Each week you can expect to learn What’s New here on Greenroofs.com through our “This Week in Review” video.  Here’s the transcript from August 19, 2011 from our daughter, Anjuli – click on the photo below to see the video, or here.  Enjoy!

- Hello, I’m Anjuli Velazquez and welcome to This Week in Review for this week, August 19th, 2011 on GreenroofsTV.

- Project of the Week

-  Our project of the week is the NBC Experience Store living wall built in 2010 in New York, NY. The beautiful and lush indoor living wall at Rockefeller Center was developed to be a part of NBC’s “Green is Universal” week 2010. A secondary green initiative included a temporary window display to help educate the public on green farming with vertical living walls and show the portability of the Green Living Technologies International Mobile Edible Wall Unit, used as a teaching tool in classrooms and as part of the GLTi Food Factory. The GLTi certified installers responsible for the project were the youngest certified installers in the world, part of the Discovery High School team of interns on the degree track program getting paid to implement the skills they had learned in class. The living wall units are part of the GLTi curriculum used in the NYC Schools and will be part of the new Hunts Point High School for Sustainable Community Initiatives in the Bronx, making the program the first of its kind providing a degree track with green technologies as the focal point. The unit is bell to bell instruction and can be used to grow everything from food to long-lived perennials.

-  To learn more about the NBC Experience Store living wall, click on our project of the week photo on our homepage.

“What’s New”

- Industry News

-  On Wednesday, New York City Mayor Bloomberg signed into law a bill to exempt rooftop greenhouses from being counted toward a buildings’ height and floor area measurements.  The greenhouses will join structures like roof tanks, air-conditioning equipment and chimneys as apparatus that are not factored into buildings’ official totals, easing limitations on the construction of such structures.  As for greenroofs, new legislation will allow 4 inch depth systems to be submitted to the Department of Buildings without the need for construction plans or permits.

-  The U.S. Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) under the Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) department has recently updated the “New and Underutilized Technology: Green Roof” webpage to include information which outlines key development considerations for greenroofs within the federal sector.

-  Over at Sky Gardens, check out Linda’s latest posts: “Boston GreenFest 2011 is Open!” where you’ll find lots of fun and learning activities for the whole family, plus learn about greenroofs and walls with The Green Wall Editor, George Irwin of Green Living Technologies International, who will complete an 800 sf greenroof on site, “Greenroofs.com’s ‘This Week in Review’ on GreenroofsTV: August 12th, 2011” and our GPW.

- “Upcoming Events”

-  Now through August 20^th is Boston GreenFest 2011 in Boston, Massachusetts.

-  August 21st-25th: is StormCon – The North American Surface Water Quality Conference in Anaheim, California.

-  August 24th-26th: is the 6th Annual Georgia Environmental Conference in Savannah, Georgia.

-  August 25th-27th: is the Farwest Show in Portland, Oregon.

-  And August 26th: is a Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC) – Advanced Green Roof Maintenance course in Toronto, Canada.

-  Check out our homepage for more Upcoming Events!

- “In the News”

-  Caitlin Moran of Patch.com says “‘Rainwater Tour’ Gives Residents Ideas for Better Stormwater Management.” Earlier this week, about 15 residents of Redmond, Washington gathered at Grass Lawn Park for a “Rain Water Community Tour.” Hosted by the City of Redmond, Sustainable Redmond and People for Puget Sound, the walking tour highlighted some of the park’s modern stormwater management features, including a green roof, rain garden and permeable ground surfaces. The environmental features help filter out stormwater pollution before water hits local streams, rivers and the Puget Sound. Maddie Foutch, an intern at People for Puget Sound who helped coordinate the rainwater tour, says that stormwater is the cause of one-third of the pollution in Puget Sound. And Peter Holte, the City of Redmond’s stewardship coordinator said “rain gardens, green roofs and the added use of pervious surfaces also helps slow stormwater flow into the streams, which in turn mitigates stream bank erosion and flooding.”

-  Patricia Culligan of LiveScience.com asks “How Does Your Rooftop Grow?” She says “green roofs, such as those on the Columbia University campus, are rapidly gaining popular attention in the United States, recently becoming a high-profile component of sustainable building construction.” To better understand the benefits of urban green roofs and how they work, a team of Columbia University researchers including Patricia Culligan, Stuart Gaffin and Wade McGillis, are coordinating extensive green roofs throughout New York City, in a partnership with the university’s Office of Environmental Stewardship and the Earth Institute’s Urban Design Lab. The researchers are measuring roof runoff, plant evapo-transpiration, carbon dioxide flux, temperature of the growing medium, moisture gradients, local particle counts, and roof albedo for roofs across the city and the results will provide great information for people of the greenroof industry.

