Well… after a somewhat long hiatus from blogging (due to my recent nuptials), I return with some good (though somewhat old) news for New Yorkers.
It seems like Mayor Bloomberg has been reading my mind. It’s almost a little uncanny! Some of my worries as a New Yorker – including our failing energy infrastructure (especially related to consumption, and especially in the summer), our limited use of roofs as a way to avoid the ‘heat island’ effect and keep the storm drains cleared, and overall global warming issues in general – are touched upon in the background to his PlaNYC 2030. (This website is somewhat hard to navigate, but the background page is a good place to start in terms of understanding his various green initiatives.) There is no ‘clear’ mission statement for PlaNYC on this website from what I can see, aside from the following:
“…a plan to address the critical challenges ahead and to create a sustainable City.”
So the green roof initiative that the mayor has launched seems to be part of his Sustainable Stormwater Management Plan: these green roofs are being promoted as a clear way to reduce storm water runoff, thereby preventing sewers from overflowing and washing out into the NY waterways. They are also included in the NYC Green Infrastructure Plan, which clearly states that “Cleaning up New York City’s rivers, creeks, and coastal waters has been a top priority for our Administration… But to open as much of our waterfront as possible to recreation and development, we need a long-term plan to manage the stormwater that can overwhelm our combined sewer system when it rains, impairing water quality in the harbor and its tributaries.”
Further: “The NYC Green Infrastructure Plan will achieve that goal. Based on years of study and our experience with new technologies, we know that green infrastructure—advanced street-tree pits, porous pavements and streets, green and blue roofs, and many other stormwater controls—can improve water and air quality, help to cool the City, reduce energy bills and greenhouse gas emissions, increase property values, and beautify our communities.”
So after pouring over all this information, over multiple interrelated PDFs and governmental websites, I can begin to appreciate the mayor’s plan. (I also have never heard of ‘blue’ roofs or porous pavements, which both seem like interesting initiatives, but that would require a full dedicated post to explore… so stay tuned for that.) But all that being said, who is going to pay for the green roof initiative? I tried to isolate the information on the PlaNYC website related to green roof installation and cost. In order for the mayor’s vision to be realized, green roofs will have to be installed around the city, and not just in new construction projects, but in already-existing buildings as well. There is limited information on the ‘how this will get paid’ part of the equation, though after some deeper review, I did notice a mention of a “Green Roof Tax Abatement”. The details show that a homeowner would receive 1 year tax abatement for the proper installation of a green roof (be forewarned that this is a PDF link). Though I am not a homeowner, I am wondering if the tax write-off would be enough to offset the cost of installing and monitoring the roof for the required 3-year period? I will plan to talk to my landlord to investigate. More soon.
