Jones Lang LaSalle
Morristown is seeing green at office building
Parking authority's home planned to beenvironmentally safe
BY MICHAEL DAIGLE
DAILY RECORD
MORRISTOWN -- The next green that could bring Morristown renown is not another park, but an office building.
The 27,200-square-foot, four-story headquarters of the Morristown Parking Authority -- part of the extensive Epstein's redevelopment project -- is being planned as Morristown's first "green" building.
Its developers aspire to national voluntary planning and construction standards called LEED --Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design --that are being applied to new construction and renovations across the country, and, they said, make environmental and economic sense.
$20 million project
The $20 million project also includes offices for the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, The Morristown Partnership, a training site with parking for The Seeing Eye, and an attached 800-space parking deck.
The building also is a challenge to the Morris County community to change its ways of thinking about planning and constructing new projects.
"The goal is sustainable development," Dodge Foundation comptroller Cynthia Evans said. "This will be the first LEEDS building in northern New Jersey, a potential model for future development, and an example for planning boards to show how they can adjust ordinances to encourage green development.
"When they walk in and see cork or bamboo floors, they will know that it is both beautiful, cost effective and sustainable -- a showcase of what can be done through design and with electrical and mechanical systems."
The building's planners will discuss the project at the Whippany River Watershed Action Committee's meeting at 5:45 p.m. Wednesday at the Morris County Library on East Hanover Avenue.
The building will use renewable energy sources -- geothermal heating and cooling and solar -- potentially recycle water for cleaning and irrigation of a rooftop garden, use reflected sunlight to illuminate offices and natural materials and fabrics to outfit the interior spaces that will produce a less toxic environment that should increase worker productivity, designers said.
Embodies mission
For the Dodge Foundation, the building also is an opportunity to be a part of a project that embodies its mission.
David Grant, executive director of the Dodge Foundation said the discussions leading to the decision to build a green building began last year after he challenged the foundation's board to consider how its physical space and actions reflected its stated larger values to promote community sustainability.
"I asked the board to consider the question: 'Can we live our values?'" Grant said.
The answer began to take shape when Dodge board members and staff began to drive hybrid cars, which now number 10, he said.
The discussion moved to the issue of how to make more real the foundation's goal of supporting a sustainable community and growth in Morristown, and "how to provide leadership in the community," Grant said.
Part of that answer, he said, was to plan to move the foundation's office from its current Morris Township home on Madison Avenue into Morristown.
"We are out on Madison Avenue between Friendly's and the hospital and you can't exactly walk to work," Grant said. "We wanted to be in Morristown, because Morristown is our home. We feel we can better support the community if we move to Morristown. Our objective is to be part of neighborhood life."
Grant said the new office will be a demonstration building and the foundation hopes to document its planning and construction process as a training tool for future green development in the county. Studies have also shown, he said, that worker productivity increased 1 to 2 percent in green buildings.
High costs offset
George Fiore, executive director of the Morristown Parking Authority, which will be the landlord of the new building, said the initial higher costs of planning and construction will be offset by lower long-term operating expenses.
"As a landlord, I like the idea of a 35 percent cut in electrical costs," Fiore said. "Also, as a public building, we are able to make a statement about such development meeting LEED standards, and improving quality of life for workers and visitors. We are excited to be a part of this."
The planned building also fits into the mission of the Whippany River Committee, said Freeholder Jack Schrier of Mendham Township, one of the founders of the watershed group.
The group's mission is to promote ways to clean up the watershed, Schrier said.
"A recent U.S. Geological Society survey showed significant water pollution comes from everyday activity related to development and more people. Any small step to reduce pollution is a giant step," he said.
The LEED standards were developed by the U.S. Green Building Council and have been adopted by cities like Pittsburgh and Chicago to govern all future construction.
In New Jersey, state government supports the green development with funding programs in the departments of community affairs, environmental protection, financing agencies and the Board of Public Utilities.
Federal research showed that tenants can save about 50 cents per square foot each year through strategies that reduce energy use by 30 percent, the USGBC reported. Over the life of a five-year lease of 20,000 square feet, the savings could reach $50,000.
Evolution in construction
Green buildings -- actually "integrated sustainable structures," said Paul Lilli of Gensler, who is designing the interior of the parking authority building -- are an evolution in the construction business. Gensler also is involved with PNC Bank's efforts to create green branch offices, and worked on the Goldman Sachs & Co.'s Jersey City headquarters, one of the state's largest sustainable buildings, he said.
Lilli said the Morristown project will include geothermal heating and cooling, the reuse of gray water for cleaning, stormwater for irrigation of a rooftop lawn and garden, solar power, and reflectors on the outside of the building that will direct sunlight to interior spaces where light sensors will turn lights on or off as needed.
The heating and cooling system will be built under the floor and will allow individuals to control the temperatures of their work space, he said.
