Ever feel constrained by local stormwater restrictions limiting your company’s expansion plans? Well, investing in novel stormwater control strategies — a green roof for example — may lead to critical zoning variances.

The roof of a building is counted as an impervious surface, like a parking lot, that generates stormwater runoff. The more impervious surface you have, the smaller the development allowed.

But city planners in a Pennsylvania town are considering rewriting zoning restrictions to let developers get around impervious surface restrictions so they can build larger facilities than would normally be allowed.

It’s happening in Lebanon County, PA. The county just celebrated its first private residence that features a green roof. What the county liked about the green roof: 90% reduction and capture of stormwater.

Most of this capture and control occurs during the summer. In winter, freezing limits runoff for the dream house built for Rick and Cindy Scott in North Cornwall. Green roofs do weigh more, so it’s easier to consider them for new construction.

The custom home was built with many alternative energy investments by Nest Architecture. The company leans on new designs promoted by the American Institute of Architect’s Walk The Walk program. Click here for details.

But the wider and more enticing business news is that city planners may give impervious surface waivers to buildings that include a green roof to capture stormwater. That 90% reduction in stormwater can go a long way to getting a waiver to expand a project’s size.

Lebanon County exec Earl Meyer told us the Lebanon County Planning Department considers two types of stormwater incentives:

1. impervious cover credits for buildings with green roofs, provided the overflows from the roofs are controlled with best management practices, and
2. increased lot size when green roofs are installed.

Click here for the LDNews story.

Another resource is www.greenroof.com.

Tags: American Institute of Architects, green roof, Nest Architecture, stormwater