West Hartford, CT Building Safety: Green Building Code (2026)

Under West Hartford Code § 177-43D(1)(e), the Sustainability development-bonus standard sits inside the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) District created to encourage complete, walkable neighborhoods near the town's CTfastrak busway stations. The stated purpose is 'to encourage the development of renewable energy systems and green building practices.' A project earns one point if it installs a green roof covering at least 50% of the roof area, defined as a roof 'partially or completely covered with vegetation and a growing medium, planted over a waterproofing membrane.' A separate point is available for a geothermal heating and cooling system, and another point for dedicating at least 50% of the roof to solar photovoltaic panels.

These sustainability points sit alongside four other bonus categories in the same subsection, covering access management, affordable housing, infill development and public space, and all convert into additional floor-area ratio, building coverage or reduced on-site parking under the Town's bonus conversion table. There is no minimum requirement: the standard is entirely elective, and it only applies inside the TOD District, which follows the CTfastrak corridor rather than covering the whole town. A developer seeking the bonus must document which standards it is pursuing when filing its application, and under § 177-43E the request is reviewed through the site plan procedure at § 177-42B, administered by the Department of Community Development, not through a separate green-building permit.