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Dunedin staff propose optional sustainability scorecard after state limits; FAST urges single matrix
Summary
City staff proposed an updated sustainability scorecard with 20 new strategies, stronger green stormwater infrastructure incentives and an exemption for third-party certifications, but said Florida's Senate Bill 180 forces an interim two-path approach: keep the current code matrix while offering the optional updated scorecard to developers. Faith and Action for Strength Together (FAST) urged the city to continue pushing for a single, stronger local standard.
City sustainability staff told the commission they have drafted an updated sustainability matrix intended to better weight strategies and encourage higher-impact green building measures for projects that trigger design review.
Natalie Gass, sustainability program manager, said the proposed update adds about 20 new strategies, introduces a green stormwater infrastructure category, tiers points so larger projects get scaled credit, and clarifies documentation required for each point. The proposal also creates an exemption for projects certified by third-party programs such as LEED, Green Globes or the Florida Green Building Coalition if staff review the submitted certification.
Gass described a tension introduced by Florida's Senate Bill 180: the law bars adopting land-development rules that are "more restrictive or burdensome" in ways that are not clearly defined. To avoid legal risk, staff proposed keeping the current matrix in the Land Development Code while offering an optional updated scorecard that developers can choose as a voluntary path. "If we have the option of a developer can pick or choose one of the other," she said, explaining the two-path approach is designed to keep the code intact while promoting a more robust option for those who want it.
Commissioners and staff discussed details such as which projects trigger the requirement (residential projects of five or more units or commercial projects of 6,000 square feet or larger), who verifies points (a three-phase process of initial selection, design-phase review, and documentation plus site inspection), and whether third-party certifications might be gamed. Gass said third-party certifications are usually more demanding and that city staff will require documentation and vet the certification before granting the exemption.
Linda Mifsud, representing Faith and Action for Strength Together (FAST), urged the commission to keep working for a single matrix and said FAST would support city efforts to push for legislative clarification. "We really support one matrix," she said, while praising the staff's interim approach.
Commissioners generally expressed support for moving forward with staff's two-path proposal while seeking continued clarifications from the Florida League of Cities and other advocacy organizations about SB180. Staff said the proposal will proceed through developer feedback, the local planning agency and two commission hearings as part of a Land Development Code update timeline.
