Comments on: A Tale of Green Cities http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/322/ Helping imagine a great college town for a great university Fri, 25 Jan 2013 04:03:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Sam Snellings http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/322/comment-page-1/#comment-11144 Sam Snellings Sun, 04 Mar 2007 18:22:21 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/322/#comment-11144 For some products, especially waterless urinals, it is very hard to get the inspectors approval unless they are explicitly laid out in the local building codes. Building inspectors unfamiliar with the technology have a hard time believing that they can be sanitary. One manufacturer told me a story about how, in a new construction, the property owner had to install all of the plumbing for regular urinals where he was putting waterless urinals in. The township just did not believe that they were sanitary, and wanted to make sure that regular urinals could be installed once the waterless ones failed. The waterless urinals are still working today. For some products, especially waterless urinals, it is very hard to get the inspectors approval unless they are explicitly laid out in the local building codes. Building inspectors unfamiliar with the technology have a hard time believing that they can be sanitary.

One manufacturer told me a story about how, in a new construction, the property owner had to install all of the plumbing for regular urinals where he was putting waterless urinals in. The township just did not believe that they were sanitary, and wanted to make sure that regular urinals could be installed once the waterless ones failed. The waterless urinals are still working today.

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]]> By: Robert Catlin http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/322/comment-page-1/#comment-11113 Robert Catlin Sun, 04 Mar 2007 05:40:59 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/322/#comment-11113 At the recent conference at the Inn and Conference Center large and not so large developers said that the upfront cost was 5 percent or less and that the green building techniques reduced operating costs enough over time to make them a good economic decision. Soon these techniques will be written into the BOCA codes so that they will be easier to get building inspectors to approve. At the recent conference at the Inn and Conference Center large and not so large developers said that the upfront cost was 5 percent or less and that the green building techniques reduced operating costs enough over time to make them a good economic decision. Soon these techniques will be written into the BOCA codes so that they will be easier to get building inspectors to approve.

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]]> By: Kyle Derby http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/322/comment-page-1/#comment-11112 Kyle Derby Sun, 04 Mar 2007 04:49:52 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/322/#comment-11112 A possible proposal could be to provide some sort of incentive for a builder that decides to go "green". Many different green building strategies are more expensive than traditional building, and many construction firms shy away from it, thinking that the long-term benefits of such planning are not worth the initial investment. If anything, perhaps a requirement of newer development should incorporate some sort of "green plan" along with the traditional view, and the developer could be required to use aspects of it in the final project. I don't know if that would work, I’m not a policy guy, just a humble scientist. A possible proposal could be to provide some sort of incentive for a builder that decides to go “green”. Many different green building strategies are more expensive than traditional building, and many construction firms shy away from it, thinking that the long-term benefits of such planning are not worth the initial investment. If anything, perhaps a requirement of newer development should incorporate some sort of “green plan” along with the traditional view, and the developer could be required to use aspects of it in the final project. I don’t know if that would work, I’m not a policy guy, just a humble scientist.

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]]> By: Eric Olson http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/322/comment-page-1/#comment-11107 Eric Olson Sun, 04 Mar 2007 02:38:44 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/322/#comment-11107 Thank you for this article. Insisting on greener approaches to construction is needed throughout the country. As a new member of the County Council, I am working with several colleagues and with County agencies to develop both "green building" requirements and to push more natural, "low impact development" stormwater management. As the article notes, Montgomery County (and not noted, the District of Columbia) has developed green building requirements. We will be looking at Montgomery's legislation, DC's and other jurisdictions as we develop it for Prince George's County. Other energy efficiency and stormwater initiatives are in the works as well. Thank you for this article. Insisting on greener approaches to construction is needed throughout the country. As a new member of the County Council, I am working with several colleagues and with County agencies to develop both “green building” requirements and to push more natural, “low impact development” stormwater management. As the article notes, Montgomery County (and not noted, the District of Columbia) has developed green building requirements. We will be looking at Montgomery’s legislation, DC’s and other jurisdictions as we develop it for Prince George’s County. Other energy efficiency and stormwater initiatives are in the works as well.

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]]> By: Robert Catlin http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/322/comment-page-1/#comment-11065 Robert Catlin Sat, 03 Mar 2007 05:31:42 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/322/#comment-11065 In the fall of 2006 I attended a regional Green Building Conference at University College's Inn and Conference Center. The conference was sold out with about 350 attendees. The Inn and Conference Center is the only hotel in the Metropolitan area that is LEED certified. In the fall of 2006 I attended a regional Green Building Conference at University College’s Inn and Conference Center. The conference was sold out with about 350 attendees. The Inn and Conference Center is the only hotel in the Metropolitan area that is LEED certified.

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