Formally titled the "Green Roof Tax Abatement for Certain Properties in a City of One Million or More Persons," the bill was sponsored by Assemblyman Ruben Diaz, Jr., whose 85th Assembly District covers part of the South Bronx. The Senate version, S 7553, was sponsored by Senator Andrew J. Lanza of the 24th Senate District.

"We know we have to protect the environment," Assemblyman Diaz told Habitat, "and the number-one contributor to global warming, in terms of pollution, is not emissions from automobiles, as many people think — it is buildings. Green roofs significantly reduce [a building's] carbon footprint."

The bill, according to the memo, amends Article 4 of the Real Property Tax Law by adding a new Title 4-8, "which would provide for a one-year tax abatement for the construction of a 'green roof'" on either commercial buildings or residences, including cooperatives and condominiums.

"Green roofs, which consist of vegetation and soil or other growing mediums planted over a waterproof membrane that covers a roof top, provide many benefits to both property owners and the environment," reads the memo. "Green roofs provide multiple environmental benefits, including reducing sewage system loads by assimilating large amounts of rainwater; absorbing air pollution, collecting airborne particles, and acting as a carbon sink; protecting underlying roof material by eliminating exposure to sun's ultraviolet radiation and extreme daily temperature fluctuations; reducing noise transfer from the outdoors; serving as habitats or wildlife corridors for migrating species; and insulating a building from extreme temperatures, mainly by keeping the building interior cool in the summer, and thereby reducing electricity demand."

Diaz said the bill also helps create the market for a new workforce, and that developers and landscaping companies will "go to the high schools and community colleges to find young men and women to help build these green roofs. These are jobs you can't outsource, but that can be kept right here in New York City."

The bill specifies an eligibility period running from January 1, 2009, to March 15, 2013, sunsetting afterward if not renewed.

The City University of New York (CUNY) Institute for Sustainable Cities gives some background details at the Institute's official blog.

"This was a huge victory," said Diaz. "It's the icing on the cake" — or perhaps the greening on the roof — "for the greenest session I've seen since I've been in Albany."

— Frank Lovece