The Earth Is Not Green It’s Blue

Sustainable Site Design What does “sustainable” mean to your community? Are your site design requirements consistent with that definition? Is your community getting what it wants?

What does “sustainable” mean to your community?

Are your site design requirements consistent with that definition?

Is your community getting what it wants?

Sustainable Site Design Six examples of projects from across the country Did these projects accomplish the community’s “sustainable” goals?

Six examples of projects from across the country

Did these projects accomplish the community’s “sustainable” goals?

Project was located adjacent to a cold water trout stream Thermal mitigation of runoff was required Ordinance prescribed one acceptable mitigation measure – infiltration Soils were not conducive to infiltration, yet other measures were not allowed Runoff bypassed the “infiltration” area – greatly reducing thermal mitigation Annual maintenance increased – replanting due to standing water Storm Water

Project was located adjacent to a cold water trout stream

Thermal mitigation of runoff was required

Ordinance prescribed one acceptable mitigation measure – infiltration

Soils were not conducive to infiltration, yet other measures were not allowed

Runoff bypassed the “infiltration” area – greatly reducing thermal mitigation

Annual maintenance increased – replanting due to standing water

Project was located in high arid desert where trees do not natively grow in abundance Ordinance calculations required planting 750 trees on the site Irrigation system was added by the owner to ensure the trees received adequate water to grow in the high arid desert Landscape

Project was located in high arid desert where trees do not natively grow in abundance

Ordinance calculations required planting 750 trees on the site

Irrigation system was added by the owner to ensure the trees received adequate water to grow in the high arid desert

Project was a large commuter parking lot Community promoted “dark sky” principles to lower energy use Ordinance required the following: 2.0 footcandles (max) 0.9 footcandles (min) Design of 10 acre parking lot yielded the following: 126 poles 219 fixtures That’s a lot of high pressure sodium bulbs! Lighting

Project was a large commuter parking lot

Community promoted “dark sky” principles to lower energy use

Ordinance required the following:

2.0 footcandles (max)

0.9 footcandles (min)

Design of 10 acre parking lot yielded the following:

126 poles

219 fixtures

That’s a lot of high pressure sodium bulbs!

Project was located in an urban area with combined sewers Sewerage district encouraged disconnection of storm sewer from sanitary sewer Owner wished to install a permeable pavement parking lot to infiltrate runoff A variance was required because the municipal code only allowed asphalt or concrete pavement This delayed the project two months Plumbing ordinance required that parking lots must drain to a catch basin Two catch basins were installed and connected to the combined sewer Storm Water

Project was located in an urban area with combined sewers

Sewerage district encouraged disconnection of storm sewer from sanitary sewer

Owner wished to install a permeable pavement parking lot to infiltrate runoff

A variance was required because the municipal code only allowed asphalt or concrete pavement

This delayed the project two months

Plumbing ordinance required that parking lots must drain to a catch basin

Two catch basins were installed and connected to the combined sewer

Project was a retail shopping center Ordinance required a minimum percentage of parking lot pavement to be covered by tree canopy This led to obscure island configurations and many dead (or dying) trees, because trees were planted where they wouldn’t grow Good news for the local nursery! Landscape

Project was a retail shopping center

Ordinance required a minimum percentage of parking lot pavement to be covered by tree canopy

This led to obscure island configurations and many dead (or dying) trees, because trees were planted where they wouldn’t grow

Good news for the local nursery!

Project was proposed on a blighted site Community was promoting redevelopment Owner wished to install a large green roof to offset storm water runoff and maximize developable land area Ordinance would not allow any credit for a green roof and required runoff to be managed using traditional practices – pipes and ponds Owner chose to build on another property in a different community Storm Water

Project was proposed on a blighted site

Community was promoting redevelopment

Owner wished to install a large green roof to offset storm water runoff and maximize developable land area

Ordinance would not allow any credit for a green roof and required runoff to be managed using traditional practices – pipes and ponds

Owner chose to build on another property in a different community

Sustainable Site Design One final example Did this project accomplish the community’s sustainable goals?

One final example

Did this project accomplish the community’s sustainable goals?

Cabela’s 165,000 SF of retail on a 64 acre site the largest retail development to date in this specific Town Retailer had a very generous landscape budget that embraced the use of natural landscape to create an outdoor image Project was presented to the Town Board as a natural theme design and was embraced in concept

165,000 SF of retail on a 64 acre site

the largest retail development to date in this specific Town

Retailer had a very generous landscape budget that embraced the use of natural landscape to create an outdoor image

Project was presented to the Town Board as a natural theme design and was embraced in concept

Cabela’s Current Town mathematical landscape requirements would have been absurd / impossible to enforce, and the Town acknowledged it A variance request was granted for the project and the Town realized that it needed to adopt a modified ordinance to address larger sites with unique needs

Current Town mathematical landscape requirements would have been absurd / impossible to enforce, and the Town acknowledged it

A variance request was granted for the project and the Town realized that it needed to adopt a modified ordinance to address larger sites with unique needs

Cabela’s As a result, the retailer has an entirely adaptive / natural landscape that does not have miles of turf that has to be mowed, fertilized, irrigated and sprayed every week Trees were planted in appropriate / adequate areas where they will be able to survive Snow removal will not be a problem because the parking islands have adequate space and plant types for storage Long term, this aesthetic will continue to improve

As a result, the retailer has an entirely adaptive / natural landscape that does not have miles of turf that has to be mowed, fertilized, irrigated and sprayed every week

Trees were planted in appropriate / adequate areas where they will be able to survive

Snow removal will not be a problem because the parking islands have adequate space and plant types for storage

Long term, this aesthetic will continue to improve

Sustainable site design principles can be foreign and unproven, but they can be applied with great success To do this, communities must lead the way , working together with innovative designers and product suppliers that are willing to keep an open mind and challenge traditional approaches This starts by defining what “sustainable” means, establishing a process that reflects that definition, and allowing for flexibility and creativity Sustainable Site Design

Sustainable site design principles can be foreign and unproven, but they can be applied with great success

To do this, communities must lead the way , working together with innovative designers and product suppliers that are willing to keep an open mind and challenge traditional approaches

This starts by defining what “sustainable” means, establishing a process that reflects that definition, and allowing for flexibility and creativity

Sustainable Site Design What does “sustainable” mean to your community?

What does “sustainable” mean to your community?