March 2012 - Parks & Recreation - 48

graHam oaKs
NaturE ParK
Portland, oregon
opened september
2010
300-square-foot
restroom building
375-square-foot
picnic shelter
$235,000
Pre-manufactured,
off-the-shelf
buildings were
modified to
incorporate
green building
improvements

because of the scope and the scale. For the most
part, the facilities were restrooms and picnic shelters. However, Metro's sustainability standards,
adopted last October, require that even small facilities have to meet performance standards such
as incorporation of ecoroofs, use of recycled-content material, and energy efficient design.
" They were pre-manufactured structures that
we worked with the supplier to modify to include
things like solar and living roofs, " Wojtanik says.
" Small facilities such as those in parks often don't
qualify for the LEED standard for new construction
or Earth Advantage Commercial because the buildings do not meet minimum size or other qualifications. However, green building concepts are still
very much an option for these projects. "
Jeremy Cohen with the U.S. Green Building Council contends that overestimating the cost of LEED
certification is a common misperception. Especially in large cities, the green building market in general has gone through its learning curve and is now
much more competitive in terms of expertise, products, and services. The same is true for LEED certification services.
" At 4½ cents per square foot on new construction,

I would say that incremental cost is justified in having
that public perception and brand recognition in having a LEED building, " Cohen says. " It's important, especially for the public sector, to be really savvy about
how they're pricing and how they're paying for these
projects.....Ask consultants to identify and break out
the costs-which costs are for which part? How much
are you charging us just to fi ll out paperwork? Some
things you should be able to expect them to do normally under a contract for a green building-make
sure there aren't additional costs lumped in just because it's a LEED building. "
Cohen notes that USGBC offers a roadmap for
green building projects for local governments at
www.usgbc.org/government. Sustainable design,
technology, and products all bring their own longterm returns on investment in energy efficiency,
according to Cohen. But the advantage of LEED certification is that it communicates the values of the institution, Cohen says.
Daley concurs, " Being part of the LEED system
is recognizable and marketable. It's good PR, and
it's PR that is becoming easier to get....There is value in being able to proclaim that commitment to
sustainability. "

Greener Inside and Out
Green building techniques don't stop at the front door.
In Westerville, Ohio, the 38-year-old Highlands Park
Aquatics Center needed to be replaced. Because
LEED certification can be difficult for an aquatics facility to obtain, the city is seeking certification for the

Green for Less Green
Brendan Daley of the Chicago Park District shares a few inexpensive methods for making even existing buildings a little greener.
■■ Low VOC (volatile organic compounds) paint: At no additional cost compared to regular paint, low VoC paint means
no fumes or odors so staff will be more comfortable and will
be able to get back into newly painted areas quicker.
■■ Energy-Eﬃcient Lighting: everything from changing an incandescent light bulb to a compact ﬂuorescent or doing a full lighting
retrofit will immediately save money on utility bills because the
lights are on most of the time at most park facilities. Instruct staff
to turn out lights in rooms that are not in use, or use daylight.
■■ Energy-eﬃcient vending machines : Vending miser sensors
can turn machines on and off automatically.

46 Parks & recreation M A R C H

2 0 1 2 w w w . N R P A . O R G

Green cleaning products: These are often equal in cost to
non-green alternatives, but not all cleaning products have a
green alternative. Most surface cleaners have a Green Seal or
equivalent product. Use Green Seal as a requirement in bid
documents to ensure vendors provide green cleaning supplies. However, staff may need to be trained to handle some
products that are concentrated cleaners requiring mixing.
■■ Renovations: When making any retrofits or renovations, consider the " green alternative " -even if there may be a slightly
higher upfront cost, figure out long-term savings so the return on investment (roI) can be calculated.
The billions of square feet of existing buildings are where
the U.S Green Building Council hopes to see a real impact on
■■

March 2012 - Parks & Recreation

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