Governor Crist Applauds Environmental Restoration by City of Maitland

MAITLAND – Governor Charlie Crist today visited with local leaders in the City of Maitland and toured the designated site of their Brownfield Redevelopment Area and Green Roof Development Project, which is part of the City of Maitland Downtown Revitalization Plan. The Governor was joined at the event by Representative Dean Cannon, Orange County Mayor Rich Crotty and City of Maitland Mayor Doug Kinson, as well as several other community and business leaders.

“I commend the City of Maitland for their vision in repurposing this land to benefit both the environment and the community,” Governor Crist said. “The growth of our communities is linked to the quality of life of our people and I appreciate the City of Maitland’s efforts to manage their growth in a balanced way, while also preserving our state’s beauty. Their efforts are an excellent example to other communities in Florida.”

Governor Crist was given a short presentation of the city’s plans for the Brownfield Redevelopment Area and toured the area that will undergo revitalization. One aspect of the city’s redevelopment will be to incorporate green roofs in the building design. Green roofs are roofs covered with plants and vegetation that encourage water conservation and reduce energy consumption. Green roofs use waterproof drainage systems that allow a layer of vegetation to grow on flat or sloping roofs and a cistern to store storm water. The storm water filtrate is then used to irrigate the green roof.

The environmentally-friendly design of the green roof reduces energy transfer through the roof, decreases storm water pollutants and lessens storm water volume by naturally evaporating the runoff through the plants. Green roofs improve the energy performance of buildings, air quality and the urban ecology without taking up additional land. Also, green roofs have the potential to extend the life of a roof beyond the standard 10 to 12 years.

The City of Maitland is using land designated as ‘brownfields’ for as the site for the revitalization. Brownfields are properties where expansion, redevelopment or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of environmental pollution. Florida’s Brownfield Redevelopment Program is administered by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). This program works to balance strong economic and community growth with suburban sprawl.

For more information about DEP’s Florida Brownfield Redevelopment Program, please visit http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categories/brownfields/default.htm.