Worcester City Manager Eric Batista is seeking to pause the city's enforcement of the more strict, or Specialized, version of the Stretch Code.

Massachusetts Stretch Codes were part of the Green Communities Act of 2008. According to the Commonwealth's energy code website, in 2009, Massachusetts became the first state to adopt an above-code appendix to the "base" building energy code-the "Stretch Code". The Stretch Code, which emphasizes energy performance, as opposed to prescriptive requirements, is designed to result in cost-effective construction that is more energy efficient than that built to the "base" energy code. The Stretch Code is typically updated every few years, with the most recent update to take effect in 2025. Worcester and Salem were the only two Gateway Cities in Massachusetts to opt into the more strict "Specialized" option of the Stretch Code.

Batista is seeking to pause the city's strict energy codes, "Our most recent recommendation to the city council is that we're trying to take a step back and trying to understand all the things that are happening in the market, the implications that the Specialized Stretch Corps has had to the market, especially building here in our community and we're trying to understand that there's an ability for us to pause this and take a step back. Take a text back, analyze the inflation costs, analyze the costs related to building these units and see it in as a way that we can pause it until January 1st of 2028."

According to Batista, less than sixty communities in Massachusetts have adopted the most strict version of the Stretch Code, known as "Specialized." Worcester and Salem were the only two Gateway Cities in Massachusetts to opt into the more strict "Specialized" option of the Stretch Code. Batista told Spectrum News 1 that there is a cost to regulations and they do play a role in housing development, "As a state, as communities, we enhance regulations and require developers to utilize these regulations as they build. That also can apply a particular cost and so this is one regulation that we're trying to understand a little bit the applicability. So we're trying to take a step back and see if there's any opportunity for us to take a pause and provide the developers that are currently in the queue. We have over 2,500 potential units in the queue. Is there now opportunity to unlock at least 10% of that and get housing developed in the city of Worcester?"

When asked if the city is now admitting they went too far in adopting the strictest "green" building codes Batista answered, "No, I think what this does is it allows us to analyze, oftentimes we create plans, ambitious plans as a city, goals and strategies that we want to achieve over time and this allows us to kind of take a step back and really analyze the market. Sometimes the market conditions, regulations across the state, federal government play a role in enforcing communities to pivot and the way we adhere to some of the programs, initiatives, or even plans that we put together. We've listened to the development community, to the business community, some of the challenges that they've had, and we felt as though this is an area that we can take some action on."

The City Council met on Tuesday, April 14 and the motion to support the pause was held by Councilor Khrystian King.