Staff to propose reach-code changes; committee hears risks from pending state bill and schedule delays

City staff presented a draft strategy for Palo Alto’s 2026–28 reach-code cycle, recommending continued use of the state’s Tier 1/Tier 2 green-building framework, a potential alternative compliance path through LEED certification for some projects, and new “time-of-replacement” standards that would require heat-pump or equivalent upgrades when certain equipment is replaced.

Tim Scott, resource planning in the utilities department, told the committee the staff recommendation would keep the city’s green-building tier structure while adding options to lower embodied-carbon thresholds and to allow LEED as an alternative compliance path. Scott said the proposed schedule aims to adopt green-building reach codes for the January 1, 2026 code cycle and to phase in multifamily and nonresidential energy updates on July 1, 2026 if the needed cost-effectiveness…