Portola Valley aims to raise 'green' awareness Portola Valley aims to raise 'green' awareness (May 19, 2004)

By David Boyce
Almanac Staff Writer

Portola Valley residents and business operators unfamiliar with sustainable building practices will be getting an introduction when they next apply for a building permit that requires review by the town's planning officials.

Any proposal that must be vetted by the Architecture & Site Control Commission or the Planning Commission will be required to include a list indicating which of 75 recommended ecologically sensitive practices will be incorporated into the projects.

Examples of practices included on the list are: managing a property's storm water runoff, creating micro-climates with landscaping, minimizing the impact of a new building on the land, and using natural materials for covering interior walls.

Items are categorized according to the ability of a site's occupant to make such decisions. For commercial, multi-family and single-family sites, almost all of the practices are listed as within the occupant's purview. Tenants have fewer choices available to them.

The practices may require some investigation by permit applicants in order to grasp the short- and long-term benefits, Councilman Steve Toben told the Almanac. A booklet will also be available from town staff to help in explaining the benefits, though it, too, is "not enough of a calculator of the savings," Mr. Toben said.

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