Another Reason To Build Green

The evidence is all around us. It’s time we started taking the green movement seriously, and oftentimes that cannot be done without the support and direction of the government – and local government at that.
The Town of Huntington has always been at the forefront of the green movement, from using solar energy to hosting an Earth Day Expo to give residents a chance to explore new technology and recycle e-waste responsibly. The town also recently began a curbside e-waste pick-up program.
Now we have another chance. A proposal up for a public hearing on May 7 would offer tax exemptions for new construction that meets LEED qualifications, an internationally accepted set of criteria for environmentally-friendly building and construction. New York State just last year gave municipalities the right to offer tax exemptions for LEED-rated new construction, and the town is acting.
If the law is passed, all LEED-certified construction would be fully tax-exempt for the first three years. The bottom two levels would lose 20 percent of that exemption every year, while gold-rated projects would have an extra year of 100 percent tax-exemption and platinum-certified jobs would have another two years beyond gold.
It is amazing how LEED-certified construction has already taken flight. Unfortunately two major projects in town - Canon’s new headquarters in Melville and Target on Jericho in Huntington Station - broke ground too early to qualify, but it only stresses the need to pass this law.
Construction like this is sustainable, environmentally friendly, and good for the future of the town. This is a good proposal.