FROM THE PRESIDENT
FROM THE PRESIDENT
BRANDON RICH | GREYSTAR REAL ESTATE PARTNERS
Denver Ballot Initiative # 300 Threatens Our Industry
Legislative advocacy is one of the primary pillars of the association . From time to time , we have to call on our members to stand up and fight against bills or initiatives that would harm our industry , livelihoods and residents . Denver Ballot Initiative # 300 is one of those initiatives .
This November 7 , Denver residents are being asked to vote on initiative 300 — the “ green roof initiative .” This initiative is a mandate that would require all new construction and any new roof on existing construction of buildings over 25,000 square feet of office space , not just roof space , include a portion of the roof as a green roof . A green roof , as described by the initiative , would be either plants or solar panels .
If this initiative passes , the impact it will have on Denver is astronomical ! For any new building permit pulled after January 1 , 2018 , a green roof would need to be included . The additional cost associated with these roofs will be passed along to the end consumers in the form of higher rents . The public sentiment in Denver on higher rents is already creating a stir — this will add more fuel to that flame .
All buildings pulling a building permit after January 1 , 2018 would be required to have a green roof . Existing buildings will be required to install a green roof or combination of green roof and solar at the time of roof replacement and / or major repair . Exemptions are very limited and all exempted buildings are required to provide a cash-in-lieu payment to the Denver Office of Sustainability equal to the cost of constructing the green roof .
Costs include initial capital costs , ongoing maintenance costs , and lifecycle costs ( i . e ., green roof replacement might cost more than conventional roof replacement ).
Not only would this initiative require installation of a green roof , but the ordinance also mandates the following , among other provisions :
»» Root repellant systems
»» Anti-shear measures for sloped roofs
»» Engineer-stamped reports on wind uplift pressures being designed for
»» Leakage testing
»» Water retention mats to promote vegetation growth
»»
Growing media of at least 4 inches
The initiative is problematic as it will raise the cost of housing , both owner-occupied and rental and it will deter future development in Denver . We believe that an incentive-based program would be more beneficial to developers , rather than making it mandatory , since it would likely hurt economic development and Denver ’ s ability to attract and retain businesses .
Not only is it expensive , research has shown that green roofs have a limited impact on its intended purpose of lowering the temperature in a city .
Additionally , Denver ’ s climate is not well suited for green roofs , which means increased water usage will be necessary to keep the roofs alive and healthy , otherwise causing the roof to be a horrible fire hazard . This initiative would be counterproductive to other initiatives trying to conserve one of our most precious resources in Colorado , water .
Finally , the installation of plants and watering systems would likely increase allergies , mosquitoes , bugs , etc .
The Colorado Apartment Association has joined and helped fund Citizens for a Responsible Denver , a coalition of community leaders and organizations to fight this initiative . We encourage you to get involved and share with your staff to help us defeat this measure this November !
I ask that if you or your team members live in Denver , help educate them on this initiative and vote NO on Denver Initiative # 300 .
If you would like to become more involved in protecting our industry with the association ’ s Government Affairs team , please contact Nancy Burke at 303-548-3193 .
6 | TRENDS • OCTOBER 2017 www . aamdhq . org