- To learn more about these stories and new ones posted daily, go to our In the News or newslinks section of our website.

- Have something you think we should know about and post on our website? You can send us your green articles, videos and images to editor@greenroofs.com.

- Stay up-to-date with what’s going on at Greenroofs.com by subscribing to our greenroofsTV channel on YouTube, following us on Twitter, liking us on Facebook and being a member of our network on LinkedIn.

- This has been This Week in Review for August 19th, 2011 on GreenroofsTV.  I’m Anjuli Velazquez and I’ll see you next week!

*This week’s episode is sponsored by The Greenroof Directory, brought to you by Greenroofs.com.*

Did we miss something? We’d love to hear from you!

~ Linda V.

Each week you can expect to learn What’s New here on Greenroofs.com through our “This Week in Review” video.  Here’s the transcript from July 1, 2011 from our daughter, Anjuli - click on the photo below to see the video, or here.  Enjoy!

-  Hello, I’m Anjuli Velazquez and welcome to This Week in Review for this week, July 1st 2011 on GreenroofsTV.

-  Have you heard the news yet?  It’s our pleasure to announce the Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 – Connecting the Planet + Living Architecture: People, Projects & Design! An event like no other, this is the first virtual conference & expo experience specifically designed for the Greenroof & Greenwall Industry!  Held online on August 23 & 24, 2011, our mission is  to inform, share, and create a global social media experience for imagining, learning & networking via the power of the Internet.  While it’s not meant to ever displace the physical experience, it’s a greater opportunity to reach more people.  And, it’s extremely affordable – we’re partnering with associations and offering 50% off the $99 Registration Fee, making it just $49 with the special promo code, and only $25 for government and students.  Stay tuned for more information about our most exciting news yet coming soon!

- Project of the Week

-  Our project of the week is the Breaking Ground Contracting Green Roof & Rooftop Garden built in 2011 in Jacksonville, Florida.  Breaking Ground’s living roof supports wildlife biodiversity, economic development, offers educational opportunities to a broad range of people and provides a healthy, organic food alternative in the Urban Core.  It is also the first green roof in Florida to incorporate native plants, rooftop permaculture and Florida-friendly landscaping.  The living roof is comprised of three main component ecosystems, including native wildflowers, shrubs, small trees and an intense permaculture food and herb garden.  In addition to the green roof, this project also incorporates a 10-kilowatt photovoltaic solar system, a solar thermal system, living walls, a rain garden, low and no VOC interior paints and finishes, extensive reuse of materials from the demolition of the original building, high efficiency HVAC system with individual occupant controls, outside views for all occupants, and lots more.

To learn more about the Breaking Ground Contracting Green Roof and Rooftop Garden greenroof, click on our project of the week photo on our homepage.

“What’s New”

- Our June 2011 eNewsletter is out, so check it out and read all about our Sky Gardens Blog posts, contributing editor articles, APRs, joblinks and much more!
- Read our latest Guest Feature article by Artie Rollins and John Robilotti: “Various Types of Green Roof Systems Come Together at NYC’s 5-Boro Complex.”  Artie and John go into great depth about their awesome vegetated research rooftop on Randall’s Island, New York.

-  Advertiser Press Releases:

-  Home owner installs Green Roof Paks, designed by Green Roof Blocks, on residential garage roof.

- Over at Sky Gardens, catch up on all of Linda’s latest posts: “Ed Snodgrass & John Shepley Voted Two of America’s Most Promising Social Entrepreneurs 2011” – did you know they were both contributing editors of ours? – Greenroofs.com’s “TWIR” on GreenroofsTV, and as always, our GPW.

-  “Upcoming Events”

- July 5th: Green Roofs for Healthy Cities is hosting a Webinar on Shade Tolerant Green Roof Plants, with Kelven Goodridge, GRP. The Green Infrastructure Webinar Series is free to attend, so reserve your seat now and invite a colleague.

