Page 23 - CooperatorNews New Jersey Expo 2021

NJ.COOPERATORNEWS.COM COOPERATORNEWS NEW JERSEY —EXPO 2021 23 Zimmerman concurs, adding, “There is a from paint, to compound, to insulation and trend to move utilities upstairs, out of base- ments. Over time, with higher water levels, eco-friendly green standard. Green building etc., it makes sense to move infrastructure to materials with low/no embodied carbon are higher ground or levels. In the end it’s a more on the rise. These materials produce little to cost-effective solution. In beachfront proper- ties on Long Island, we notice more and more are overall environmentally more beneficial. that utility boxes are built on platforms free of Many projects are now one hundred percent the building and five to six feet above grade green. Architects are really stepping it up as because of storm surges. We learned this well, in both how they plan a job and in ad- from Sandy.” Another major concern is reducing the en- vironmental impact of residential buildings. In New York City, the enactment of Local Law “The timeframe to make your plans is now,” 97, requiring the reduction of individual car- bon footprints, phases in over the next decade. more and more complicated. Insurance com- It brings strict requirements for all building panies always look to avoid risk, so they may owners—including co-op and condominium refuse to insure some projects or buildings. properties—to control energy use. “Rising The more storms, wildfires, etc., we have, the temperatures are ironically increasing en- ergy use,” says Varsalona. “More electricity is \[may\] reach a threshold where insurers feel needed if you have steam-generated systems, it’s not worth the risk. There will be fewer and for instance. Sad- ly, the impact is that you use more energy to com- bat the changes, which perpetu- ates the cycle. We must come up with ways to up- date old systems and make them more efficient. We must start planning and re- tooling now, not only to achieve our climate goals, but to also not be penalized by the new law.” Retreat- ing from fossil fuels to more sus- tainable, renew- able sources like solar energy is optimal here, plore their vulnerabilities—and as we learned if not always easy. In terms of maintaining and preparing our Florida, reserve funds will become more and buildings for worsening conditions, the pros more critical. No board president wants to say it’s critical to put capital improvement be faced with a report that says the property plans in effect now. Zimmerman stresses needs millions of dollars of work and they that circumstances have changed. “Saltwater have $100 in the reserve account.” rots out power lines,” he says. “Driving rain, hotter heat, and colder cold has a corrosive “If you don’t start now, you will be caught effect on all mechanical systems, long term. late.” Climate change is no longer an abstract We might not see the effect in the short term, concept to be debated based on what side of but we will see it in the deterioration of roofs, the political divide you place yourself on. It’s façades, and infrastructure happening that real, and according to both the science and much sooner. We might have gotten 30 years the practical advice of professionals work- from a roof before. Now we will get 20 or 25 ing in the field, it’s time to start acting, rather years. It’s a harsher environment—and that’s than reacting. At this point, an ounce of pre- the real effect on the built environment”—so vention is worth way more than a pound of it’s critical to put appropriate capital reserve cure. Start mitigating now. plans in place. Practical Applications Edwin Suarez, president of New York- based Jomavi Contracting, observes that changes in approach are already underway. “In today’s construction, we are very mind- ful of climate change,” he says. “Everything other materials have changed to fulfill an no carbon or other greenhouse gases, and hering to new building requirements. They are taking climate change seriously.” Another concern is risk management. says Keating. “Don’t wait. Insurance is getting more insurance premiums will go up—and fewer companies of- fering protection.” Co-op and con- dominium boards must also consider the future well-be- ing of their physical plant. “There should be some kind of best business practice, like guidelines for what kind of reserves must be maintained,” says Zimmerman. “Re- quired capital funds of a certain percent- age of value of prop- erty, for instance, so that money is avail- able for major capital expenditures. Boards should hire architects and engineers to ex- from the Surfside condo building collapse in “You’ve got to do it now,” says Varsalona. n A J Sidransky is a staff writer/reporter for CooperatorNews, and the author of several pub- lished novels. “Planning of this kind is looking down the road 10 to 15 years or more. No board wants to assess their neighbors for monies they need 15 years from now. The process is too short- sighted right now.” —Howard Zimmerman Come join us at booth # 613