Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Summer 2012 - (Page 27)

POLICY & STANDARDS FaçadeScape Green Wall Systems • Covers walls & pillars • Reduces heat gain • Easy to specify & install property taxes. Additionally, the vegetative standards are not sensible; the requirement for 80% coverage in the first year results in costly, less natural plantings. The program also does not encourage rooftop food production or native plantings. pOLICy RECOMMENDATIONS The City should make three key changes while extending the tax abatement. First, the City should increase its value to stimulate the market. We estimate the incentive should be in the range of $9 to $14 per square foot, depending on the administrative costs of application. Second, the City should develop a transfer program allowing non-profit organizations to sell their abatement to private investors, as allowed under the New York State Solar Tax Credit Program. Lastly, the City should improve the program’s administration by allowing amortization over multiple years, streamlining the application process, reducing application requirements, and developing simple and flexible design requirements. We’ve met with the Mayor’s Office of Long Term Planning and Sustainability, the City’s Department of Environmental Protection, and elected officials to improve and extend the tax abatement program. We look forward to working with the City of New York to improve the green roof tax abatement program before it expires next year. Robert Crauderuff coordinates SWIM’s research, political advocacy and organizing work Eric Dalski is a founder and partner of Highview Creations LLC in New York City and an active member with the S.W.I.M. coalition. TM IMPROVINg TAX ABATEMENT GREEN ROOf pOLICy IN NyC by: RObERT CRAUDERUEff & ERIC DALSKI N ew York City’s green roof property tax abatement began with excitement in 2008, but has largely disappointed New Yorkers over the past four years. The Storm Water Infrastructure Matters coalition (S.W.I.M.) supported the City’s property tax abatement of $4.50 per square foot program, even though it was a lesser value and more bureaucratic than we recommended. S.W.I.M. believed the tax abatement would advance our mission of achieving swimmable and fishable waterways in New York City by retaining storm water, which reduces combined sewage overflows. As it turns out, only four building owners participated during the program’s first three years! We convened a working group in March, 2012 to understand the problems, propose solutions, and advocate for the extension and renewal of the tax abatement before it sunsets on March 15, 2013. Our working group is comprised of twenty plus green roof professionals, architects, suppliers, urban farmers, and policy advocates. LESSONS LEARNED The tax abatement program does not incentivize contractors or building owners to build green roofs. The abatement’s current value, $4.50/s.f., is too low for private building owners, even without administrative costs imposed. In addition, the law, rules and administrative processes are onerous, as are the time involved and the costs of applying for the abatement. Several applicants spent more than 100 hours on the application processes. Moreover, the tax abatement program does not allow building owners to claim the abatement’s full value. The incentive is for one-year only; if a property owner’s abatement is worth $50,000 but only owes $30,000 in property taxes, the owner loses out on the additional $20,000. The program does not help not-for-profits install green roofs, because they do not pay • Protects building exteriors • Promotes healthy plant growth • Manufactured in ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 compliant facilities for environmental responsibility FinD OUT MOrE For more information on the New York Green Roof Tax Abatement program please visit swimmablenyc.org The Best InTension TM Toll Free 800-444-6271 sales@decorcable.com LIVING ARCHITECTURE MONITOR / wINTER 2012 / 27 www.decorcable.com http://www.decorcable.com http://www.swimmablenyc.org http://www.decorcable.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Summer 2012

Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Summer 2012
Contents
Letter from the Chairman
From the Founder
New Standard on the Use of Lightweight Aggregate
Urban Agriculture Declaration Caps Amazing Summit Debut
Economics of Biophilic Design
Brad Rowe, David Spalding, Cornelia Oberlander, Paul Kephart
Green Roofing Industry Sees Triple Digit Growth
Green Roof Local Market Symposiums
Industry Professionals Weigh in on Growing Media Quality Control!
CitiesAlive in Chicago Oct 17th – 19th
Green Infrastructure Ontario Coalition Changes our Perspectives on Infrastructure
Improving Tax Abatement
10th Anniversary Commemorative Pull Out Section
Halifax Seaport Farmer’s Market
Leadership Knows No Bounds- Virginia Russell
Policy Profile- A Home for Biodiversity on Green Roofs
New Industry Products
Plant Profile: Chives Thrive on Green Roofs
Half a year, Full-Fledged Growth
In God We Trust – All Others Bring Data!
New Corporate Members
Professional Calendar
GRHC Buyers Guide
Green Supremacy by Zach Williams

Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Summer 2012