Lowering the cost of going green

By Danielle Dreilinger, Globe correspondent

If the Somerville aldermen's Parks and Open Space committee has its way, green roofs will require fewer greenbacks. The issue was discussed at a committee meeting Oct. 25.  

Currently the city Department of Inspectional Services charges $18 per $1,000 of a project's budget to rebuild any kind of roof, said alderwoman Rebekah Gewirtz, chair of the committee.. But "because we will ultimately save money" because of reduced fire risk and water runoff, among other environmental benefits, "I think we should reduce the cost ...  to incentivize people to build green roofs," she said.  

"Somerville is exceptional," said Mark Winterer, cofounder of the local company Recover Green Roofs, which has not yet worked on any projects in its home city. "A lot of cities - Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, DC - they all offer incentives for owners to put [on] a green roof. Somerville was the only municipality that I knew of that actually charged."  

Green roofs start at $10 per square foot. If you need to add "structural reinforcement or waterproof membrane," the cost at least doubles, Winterer said. With an average project size of 10,000 square feet, that's "$4,000 to pay for that building permit," Winterer said.   Most green roofs are on commercial, municipal, or academic buildings, he said. Somerville has only one.  

Along with looking overhead, the committee is also looking underfoot. Following the Oct. 11 "depaving" event held by Somerville Climate Action, the aldermen are exploring ways to reduce asphalt on driveways. Currently the city has minimal landscaping requirements; some can be fulfilled by paving over property, Gewirtz said.  

At its Nov. 22 meeting, the committee plans to discuss a Lowell ordinance that "Helps people more proactively green their spaces," Gewirtz said, with the hopes of creating a similar law for Somerville.