City of Chamblee - LEED Requirement for Public and Commercial Buildings

This program applies to the City of Chamblee's municipal buildings, not residential properties. If you own a home in Chamblee, you may be eligible for the city's Trees Atlanta Front Yard Tree Program, which provides free canopy trees, and you can use the city's EV charging stations along Peachtree Road for $1 per hour (with a $5/hour idle fee after 2 hours).

When building new municipal projects or renovating Chamblee city facilities, you must achieve LEED certification if the project exceeds 5,000 square feet of occupied space or $1 million in cost; smaller projects may use Energy Star or EarthCraft Light Commercial standards instead. The city will expedite permitting review for projects pursuing LEED or similar green certifications, and all construction must pass duct leakage, blower door tests, and house wrap inspections. Other approved programs may substitute for LEED if the Planning and Development Director approves.

Chamblee's LEED requirement, adopted through the Unified Development Ordinance and 2017 Sustainability Policies, mandates that city-owned new buildings over 5,000 sq ft or $1M in cost achieve LEED certification; smaller buildings may use Energy Star or EarthCraft standards. The program targets new municipal construction and renovations to reduce energy use and environmental impact, with no dedicated funding mechanism described—compliance is enforced by the Chief Building Official through permit reviews. The city tracks progress toward Atlanta Regional Commission's Green Communities Program goals (currently Gold Level) and pursues Platinum status.