-  “In the News”

-  Benjamin Gottlieb, of CNN International, reports on “Crops out of concrete: Farming Hong Kong’s urban island.” Six months ago, local entrepreneur Osbert Lam started the Eco-Mama rooftop farm; and says “there are a lot of empty, leftover rooftops that could easily be transformed into fields.” Gottlieb says the Eco-Mama farm is one of an estimated 300 urban farming projects in Hong Kong and urban farmers find the activity personally rewarding. But Hong Kong lacks strong support from the government and agriculture only provides less than one tenth of 1% of Hong Kong’s GDP. But even with the challenges facing urban farming there, people like Lam remain optimistic and believe a community of rooftop farmers can prosper in Hong Kong.

- Belinda Lanks, of Co.Design, talks about “JDS Architects Builds A Rolling Rooftop Playground And Park.” Lanks says, “The Copenhagen firm takes the green roof a step further, creating a delightful outdoor playground for both kids and adults.” Copenhagen’s multiethnic district of Nørrebro is densely populated and JDS Architects’ idea was to create a “missing garden” above some of their own designed penthouse apartments for the residents and neighbors to enjoy. The nearly 10,000-square-foot roof includes a grassy hill with curved steps, a wooden deck, a shock-absorbent playground and a suspension bridge, all safely fenced in.

-  To learn more about these stories and new ones posted daily, go to our In the News or newslinks section of our website.

-  Have something you think we should know about and post on our website?  You can send us your green articles, videos and images to editor@greenroofs.com.

-  Stay up-to-date with what’s going on at Greenroofs.com by subscribing to our greenroofsTV channel on YouTube, following us on Twitter, liking us on Facebook and being a member of our network on LinkedIn.

-  This has been This Week in Review for July 1st, 2011 on GreenroofsTV. From everyone here at Greenroofs.com, we wish everyone in the U.S. a very happy, fun and safe 4th of July holiday this weekend! I’m Anjuli Velazquez and I’ll see you next week!

*This week’s episode is sponsored by The Greenroof Directory, brought to you by Greenroofs.com.*

Did we miss something?  We’d love to hear from you!

~ Linda V.

Each week you can expect to learn What’s New here on Greenroofs.com through our “This Week in Review” video.  After a summer vacation, here’s the transcript from June 24 which also covers the weeks of June 17 & 10, 2011 from our daughter, Anjuli - click on the photo below to see the video, or here.  Enjoy!

-  Hello, I’m Anjuli Velazquez and welcome to This Week in Review for this week, June 24th 2011, as well as for the past two weeks since I was gone for a little summer break, on GreenroofsTV.

- Projects of the Week

-  Our project of the week is the Hotel Ushuaïa Low-Tech Vertical Garden built in 2011 in Ibiza, Spain.  Situated in the Hotel Ushuaïa de Ibiza, the four panel eco.bin greenwall acts as a sound barrier between the open air disco, which is located in between the hotel’s central courtyard and the surrounding guest rooms.  The garden wall consists of rows of ceramic terra cotta containers whose circular openings are individually filled with growing medium and planted. Each interconnected planted ceramic has its own substrate and vegetation, and works together to create this sound-absorbent garden space.  This is the first such type of greenwall garden system in the world.  Also, the designers have selected a variety of native plants which can adapt and thrive in these Mediterranean conditions; and as you can see, they provide a multitude of colors during the year.

-  Our project of the week last week was the NYC Parks Five Borough Administrative Building built in 2007 in Randall’s Island, New York, New York. In response to Mayor Bloomberg’s visionary 2007 PlaNYC initiative, the Five Borough Technical Services division began a program of installing green roofs of various designs, realizing that they could contribute significantly to the city’s sustainability effort.  To date, the division, together with Parks’ Green Apple Corps and others, has installed 24 systems covering over 29,000 square feet of roof on the west wing of the building including Green Paks, GreenGrid, BioTrays, Bioroof, Xero Flor, and many custom designs. Five Borough’s is the only known green roof in the U.S. to feature such a vast array of distinct systems side-by-side, which vary by types of growing medium, depth of growing medium, and plant selection.  And there are also other non-traditional green roof systems here including a green wall, container systems, a “walkable” atrium system, as well as planters on top of parapet walls.  By the way, look for a very in-depth look at this roof as our Guest Feature Article coming very soon!

