503 Lot Design – Above Green

Intent

The lot is designed to avoid detrimental environmental impacts first, to minimize any unavoidable impacts, and to mitigate for those impacts that do occur. The project is designed to minimize environmental impacts and to protect, restore, and enhance the natural features and environmental quality of the lot.

Note: Points awarded only if the intent of the design is implemented.

503.1 - Natural Resources

Natural resources are conserved by one or more of the following:

A natural resources inventory is completed under the direction of a qualified professional. (5 points)
- Required Documentation: Natural resource inventory that includes lot specific information and is signed by qualified professional.
A plan is implemented to conserve the elements identified by the natural resource inventory as high-priority resources. (6 points)
- Required Documentation: Written conservation plan that includes the lot. There must be high priority resources on the lot or in the development. Examples of high priority resources include trees, waterways, snags, micro-habitats, etc.
Items listed for protection in the natural resource inventory plan are protected under the direction of a qualified professional. (4 points)
- Required Documentation: Statement from professional that s/he directed plan implementation to protect the high priority resources.
Basic training in tree or other natural resource protection is provided for the on-site supervisor. (4 points)
- Required Documentation: Evidence of site supervisor training. Review builder’s standard written training program and/or training certificate.
All tree pruning on-site is conducted by a certified arborist or other qualified professional. (3 points)
- Required Documentation: Invoice or other evidence from Certified Arborist.
Ongoing maintenance of vegetation on the lot during construction is in accordance with TCIA A300 or locally accepted best practices. (4 points)
- Required Documentation: Statement from professional that maintenance of vegetation during construction complies.
Where a lot adjoins a landscaped common area, a protection plan from construction activities next to the common area is implemented. (5 points)
- Required Documentation: Written conservation plan.
Developer has a plan to design and construct the lot in accordance with the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code (IWUIC). (5 points)
- [Only applicable where the AHJ has not declared a wildland-urban interface area, but a fire protection engineer, certified fire marshal, or other qualified party has determined and documented the site as hazarded per the IWUIC].
- Required Documentation: Review plan for compliance.

503.2 - Slope Disturbance

Slope disturbance is minimized by one or more of the following:

Note: Points are only available for lots with slopes of 25% or greater.

The use of terrain adaptive architecture. (5 points)
Hydrological/soil stability study is completed and used to guide the design of all buildings on the lot. (5 points)
- Required Documentation: Hydrological study report applicable to the lot and statement that the intent of the requirement is met.
All or a percentage of driveways and parking are aligned with natural topography to reduce cut and fill.
- 10% to < 25% (1 points)
- 25% to 75% (4 points)
- greater than 75% (6 points)
  - Required Documentation: Report from qualified professional stating intent of the requirement has been met through the site plan.
Long-term erosion effects are reduced through the design and implementation of clustering, terracing, retaining walls, landscaping, or restabilization techniques. (6 points)
Underground parking uses the natural slope for parking entrances. (5 points)

503.3 - Soil Disturbance and Erosion

Soil disturbance and erosion are minimized by one or more of the following: (also see Section 504.3)

Note: Points must be earned in 503.3 in order for points in 504.1 to be available.

Construction activities are scheduled such that disturbed soil that is to be left unworked for more than 21 days is stabilized within 14 days. (5 points)
- Required Documentation: Construction schedule. Verify that schedule limited soil exposure to 14-day EPA guideline or less. Verify visually that the state of the lot is consistent with the schedule. Un-stabilized soil exposure should be limited to 14 days or less if that area will not be further disturbed during a 21-day period. The construction schedule must include specific activities at specific stages to address stabilization.
At least 75% of total length of the utilities on the lot are designed to use one or more alternative means (5 points):
- tunneling instead of trenching
- use of smaller (low ground pressure) equipment or geomats to spread the weight of construction equipment
- shared utility trenches or easements
- placement of utilities under paved surfaces instead of yards
  - Required Documentation: Plans & scopes of work showing alternative means used.
Limits of clearing and grading are demarcated on the lot plan. (5 points)

503.4 - Stormwater Management

The stormwater management system is designed to use low impact development/green infrastructure practices to preserve, restore or mitigate changes in site hydrology due to land disturbance and the construction of impermeable surfaces through the use of one or more of the following techniques:

Required Documentation

Hydrologic study report verifying intent of the requirement has been met.

Note: For lots in a development, the points for 503.4 may be awarded for the lot when there is a community storm water management plan implemented and the builder does not violate that plan with respect to water leaving the lot.

A site assessment is conducted and a plan prepared and implemented that identifies important existing permeable soils, natural drainage ways and other water features, e.g., depressional storage, onsite to be preserved in order to maintain site hydrology. (7 points)
- Required Documentation: Site assessment and plan that identifies important existing permeable soils, natural drainage ways and other water features. Photos or other document showing water & natural drainage prior to development.
A hydrologic analysis is conducted that results in the design of a stormwater management system that maintains the pre-development (stable, natural) runoff hydrology of the site through the development or redevelopment process. Ensure that post construction runoff rate, volume and duration do not exceed predevelopment rates, volume and duration. (10 points)
- Required Documentation: Hydrologic analysis; plans that show features to minimize concentrated flows
Low Impact Development/Green infrastructure stormwater management practices to promote infiltration and evapotranspiration are used to manage rainfall on the lot and prevent the off-lot discharge of runoff from all storms up to and including the volume of following storm events:
- 80th percentile storm event (5 points)
- 90th percentile storm event (8 points)
- 95th percentile storm event (10 points)
  - Required Documentation: Engineer's report showing storm event for which points are claimed will not result in rainwater leaving the lot
Permeable materials are used for driveways, parking areas, walkways, patios, and recreational surfaces and the like according to the following percentages:
- 10% to less than 25% (add 2 points for use of vegetative paving system) (5 points)
- 25-50% (add 4 points for use of vegetative paving system) (8 points)
- Greater than 50% (add 6 points for use of vegetative paving system (10 points)
  - Required Documentation: Calculation showing % of hardscape surface covered with permeable materials.
  - Note: Points for vegetative paving systems are only awarded for locations receiving more than 20 inches per year of annual average precipitation]
Complete gutter and downspout system directs storm water away from foundation to vegetated landscape area, a raingarden, or catchment system that provides for water infiltration. (3 points)

503.5 - Landscape Plan

A plan for the lot is developed to limit water and energy use while preserving or enhancing the natural environment.

