Page 3 - NY Cooperator May 2019

COOPERATOR.COM THE COOPERATOR — MAY 2019 3 DEPARTMENTS: 4 Pulse/Calendar 5 Questions & Answers 18 Service Directory Publisher Yale Robbins yale@cooperator.com Executive Vice President Henry Robbins henry@cooperator.com Associate Publisher Joanna DiPaola joanna@cooperator.com Senior Editor Hannah Fons hannah@cooperator.com Associate Editors David Chiu david@cooperator.com Pat Gale patgale@cooperator.com Staff Writers Michael Odenthal michael@cooperator.com Alan J. Sidransky alan@cooperator.com Art Director Shirly Korchak shirly@yrinc.com Production Manager Aetna Dowst aetna@yrinc.com Vice President of Advertising Tom Christmann tom@yrinc.com Advertising Directors Rick Levin rick@cooperator.com Fred Marks fred@yrinc.com Peter Chase peter@yrinc.com Ted Olczak ted@yrinc.com The Cooperator is published monthly by Yale Robbins Publications, LLC, 205 Lexington Ave., New York, NY 10016, (212) 683-5700. President: Yale Robbins, Executive Vice President: Henry Robbins. Subscriptions are available free by request to co-op and condo board members and homeowner associations. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Cooperator, 205 Lexington Ave., New York, NY 10016. ©Yale Robbins Publications, LLC 2019. All rights reserved. Application to mail Periodicals postage rates is pending at New York NY. FREE Subscriptions for Board Members, Property Managers and Real Estate Decision Makers. To Subscribe, please visit us at: cooperator.com/subscribe June Law & Legislation July Budget & Finance August Insurance/Board Training September Energy & the Environment October Board Operations/Expo Issue November Building Maintenance December Saftey & Security COMING UP IN THE COOPERATOR TABLE OF CONTENTS THIS MONTH’S FOCUS: DESIGN ON THE WEB: 6 Save Your Energy By Mike Odenthal Everything You Wanted Recycling Better to Know About Jumbo Loans By AJ Sidransky By Mike Odenthal Design by Committee By Mike Odenthal Design committees usually consist of members with some experience in the field, or who just have a keen eye for color, décor, and what makes a space appeal to a broad array of tastes. These committees work with the board, management, residents and outside vendors to make the design choices for the building, and can occasionally command a portion of the association budget. 8 12 Alteration Agreements By AJ Sidransky So, you want to renovate your kitchen. You’ve chosen your tile, cabinetry, and fixtures. You’ve gotten bids from several contractors, and are ready to dig in and overhaul the whole space. But not so fast. You live in a co-op. You need board approval before the first hammer falls. The same goes for you if you own a condo. The first step is what is known in the world of community living as an alteration agreement. The Latest in Green Design By Mike Odenthal Even before Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) introduced the Green New Deal resolution to Congress on February 7, the impending consequences of climate change and global warming has been a hot topic (no pun intended). Repurposing Unused Space By A.J. Sidransky Back in the first half of the last century when both developers and consumers had different needs and agendas than they do today (not to mention less advanced technology), giant boilers, elevator machinery, fuel storage tanks, and other mechanical systems were housed in building basements and sub-basements. 14 10