Professional Documents
Culture Documents
2/13/11
Budget Considerations
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
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
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