Boston Herald: Sprout it from the rooftops, green’s on the scene

The traditional asphalt, slate and tar on Bay State rooftops is beginning to give way to grass, arugula and artichokes - a trend spurring a proposed “green roof” state tax credit.

“We can turn our unused space into a beautiful space with so many functions,” said Karen L. Weber, president of Earth Our Only Home, a Boston-based green consultancy that has installed green roofs on private residences and businesses including WGBH. “It’s just a matter of saying this needs to happen.”

A green roof, which can cost anywhere from $8 to $15 per square foot to install, consists of a series of layers - including a waterproof membrane, a root barrier, a water retention layer, a planting medium and plants - laid atop a traditional roof. The end result is a roof that looks more like a lawn or garden.

Advocates say they protect roofs, provide sound insulation, manage storm water and provide fresh oxygen, reduce ambient air temperature and absorb pollutants.

“I am ecstatic about the roof and it is really more than I expected,” said Alex Macalalad, 42, a Newton doctor who had Weber’s company install a green roof filled with low-maintenance plants and perennials during a 2007 renovation. “It’s great to be out there, and for my kids.”

A survey by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, which represents companies that create green roofs, found the number of projects its members worked on grew by more than 35 percent last year, thanks in part to tax credits offered by cities including New York and Chicago. Such credits are backed by Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino.

Menino is “very supportive of green roofs and other forms of sustainable design” and filed legislation in January to establish a green building tax credit for measures that increase energy efficiency, improve air quality and reduce environmental impacts, said spokesman Nick Martin.

The measure is pending before the Joint Committee on Revenue, said Sean J. Fitzgerald, chief of staff to committee chair Rep. Jay R. Kaufman (D-Lexington).

Gov. Deval Patrick has not taken a position on the bill, but “generally supports low-impact development techniques, such as green roofs,” said Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs spokeswoman Lisa Capone.

Hub chefs salute the idea of green flecking the skyline of the Hub.

“If you can pick your own peas and serve them in your own restaurant, then you are going to be serving better peas than someone down the street who hasn’t grown their own,” said executive chef Robert Bean, 28, of Todd English’s Bonfire Steakhouse in Boston, who just spearheaded an effort to install a raised bed garden atop the new Boston Park Plaza Hotel and Towers. Bean grows vegetables and herbs including spinach, arugula, artichokes, garlic chives, sage, scallions and basil.

“It makes me feel good to know exactly where they came from and how they were grown,” he said.

Not only diners could benefit, said Weber, citing the creation of green jobs and other economic pluses.

“We have a lot of green space in Boston,” she said, “but imagine how many green roofs could exist.”