Comments on: Sustainable Sites 5.1 – Site Development – Protect or Restore Habitat

By: James Crawford LEED AP

James Crawford LEED AP — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:23:00 +0000

Colorado Gov/Energy site: The USGBC characterizes native and adaptive species as an area that will not be mowed. The base has stopped mowing due to budget, technically it will not be mowed. Requirements I assume will not be met.

By: James Crawford LEED AP

James Crawford LEED AP — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 16:40:20 +0000

My projects are situated on a Military Installation. Seed Mix A and B [grasses only native and adaptive] are required to vegetate areas disturbed in construction. For LEED Credit SS 5.1 Protect or Restore will we meet the requirements, restore?

By: Ram

Ram — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:53:38 +0000

yes, it should be, especially with the tons of material one has to memorize. good tip!

By: TamS

TamS — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:44:38 +0000

Ram, Brain dump is invaluable if you tend to forget things and will be needed to remind you of things as you tackle the tricky questions in the exam.

By: Arpita

Arpita — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:43:37 +0000

Sustainable Site is a credit

A point is what you get, if you follow everything under the credit requirements

By: Ram

Ram — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:42:12 +0000

Dumb question: what is the difference between a CREDIT and a POINT??

By: Ram

Ram — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:18:19 +0000

Thanks! Yes, I need luck. I liked the “brain dump” idea. I did not know that we could do that in the test center!

By: Arpita

Arpita — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:55:45 +0000

Yes I did….back in March!
Best of Luck!

By: Ram

Ram — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:03:41 +0000

Thanks a lot Arpita! I guess you passed the LEED exam already?

By: Arpita

Arpita — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:59:24 +0000

-know who is responsible for each credit
-the standards
-the pre requisites
-the exemplary performance credits
- and the ERRATA sheets

that would be my take

and practice 10 minutes brain dump material in order to just vomit out things you need to remember on a sheet of paper (in the examination hall)- that helps a lot for quick recollection!

By: Ram

Ram — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:49:20 +0000

Hello Folks! How I wish, I had known about this excellent website earlier enough! My LEED NC v2.2 exam date is June 30, 2009, the very last day. I am very much under prepared. I have just 40 hours of expendable time to cram in as much info I could into my brain! Any tips? Thanks!

By: sree

sree — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 07:09:19 +0000

Miche,
I agree, the question is very poorly written.
1. Answer A is likely if the owner is pursuing SS c7.2
2. It is not B, there are no credits concerning formaldehyde in MR
3. It is not C, the question is concerning credits and not pre-req.
4. Answer D is less likely, eliminating roof area impacts quantity more than quality. Roof water is generally not required to be treated.
5. Answer E is likely if the pavilion is replaced with vegetated green space (this is not stated in the question)

By: anne

anne — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 01:42:10 +0000

cus182 – your question is discussed above.
For the previous discussion on same question …
I still have a question on this question. The question does not state that the project has earned SS2 credit, just that it is urban and has a vegetated roof. The 5.1 requiremetns are that the project be ‘earning SS2′. Since the question didn’t mention SS2, I would have thought the answer would be C as well. Having the answer be B requires an assumption that the project is complying with many more requirements (60K sqft density, etc) which are not mentioned in the question. I think it’s a large leap for the question to expect the assumption that the project will earn SS2.

By: Miche

Miche — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:06:24 +0000

In a value engineering exercise for an office building in a zoned commercial development, a heated and enclosed smoking pavilion located more than 25 feet away from building entrances, operable windows, and fresh air intakes has been removed from a project design. The pavilion was to be constructed with no-added-urea-formaldehyde composite lumber. The owner wants to do the minimum necessary to comply with LEED credits that are being pursued. The project will definitely need to adjust calculations for compliance with which credits? (Choose Two)

A) SS Credit 7.2, Heat Island Effect: Roof
B) MR Credit 4.4, Low-Emitting Materials: Composite Wood
C) EQ Prequisite 2, ETS Control
D) SS Credit 6.2, Stormwater Management: Quality
E) SS Credit 5.1, Protect or Restore Habitat

Answers are A and E. I can see how E would qualify since you are taking away the smoking pavilion, therefore providing more natural open space. I don’t see how there is enough information to select A. I originally chose B and C…but I guess since these factors are being discarded, they don’t apply to credits being pursued.

