Every Newton building owner needs to know about this

There’s no debating our collective need to reduce carbon emissions.

Next week, the Newton City Council will hear public comment on an ordinance aimed at doing just that.

Here are three questions worth asking about this particular proposal:

• Will the proposed rules place an unmanageable, or unrealistic, burden on some, but not all, property owners?
• Will these rules impact Newton’s economic competitiveness by driving up rents; rendering some properties obsolete; or affecting accessed values and our tax base?
• Or, doesn’t it matter because our climate is so vulnerable that we must pursue every step possible, regardless of hardship?

The Fuller administration's proposed Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance, or BERDO, would require close to 300 nonresidential property owners (including nonprofits and houses of worship) to file annual fossil fuel usage reports on a phased-in schedule, or eventually risk a $300-a-day fine.  (Every three years owners would also be required to pay an independent agent to verify their reports.)

Ultimately, also on a phased-in schedule, each owner will be required to reduce fossil fuel use, or also be subject to hefty daily fines.

• The nearly 300 impacted properties (about 20 million SF in total) represents 23% of the city’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. (See graph on page 8)
• Fuller wants to add 120 multi-family buildings (accounting for another 5% of GHG emissions) to the ordinance next year, with some councilors reportedly wanting to do so sooner. This may be the most challenging since it includes older, hard-to-upgrade, apartment buildings that generally are the city’s only naturally affordable units and might displace tenants or drive up rents.
• Unaddressed are the biggest emissions generators in Newton: Single-family homes and other residential properties under 20,000 SF. Those homes produce a whopping 33% of Newton’s overall GHG emissions.

The Zoning & Planning Committee will take public comments on the ordinance Monday (June 10), 7 p.m. in person and virtually (the Zoom link isn’t posted yet, email me and I’ll be sure you get it).

You can also send feedback to the city council and watch this video presentation.

One more thing about Newton BERDO

Newton BERDO is modeled on similar programs in place in Boston and Cambridge.

While Newton’s ordinance is less burdensome in many ways, several chamber members who also own properties in Boston tell us how hard it is to get BERDO-related calls returned and reporting questions answered, let alone technical support. 

And Boston BERDO has an entire team dedicated to assisting with this program, while Newton’s plan would launch with just one FTE.

We’ve all seen how staff shortages hamper permitting, inspectional services and other city services. We’re skeptical that one FTE is adequate, or if the city has the financial resources to hire the team BERDO will require.

Watertown is considering BERDO too

The Watertown City Council is also considering a BERDO ordinance although to our knowledge it is not yet scheduled.