Glenn Haydu of Minno and Wasko Architect and Planners of Lambertville, the designers of the building's exterior, said New Jersey has made millions of dollars in grants and loans available for green building development.
In Morristown, Haydu said, opportunities for further green development were written into the redevelopment plan for the Epstein's site.
Slowed by conflicts
Conflicts between existing ordinances and the use of green technologies can slow the development of such projects, said developer Bill Asdal of Chester, who has been waiting for two years to get a certificate of occupancy for a bed-and-breakfast he would like to open in a historic building he rebuilt in Califon, Hunterdon County.
It would not be such a sore point if the project was not being hailed at the first zero-energy home rebuilding project in the country, Asdal said.
PATH, a public-private partnership for advancing housing technology, said the project was certified by the National Association of Home Builders Research Center.
Asdal said he bought a dilapidated shell of a Civil War-era building and turned into a 4,000-square-foot bed-and breakfast with a slew of green technologies from solar panels, high efficiency windows and newer insulation materials.
Using less energy
The project also uses a geothermal energy system that draws 55-degree water into the system and requires less energy to heat it to temperatures required for heating the buildings or human use, he said on-demand water heaters also cut consumption and cost, Asdal said.
The clash with the local board, he said, is that solar panels used on the project are not compatible with the local rules governing the historic district on Route 513 in Middle Valley along the Raritan River.
The need is for towns to update local ordinances to take into account new technologies, he said. While early solar panels were bulky and detracted from the appearance of a building, newer solar panels are thin and can be installed unobtrusively, he said.
Haydu said the developers of the Morristown green building are learning how to fit a green building into a historic district. For example, he said, the building's solar panels will be installed outside the public's direct view and planners are considering the choice of colors and materials that will better allow the reflective light panels to satisfy the needs of the historic zoning.
Jennifer Cronin, marketing director of Morris Partnership, said the ability to settle these issues in Morristown could have great impact on the way the town is developed in the future.
"For a business and historic zone, it is a matter of how to make both sides feel they have been heard," she said. "Change can be hard to take. Getting both sides together not all is black and white; it is a matter of showing how the building fits in. It requires education and cooperation from both sides."
Cronin, who has been attending meetings to choose furniture and carpeting for the agency's office, said, "what's important is that Morristown is changing. If we get a green building in Morristown, others could follow. In the future, Morristown will build up, not out. This building can show the way to build in a more effective, smart way."
Morristown is seeing green at office building
Parking authority's home planned to beenvironmentally safe
BY MICHAEL DAIGLE
DAILY RECORD
MORRISTOWN -- The next green that could bring Morristown renown is not another park, but an office building.
The 27,200-square-foot, four-story headquarters of the Morristown Parking Authority -- part of the extensive Epstein's redevelopment project -- is being planned as Morristown's first "green" building.
Its developers aspire to national voluntary planning and construction standards called LEED --Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design --that are being applied to new construction and renovations across the country, and, they said, make environmental and economic sense.
$20 million project
The $20 million project also includes offices for the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, The Morristown Partnership, a training site with parking for The Seeing Eye, and an attached 800-space parking deck.
The building also is a challenge to the Morris County community to change its ways of thinking about planning and constructing new projects.
"The goal is sustainable development," Dodge Foundation comptroller Cynthia Evans said. "This will be the first LEEDS building in northern New Jersey, a potential model for future development, and an example for planning boards to show how they can adjust ordinances to encourage green development.
"When they walk in and see cork or bamboo floors, they will know that it is both beautiful, cost effective and sustainable -- a showcase of what can be done through design and with electrical and mechanical systems."
The building's planners will discuss the project at the Whippany River Watershed Action Committee's meeting at 5:45 p.m. Wednesday at the Morris County Library on East Hanover Avenue.
The building will use renewable energy sources -- geothermal heating and cooling and solar -- potentially recycle water for cleaning and irrigation of a rooftop garden, use reflected sunlight to illuminate offices and natural materials and fabrics to outfit the interior spaces that will produce a less toxic environment that should increase worker productivity, designers said.
Embodies mission
For the Dodge Foundation, the building also is an opportunity to be a part of a project that embodies its mission.
David Grant, executive director of the Dodge Foundation said the discussions leading to the decision to build a green building began last year after he challenged the foundation's board to consider how its physical space and actions reflected its stated larger values to promote community sustainability.
"I asked the board to consider the question: 'Can we live our values?'" Grant said.
The answer began to take shape when Dodge board members and staff began to drive hybrid cars, which now number 10, he said.
The discussion moved to the issue of how to make more real the foundation's goal of supporting a sustainable community and growth in Morristown, and "how to provide leadership in the community," Grant said.
Part of that answer, he said, was to plan to move the foundation's office from its current Morris Township home on Madison Avenue into Morristown.