Can someone please help!?!?!

By: cus182

cus182 — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:01:14 +0000

Hi,
Can somebody please clarify me this question.

Urban projects on previously developed sites using vegetated roof surfaces with native or adapted plants to attain SS Credit 5.1, site development : protect or restore habitat, must fulfill which of the following requirements (choose 1):

a. restore or protect at least 20% of the site area, excluding building footprint.
b. restore or protect at least 20% of the site area, including building footprint.
c. restore or protect at least 50% of the site area, excluding building footprint.
d. restore or protect at least 50% of the site area, including building footprint.

The answer given to this question is b, although i think it should be c.

Can someone please clarify.

Thanks

By: Jennifer Davidson

Jennifer Davidson — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 01:26:33 +0000

Sabrina asked:

“Can an urban project satisfying the base requirements of SSc5.1 attain exemplary credit; if so, how?”

Exemplary credit is set at 75% green space for SSc5.1 . The credit threshold itself is 50%.

This is from the LEED-NC Version 2.2 Reference Guide pg 68:

“The project may be awarded one innova-
tion point for exemplary performance
in restoring or protecting a minimum
of 75% of the site area (excluding the
building footprint) with native or adapted
vegetation on previous developed or
graded sites.”

By: Jennifer Davidson

Jennifer Davidson — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 01:03:29 +0000

Arpita asked:
“5. Urban projects on previously developed sites using vegetated roof surfaces with native or adapted plants to attain SS Credit 5.1, Site Development: Protect or Restore Habitat, must fulfill which of the following requirements? (Choose 1.)
a. restore or protect at least 20% of the site area, excluding building footprint
b. restore or protect at least 20% of the site area, including building footprint
c. restore or protect at least 50% of the site area, excluding building footprint
d. restore or protect at least 50% of the site area, including building footprint

the answer given to this qs. is B. I answered C.

but now when i look at the qs., if i was to EXCLUDE the building footprint – i would not be making using of the vegetated roof.

HELP!”

I just took the same quiz and looked up the answer in the LEED-NC Version 2.2 Reference Guide, which states:

“On previously developed or graded sites, restore or protect a minimum of 50% of the
site area (excluding the building footprint) with native or adapted vegetation. Projects earning SS Credit 2 and using vegetated roof surfaces may apply the vegetated roof surface to this calculation if the plants meet the de?nition of native/adapted.”

By: sabreena

sabreena — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 05:25:27 +0000

Can a urban project satisfying the base requirements of SSc5.1 , attain exemplary credit, if so how?

By: Arpita

Arpita — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 21:37:32 +0000

http://209.85.173.132/search?q=cache:vJnbr5jSZmcJ:https://www.green-building.org/ShowFile.aspx%3FDocumentID%3D2609+1st+Edition+errata+posted+November+17,+2005,+and+June+29,+2006&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a

That link is to the 1st set of Erratas which for Edition 1 (most of you are using 2 or 3).This apparently got incorporated into Version 2)

See what it says about SS c5.1 (on the first page) – it is an HTML file. The PDF does not open for some reason!SIGH

does not mention LOT LINE – but talks about everything else.

Hope this helps

By: mam02k

mam02k — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 21:27:56 +0000

To earn SSc2 there are two options: to have a density of 60,000 sf/acre, or the Community Connectivity option. My question is, where in the Reference guide under SSc5.1 does is say that the Density option must be earned to qualify for the zero-lot-line path of this credit? Pat has it called out here and in the AP Walkthrough, but i can’t find it in the Guide.

By: Arpita

Arpita — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 21:17:16 +0000

What is your qs about mam02k?

