Charlotte County is committed to protecting our natural resources and preserving our beautiful county. Various departments within Charlotte County are working towards a more sustainable future that is driven by our Mission—To be the energy in making Charlotte County a beautiful and enriching place to live—and by our Stewardship Vision: being committed to being good stewards of our resources.
The term "sustainability" is used in Charlotte County to describe activities that include, but are not limited to, the following goals: efficient energy use, increased economic opportunities, improved environmental protection or restoration efforts, and smart growth that promotes livable communities.
Charlotte County government has been certified as a Green Local Government by the Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) after demonstrating Green practices in its department functions. The FGBC is a non-profit third party certifier and their standard presents a comprehensive list of criteria organized in terms of local government department roles. The standard does not only serve to evaluate the County's current level of sustainability, but also is used as a process to improve performance, increase productivity and save money and other resources in the governmental operations.
Energy efficiency is considered in all new projects, renovations and retrofits. These projects reduce energy consumption and result in energy cost savings. A typical energy efficiency project has a return on investment of 6 years. In other words, a project must pay for itself in energy savings in 6 years.
The Economic Development Office’s mission is to encourage the recruitment of diversified high impact industry to the county, to create high skill, high wage jobs, and to help diversify the economy and create a sustainable tax base. Our economic development portfolio has recently been expanded to include additional target industries, which are: Green Technologies, Renewable Energy, Medical Information Technology, and Life Sciences. These industries now qualify for various County and State incentives.
Along with Charlotte County’s value of stewardship our Natural Resources Division helps to protect, restore, and conserve the environmental resources of Charlotte County, such as the valuable ecosystems, along with plant and animal species.
Charlotte 2050 Comprehensive Plan was adopted by the Board of County Commissioners on July 20, 2010.
Green Building Program
The Green Building Program has been developed to help Charlotte County become a more sustainable community by reducing the environmental impact of buildings, and promoting economic and environmental health in the county. The program is designed to encourage environmentally sensitive construction and development. During construction, the builder has the option of placing a "Charlotte County Green Building" sign on the job site. Upon completion of the building, a permanent sign can be placed on the building verifying that it has been certified as a Charlotte County Green Building. As you review the program, check to see how you rate today as a green builder. You may be surprised how close you are and what few changes you may need to make to participate in and benefit from the Green Building Program. The program is voluntary and open to all builders in the county.
- Fast-track permitting
- Marketing enhancement
- Consolidate company's environmental image
- Charlotte County Green Building Program support
- Participation in the Green Building Awards Program
- Special recognition to leading participants
- Possible reduction in parking requirements for commercial projects
- Possible increase in floor area ratio (FAR) for commercial projects
- USGBC–LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) - Leed certification for residential | U.S.Green Building Council
- FGBC (Florida Green Building Coalition) - Florida Green Building
- GBI - Green Globes Design - Green Building Initiative | New Construction (the gbi.org)
- NAHB Green Building Program - National Green Building Standard Certification | NAHB
- Any project that fails to receive green certification from a rating/certifying agency will not receive any reductions of fees.
- Any project which received reductions in fees that is damaged or substantially improved by more than 50% within 5 years shall rebuild or build to green standards or shall pay back the fee reductions.
- Projects failing to meet their committed level for parking reduction will face a monetary penalty.
- Commercial projects failing to meet their committed level for floor area ration (FAR) will face a monetary penalty.
- Schedule a Green Building Program pre-application meeting by contacting Julia C. Galofre, NCARB, LEED AP Plans Review Manager at 941.743.1215 or Julia.Galofre@CharlotteCountyFL.gov.
- Prior to attending the meeting, complete the enrollment form below and have ready all the required documents:
- Completed scorecard/checklist from the rating/certifying program listed under the Program Requirements on this page.
- Proof of registration of the project with the approved rating/certifying program.
- Download the Green Building Program Enrollment Form.
Contact
Julia C. Galofre, NCARB, LEED AP - Plans Review Manager
Julia.Galofre@CharlotteCountyFL.gov
Phone: 941.743.1215