"We are out on Madison Avenue between Friendly's and the hospital and you can't exactly walk to work," Grant said. "We wanted to be in Morristown, because Morristown is our home. We feel we can better support the community if we move to Morristown. Our objective is to be part of neighborhood life."
Grant said the new office will be a demonstration building and the foundation hopes to document its planning and construction process as a training tool for future green development in the county. Studies have also shown, he said, that worker productivity increased 1 to 2 percent in green buildings.
High costs offset
George Fiore, executive director of the Morristown Parking Authority, which will be the landlord of the new building, said the initial higher costs of planning and construction will be offset by lower long-term operating expenses.
"As a landlord, I like the idea of a 35 percent cut in electrical costs," Fiore said. "Also, as a public building, we are able to make a statement about such development meeting LEED standards, and improving quality of life for workers and visitors. We are excited to be a part of this."
The planned building also fits into the mission of the Whippany River Committee, said Freeholder Jack Schrier of Mendham Township, one of the founders of the watershed group.
The group's mission is to promote ways to clean up the watershed, Schrier said.
"A recent U.S. Geological Society survey showed significant water pollution comes from everyday activity related to development and more people. Any small step to reduce pollution is a giant step," he said.
The LEED standards were developed by the U.S. Green Building Council and have been adopted by cities like Pittsburgh and Chicago to govern all future construction.
In New Jersey, state government supports the green development with funding programs in the departments of community affairs, environmental protection, financing agencies and the Board of Public Utilities.
Federal research showed that tenants can save about 50 cents per square foot each year through strategies that reduce energy use by 30 percent, the USGBC reported. Over the life of a five-year lease of 20,000 square feet, the savings could reach $50,000.
Evolution in construction
Green buildings -- actually "integrated sustainable structures," said Paul Lilli of Gensler, who is designing the interior of the parking authority building -- are an evolution in the construction business. Gensler also is involved with PNC Bank's efforts to create green branch offices, and worked on the Goldman Sachs & Co.'s Jersey City headquarters, one of the state's largest sustainable buildings, he said.
Lilli said the Morristown project will include geothermal heating and cooling, the reuse of gray water for cleaning, stormwater for irrigation of a rooftop lawn and garden, solar power, and reflectors on the outside of the building that will direct sunlight to interior spaces where light sensors will turn lights on or off as needed.
The heating and cooling system will be built under the floor and will allow individuals to control the temperatures of their work space, he said.
Glenn Haydu of Minno and Wasko Architect and Planners of Lambertville, the designers of the building's exterior, said New Jersey has made millions of dollars in grants and loans available for green building development.
In Morristown, Haydu said, opportunities for further green development were written into the redevelopment plan for the Epstein's site.
Slowed by conflicts
Conflicts between existing ordinances and the use of green technologies can slow the development of such projects, said developer Bill Asdal of Chester, who has been waiting for two years to get a certificate of occupancy for a bed-and-breakfast he would like to open in a historic building he rebuilt in Califon, Hunterdon County.
It would not be such a sore point if the project was not being hailed at the first zero-energy home rebuilding project in the country, Asdal said.
PATH, a public-private partnership for advancing housing technology, said the project was certified by the National Association of Home Builders Research Center.
Asdal said he bought a dilapidated shell of a Civil War-era building and turned into a 4,000-square-foot bed-and breakfast with a slew of green technologies from solar panels, high efficiency windows and newer insulation materials.
Using less energy
The project also uses a geothermal energy system that draws 55-degree water into the system and requires less energy to heat it to temperatures required for heating the buildings or human use, he said on-demand water heaters also cut consumption and cost, Asdal said.
The clash with the local board, he said, is that solar panels used on the project are not compatible with the local rules governing the historic district on Route 513 in Middle Valley along the Raritan River.
The need is for towns to update local ordinances to take into account new technologies, he said. While early solar panels were bulky and detracted from the appearance of a building, newer solar panels are thin and can be installed unobtrusively, he said.
Haydu said the developers of the Morristown green building are learning how to fit a green building into a historic district. For example, he said, the building's solar panels will be installed outside the public's direct view and planners are considering the choice of colors and materials that will better allow the reflective light panels to satisfy the needs of the historic zoning.
Jennifer Cronin, marketing director of Morris Partnership, said the ability to settle these issues in Morristown could have great impact on the way the town is developed in the future.
"For a business and historic zone, it is a matter of how to make both sides feel they have been heard," she said. "Change can be hard to take. Getting both sides together not all is black and white; it is a matter of showing how the building fits in. It requires education and cooperation from both sides."
Cronin, who has been attending meetings to choose furniture and carpeting for the agency's office, said, "what's important is that Morristown is changing. If we get a green building in Morristown, others could follow. In the future, Morristown will build up, not out. This building can show the way to build in a more effective, smart way."
posted by Jones Lang LaSalle NJ News Blog at 2:51 PM
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