-  Our project of the week for June 10th was the Ruthven Garage built in 2010 in Tacoma, Washington.  In 2010, Jenny Ruthven was a horticulture student at Oregon State University, and after graduating found employment within the green roofing industry and wanted to design and install her own greenroof, and her parents’ garage was the perfect spot.  With the help of family and friends, they had to first add some additional structural support to the garage and replace the 29+ year old shingles. Then, they used a custom made blend of soil which ended up consisting of about 52% inorganic and 48% organic.  Inorganic was all pumice, with a bit of perlite thrown in. Half of the organic component was cedar grove compost, and the rest was coconut fiber, peat moss, mushroom compost, chicken compost, and steer compost. They planted 432 plants, with about 60 different species and varieties total.  Looking back now, Mom Sandra says that she figured that she’d really like her greenroof, but had never  anticipated how much.

-  To learn more about the Ruthven Garage greenroof, type in project ID #1150 in our Projects Database, the NYC Parks Five Borough Administrative Building greenroof, project ID #787 and as always for our current project of the week, this week being the Hotel Ushüaia Low-Tech Vertical Garden, click on our project of the week photo on our homepage.  And, you can also always go to our Sky Gardens Blog and read Linda’s expanded post about our project of the week every week!

“What’s New”

-  Advertiser Press Releases:

-  LiveRoof® Adds an Architectural Specialist, Michael R. Selleck, in Chicago to Support Sales of the LiveRoof® Hybrid Green Roof System.

-  Tremco Headquarters Completes Comprehensive Green Renovation, Becomes a Showcase of Sustainable Construction Technology.

- Registration is now open in Ottawa, Canada – for a Green Living Technologies International (GLTi) Green Wall Seminar.

-  Skyland USA is pleased to announce the launch of a new rooflite® certified growing media website.

-  Joblinks:

The University of Sheffield is looking for a Hydrologist or Urban Drainage Marie Curie More Experienced Researcher in Sheffield, United Kingdom.

-  You can go to greenroofs.com/joblinks.htm more information on this job and other Green Roof Job postings.

-  Make sure to check out our latest Guest Feature Articles and Blog Posts:

-  Christine Thuring gives us her latest report on the 1st International Green Roof Students Conference in Sheffield, UK.

-  And Steven Peck fills us in on a Green Roofs for Healthy Cities’ 2011 CitiesAlive Conference update.

-  Over at the Sky Gardens Blog, catch up on all of Linda’s other posts about Chris Wark’s 2011 7-part Green Roof Energy Series is now available on PDF, and the Greenroofs.com’s “TWIR” on GreenroofsTV for June 3rd, 2011.

- Industry News

-  Environmental Protection Commissioner Cas Holloway announced the 15 winners of Department of Environmental Protection’s 2011 Green Infrastructure Grant Program. Selected from a total of 52 applications, the 15 winners will share approximately $3.8 million of funds to build green infrastructure projects that will reduce combined sewer overflows and improve water quality in the New York Harbor.

-  Green Roofs for Healthy Cities announces co-host agreements with the City of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Horticultural Society for its 9th Annual CitiesAlive Green Roof and Wall Conference November 30th – December 3rd, 2011.

-  The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Committee on Architecture for Education (CAE) has selected 13 educational and cultural facilities for this year’s CAE Educational Facility Design Awards.

-  “Upcoming Events”

-  June 21st-25th: is the 2011 APGA Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

-  June 27th-29th: is the 48th International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) World Congress in Zurich, Switzerland.

-  And on June 29th-30th: is Greenbuild EXPO Exhibition & Conference of Sustainable Building in Manchester, United Kingdom.

- For more Upcoming Events visit our homepage.

-  “In the News”

-  Julia Johnson of the Ottawa Citizen reports on “Old film treasure preserved in federal news archives building.”  Earlier this week, Library and Archives Canada unveiled its new $14.7-million preservation facility for nitrate film on the government’s Shirleys Bay campus.  The new building now houses 5,575 reels of nitrate film dating back to 1912.  Archivist and librarian of Canada, Daniel Caron says that the new facility was also designed to be environmentally friendly, including efficient mechanical systems, insulated walls and a greenroof.  And Mario Gasperetti, the archives’ manager of strategic accommodation adds that the greenroof helps with keeping the vault cool by reducing heat exchange and instead of using manicured grass on the roof, it is designed to look exactly like the meadow landscape surrounding the building.

