Allow National Green Building Standard Silver as green building option

City of Coral Gables Planning and Zoning Division Page 1 C i t y o f C o r a l G a b l e s P l a n n i n g a n d Z o n i n g S t a f f R e p o r t Applicant: City of Coral Gables Application: Zoning Code Text Amendments – Green Building Requirements Public Hearing: Planning and Zoning Board Date & Time: November 19, 2025; 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. Location: City Commission Chambers, City Hall 405 Biltmore Way, Coral Gables, Florida 33134 1. APPLICATION REQUEST The City of Coral Gables is requesting review and consideration of the following: An ordinance of the City Commission providing for a text amendment to the City of Coral Gables Official Zoning Code by of amending Article 7, “Sustainability and Resilience Standards,” Section 7- 102, “Green Building Requirements,” to provide National Green Building Standard (NGBS) Silver Certification as an acceptable option for compliance; providing for a repealer provision, severability clause, codification, and providing for an effective date. The request requires three public hearings, including review and recommendation by the Planning and Zoning Board, and 1st and 2nd Reading before the City Commission. 2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION The City’s Section 7-102, “Green Building Requirements,” of Article 7, “Sustainability and Resilience Standards,” currently requires specific new construction to achieve at least LEED Silver Certification or Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) Silver Certification within twenty-four (24) months of receiving a Certificate of Occupancy or Completion. The proposed text amendment adds National Green Building Standard (NGBS) Silver Certification with Energy Star Certification as an additional compliance option. NGBS, an ANSI-accredited program developed by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the International Code Council (ICC), emphasizes residential sustainability and measurable performance outcomes. By including NGBS Silver with Energy Star, the City updates its standards to reflect national best practices and offers greater flexibility for developers while maintaining high environmental and energy- efficiency benchmarks. To date, projects certified or in progress under the City’s Green Building Program include: Certification Type Completed Pending LEED 13 1 FGBC 3 4 NGBS 3 7 These figures highlight the City’s ongoing commitment to sustainable, high-performance buildings and the increasing use of NGBS as a preferred certification path. Staff Report and Recommendation Zoning Code Text Amendments |Green Building Requirements November 19, 2025 City of Coral Gables Planning and Zoning Division Page 2 3. PROPOSED ZONING CODE TEXT AMENDMENT The proposed Zoning Code text amendment is provided in strikethrough/underline format. Section 7-102. Green Building Requirements A. Green Building Requirements: The following new construction is required, within twenty-four (24) months after the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy or Completion, whichever is less, to achieve no less than Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification under the latest applicable version of the LEED Green Building Rating System of the US Green Building Council (USGBC), or Silver certification by the Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC), or National Green Building Standards (NGBS) Silver certification with Energy Star Certification: under another nationally recognized certification program approved by the City Manager or City Manager’s designee: 1. All buildings over 20,000 square feet not owned by the City of Coral Gables. 2. City of Coral Gables buildings and buildings constructed on City of Coral Gables property. This requirement may be waived by the City Manager or City Manager’s designee if it can be demonstrated that compliance with this requirement would create an unreasonable burden on the construction project that would be inconsistent with furtherance of the economic development goals of the city. 3. Commercial and multi-family buildings where the developers of such property request a right-of-way encroachment (except for awnings and signs), abandonment or vacation of right-of-way, mixed use site plan review, planned area development or receiver site for Transfer of Development Rights, which requests require the review of the Planning and Zoning Board and approval of the City Commission. 4. Failure to comply with this subsection will result in a forfeiture of the Green Building Bond (as defined in subsection C below). 4. REVIEW TIMELINE / PUBLIC NOTICE City Review Timeline The submitted applications have undergone the following City reviews: REVIEW COMMITTEES AND BOARDS DATE Planning and Zoning Board 11.19.25 City Commission – 1st Reading TBD City Commission – 2nd Reading TBD The following has been completed to solicit input and provide notice of the Application: PUBLIC NOTICE DATE Legal advertisement 11.07.25 Posted agenda and Staff report on City web page/City Hall 11.14.25 Staff Report and Recommendation Zoning Code Text Amendments |Green Building Requirements November 19, 2025 City of Coral Gables Planning and Zoning Division Page 3 5. FINDINGS OF FACT In accordance with Section 14-212.5 of the Zoning Code, the Planning and Zoning Board shall not recommend adoption of, and the City Commission shall not adopt, text amendments to these land Zoning Code unless the text amendment: Standard Staff Evaluation a. Promotes the public health, safety, and welfare. The proposed amendment promotes environmental performance, energy efficiency, and reduced operating costs through flexible yet stringent sustainability standards. b. Does not permit uses the Comprehensive Plan prohibits in the area affected by the text amendment. The proposed amendment does not introduce or permit any uses that are inconsistent with the Comprehensive Plan. c. Does not allow densities or intensities in excess of the densities and intensities which are permitted by the future land use categories of the affected property. The proposed amendment does not impact the density or intensity of development. The amendment does not alter allowable building heights, floor area ratios, or other factors that influence density and intensity. d. Will not cause a decline in the level of service for public infrastructure which is the subject of a concurrency requirement to a level of service which is less than the minimum requirements of the Comprehensive Plan. The proposed amendment will not negatively impact the level of service for public infrastructure subject to concurrency requirements. e. Does not directly conflict with any objective or policy of the Comprehensive Plan. The proposed amendment aligns with the objectives and policies of the Comprehensive Plan by supports the City’s environmental objectives. Staff finds that all five of these criteria are satisfied. 6. STAFF RECOMMENDATION The Planning and Zoning Division recommends approval. Please visit the City’s webpage at www.coralgables.com to view all Application plans and materials, notices, applicable public comments, minutes, etc, which is also is on file and available for examination during business hours at the Planning and Zoning Division, 427 Biltmore Way, Coral Gables, Florida 33134. Respectfully submitted, Jennifer Garcia, AICP, CNU-A Assistant Director of Development Services for Planning and Zoning City of Coral Gables, Florida