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Draft UDC would require rainwater harvesting and condensate capture for many new nonresidential projects
Summary
Planners proposed mandatory rainwater harvesting sized to supply at least 50% of landscape irrigation demand for new nonresidential development and condensate capture requirements tied to site size, with exemptions, administrative adjustments and a variance path.
Planning staff presented a proposed UDC amendment requiring rainwater-harvesting systems for new nonresidential developments sized to meet at least 50% of a site's landscape irrigation demand, with exemptions for small footprints and historic-district projects. Frankie said the city would offer administrative adjustments where strict compliance is infeasible and a variance route (review by the board of adjustments) for full relief.
Staff also proposed condensate-capture requirements tied to cooling system capacity: smaller sites (under 50,000 square feet) would integrate condensate into irrigation systems; larger sites would need to reach up to 80% of irrigation demand via on-site reuse before using condensate for other nonpotable needs. "This would require rainwater harvesting systems for all new non residential developments, and it must be sized to supply at least 50% of the development's landscape irrigation demand," Frankie said.
The commission discussed exemptions, incentives and how the proposed rules would apply to projects already in the pipeline; staff said an effective date could be set to grandfather active applications and that building permits often trigger compliance requirements. Staff said administrative adjustments and professional-engineer analyses would be available for constrained sites.
