CooperatorNews NY April 2021

April 2021 COOPERATORNEWS.COM ings. With that said, the first step is to engage an experienced energy ex- pert to survey the building.” That survey will determine if and where the building is currently deficient and how and where the most economical and successful changes and upgrades can be made. Giulia Alimonti, senior architect with CTLGroup, an international engineering and architectural firm with offices in New York, advises that “boards should first become familiar with the law and options for NEW YORK THE CO-OP & CONDO RESOURCE COOPERATORNEWS continued on page 2 205 Lexington Avenue, NY, NY 10016 • CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED In multifamily properties where differ- ent households share in the use, visual en- joyment, and property value of landscaped outdoor elements, a lot of factors go into deciding what and where to plant, how to maintain it, and how much to spend. These considerations can be summed up as the ‘3 Greens’: the vitality and vibrancy of plant- ings and lawns; the ecological factors that determine the best methods, placements, and products that use the least resources and have the least impact on the environ- ment, and the dollars that associations and co-op corporations need to allocate in their budgets to design, install, and maintain these areas. To optimize each, the 3 Greens must be considered simultaneously. For example, an association with a limited landscaping bud- get might think that skimping on mulch will save them money—but according to the pros, the right type of mulch in the right amounts is important for soil health, water conservation, and weed mitigation — all of which saves money in the long run. Similar- ly, a community with ample grounds might think that laying a bunch of sod for sprawl- ing lawns might be the right way to ‘green’ things quickly, instead of going through the relative hassle of seeding grass from scratch—but a sod workaround might ac- tually be the least cost effective to maintain and least ecologically efficient or beneficial. Mix It Up As with most things biological, diversity is generally best. Having a combination of softscape (plantings and grasses) and hard- scape (concrete, paving, turf) creates visual appeal and can demarcate different out- door spaces for different uses. A carefully planned landscape can also maximize water runoff and absorption, take advantage of In the spring of 2019, the New York City Council passed the Climate Mobilization Act—and with it, Local Law Number 97 (LL 97). LL 97 requires large existing build- ings—those over 25,000 square feet—to reduce their carbon emissions 40% by 2030 and 80% by 2050. Unique in its aim, the law targets existing buildings and requires own- ers to invest in renovation and retrofitting to make their buildings more energy efficient. What’s Required, By When? LL 97 sets requirements for all subject properties for two initial compliance periods: The first period runs from 2024 to 2029 and the second from 2030 to 2034. New York City is obli- gated by the law to clarify requirements for future periods through 2050. Buildings over 25,000 gross square feet must meet annual whole-building carbon intensity limits during each com- pliance period based on building type, or prorated for mixed-use buildings. Certain building types—including city-owned buildings, affordable housing, hospitals, and houses of worship— will have alternative compliance options if they cannot hit the carbon intensity limits. Cooperative and condominium apartment buildings are also subject to the law. Compli- ance requires that building owners—which in the case of co-ops and condos means boards of directors—must submit an annual emissions intensity report approved by a registered design professional starting in 2025 or pay substantial fines. The onus is on the individual co-op cor- poration or condominium association not only to submit a report but to retrofit, reconfigure, and even replace polluting systems within their properties to bring their properties into com- pliance on a long-term basis. What to Do Fred Goldner is a certified energy consultant based in Long Island, and is an expert on the implementation of Local Law 97 requirements for apartment buildings and how to approach that implementation. “That implementation,” he says, “depends on the particulars of the build- When the sun seems to shine a bit brighter, warmer, and longer, and the first buds of spring start to appear on trees and bushes, many multifamily property man- agers, boards, and residents start to think about the landscaping at their building or HOA. After months of being cooped up in- doors and unable to make full use of their outdoor spaces, the arrival of spring re- minds them that these areas are there—and that they need some serious TLC—or may- be even overhaul—after a long, cold winter. But where should multifamily decision- makers even begin when making land- scaping choices? How does the process for reseeding a vegetable garden differ from redesigning a courtyard? It turns out that a proper plan—and adequate time to final- ize, procure, and implement it—is crucial to get the most out of a property’s outdoor space on any budget. We spoke to several landscaping professionals and organiza- tions to find out what boards, managers, and gardening committees should keep in mind when developing a landscaping plan for their communities. Different pros had their own recommendations, but all agreed that the time to start thinking about them is now. How Will the Space Be Used? As opposed to individual homeowners who have only their own households to con- sider when making landscaping decisions, multifamily buildings and associations have to consider multiple, diverse households; what might be an appealing use of space to one segment of the community might be completely unsuitable to another. Com- munity leaders may have a lot of different backgrounds, ages, interests, and abilities to consider when weighing how their shared outdoor spaces will be used, what they will look like, and how they’ll be designed. David Mendelson and Annamaria Mo- rales are principals with QG Landscape in New York, and are well-versed in col- laborating with boards and committees to make use of outdoor areas. Where possible, they suggest trying to carve out sections of space for different purposes: shaded nooks Preparing for Local Law 97 Inspections What’s Required, and When BY A J SIDRANSKY Smart Multifamily Landscaping The Key is in the Planning BY DARCEY GERSTEIN Plants, Money, & Sustainability The ‘3 Greens’ of Landscaping BY DARCEY GERSTEIN continued on page 11 continued on page 10