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ding Sources prehensive policies count all c dollars toward the hold that triggers pliance including: . Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) . Bonds . Tax Increment Financing (TIF) . HOME Investment Partnership Program . Housing Redevelopment Authority funds . Land write-downs . Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) . A dedicated Sustainable Building Policy fund . Any other Federal, State, Regional (e.g., Met Council), or City funding source Policy Triggers Given the regional competition for development, cities often balance priorities of encouraging development while achieving community-wide goals, such as sustainability targets. For this reason, we 1) encourage the greatest number of cities to adopt similar sustainable building policies to standardize the practice across a region, and 2) recommend cities consider their unique leverage points for the greatest impact. Cities can use the following triggers to activate a sustainable building policy: 1. Funding incentives. The most straightforward trigger is a developer’s request for public funding. To date, several cities Fun have successfully used a minimum trigger of $200,000 in Comcumulative public funding. The types of qualifying funding publisources vary. We recommend maximizing public funding thressources for the greatest impact. (See examples below.) com 12. Land use incentives. Though there is little track record of this approach for sustainability in Minnesota, it is used in other 2areas of the country. For cities with established zoning rules, 3we recommend cities consider three types of land use triggers: 4a. Planned unit development (PUD). Where a city has a large tract of land for development, it can set high-level 5density and other rules, such as a sustainable building policy, for the site, while giving the developer flexibility 6in how that is accomplished. 7b. Premiums. Setting clear expectations for developers can reduce costs and encourage specific types of 8 development. We recommend cities consider codifying sustainability premiums as an incentive for density and 9 height bonuses. c. Variance. Where not codified as premiums, cities should consider applying a policy when more intense variances are requested. 3. Process incentives. Cities can create faster approval processes and higher prioritization in permit and inspection reviews for developments that adhere to the sustainable building policy. This has not yet been tried in Minnesota but has been done elsewhere. 4. Building size. Because larger building developments have the greatest environmental impact and more sophisticated design teams, we recommend that a policy apply to buildings that meet the following size thresholds. This trigger is only activated when a project receives a funding, land use, or process incentive. a. New construction of 10,000 square feet and greater. b. Significant renovation of buildings 10,000 square feet and greater that include a new heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. 5