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Up On The Roof:

The Legalese Behind Green Roofs


and Rooftop Farms

Stephanie Alarcon, PSU Master Gardener


Zhenya Fomin, ECA, Masters of Sustainable Design
Hello!
Who are we?
● Stephanie Alarcón, PSU Master Gardener
● Zhenya Fomin, ECA, Masters of Sustainable Design

Who are you and what do you hope to learn?


Greening roofs is a Good Thing
● Reduces urban heat island effect
● Helps with heating and cooling
● Improves stormwater management
● Provides pollinator habitat
● Gardening increases local food availability
● Connection to plants for people with small
yards
Stormwater in Philadelphia
Annual Rainfall: 40-45”

Watershed: inner city streams covered, impervious surface increased

Source of drinking water: Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers


Drinking water treatment: 540 M gallons per day capacity

Storm water runoff: causes 80-90% of water pollution

Waste Water: Three treatment plants discharging into Delaware


River

Combined Sewer Overflows


That's Why We Started PROOF
● The Philadelphia Rooftop Farm
● Started with some planters on a friend's deck
● Won a design grant from Community Design
Collaborative for planter design
● We're hopeful but we've hit some bumps...
Physical Barriers
● Strength of roof rafters, deck, side walls/party
walls
● Danger of water penetration
● Additional live/dead load, wind concerns
● Ball park figure for structural engineer
Green Roof Structure
● Extensive
● Steel base
● Insulation
● Membrane
● Root barrier
● Drainage layer
● Separation Layer
● Growth medium
Figure 2. Generic Extensive Green
● Foliage Roof. Courtesy of Optigrün Intl.
AG
Structural Requirements

Type Depth Saturated Weight PSF


Extensive 6” or less 10-35 lb

Semi-Intensive 25% above or below 6” 35-50 lb

Intensive More then 6” 35-300 lb

2/13/11
Budget Considerations

Type Installed cost Contributing Factors


Extensive $7-30 PSF Design, Permits, Inspections
Waterproofing, Height, Logistics
Semi-Intensive $25-50 PSF Structural Reinforcements, Total SF

Wage Requirements, Plant mix


Intensive $50 +++ PSF Irrigation, Leak Detection
Maintenance, Final Use

2/13/11
What is “Up To Code”?
Zoning code Building code
Appropriate use Safety
A garden on top of a hazardous A garden 5 stories high with no
industrial building is an railing is unsafe
inappropriate use

Revision in process, Last code Phila uses the International


revision 1962 Building Code with some
modifications

642 pages iccsafe.org


55 zoning classifications
Dozens of special district controls
Source: Zoning Matters.org
Zoning Matters!
● Code revision news on ZoningMatters.org
● Protect public health, safety and welfare by
regulating land use and building parameters
● Early on: prevent overcrowding and limit
incompatible uses.
● Modern: transit-oriented development,
pedestrian-friendly commercial corridors, and
preservation of the historic fabric of
neighborhoods.
Source: ZoningMatters.org
Zoning Does Matter...
● Current code contains these Classes of Districts (see link
in handout)
(a) Residential Districts.
(b) Commercial Districts.
(c) Industrial Districts.
(d) Recreational Districts.
(e) Trailer Camp Districts.
(f) Sports Stadium Districts.
(g) Institutional Development Districts.
R5 – One type of single family residential

Source: http://www.zoningmatters.org/node/294
C2 - Mixed Use Commercial
● All C1 uses Antiques, Books,
Drugs, Produce, Butcher,
Jewelry, Barber, Bank, Day
care for 12 or few children
(except in the 6th & 10th
Councilmanic Districts),
Florist, Laundry, Funeral
parlor...
● Plus Restaurants, Catering,
pet-related uses, Post
Offices, including single
family or duplex dwellings.
● Source:
http://zoningmatters.org/node
/238
What zone are you?

http://citymaps.phila.gov/zoningoverlay/
Proposed Changes
● Urban Agricultural Use
Category:
● Specific inclusion of rooftops
for Community Gardens and
Market or Community-
Supported Farms.
Why zoning code exists
● Can you build a green roof or rooftop garden without
● Making enemies of your neighbors
● Making money from a building that isn't supposed to
make money
● Messing with the character of the street?
Why Building Code Exists
● Can you make sure
● It won't fall through the roof
● You or your agents can get up safely and won't fall off
● It won't wreck any walls or your neighbor's roof
● It's not a fire hazard?
Going legal
● Permit cost
● Engineer cost
● Time at L&I
● Possible new structures
● Occasionally they'd rather you ask for
forgiveness than permission...
So You Want To Go To L&I...
For a green roof:
● Building permit. Need plans stamped by architect or engineer
● Or not...
● L&I reviews plans and inspects final product
● Height variance over 1', except railings.
● Plants won't trigger (especially if high-growing plants are to the
back) but fence or pilot house might depending on the zone
● Visibility from the street: Some neighborhoods want consistent
cornice line from street, would reject variance in zoning meeting
● A pilot house or fence (3' min.) is required if a building owner
wants access to the green roof
Source: Email from Urban Ecoforms and Zhenya Fomin
Metropolitan Bakery Example

