Proposed ordinance would require new businesses to use more
solar power
GILROY – Councilman Paul Correa says he will put a proposed solar power law on a future City Council agenda within the next several weeks, if it passes the muster of a more thorough review he wants to conduct.
The proposed ordinance, which was introduced to Council at its regular Dec. 15 session, would make new businesses use more solar power or face potential fines for polluting Gilroy’s air – which is already considered sub par by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.
The law would make new companies supplement 75 percent of their traditional power usage with alternative energy sources such as solar power. The law would also waive development fees in lieu of sales tax revenue, but would establish an annual $2.17-per-square-foot fee for businesses that exceed air pollution limits set by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.
Correa is not calling himself an advocate of the so-called “Gilroy Energy Independence Ordinance” just yet, but he supports the measure enough in theory to ask staff for its opinion.
“I believe in doing a little homework first before getting behind something,” Correa said. “If no one else wants to do it, I might be the one to put it on the agenda.”
The timing of the proposal comes on the heels of an environmental review on Wal-Mart’s plan to relocate in Gilroy and open a Wal-Mart Supercenter, which sells groceries in addition to the bargain-priced items sold inside the company’s regular stores. The report said a new Wal-Mart would generate an amount of traffic that would hike up air pollution to levels that are not allowed by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.
Unions, which supported Correa in the November 2002 election, are fighting against Wal-Mart as the retail giant tries to move from its existing Arroyo Circle store to one of the new big box retail developments at Highway 152 and U.S. 101.
“It’s always a good idea to look at projects that cause a negative impact regardless of whether it’s Wal-Mart or not,” Correa said. “That’s what we’re here for – to look at options and build a better community.”
Gilroy resident Christopher Coté, who is pushing for the new law, said he wants to distance himself from any union agenda. His agenda is purely an environmental one, he said, but acknowledged the Wal-Mart project made him step up his timing.
Despite exhaust emissions that exceed limits by as much as 50 pounds per day, Wal-Mart’s relocation could be approved by a business friendly City Council as early as February.
“I have no personal agenda to keep a particular company out of town. I shop there (at Wal-Mart). I believe in the free market. Unions are not my bailiwick,” Coté said. “But if a company causes damage to the environment, then there should be a cost associated with that.”
Among other environmental concerns, Coté says he’s been monitoring a Pajaro River open space preservation project four miles south of the new Wal-Mart (part of the Mt. Hamilton wildlife preservation project). He also said he is watchdogging air polluting projects because his young nephew has asthma which gets exacerbated by pollution.
Coté says his ordinance would be a win-win system for every party involved.
If companies used solar energy, the environment would benefit since air pollution caused by exhaust from the soon-to-be-built Calpine energy plant at Metcalf Road in south San Jose could be partly offset. If companies didn’t use solar, the city would receive impact fees that could be used to recruit more environmentally friendly companies to Gilroy and cover staff enforcement costs.
Finally, companies that use “green” power sources could get certain development fees waived or reduced.
Coté says there is a precedent for the ordinance set partly by Wal-Mart which often uses skylights to reduce stores’ dependence on electrical light.
“Some of the language I wrote into the ordinance comes from Wal-Mart,” Coté said.
Wal-Mart spokeswoman Amy Hill would not comment on the proposed law since it had not yet been made available to her. However, Hill defended her company’s “green” record and said skylights would be used at the Gilroy facility.
“This company has a good track record on the environment,” Hill said.