-  Julie Young of the Richmond Times-Dispatch talks about “Burnt-out home goes from ashes to awesome.”  She says a few years ago, the 1920s row house on Grove Avenue was an “architectural corpse.  Its skeletal remains consisted of a disfigured facade, broken bones and devastating internal damage.”  Then along came Dr. Susan Miller and her husband Dr. Kenneth Kendler to the rescue.  In 2008, they signed on to breathe life back into this burnt down home.  Over the next two years, “The Phoenix” was reborn and filled with green eco-friendly sustainable features like their own greenroof, the 25 foot tall green wall located in the home between the dining room and great room, thirty photovoltaic  roof panels, solar panels, concrete countertops flecked with reclaimed glass and rocks their now-adult children collected as kids, and much more.  The living wall ecosystem was designed by Scotty Guinn Dilworth of SG Designs and installed by Capitol Greenroofs who also installed the roof-top garden.

-  Ted Kortan of NewsNet5.com announces “Tremco Incorporated headquarters dedicated in Beachwood.”  Tremco Incorporated, a building products and solutions company, and subsidiary of RPM International, dedicated its renovated 40-year-old corporate headquarters last week.  Tremco said the project has resulted in a “high performance” building that is substantially more efficient, cost effective, and sustainable than the previous headquarters, with features like their vegetated roof with almost 1,600 plants and the area’s first solar powered electric car charging station.  Joining with company officials at Tremco’s Green Road campus for the dedication were Ohio Governor John Kasich, U.S. Senator Rob Portman, U.S. Congresswoman Betty Sutton and Beachwood Mayor Merle Gorden.

-  Sandy Bauers of Philly.com says “A tiny step forward for green roofs in Philadelphia” includes “a cheerful puff of plant life atop a bus-stop shelter.”  Tiffany Ledesma Groll, the project’s coordinator said, “We basically see this project as an opportunity to inspire homeowners.  A lot of the green roofs that are really fabulous and gorgeous are on high-rises” – which most people never see.  She goes on to say, “We thought it would be fun to bring it down to eye level.”  Last week, workers from Roofmeadow, a Philadelphia green roofs company that did the installation pro bono, were busy topping the shelter with its “mini-oasis.”  They planted a fuzz of pink dianthus, multicolored portulaca, and sedum and Roofmeadow also has committed to maintaining the roof for its first two years.  Charlie Miller, president and founder of Roofmeadow, said the roof “will give people a sense of familiarity…how it contributes to the quality of life.”  His son, Ari, designed the installation so it could be replicated as a “kit” for other bus-stop roofs in the city.

-  To learn more about these stories and new ones posted daily, go to our In the News or newslinks section of our website.

-  Have something you think we should know about and post on our website?  You can send us your green articles, videos and images to editor@greenroofs.com.

-  Stay up-to-date with what’s going on at Greenroofs.com by subscribing to our greenroofsTV channel on YouTube, following us on Twitter, liking us on Facebook and being a member of our network on LinkedIn.

-  This has been This Week in Review for June 24th, 2011 as well as June 10th and 17th on GreenroofsTV.  I’m Anjuli Velazquez and I’ll see you next week!

*This week’s episode is sponsored by The Greenroof Directory, brought to you by Greenroofs.com.*

Did we miss something?  We’d love to hear from you!

~ Linda V.

Greenroofs.com Project of the Week: 6/13/11
NYC Parks Five Borough (5-Boro)
Administrative Building
Randall’s Island, New York City, NY, USA
29,000 sf. Greenroof

Year: 2007-2010
Owner: New York City Department of Parks & Recreation
Location: Randall’s Island, New York City, NY, USA
Building Type: Municipal/Government
Type: Extensive, Semi-Intensive & Intensive, Test/Research
System: Other
Size: 29,000 sq.ft. 
Slope: 1%
Access: Accessible, By Appointment

Project Description & Details

In spring 2007, the Five Borough Technical Services Division of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation began a program of installing green roofs of various designs atop the Five Borough Complex on Randall’s Island where it is headquartered. Starting with the installation of a modest 800 sf system, to date the division, together with Parks’ Green Apple Corps, has installed 24 systems covering over 29,000 sf of roof on the west wing of the building. Together, the systems here will, arguably, comprise the fifth largest green roof in New York City. These systems vary by types of growing medium, depth of growing medium, and plant selection. There are also other non-traditional green roof systems here including a green wall, container systems, a “walkable” atrium system, as well as planters on top of parapet walls.

