2021-03-22-ATM.min - Laserfiche WebLink

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March 22, 2021 Adjourned Session of the 2021 Annual Town Meeting, cont'd... ii. produce potable or domestic hot water from centralized hot water systems in commercial buildings with building floor areas of at least 10,000 square feet, provided that the Engineer of Record certifies that no commercially available electric hot water heater exists that could meet the required hot water demand for less than 150% of installation or operational costs, compared to a conventional fossil fuel hot water system; C. the extension or modification of heating systems via HVAC system modification, or modification of radiator, steam, or hot water piping, provided new fossil fuel piping is not installed; D. life science buildings, research laboratories for scientific or medical research or medical offices regulated by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health as a healthcare facility; or E. repairs of any existing portions of a fuel piping system deemed unsafe or dangerous by the Plumbing and Gas Fitting Inspector. Section 4 Enforcement 1. On and after the Effective Date, no building permit shall be issued by the Town for the construction of New Buildings or Major Renovations that include the installation of new On-Site Fossil Fuel Infrastructure subject to this Chapter. 2. The Town Manager, or their designee, shall publish and present an annual report to the Select Board quantifying the number and location of building permit applications for new and major renovation projects exceeding 50% of the original gross floor area of the principal dwelling; the number of new and major renovation projects requesting a waiver from this Chapter, the disposition of those waivers, the reasons for granting or denying those waivers and the square footage of each project for which a waiver is granted. 3. The Select Board may adopt additional requirements, exemption, and regulations to implement or enforce said new fossil fuel infrastructure restrictions in major construction, consistent with this Chapter. Section 5 Waivers A. The Building Commissioner may grant a waiver from the requirements of this Chapter in the event that compliance with the provisions of this Chapter makes a project financially infeasible or impractical to implement. Compliance with this Chapter may be considered infeasible if, without limitation: a. as a result of factors beyond the control of the proponent, the additional cost of the project over the long term, including any available subsidies, would make the project commercially unviable; or b. technological or other factors would make the project unsuitable for its intended purpose. B. Waivers from compliance with this Chapter may be subject to reasonable conditions. Where possible, waivers shall be issued for specific portions of a project that are financially infeasible or impractical to implement under the requirements of this Chapter, rather than entire projects. C. Waiver requests shall be supported by a detailed cost comparison, including available rebates and credits. A waiver request may be made at any time and may be based upon submission of conceptual plans. D. In considering a request for a waiver, the Building Commissioner may consider as a factor the requesting party's status as a non-profit or government-sponsored affordable housing entity. E. The Building Commissioner's decision with respect to the granting of a waiver, the scope thereof, and any conditions imposed by a waiver, shall be appealable to the Select Board, or its designee, within thirty (30) days in accordance with policies established by the Select Board. F. The Select Board shall, prior to the Effective Date issue, and may thereafter amend, guidance regarding the process for requesting and granting waivers, and describing reasonable conditions that may be placed on a waiver.