Doraville follows Chamblee's lead by requiring energy efficient large buildings.

Last week the Doraville City Council unanimously approved a measure, requiring all private development 20,000 square feet or greater to become LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified. The ordinance will also apply to future municipal buildings regardless of size. This move was done on the heels of the City of Chamblee doing the exact same thing in March of this year.

Going green isn't cheap. Meeting the benchmarks to receive accreditation from the U.S. Green Building Council, the nonprofit that created and oversees the standards for sustainable building, can cost about 6 percent more than traditional construction.

Supporters argue that developers recoup those costs in about four years because of energy savings.

Major developers in Chamblee and now Doraville have thrown their support to the ordinance, in part because of other economic considerations by being on the cutting edge of a new trend.

Will the new city council be deciding to follow in the foot steps of our neighbors, Chamblee, Doraville & Decatur? If after reasonable research, seeing how others are doing it and discussions with Dunwoody residents shows it to be the right thing to do, they just may.