Required Documentation

Lot specific plan by qualified landscape professional for any of these sub practices.

Note: Where "front" only or "rear" only plan is implemented, only half of the points (rounding down to a whole number) are awarded for the first 9 bullets.

A plan is formulated and implemented that protects, restores, or enhances natural vegetation on the lot.
- 100% of the natural area (4 points)
- 50% of the natural area (3 points)
- 25% of the natural area (2 points)
- 12% of the natural area (1 point)
  - Required Documentation: Landscape plan that identifies natural vegetation on the lot to be protected, enhanced, or restored.
Non-invasive vegetation that is native or regionally appropriate for local growing conditions is selected to promote biodiversity. (7 points)
- Required Documentation: List of regionally appropriate plants must be on plan. Landscape contractor statement or labels on plants.
To improve pollinator habitat, at least 10 percent of planted areas are composed of native or regionally appropriate flowering and nectar producing plant species. Invasive plant species shall not be utilized. (3 points)
- Required Documentation: Landscape plan by qualified landscape professional that identifies flowering and nectar producing species on at least 10% of planted areas.
EPA WaterSense Water Budget Tool or equivalent is used when implementing the site vegetative design. (5 points)
- Required Documentation: The tool, available both online and as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet format on the WaterSense website (https://www.epa.gov/watersense/water-budget-tool), guides the user through the water budget calculation in three parts. The final part of the tool displays the water allowance and water requirement calculated for the designed landscape. The LWR must be less than the allotted amount for the landscape design to meet the criterion in the specification.
Where turf is being planted, Turfgrass Water Conservation Alliance (TWCA) or equivalent as determined by the adopting entity third party qualified water efficient grasses are used. (3 points)
- Required Documentation: Confirm that turf planted is compliant. List of TWCA grasses is available here (https://www.tgwca.org/list-of-qualified-products.html).
For landscaped vegetated areas, the maximum percentage of turf area is:
- 0% (5 points)
- greater than 0% but less than 20% (4 points)
- 20%-less than 40% (3 points)
- 40%-60% (2 points)
  - Required Documentation: Calculation showing % of lot (minus building footprint & hardscape) that is turf.
Plants with similar watering needs are grouped (hydrozoning) and shown on the lot plan. (5 points)
- Required Documentation: Landscape plan by qualified landscape professional showing plants and their respective watering needs.
Summer shading by planting installed to shade a minimum of 30 percent of building walls. To conform to summer shading, the effective shade coverage (five years after planting) is the arithmetic mean of the shade coverage calculated at 10 am for eastward facing walls, noon for southward facing walls, and 3 pm for westward facing walls on the summer solstice. (5 points)
- Required Documentation: Landscape plan by qualified professional stating intent of practice will be met.
Vegetative wind breaks or channels are designed to protect the lot and immediate surrounding lots as appropriate for local conditions. (5 points)
- Required Documentation: Landscape plan by qualified landscape professional. The wind breaks are intended to protect the lot.
Site or community generated tree trimmings or stump grinding of regionally appropriate trees are used on the lot to provide protective mulch during construction or for landscaping. (3 points)
- Required Documentation: PO or invoice for contractor providing onsite recycling.
An integrated pest management plan is developed to minimize chemical use in pesticides and fertilizers. (4 points)
- Required Documentation: Pest management plan.
Developer has a plan for removal or containment of invasive plants from the disturbed areas of the site. (3 points)
- Required Documentation: Landscape plan by qualified landscape professional.
Developer implements a plan for removal or containment of invasive plants on the undisturbed areas of the site. (6 points)
- Required Documentation: Landscape plan by qualified landscape professional.

503.6 - Wildlife Habitat

Measures are planned to support wildlife habitat and include at least two of the following:

Plants and gardens that encourage wildlife, such as bird or butterfly gardens. (3 points)
Inclusion of a certified "backyard wildlife" program. (3 points)
The lot is adjacent to a wildlife corridor, fish and game park, or preserved areas and is designed with regard for this relationship. (3 points)
Outdoor lighting techniques are utilized with regard for wildlife. (3 points)

Required Documentation

Development-wide or lot-specific wildlife management plan by a qualified professional.

503.7 - Environmentally Sensitive Areas

The lot is in accordance with one or both of the following:

The lot does not contain any environmentally sensitive areas that are disturbed by the construction. (4 points)
- Required Documentation: Lot specific plan showing no sensitive areas.
On lots with environmentally sensitive areas, mitigation and/or restoration is conducted to preserve ecosystem functions lost through development and construction activities. (4 points)
- Required Documentation: Lot specific plan showing original location of sensitive areas. Plan by qualified professional showing appropriate mitigation or restoration steps.

503.8 - Demolition of Existing Building

(5 points)

A demolition waste management plan is developed, posted at the jobsite, and implemented to recycle and/or salvage with a goal of recycling or salvaging a minimum of 50 percent of the nonhazardous demolition waste.

(1 additional point awarded for every 10% of nonhazardous demolition waste recycled and/or salvaged beyond 50%).

Required Documentation

Demolition waste management plan.