Serving as an experimental station in which the performance of many different systems can be monitored and compared, the Technical Services’ green roof at Five Borough is truly at the forefront of green roof technology with some of the most innovative systems available. It has 19 traditional systems, 4 non-traditional systems, and one green wall making it the only roof in the nation (quite possibly the world) that has such a vast array of green roof systems side-by-side. It serves as a working laboratory for green roof design and construction, providing knowledge to the rest of the agency and other groups while at the same time conserving and giving back to the City of New York. A sophisticated green roof monitoring system and storm water retention system has also been incorporated into the display complimenting the working laboratory. Visits by appointment are welcomed.

Designers/Manufacturers of Record
Development & Design: Artie Rollins, Chief of Technical Services and John Robilotti, Senior Project Manager, NYC Parks Department
Roofing Material Donation: Barrett Company
Modular Green Roof Systems: GreenGrid™, Green Paks™,  BioTrays™, Bioroof™, Custom
Layered Green  Roof  Systems: Xero Flor™, custom
Growing Medium: GaiaSoil™, rooflite®, Metro-Mix 510, custom mixes
Plant Material: NYC Parks Native Plant Center, Emory Knoll Farms, Sempergreen™
Greenwall System: ELT Easy Green
Installation: Five Borough Technical Services, NYC Parks Summer Interns, Green Apple Corps, FedEx’s Energy Smart Outreach, Columbia University students, Million Trees Volunteers,  NYC Parks Weatherization Crews

Additional Info

The NYC 5-Boro greenroof project has been so dynamic since its creative inception that it has been hard to keep up with them!  We have received updates over the years, though, from many people.  In fact, that’s what triggered its selection of our Greenroof Project of the Week.  Artie Rollins and John Robilotti sent us an update which has grown to become our Guest Feature Article for June, which should be up in a few days, and so I figured we should also highlight it as a June GPW.

The truly inspiring aspect of the project is the dedication by John and Artie to initiate the project back in 2007 and, along with the combined efforts of many others, to continue to add different systems and components each year.  The amount and plant material alone – both native and non-native – is astounding.

Other new green technologies being trialed on the 5-Boro greenroof are: the addition of both solitary bees and honey bees taking up residency on Randall’s Island; an overhead trellis with a surface area of 650 square feet, but a roof foot print of only 90 square feet; a wood parapet system along the atrium parapet wall; a metal parapet wall along the west wing’s perimeter; and a small hydroponic system that can hold 20 plants.

In any case, the NYC Parks Five Borough Administrative Building manages to serves many ecological purposes, including stormwater retention – both via the greenroof and collection tanks, mitigating the urban heat island effect, energy conservation, and food production, just to name a few.

The fact that it also provides a variety of educational components, such as collecting plant, growing media, stormwater retention and other data; various interpretive signage; and allowing tours of the greenroof, is some really green icing on the cake.

I look forward to learning more about all the interesting and different traditional and non-traditional roof greening systems – look for the article soon here on Greenroofs.com from John and Artie, two very hands-on NYC Parks Department professionals:

Did we miss something?  We’d love to hear from you!  Click here to see more information about this project in The International Greenroof & Greenwall Projects Database.  See how you can submit yours here.

Love the Earth, Plant a Roof!

~ Linda V.

We’ve been working on the second installment of our Sky Gardens ~ Greenroofs of the World™ WebTV series for about two years now, and are excited to announce that you can see it here on greenroofs.tv this Friday, April 22, 2011, on Earth Day!

I’ll also be blogging a bit about the actual Making Of the video, filmed on location in New York City and St. Louis, Missouri.

Until then, watch the fun teaser video on our Homepage, the greenroofsTV channel on YouTube, or here below:

Enjoy!

~ Linda V.

Kate Zidar, from the Stormwater Infrastructure Matters (S.W.I.M.) Coalition in New York City, is asking for feedback regarding obtaining the current greenroof tax credit in NYC.  S.W.I.M. is a coalition dedicated to “ensuring swimmable waters around New York City through natural, sustainable stormwater management practices in our neighborhoods. This approach is environmentally and fiscally responsible because it utilizes stormwater, currently viewed as waste, as a resource.”

S.W.I.M. supported the initial legislation that created the NYC green roof tax credit and by collecting feedback on the process, they hope to evaluate its effectiveness and improve future results for those who either attained or attempted to attain this noteworthy credit.

“We hope that our friends and members in green roof-related professions who have experience with the tax credit will spend a few minutes answering these questions.” ~ Kate Zidar

She assures us it’s very short and sweet (there’s all of nine questions), and that all of our feedback is invaluable.  Take the “NYC Green Roof Tax Credit…did it work for you?” survey available on SurveyMonkey here and send any commentary to Kate at: swimmablenyc@gmail.com.

