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Site & Water Guidelines
Intent
To support the design and maintenance of project sites which restore the ecological integrity of the site by restoring the local soil and water quality capable of supporting healthy, biodiverse plant, animal, and human communities. Current development practices on the land can lead to damaging stormwater runoff, degraded water and soil quality, depletion of water, soil, and valuable vegetated areas, and destruction of habitat. These sites are anticipated to reduce water and energy consumption; improve the rate, quantity, and quality of stormwater runoff; and minimize pollutant contributions related to transportation requirements.
| Site and Water Guideline | New Buildings | Major Renovations |
|---|---|---|
| S.1 Site and Water Connections | Required | Required for Minimum Site Scope (See Guideline) |
| S.2 Site Water Quality and Efficiency | Required | Required for Minimum Site Scope (See Guideline) |
| S.3 Soil | Required | Required for Minimum Site Scope (See Guideline) |
| S.4 Vegetation | Required | Required for Minimum Site Scope (See Guideline) |
| S.5 Animal Habitat Support | Required | Required for Minimum Site Scope (See Guideline) |
Objectives
- To improve the ability of the soil to maintain its biotic and abiotic structure against adverse impacts of development.
- To restore the site’s hydrologic cycle in order to improve the soil, vegetative and animal habitats, and to mitigate adverse onsite and downstream water impacts.
- To reduce consumption of potable water and fossil energy with appropriate site design and the use of local vegetative materials.
- To reduce the amounts of toxic materials and salts used on project sites that contribute to air and water pollution.
- To enhance the biodiversity of the site and surrounding networks of flora and fauna.
- To ensure that local native and endangered species have habitats.
- To restore/improve the outdoor environmental quality (OEQ) of the site to enhance occupant productivity, building performance, and community benefits.
General Site and Water Information
The following information is collected in the Site and Water Section of the B3 Guidelines Tracking Tool, Section S.0:
Predesign:
- Site information: existing site areas of various conditions (e.g., wetland, building footprint, woodland).
Design:
- Updated site information: existing and proposed site areas of various conditions (e.g., wetland, building footprint, woodland).
Final Design:
- Updated site information: existing and proposed site areas of various conditions (e.g., wetland, building footprint, woodland).
- Site and water strategies used, including narrative.
Closeout:
- Updated site information: existing and proposed site areas of various conditions (e.g., wetland, building footprint, woodland).
- Updated site and water strategies used, including narrative.
Definition of Project Site
Defining the project site can be accomplished in the following methods:
- Use property lines to determine the project site.
- Include at least the area disturbed as a result of the construction activities of the project if the project is part of a larger campus. This disturbed area will be considered the primary project site.
On sites using the second method more flexible site considerations can be used in meeting the site and water requirements. Projects may meet the requirements of the primary project site by interventions on the larger campus outside of the primary site area (including in areas that is separated by a public right-of-way). The area used to meet the B3 Guidelines will be considered a secondary project site (or sites) and must be owned by the same entity as the primary project site. Different secondary project sites may be defined as necessary to meet different guidelines.
These interventions on secondary project sites must satisfy the requirements for the primary project site area and consist of a modification performed as part of the project and documented as a permanent modification. A modification of a secondary project site is not required for existing animal habitats that meet the B3 habitat requirements and that are immediately adjacent to the primary project area. The secondary site area may not contribute to meeting the B3 Requirements if it is also used to satisfy other preexisting or planned regulatory requirements. The secondary site area, if it is used to satisfy any regulatory requirement for any area outside of the primary project site (e.g., the portion of a secondary site area which contributes to meeting stormwater runoff requirements for an area outside of the primary project site), cannot be considered to contribute to B3 compliance.
Interventions may include but are not limited to regional stormwater management, pollinator locations, animal habitat, or local vegetation; each can each be located on a portion of the campus that would be best suited for such a use. In most cases, larger ecological areas and district stormwater systems are preferable to scattered smaller systems.