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Larkspur Council introduces 2022 and 2025 CalGreen Tier 1 ordinances ahead of state deadline
Summary
At a special July 23 meeting, the Larkspur City Council introduced two ordinances to adopt Tier 1 CalGreen building standards — a 2025 package and a 2022 fallback — to preserve local authority under a compressed state timeline created by AB130. Council also added a recital tying local amendments to the city’s General Plan and Climate Action Plan.
The Larkspur City Council on Wednesday introduced two ordinances to adopt enhanced California Green Building Standards (CalGreen) at the Tier 1 level and to preserve local amendments ahead of an uncertain state deadline.
Assistant City Manager Shannon O’Hare told the council that a new state budget-trailer provision, incorporated as AB130, creates a compressed window for jurisdictions to adopt local amendments to the statewide codes. Staff recommended introducing both an ordinance that adopts the 2025 CalGreen Tier 1 optional measures and a parallel ordinance adopting the 2022 Tier 1 measures as a fallback so the city preserves its options if required statewide energy studies are not available by October 1, 2025.
"This is a narrow window," O’Hare said. "Adopting both ordinances tonight preserves local authority and options while staff continues to complete analysis and await statewide energy studies." County sustainability staff told the council the 2025 cycle is considerably more ambitious — especially on electrification, EV infrastructure and remodel requirements — than the 2022 cycle.
Council members raised questions about how the 2025 Tier 1 requirements differ in detail from 2022 and whether the city needs supporting energy calculations before adoption. Mark Chabria, a county sustainability analyst, said energy-study timing and requirements vary by project type and that county and state resources will be posted before the public hearing set for August 20, 2025.
Several public commenters urged the council to act now to meet the city’s Climate Action Plan commitments. Conversely, member of the public James Holmes urged caution, asking staff to quantify cost impacts and greenhouse-gas benefits and expressing concern about extending requirements to projects defined as "major remodels" at a 50 percent threshold.
City legal counsel advised the council that adding recitals tying local amendments to the city’s General Plan and Climate Action Plan could strengthen the city’s legal footing if the amendments were challenged; the council voted to include such language. The council then voted to introduce both ordinances and to carry the items to the required second-reading public hearing on August 20, 2025.
What happens next: staff will prepare the formal public-hearing materials, publish additional technical links and, if needed, the city attorney will advise whether any local amendments should be adjusted before the council votes on second reading. The council’s introduction tonight preserves the option to adopt the 2025 Tier 1 measures if state timing and required energy studies permit it, with the 2022 adoption serving as a fallback to ensure stronger local standards than currently in effect.
