Record #: O2020-136   
Type: Ordinance Status: Passed
Intro date: 1/15/2020 Current Controlling Legislative Body: Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards
Final action: 4/24/2020
Title: Amendment of Chicago Sustainable Development Policy to prioritize bird collision deterrence strategies for building projects to reduce avian mortality and injury
Sponsors: Hopkins, Brian
Attachments: 1. O2020-136.pdf

"7- o a i*

 

ORDINANCE

WHEREAS, Birds that have successfully flown thousands of miles during migration can die in seconds upon impact with a pane of glass, and collisions with glass claim the lives of over one hundred million birds each year in the United States; and

WHEREAS, Because collisions with glass pose a danger to healthy, breeding adult birds as well as sick or young birds, they can have a particularly serious impact on avian populations; and

 

WHEREAS, The Department of Planning and Development has adopted a set of criteria developed by a volunteer conservation project, Chicago Bird Collision Monitors, as one of the sustainable strategies that developers can use to comply with the Chicago Sustainable Development Policy; and

 

WHEREAS, These criteria, which were developed using data collected in conjunction with bird collisions around the Chicago area, aim to either minimize collisions or increase the likelihood of survival after non-fatal collisions; and

 

WHEREAS, Development projects can alternatively commit to comply with the Bird Collision Deterrence LEED pilot credit with a similar goal of reducing avian in-flight collisions with buildings; and

 

WHEREAS, It is important to continue to strive for better, more comprehensive protections for birds; now, therefore,

 

 

 

BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO:

SECTION 1. The Department of Planning and Development shall amend the Chicago Sustainable Development Policy to provide greater weight and priority to strategies 9.1 Bird Protection (Basic) and 9.2 Bird Protection (Enhanced) as listed in the Chicago Sustainable Development Policy Handbook, with the goal of reducing avian mortality and injury from circumstances that are known to pose a high risk to birds.

SECTION 2. This ordinance shall be in full force and effect following due passage and

Brian Hopkins Alderman, 2nd Ward

publication.