Though the previous two changes will immediately affect how property owners approach maintenance of their buildings, the updates to the Energy Conservation Code may have an even greater impact. Local Laws 92 and 94 went into effect for all projects submitted for approval on or after November 15, 2019. Though some carve-outs exist to exclude areas of the roof devoted to the use of the building occupants, areas covered by mechanical equipment and “blue roofs” (roof areas that are related to stormwater management), these laws are all but certain to alter how building owners will maintain their existing roofs. The regulations require that the roofs of all new construction-as well as any existing buildings where the entire roof assembly is being replaced-include either a green roof system or a solar photovoltaic electric generating array, or both. Local Laws 92 and 94 are part of a sustainability initiative related to roofing. Failure to comply with the provisions of the law will cost the building owner $1,000 a month (or more) in civil fines to the city. Additionally, cavity walls now need to be probed to validate the existence and condition of the veneer ties to the backup wall. For buildings six stories in height or greater, a close-up inspection needs to be made for every 60 feet of façade fronting a public right-of-way (the previous cycle only required a single close-up inspection per façade). Local Law 11, as the program is familiarly called, made some significant increases to the inspection requirements. Starting on February 21, 2020, the ninth cycle of New York City’s Façade Inspection and Safety Program (FISP) went into effect with expanded requirements. Assuming this legislation acts as it is intended, both the existing and new building envelopes in New York City will need to perform to a higher standard. New York City is home to nearly 5.5 billion square feet of real estate and nearly all of it is about to be affected by several pieces of new legislation aimed at reducing citywide carbon emissions, increasing sustainability initiatives, and upgrading the requirements for building maintenance. Ready or not, New York City buildings enclosures are getting an upgrade! MooreExpert and New York Diagnostics Managing Director Chris Pinto weighs in.
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