Severn Savings Bank — set to open its enormous Annapolis headquarters by early 2007 — has debuted its freshly planted “green roof.”

The roof caps a four story parking garage with four inches of porous soil. It is sown with sedum, a succulent, flowering plant that absorbs and filters rainwater.

Right now the 12,500-square-foot garden is more brown than green because it can take more than a year for the sedum planted there to take root.

But when fully grown, the hearty plant will reduce runoff by as much as 75 percent, which means less dirty water enters the Chesapeake Bay, said Angie Durham, green roof specialist for Magco Inc., the business that constructed and maintains the roof.

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“We decided to use best management practices for stormwater with the green roof. What we lost is parking, but what we gained is a facility that is kinder and gentler to the environment,” said Alan Hyatt, chairman of Severn Bancorp Inc.

Green roofs also help buildings become more energy efficient by absorbing heat during summer and providing insulation in cold weather, Durham said.

The 82,000-square-foot building boasts the largest green roof on a commercial building in Annapolis, Durham said.

“I hope it’s an incentive for other businesses to take a look at doing something similar. We hope it won’t be the last,” said Melvin Meekins, executive vice president for Severn Bancorp Inc.

The five-story building, still under construction, spans an entire block and cost $20 million. In addition to the bank, it will hold a restaurant, a cafe and offices. The parking garage can hold up to 250 cars, according to a news release from the bank.

The bank will become the fourth branch of Severn Savings Bank, which has locations in Annapolis, Edgewater and Glen Burnie.

It is located at the intersection of Spa Road and West Street in Annapolis.

lgreenback@baltimoreexaminer.com