Incentives for planting, maintenance of rooftops, building walls proposed
The City Council, during last Monday’s regular session, approved on first reading a proposed ordinance providing incentives for the planting and maintenance of vegetation on rooftops and building walls.
Under the proposed ordinance, all buildings that devote their roof area for plants and trees, either with an extensive or intensive soil player, or devote their wall area for green one shall be entitled to a discount on their real property tax based on certain schemes, 25 percent of the roof or wall area shall be equivalent to 5 percent discount; 50 percent of the roof or wall area shall be equivalent to 10 percent discount; 75 percent of the roof or wall area shall be equivalent to 15 percent discount and 100 percent of the roof or wall area shall be equivalent to 20 percent discount.
The ordinance stated that the discount shall be available for ten years starting from the initial assessment.
Further, it added that the owners of buildings shall make sure that the vegetation is maintained and watered well regularly to ensure its compliance to the green roof and green wall policy of the local government.
The grantees of the discount or the real property tax exemption in the ordinance shall submit various documents as proof to the City Assessor’s Office.
Among the aforesaid requirements include for green roof, 5 pieces of 5R pictures or photographs of the area devoted to plants and trees, one shot from the north angle, one shot from the east angle, one shot from the west angle, and one shot from the south angle; for green walls, 5 pieces of 5R pictures or photographs of the area devoted to the green wall, one shot from the left side, one shot from the front side and one shot from the right side and for both, a certification from the barangay council concerned of the construction and p-roper maintenance of the green roof or wall.
No plants or trees growing taller than six feet shall be planted on the rooftop. No plants must be allowed to cover or obstruct doors, fire exits, windows and other openings of the building and neither should it cause nuisance to neighboring residents or communities and planting of illegal plants, in addition to other penalties from national laws, shall cause the revocation of the building and occupancy permits of the structure.
The ordinance tasked the City Assessor’s Office, the City Environment and Parks Management Office, the City Engineering Office and the City Treasury Office to craft the implementing rules and regulations of the proposed measure within 60 days after its enactment.
According to the proposal, installing green walls along with a green rooftop is a key strategy in achieving the benefits of having environment-friendly buildings; reduce urban heat and noise, improve exterior air quality, improve energy efficiency, and increase aesthetic variation to name a few.
The ordinance pointed out that it is a policy of the local government to promote the preservation, protection, and revival of the ecosystem through the prevention, control and abatement of pollution along with the development of the city.
Further, the city is exerting its best effort to prevent and fight global warming so as to protect the populace against its detrimental effects.
The ordinance explained that building spaces such as the facades and rooftops can also be used to further promote the advocacy of re-greening in the city. – Dexter A. See
