Extreme
temperatures, precipitation, and storms along with rising sea levels are major
climate risk factors with which many Boston associations will be forced to
contend in the upcoming years and
STRATEGIES
Neighborhood Planning
The climate risks
faced are in many ways too large for one association or property owner to face
alone; they demand community solutions. In January, the City of Boston launched
Climate Ready Downtown and North End and held its first community meeting on
March 12th to further study the impact on the area and discuss protective
measures. The community planning process is an opportunity to provide feedback
about potential solutions and priorities, including elevated pathways, adaptive
buildings, stormwater gardens, stepped edges, flood walls, breakwaters and
coastal marsh. The next public session will likely be in May or June. At risk
associations and property owners should participate in neighborhood planning by
attending meetings, providing input on proposed solutions (which can be done by
responding to online surveys or e-mail, if you cannot attend a meeting in
person), or becoming a neighborhood leader. No one knows the neighborhood
better than the people who live there and how one proposal versus another could
impact day-to-day living. The City anticipates that, by the end of the year, it
will release a final report with draft designs and an implementation plan for
the City and its partners in downtown Boston.
Climate Ready
Boston is not limited to downtown. The City expects to kick off Climate Ready
Dorchester this summer and there is ongoing planning about the future of
Moakley Park in South Boston. There are also planning documents available for
Climate Ready Charlestown and East Boston.
Climate-Ready and Resilient Buildings.
Associations can
also begin to incorporate climate-ready strategies into their building
maintenance plans. There are some basic techniques that associations can
explore to see if they make sense for their own properties.
If there is a
planned or upcoming renovation, associations can inquire about flood-resistant
materials and additional efficiency measures to maintain a high-performance
building envelope. For associations comprised of older buildings it may make
sense to increase the size of downspouts and gutters to handle increased
precipitation loads. Any size building can explore whether the roofing
materials adequately support cooling, harness as much energy as possible for
the building and support water diversion in the event of extreme heat or
storms.
Associations
should also research flood-proofing and flood resiliency techniques if they are
in areas particularly flood-prone or at flood-risk. Wet flood proofing prepares
existing buildings to allow floodwaters to pass through them -- flood vents are
an example. Elevating critical mechanical equipment can be a component wet
flood-proofing. Dry flood proofing makes existing buildings weather tight so
flood waters cannot pass through. This can be done through wall reinforcements
and sealants. Buildings may also benefit from backwater preventers, which block
wastewater from flowing into the home in the event rising water causes sewers
to overflow. Deploying flood barriers or installing retractable flood gates,
while more common for large commercial spaces, may nonetheless be appropriate
depending on a buildings’ location.
If there are any
questions about whether climate-ready or flood-proofing work at your
association will constitute a repair or improvement, ask an attorney. While the
selection of climate resilient materials or methods for a project will not
likely change the nature of the underlying project (repair vs. improvement),
the installation of a new system (i.e. a new green/living roof, solar panels,
etc.) may constitute an improvement requiring unit owner vote or other
compliance with expenditure controls in your governing documents.
One initiative for
climate-readiness identified by the City of Boston is to establish a program
and resources for property owners to audit their own climate-readiness. MTM
will monitor this initiative’s progress and any useful output or tools for
associations that are developed.
Extreme Weather Preparedness.
Finally, there are
strategies and concrete steps that an association can take to prepare for
discrete extreme weather events. Here is a basic action list to get you
started:
▪ Maintain
up-to-date owner contact information.
▪ Streamline the distribution
of emergency information and receipt of damage reports.
▪ Create a
protocol for evacuation and sheltering in place.
▪ Send seasonally
appropriate unit maintenance reminders.
▪ Verify the
association has adequate insurance coverage.
▪ Recommend or
require unit owners to maintain appropriate insurance.
▪ Keep on-site
physical records in a safe location and back-up electronically.
▪ Evaluate and
identify alternate security and power needs and sources.
▪ Identify special
population risks (elderly or infirm/accessibility needs/limited English
proficiency/households with service animals) and services that you can access
in the event of an emergency.
▪ Stock emergency
supplies.
▪ Train staff on
emergency preparedness, management and response.
▪ Know external
and government agencies that may be able to assist before, during or after an
extreme weather event: Boston Fire, Boston Office of Emergency Management
(OEM), Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA); the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA); and the Red Cross.
If an extreme
weather event is approaching do not forget to:
▪ Remove or secure
common area patio furniture, garbage cans, awnings and other loose ground items
that could be damaged or become a projectile.
▪ Check that
generators, alarms and other critical services are operable.
▪ Confirm that
outdoor equipment such as air conditioners, antennas, signs and other mounted
equipment are secure.
▪ Inspect and
clear downspouts, drains and gutters.
Should you have
any questions regarding climate-ready planning in Boston please do not hesitate
to contact Kate Brady at 617-934-4550 or by email at kbrady@lawmtm.com.
