Sustainable Sites

Overview of Credit

Sustainable Site rewards project teams for designing the site to minimize adverse effects.

Minimizing stormwater runoff

Reduce the risk of erosion

Minimize habitat disturbance

Protect open space

Conserve energy by providing opportunities for passive solar heating and cooling, and natural ventilation and daylighting.

Rainwater Management Case 1

Intent: To reduce rainwater runoff volume from the site.

Requirements: Use Low-Impact Development (LID) Techniques to minimize the amount of storm water that leaves the site. Examples of acceptable techniques include the following:

Planting areas with native or adapted plant material.

Installing a vegetated roof.

Using permeable paving, consisting of porous above-ground materias (open pavers, engineered products) a base layer designed to drain water away from the home, and a 6” deep sup-base.

Installing permanent infiltration or collection features (vegetated swale, rain garden, rainwater cistern) that can handle 100% of the runoff from a two-year, 24 hour storm.

Points for permeable area, as percentage of total lot area.

50-64% = 1 pt

65-79% = 2 pts

equal or greater than 80% = 3 pts

Rainwater Management Case 2

Intent: to reduce rainwater runoff volume from the site.

Requirements: National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.

Use Low-Impact Development (LID) and green infrastructure to replicate natural site hydrology, manage on-site the runoff from the developed site for the percentage regional or local rainfall events listed below.

Percentage Rainfall Event and Point

95th = 2 pts

98th = 3 pts

95th percentile rainfall event means that the site strategy for rainwater management can manage 95% of storm events, and likewise for 98th percentile.