2009 Sept
2009 September Vol. 29, No. 9
Focus on...Energy & The Environment
Green Building Certification is Growing in Popularity
Real estate professionals, developers and builders are all reporting the same
thing: today’s homebuyers who are looking for maximum value are asking for more than granite
countertops and hardwood floors—they want energy savings and green buildings.
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Saving Money While Saving the Planet
You know that when one of the world’s most famous skyscrapers goes green, the future of energy efficient buildings
has been changed forever. Earlier this year, it was announced that the Empire
State Building would begin a $20 million retrofit of its iconic structure,
leading to a 40 percent reduction in energy usage.
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Harvesting Winds of Change
Thirty-three years ago, during the summer of 1976’s energy crisis, 40 people gathered on the rooftop of 519 East 11th Street in
Manhattan’s East Village, beers in hand, determined to create their own power source. With
enthusiasm, flavored with leftover 1960s activism, plus a good bit of pushing
and hoisting, the group erected a windmill fashioned from a 30-foot farm
turbine on the roof of their building.
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How Far Can You Go on the Green Scale?
Talk of “green” homes and buildings these days often evokes images of roof gardens, solar
panels, and even wind turbines humming in the background. For most co-ops and
condos however, “going green” comes incrementally, in much smaller measures.
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New Developments Offer Eco-Conscious Savings
If one wants to ascertain the state of the green building industry, shared—or “fractionally owned”—vacation condos might be a good place to start.
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Long Island CIty Comes Into its Own
There was a time when Long Island City’s waterfront area wasn’t exactly a hot residential neighborhood. With its looming industrial buildings
with a few small residential buildings thrown together near the East River, the
area was more On the Waterfront than Sex and the City.
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The First Step to Energy Efficiency
New York City is actively pursuing measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
citywide. Achieving this goal will take the combination of numerous
initiatives, but in order to make significant strides, the city must address
its biggest source of carbon emissions—residential and commercial buildings—head-on. Buildings produce the most CO2 emissions in the city, and residential
buildings are the worst offenders, producing 30 percent of the citywide total.
That’s more than both transportation and industry, which are normally perceived as
the major culprits in global warming.
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How To Go Green in Hard Times
Saving money by going green sounds great, but who has that initial capital in
these tough economic times? The average person may not be able to afford a hybrid car or a solar panel
array, however, there are many energy-saving changes you can make that are
relatively inexpensive and have a fast return on investment. Below are ten strategies for cutting your utility bills and reducing your carbon
footprint that have a payback period of less than two years.
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Energy Efficiency Isn't the Only Consideration
When it comes to the windows in your building, like most people you’re probably focused on energy conservation—keeping the air conditioning inside in the summer and the cold air outside in
the winter. While you’re probably aware that not all replacement windows are created equal, when it
comes to energy savings, there are other “green” alternatives that your board may wish to evaluate when selecting replacement
windows.
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When Negotiating a Rooftop Antenna Contract
As the trilogy of real estate values rising, building usage changing, and
cellphone and Internet communications became universal, wireless
telecommunications companies became popular defendants in the Commercial Part
of New York’s Civil Court. Owners began examining their rooftop antenna agreements to
determine means to terminate them. Many of these owners wanted to demolish the
buildings or convert from commercial to residential buildings or add multiple
uses for their rooftop property. Battles for control over the rooftops of these
buildings became a high stakes game. This article attempts to arm building
owners with a few tools to negotiate a better and more lucrative rooftop
agreement.
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Steam-to-Boiler Plant Project Pays off for Kips Bay Towers
Steam was once considered the lifeblood of Manhattan, providing heat to
thousands of apartments and buildings. Even today, Con Edison provides steam
for heat and hot water to approximately 1,800 buildings in New York City.
However, upkeep and an aging infrastructure has made steam a more costly
utility for many buildings. Kips Bay Towers in Murray Hill is one of many high
rise apartment buildings in the city that recently reconsidered its dependence
on centrally-supplied steam.
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Proactive Winterization Checklist Saves Time and Money
Despite the heavy rains, which kicked off this summer season, the thoughts of
beaches, vacations, barbecues, family picnics and ball games still permeate the
air. The last thing on most people’s minds is the icy chill of winter. However, for those in the know, the summer
months are actually the best time to prepare buildings for the harshness of the
coming winter season.
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The New York Energy Consumers Council
Many of the organizations mentioned often in the pages of The Cooperator are
extremely high-profile; constantly seeking new members, holding seminars and
social events, meeting with city and state legislators, and holding outreach
programs for the public.
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Beware of Automatic Renewals in Contracts
Fortunately for boards looking to cut costs while still providing needed
services to their buildings, many vendors are advertising bargain basement
prices to fortify their own business. Unfortunately, the risk of getting stuck
with unfavorable contract terms means that many boards will not be able to cash
in on the savings being offered.
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Finding the Right Person for an Important Position
When you rank the key players who keep your building functioning from day to
day, the superintendent should probably be placed close to the top of the list.
A building’s super has a tremendous amount of responsibility, including looking after the
safety and security of residents, managing and interacting with other support
staff, and maintaining the building’s physical systems and structure. It’s a tall order, to say the least.
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Q&A: Superintendent's Salary
My question concerns the various forms of compensation our building’s super receives and the shareholders’ right to know the exact sum of his monthly income, as an exact cost to the building. Our super has a fixed salary, which is disclosed to the shareholders in the yearly financial statement. However, there are several other extras that have never been calculated, such as: a free apartment, a free inside parking space, a free landline, cell phone services and free electricity. The electricity bill covered includes his apartment, a private washer and dryer (given to him by the co-op) and a huge, second refrigerator. The washing machine, dryer, and second refrigerator are kept in a storage space, and this electricity bill is paid by the corporation. Since the shareholders are not allowed to keep washers and dryers in their units and use coin operated machines, the private washing machine and dryer constitute an additional expense and are not part of the free apartment. The super received a considerable bonus at Christmas as well. My concern is that none of these expenses were added to his income, as shown in the financial statement, yet they make up a substantial part of the compensation paid to him by the corporation. Do we as the shareholders have the right to know these figures?” Read More
Q&A: Marijuana Smoking Shareholder?
I am a member on the board of directors of a co-op in Nassau County, New York. We are experiencing a problem with a shareholder, who we believe regularly smokes “pot” and also entertains fellow smokers in his apartment. The odor permeates through a large portion of the building, and the shareholders above have a difficult time trying to keep the odor out of the their living quarters. Efforts to speak to this person have fallen on deaf ears. We were told that the police could not be called because the matter is occurring behind closed doors. Could you provide us with insight, as to what can be done to combat this problem without putting us into a position which could possibly lead to a lawsuit? Read More
Q&A: Unexplained Maintenance Increases
I’ve lived in my Manhattan co-op for nearly 20 years. We elected a new board president a little over a year ago, and in that short time our board has raised the monthly maintenance three times. Can a board just keep raising our maintenance without consulting shareholders? What protects us as shareholders? Shouldn’t the shareholder be given a certain amount of time and prior notice before implementing these increases? Read More
