. The Buckhorn Village application proposes residential & office uses within a quarter mile of I-40/85, and there is generally interest in a more mixed-use w/residence approach to development in the EDD's. The Los Angeles Times carried a story by Thomas H. Maugh II (1/26!2007) reporting that "In the largest and longest study of its kind, USC researchers have. found that children living near busy highways have significant impairments in the development of their lungs that can lead to respiratory problems for the rest of their lives. °The 13-year study of more than 3,600 children in 12 Central and Southern Galifomia communities found that the damage from living within 500 yards of a freeway is about the same as that from living in communities with the highest pollution levels, the team reported Thursday in the online version of the medical journal Lancet." This research suggests that the County may wish to limit the kinds of uses that can be pernutted within'/4 mile of any multi-lane highway. (Additionally, an Associated Press story 4/18/04 found some evidence that high levels of constant noise, such as that near an Interstate highway, may impact infants' brain development. See l~tt~:/~w~uw.eanz~.ora.u~;.br~oo~~,uno/~ia~,~rba~arr;.ao ed~~ardcltan~df for the study.) February 25, 2008