It's too late for a green roof on the new Fire Hall #1 in Port Moody, according to city staff.
A green roof would "limit the functionality" of the fire hall, according to a staff report by senior project manager James Chandler, and would require significant redesign of the hall to account for higher structural loads.
"Structural loads would be significantly increased at four storeys in elevation, thus increasing all structural components through to the piling," he wrote. "With the complexities and challenges to provide a post-disaster structure at this height on poor soils, we need to minimize structural loads whenever possible."
Chandler also noted a green roof would add significant additional costs, though there was no cost estimate provided.
At Tuesday's meeting Chandler said determining the potential cost of adding a green roof would require further investigation into the type of green roof council would want as well as several other variables.
The hall will still aim for a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver standard even without a green roof. Staff are looking into using a grey water recovery system to reduce storm water run-off (a major benefit of green roofing), though that also depends on whether it fits into the budget, the report states.
Coun. Rick Glumac, who has been pushing for changes to the fire hall to make it more environmentally friendly, said he was "disappointed" by the staff report.
"When does it become too late to do the right thing?" he asked, noting a green roof will save the city money in the long run. "More and more public buildings across the country are making the right choice, and I don't think it's too late for us to do the right thing."
Glumac submitted a motion calling for a green roof to be incorporated into the fire hall's design, which Coun. Zoe Royer supported.
Councillors Gerry Nuttall and Bob Elliott, however, expressed concerns about the additional cost and whether a green roof would be practical for a fire hall.
"This type of building is not traditionally one that would support a green roof," added Mayor Mike Clay. "It's just not a good idea."
The motion was defeated, with Coun. Rosemary Small absent.
A second motion from Glumac to have staff draft a green roof policy and forward it to the environment committee for review was approved.