~Linda V.

If you are awaiting more direction to help you apply for a tax abatement in New York City, new solar and/or green roof tax abatement documents (PDF) have just been made public.  Specifically they are:

1. Solar and Green Roof Tax Abatement Checklist
2. PTA1: Property Tax Abatement Application and Agreement for the Installation of a Green Roof
3. PTA2:  Property Tax Abatement Application and Agreement for the Installation of Solar Panels

Please utilize the Checklist as an outline as to the needs of the Department of Buildings.

Links for the legislation for NYC Green Roofs can be found at:
            http://www.nyc.gov/html/dof/html/pdf/08pdf/green_roof_legislation.pdf

and for Solar Panels:
            http://www.nyc.gov/html/dof/html/pdf/08pdf/solar_panel_legislation.pdf

Also, there’s a new New York City rule that implements Titles 4-B and 4-C of Article 4 of the Real Property Tax Law for property tax abatements.  These Green Roof and Solar Electric Generating System Tax Abatement Rules (PDF) were published in “The City Record” on March 12, 2009 which is its effective date.

These rules are available for viewing on the DOB website.

Once again, the application and any documents required are due by 4:00 PM, March 16, 2009:

Department of Buildings
280 Broadway
7th floor
New York, NY 10007
Attention: Bonnie Gerard

Bonnie Gerard, Strategic Planning & Implementation, Project Manager NYC 2010 Electrical Code & Special Projects, says to feel free to ask her any questions regarding the application or any of the documents required at:

212-442-1239 (t)
212-566-3865 (f)
bgerard@buildings.nyc.gov

Info via Kelly Luckett of Green Roof Blocks, also known here as The Green Roof Guy.  Thanks, Kelly!

~ Linda V.

I’m on the NYC Tax Abatement e-mail list, and this is what Carter H. Strickland, Jr., Senior Policy Advisor for Air and Water in the Mayor’s Office of Long Term Planning and Sustainability, just sent out to advise everyone planning on applying for a tax abatement for either a greenroof or solar system:

Dear green roof stakeholder:

Given the tight time frame we are facing with processing the new green roof tax abatements for this year, the Department of Buildings is trying to streamline the process for processing those applications.  Any solar installers or buildings owners who have a project that they think qualifies for an abatement this year (therefore needing to start the process by March 16, 2009 per the law) should immediately contact Bonnie Gerard (212-442-1239 or bgerard@buildings.nyc.gov) as soon as possible.  DOB is finalizing the checklist and application forms for the abatement and we will distribute them to you as soon as we receive the finalized version (Bonnie will also be able to give them to you once they are finalized).

Please forward this email to anyone else you think could have green roof projects that are eligible for an abatement this year. Thank you.”

This follows the DOB hearing held yesterday, March 3, 2009, regarding implementing the draft regulations relating to the installation of green roofs for a tax abatement (which was open to public comment), approved by the state of New York in June of 2008. 

Since the statute requires that applications have to be filed by March 15 every year (a Sunday in 2009, so it extends to the following day, March 16), NYC is trying to get a sense of the number of applications that they can expect.   Obviously, New York City’s Department of Buildings needs to know immediately on prospective applications, so if you’re building a greenroof this year, take note!

~ Linda V.

Of related interest (found in Greenroofs 101 > Industry Support > U.S. ):

August 8, 2008:  GOVERNOR PATERSON SIGNS LAWS TO HELP SPUR INVESTMENT IN RENEWABLE ENERGY – The A.11226 Diaz R/S.7553 Lanza bill was signed by New York State Governor Paterson and deals with the tax abatement for renewable energy, providing a tax abatement for construction of green roofs in New York City.  Read the Press Release from New York State.

June 24, 2008:  Building owners in New York City who install green rooftops will now receive a significant tax credit under a bill (A.11226) sponsored by Assemblyman Ruben Diaz Jr. that passed the state legislature on June 24, 2008.

Under this law, building owners in New York City who install green roofs on at least 50 percent of available rooftop space can apply for a one-year property tax credit of up to $100,000. The credit would be equal to $4.50 per square-foot of roof area that is planted with vegetation, or approximately 25 percent of the typical costs associated with the materials, labor, installation and design of the green roof. Read the Press Release from Sustainable South Bronx.