Page 25 - CooperatorNews New Jersey Spring 2022

NJ.COOPERATORNEWS.COM COOPERATORNEWS NEW JERSEY —SPRING 2022 25 Your Association is in Good Hands with Homestead Management Services. Responsible Property Management that responds to your needs • Personal, responsive customer care with 24/7 emergency call service • Modern, fully intergrated databased network for quick response to problems and solutions • Live, expert staff of experienced management personel A complete financial package: • Complete Monthly Financial Statement •Accounts Payable • Accounts Receivable •Deliquency Report •Annual Reports www.homesteadmgmt.org Family owned with over 35 years years of experience 328 Changebridge Rd. Pinebrook, NJ 07058 973-797-1444 284 Rt. 206 South, Hillsborough, NJ 08844 908-874-6991 © AAMC ACCREDITED ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT COMPANY REACH FOR THE STARS WE MANAGE OUR CUSTOMERS ABOVE & BEYOND At Executive Property Management, we are light years ahead in our profession. For more than thirty years, we have successfully focused on providing our customers with unrivaled value in areas of financial consulting and reporting, customer service, cost control, technology and integrity. Let us guide you to a brighter tomorrow. www.epmweb.net keep in mind the changes to the environ- ment brought about by climate change and other factors is also a smart move. Real estate professionals have noticed that in many new developments, builders and designers are planning outdoor space that can remain open further through the seasons. They are accounting for not only climate change, but the changes currently taking place as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Where outdoor spaces have always been a sought-after commodity, their value has expanded with the need for social distancing, escaping the in- doors, and getting fresh air. Martin Rosen of the Office of Plan- ning and Sustainable Communities at the New Jersey Department of Environmen- tal Protection reinforces the benefits of a holistic approach to landscape design and maintenance. He says, “As land itself becomes scarce and ever more precious, outdoor spaces need to be designed to deliver value in as many ways as possible; i.e., increasing land values, rewarding the senses, promoting environmental qual- ity, and enhancing mobility. Sustainable landscapes incorporate and balance the human desire for beautiful and func- tional landscapes with the imperative to preserve valuable resources.” Looking at every aspect of a development site—its topography and layout, natural and arti- ficial lighting, hardscape and softscape, vegetation, irrigation, and intended or potential uses—can create a landscape that is sustainable both now and for years to come. It’s Easy Being Green Contrary to Kermit the Frog’s famous assertion, being green can be easy—and this goes for multifamily properties, too. Even small and inexpensive changes to the way an association or corporation plans and maintains its outdoor spaces can have major implications for the value of the property, the health of the earth and its inhabitants, and the community’s bottom line. Understanding the interrela- tionship among the three greens—plant- ings, money, and sustainability—will help any condo, HOA, or co-op achieve a beautiful landscape that is pleasing and useful to residents, friendly and benefi- cial to the planet, and a long-term val- ue proposition for today’s challenging times. n Darcey Gerstein is Associate Editor and Staff Writer for CooperatorNews. THE ‘3 GREENS’... continued from page 12 depth.” Baron illustrates how ADA consid- erations affect decisions about and the execution of Universal Design projects. “There are codes that determine how space must function to meet the needs of the mobility impaired,” he says, “and co- ops and condos must be careful that they are adhering to those codes. For instance, you have a front entrance to a building. There are code requirements for ramps; doors must open outward, and there are mandatory heights for handles, as well as requirements for the width of the doors, which must be at least 36 inches to ac- commodate wheelchairs. Stairs may also be an issue for the mobility impaired. For people with vision impairments, there are signs in braille. For the hearing im- paired, everything is visual.” For older buildings built long before the ADA was even a concept, there may be some wiggle room, Baron says. “It should be noted that some buildings are grandfathered in—but if and when they redesign their public areas, they need to be careful about what choices they make, since an architectural change to the building may trigger ADA compliance requirements.” And, adds Ramsey, “It should be not- ed that accessibility requirements are dependent on the exact ‘use group’ that your building falls under. Thus, only a thorough analysis of the subcode re- quirements by your design professional will provide you with a final answer” as to the extent of your board’s—and by ex- tension, the community’s—obligation to make spaces fully accessible. Cost vs. Compliance Baron points out that while many old- er buildings are grandfathered in under the ADA and therefore not mandated to comply with the Act’s specifications, even if they wanted to update their spaces, the cost of doing so may be prohibitive. This is particularly true for smaller prewar co- ops and condos, and those whose resi- dents are on fixed incomes. These communities, says Baron, “don’t want to trigger the costs involved or lose their entire lobby to a ramp, so we’ll often continued on page 26 UNIVERSAL... continued from page 14 “Form follows function. It is a com- mitment to meet the needs of everyone.” —Jonathan Baron