Why not give Waukesha’s green-building proposal a green light?

Published: May 26, 2010
Tags: blogs, Fetters, Hot Topics, Waukesha

By Tom Fetters

Higher-density developments, smaller lot sizes, fast-tracked review and building permit approvals.

These are all near and dear to many contractors’ hearts. And they’re among the incentives that would be offered to builders in Waukesha who agree to use green-building practices, under a proposal heading to the city’s Plan Commission Wednesday.

The plan, explained in an article by our Sean Ryan, seems to benefit everyone involved.

Residents of Waukesha would be expected to get more sustainable housing units on smaller parcels of land, perhaps leading to more green space for everyone.

Contractors handling projects in Waukesha would get the aforementioned incentives — plus others, such as cut-rate plan-review fees and eased parking requirements.

And the proposed guidelines are just that: guidelines. If approved, they don’t mandate sustainable building practices, so if contractors decide against going green on a project, they may move forward and forgo the incentives.

But I have to agree with the comment by Tim O’Brien, president of Tim O’Brien Homes Inc. and a member of the group that drafted the proposal: “If the city is willing to give us higher density for green building, you are going to see more green building.”