Good day all. Colorado used to be a solid conservative state. Then problems started arriving in the guise of the ever so caring Progressive Moonbats from Kalifornistan.
Fleeing the mess they’ve made in Kalifornistan, they decided that, “Well, we made some mistakes but we’ll get it right here!” With that premise, the Moonbats promptly set out to make another mess, this time in Denver. Here’s what these idiots have done this time from Fox News:
The voters passed it – now the city and county of Denver has to figure out just how to institute it.
And what did they actually pass that the city government is confused on how to enforce it?
A low turnout, off-year election has ushered in one of the most far-reaching and stringent requirements in the country for green roofs, or mandatory roof gardens. The Green Roof Initiative, or Initiative 300, mandates new and existing buildings, 25,000 square feet or more, include a green roof or a combination of green roof and solar energy.
So, in typical Progressive behavior, they are trampling all over the property rights of building owners. I wonder who’s going to pay for all this? I can tell you, the Progressives who shoved this down the throats of property owners won’t be.
Brandon Rietheimer, the campaign manager who gathered signatures to get the Denver Green Roof Initiative onto the ballot, says he was inspired by Bernie Sanders’s climate message. According to Rietheimer, the initiative is designed to combat the Urban Heat Island effect where rooftops, pavement, parking lots and roads absorb the sun’s rays.
Oh great, yet another proposal from one of the more economically incompetent members of Congress. Gee, didn’t I just see something about Comrade Bernie’s wife in a photo finish with a federal grand jury?
“What we’re trying to do is really return the city to pre-development conditions by adding green space and that will lower temperatures,” he said.
An interesting idea, and if a property owner wants to do it, fine and dandy. However, there are a few things these moonbats failed to consider. Things like physics and gravity.
Those who fought it and are now working to clarify it, say not enough input was taken into consideration before it was put before the voters who may not have understood full impacts of the measure.
And what, you may ask, are the considerations that were not taken into account? Don’t worry, we’ll get there.
“It was really drafted more or less in secret,” said Kathie Barstnar, chair of the Colorado Real Estate Alliance. “They didn’t reach out to any of the stakeholders who would actually have to implement the ordinance.”
I think we know the reason why. They would have had their precious bubble world blown apart with a virtual shotgun.
For example, she said, local water, power and fire departments were not consulted in advance.
Funny thing about rooftop gardens, they take a lot of water. That water has to be pumped up to the roof. Solar panels? Well they tend to generate a lot of electricity, and if someone should happen to touch the wrong thing? Well it would be a very shocking development.
Both sides of the issue acknowledge up-front costs of green roofs are expensive. According to estimates from real estate and construction experts, green roofs in Colorado could cost $25 to 35 per square foot (not including plants, water costs or maintenance), compared to $15 a square foot for standard, thermoplastic polyolefin single-ply (TPO) roofing with flashings.
There’s an additional cost as well, but I’ll come to that later.
But Rietheimer said there is a return on investment of six years for green roofs and roof longevity is doubled, or even tripled.
And where does this moron get these numbers? I suspect he has to pull his pants down, reach around and dig them out of an area not known for pleasant aromas.
The California Academy of Sciences at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park has a living roof. Senior Director of Exhibits and Architecture Scott Moran explains it attracts wildlife and absorbs water “…Preventing stormwater from carrying pollutants into the ecosystems around an area.”
So this clown is an expert on Kalifornistan? How does that qualify him for Colorado’s environment? Oh wait! It doesn’t!!
But a few states over, in Colorado, the semi-arid environment makes water a precious resource.
There are significant number of unknowns, even if you just look at the water retention requirements,” Barstnar said. “Colorado has very extensive water rights laws.”
This doesn’t cover it by half. There have been virtual wars over water in the West, and a lot of blood has been spilled. You mess with someone’s water in Colorado or one of the other states out there, you will probably end up getting shot. But hey, Progressives also want to go door to door and confiscate all those nasty, dirty, evil guns too, so no worries there. Next we come to the great big steaming pile in the middle of the living room, physics!
There are also mechanical and engineering challenges, plus ongoing maintenance expenses and concerns costs will be passed down to consumers, hurting smaller businesses and renters.
“Whether it’s office rents, or apartment rents, the biggest complaint we hear daily in Colorado right now is rents are too high,” said developer Jim Neenan, president and CEO of Prime West Development.
As long as it doesn’t affect the Progressives, it’s not their problem.
Another issue raised is that it impacts all buildings of a certain size, regardless of whether it’s a church, historical building, non-profit or affordable housing.
“You can drive around the city or walk around the city, you can see example after example of buildings that there would be no way to put a green roof on,” Neenan said. “Anything with a sloped roof would be very, very difficult to retrofit or implement a strategy like this. It’s hard to take one solution and apply it across a broad base.”
Well then, these places will just have to build flat roofs. At their own expense of course.
There will be a way to apply for exemptions, but which buildings will be eligible remains to be seen.
I can tell you who will be eligible. Rich Progressives who give to all the right progressive causes. Everyone else? You are S.O.L.
Chris Woldum is a partner at Zeppelin Development which has already been voluntarily including green roofs in their projects. Woldum said green roofs have helped attract tenants.
“Building codes are constantly being updated. Whether it be energy codes, plumbing codes and really they are, intended to provide a net benefit to the community,” he said. “We see the green roof initiative to be beneficial in the same ways as the advancement of building codes.”
Well gee, isn’t it a good thing that you are already designing buildings from the ground up, for this sort of thing, isn’t it? That’s going to be a nice economic benefit for you, considering you’re already set to go. As for all your competitors who have buildings that can’t meet this new law? I guess it sucks to be them, doesn’t it? Nothing like Crony Capitalism, is there?
“I think there’s a lack of education,” Riegheimer said. “Once people really see the numbers and they see all the benefits, both environmental and economic that those fears will go away.”
Since Fox doesn’t bring it up, I will. There is another cost these morons don’t consider. Buildings are designed to handle certain loads on them. Many have steeply sloped roofs, especially in areas that get a lot of snow. Why? Because snow is heavy and a sloped roof allows the snow to slide off.
Buildings with a flat roof have to be designed to handle the weight of that snow otherwise the roof will collapse. Now add on a roof top garden with heavy, wet dirt. Congratulations, you now have building collapses and lots of dead people. Retrofitting one of these building to handle the new loads put on it simply isn’t cost effective, and in many cases, may not be technically possible either.
However, to the Moonbats who drew up this garbage, it doesn’t matter. Everything will work out fine. All that you needs is lots of wishful thinking, unicorn farts, feelz and good intentions. With all that, everything will work out just fine, like it always does, right up until the first building collapse.
Progressives, Liberals and Moobats. You can’t beat them, and if you shoot them, you get ticketed for littering.
Thatisall
~The Angry Webmaster~
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