● Engineer's liability
● Snow load at different historical periods
● Roof deck core samples
● Point loading around structural columns
PROOF's Experience
● Safety, convenience, full sun, proximity to
homeowner, access to water (and power)
● Food justice and access, how to sell/donate
produce
● Why residential first
● CDC report: modular planters
● Big residential costs: Roof access, engineer's
stamp, and railings
● Now considering commercial
Rooftop Gardens in Philly
● Noble restaurant
● 4 Seasons hotel
● Sheldon Crossing, a new platinum-LEED
townhouse development in the Manayunk
neighborhood of Philadelphia
● Garden Court Plaza in the late 1920’s
● West Philadelphia, ‘Milk & Honey’ Community
beehives
Source: Phigblog
Rooftop Farms Elsewhere
● NYC: Gotham Greens,
Eagle Street Rooftop
Farm, Brooklyn Grange
● Uncommon Ground
Restaurant, Chicago: 6
tons when wet!
● Lufa Farms, Montreal
● Minneapolis: Sky High
Harvest Rooftop Farm
● Milwaukee's Community
Growers CSA
Green Roofs in Philly
● PECO
● Friends Center
● Public Library
● Comcast Center
● Fencing Academy
● Schuylkill Education Center
● Swarthmore College
● Temple Ambler
● Onion Flats
● Bancroft Green luxury homes
Green Roofers in Philly

● Cory Suter, BioNeighbors


● G Space – Green walls and roofs, commercial
design/build
● Roofscapes/Roofmeadows – GRASS is a
certified installer
● Urban Ecoforms
● Green Roof Works
Chicago

● City Hall 20,000


sq ft green roof
● Saved $25,000
in utilities 2001-
2007
Source: Inhabitat.com
● Bird habitat
●Zoning Ordinance:Roofs greater than 10,000
must have 50% green roof
The Netherlands

Schiphol International Airport, Amsterdam


Source: Michigan State University
Canada

Coast Plaza Hotel, Vancouver, BC


Source: Michigan State University
Incentives

Green Roof Tax


• 25 % of installation
• Up to $100,000 off business privilege tax
• Commercial only

PWD Storm Water Management Fees


• Four year transition
• Parcel based billing for impervious surface
• Commercial only

2/13/11
Philly Green Roof Tax Credit
● Commercial only, Reduces Business Privilege tax
● 50% of the roof or 75% of “eligible roof top space” should be
greened
● Engineer certifies:
● Surface and structrural capacity are ok
● Plans include irrigation and drainage
● Safe access for maintenance
● City credits 25% of the cost of building against business
privilege tax up to $100,000
● Application:
http://www.phila.gov/revenue/pdfs/Green_Roof_Applicati1.pdf
● Instructions:
http://www.phila.gov/revenue/pdfs/Internet_Summary_-_B.pdf
Bottom line
● Green roofs are gaining acceptance, and
incentives for large buildings and new
construction are working in other places
● Roof gardens could be next
● The big issues are access and safety
● Funding needed to expand market penetration
beyond luxury new construction and
instituational facilities
● Low interest financing mechanisms
● City-hired structural engineers
Some Rooftop Farming Initiatives
● PROOF, The Philadelphia Rooftop Farm
http://philadelphiarooftopfarm.wordpress.com/
● NYC: Gotham Greens http://gothamgreens.com/, Eagle Street
Rooftop Farm http://rooftopfarms.org/, Brooklyn Grange
http://brooklyngrangefarm.com/about/
● Uncommon Ground Restaurant, Chicago: 6 tons when wet!
http://www.uncommonground.com/
● Lufa Farms, Montreal www.lufa.com
● Minneapolis: Sky High Harvest Rooftop Farm
http://www.skyhighharvest.com/
● Milwaukee's Community Growers CSA
http://www.milwaukeerenaissance.com/CommunityGrowersCSAFarm
/HomePage
Green Roof Incentives and
Resources
● Greenroofs.com – check for info on incentives
● PA Stormwater Best Management Practices vegetated roof guide
● Courses by Cory Suter
● Parternship CDC green roof course
● Philadelphia Water Departments' Green Roof Guide
● Philadelphia Water Departments' Green Roof
Guide:://www.phila.gov/water/Stormwater/pdfs/PWD_GreenGuide.pdf.
● Stormwater Management Guidance Manual; CH 7 has green roof criteria in
the first section. See: http://phillyriverinfo.org/WICLibrary/chapter%207.pdf
● Credit related info: http://www.phila.gov/water/Stormwater_Billing.html
● How properties can implement green infrastructure on their properties to get
a credit. http://www.phila.gov/water/Stormwater/pdfs/PWD_GreenGuide.pdf
● Cory Suter, GRP Principal BioNeighbors Sustainable Homes
www.bioneighbors.com
Code Resources
● Existing zoning code at
http://www.amlegal.com/nxt/gateway.dll/Pennsylvania/phila
delphia_pa/thephiladelphiacode?
f=templates$fn=default.htm$3.0$vid=amlegal:philadelphia
_pa
● New zoning commission: zoningmatters.org
● To find how a property is zoned:
http://citymaps.phila.gov/zoningoverlay/
● International building code:
http://www.iccsafe.org/Pages/default.aspx
Questions?
Steph.alarcon@gmail.com
zhenyaf@ecasavesenergy.org

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