Annapolis (July 24, 2003) - County Executive Janet S. Owens and the Land Use Core Group this morning celebrated the first birthday of the living "green" roof at the County Government Heritage Complex. Installed in July 2002, the plants have thrived this past year, despite some of the most extreme weather conditions on record. This roof is one of six (6) county capital projects. Besides the Heritage Generator Building are the following projects: Winterode Builiding in Crownsville; Station 31 in Brooklyn Park (under construction); Southern District Police Station (under construction); West County Library (under construction); and Londontown underground museum (going out to bid for construction this year). "The fact that this roof is thriving is symbolic of Anne Arundel County's commitment to being a leader on environmental issues," said County Executive Owens. Anne Arundel County has demonstrated leadership on several fronts over the past 5 years, particularly in the following areas: - First to adopt a Greenways Master Plan seeking to preserve 70,000 acres of connecting open space
- First to adopt a Council Resolution LEED Certification
- Setting the pace in the State to aggressively use and promote the living roof technology on public buildings and in the private sector
- Preserving more than 6,000 acres in the last 4.5 years - more during Ms. Owens' term than any other County Executive
- First in the State to receive a Green Print grant, preserving 610 acres along the Patuxent River.
This roof was installed as a Capital Project, with the help of a $25,000 grant from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The total cost was $29,600.
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