By: mam02k

mam02k — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 21:15:05 +0000

I’m not seeing in the Reference Guide where it specifies that only Option 1 of SSc2 is acceptable… will someone please point me to the right place? I’m using the Third edition…

By: Arpita

Arpita — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 02:47:12 +0000

Thanks Parker

By: parker

parker — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 01:39:11 +0000

Arpita:

Everything I said applies to both SS5.2 and 5.1 however, pedestrian orientated hardscape is only applicable to credit 5.2. Although 5.1 doesn’t specifically say wetlands would count, it is implied from the intent of the credit.

By: Arpita

Arpita — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 00:42:45 +0000

Parker:

What you are talking about reflects in ss c5.2.

Does the same apply to ssc5.1? my qs relates to ss c 5.1
Thanks in advance

By: Arpita

Arpita — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:14:13 +0000

Thanks Parker.

crystal clear. It couldnt have been explained better

Thanks a bunch

By: parker

parker — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 18:58:30 +0000

Once you earn SSC2 Option 1 (60,000 density), you have proven to USGBC that you are indeed developing on a qualifying urban site. For urban sites, the USGBC sets different thresholds for compliance. These differences take into account the fact that designers may have very little if any (zero lot line) site area to protect, restore, or leave as openspace area.

Because of these inherent limitations, the USGBC allows designers to include the building footprint into the calculations. This effectivly gives designers more site area to protect, restore, or leave as openspace area (now you can include vegetated roofs as part of your calculations because it includes the site footprint)

Additionally, the USGBC also reduced the overall openspace requirements from 50% to 20%.

Other things to note:

- Pedestrian orientated hardscape can count in calculations as long as they are 25% vegetated
- Constructed wetlands and natural bodies of water can also be included if the slope is 1:4 or less and vegetated.

By: Arpita

Arpita — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 18:09:36 +0000

5. Urban projects on previously developed sites using vegetated roof surfaces with native or adapted plants to attain SS Credit 5.1, Site Development: Protect or Restore Habitat, must fulfill which of the following requirements? (Choose 1.)
a. restore or protect at least 20% of the site area, excluding building footprint
b. restore or protect at least 20% of the site area, including building footprint
c. restore or protect at least 50% of the site area, excluding building footprint
d. restore or protect at least 50% of the site area, including building footprint

the answer given to this qs. is B. I answered C.

but now when i look at the qs., if i was to EXCLUDE the building footprint – i would not be making using of the vegetated roof.

HELP!

By: mizuchaud

mizuchaud — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 22:19:35 +0000

Another question: say you start with an undeveloped green site. 60,000 sf site. You develop 40,000 sf of the entire site as your building footprint. You follow the setback limits of 40′, etc.
What’s stopping you from claiming this credit, even though you developed more than 50% of the green site? The setbacks were followed, but the intent of protecting half the site went out the window? It wasn’t a previously developed site, so as written, what’s stopping a developer from doing this and still claiming the credit?

By: mizuchaud

mizuchaud — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 22:09:47 +0000

I’m guessing that exemplary credit for SSc5.1 for a zero lot line building scenario would be 75% of the roof, not a doubling of 20% to reach 40%, correct?

the zero lot line scenario was new to me, thanks to this site.
(Darn first edition 2.2 pdf…)

By: Wes

Wes — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 17:03:46 +0000

Thanks Parker…that seems silly, but thems the rules…

By: Parker

Parker — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 16:25:18 +0000

Wes: Thats how i understand it

By: Wes

Wes — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 18:25:35 +0000

Zero-lot-line + SSc2 (60k ft^2/acre) means only commercial projects achieving option 1 of SSc2 can apply a vegetated roof towards the 20%? Would that then mean a residential project achieving SSc2 option 2 could not apply its vegetated roof towards this 20% requirement?

By: Pat

Pat — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 23:42:12 +0000

I’m seeing 10 ft. for 12in. or less diamater utilities, and 15ft for main utility branch trenches. (in the reference guide). I’ll make the change. Thanks!

By: Tyler

Tyler — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 23:34:25 +0000

Hi Pat,

The LEED reference book Im looking at (USGBC 2005 V2.2) says that for small utilities (12 in or less in diameter)you must limit the site disturbance to 10 feet. But, for main utilities you must limit disturbances to 15 ft, not 10 ft.

Has somthing changed?