Mecklenburg County Sustainable Facilities and Development Policy

Transcription

1 Mecklenburg County Sustainable Facilities and Development Policy The objective of this policy is to define goals, standards, and verification means for the design, construction, and future operation of Mecklenburg County facilities. Mecklenburg County facilities and property are long-term assets serving the community as places to live, work, and recreate. The County has defined Sustainable Community to include a balance between being environmentally sound, economically prosperous, and socially considerate. To support the County s Sustainable Community focus, several principles within the Environmental Leadership Policy play a role in forming this Sustainable Development Policy including: Practicing Energy Conservation; Reducing Emissions Contributing to Air Quality Issues; Environmentally Preferable Purchasing - Include environmental considerations in purchasing decisions for goods and services; Requiring Environmentally Sensitive Design options on all new facilities and retrofits; Land Preservation Acquiring, maintaining and preserving land to protect the natural environment; and Business Unit Integration - Direct all county business units to integrate environmental considerations into their activities, and direct LUESA staff to assist business units with identifying and implementing environmentally sound practices. All County initiated construction activities, County funded construction activities, and land disturbing activities on County property shall be conducted utilizing environmental best practices. Additionally, operation of County facilities shall be conducted in an environmentally sustainable fashion. Environmental best practices shall meet the intent of the policy goals and standards identified in this document as recommended by the Mecklenburg County Environmental Leadership Team. These criteria are supplemental to adherence with State and local regulations, which are not repeated here. June 2010 Page 1

2 Mecklenburg County Sustainable Facilities / Development Policy Priorities and Goals Emphasis Area Emission Reduction Resource Conservation Commitment Stewardship Enhancement Goals Optimize building systems energy performance and use of an efficient building envelope to reduce energy use 30% below ASHRAE standards on new development and 20% below ASHRAE on small and renovation projects (GS ). Enhanced connectivity to existing or proposed parks and public transportation routes. Strive to maintain the best possible indoor air quality, and use low VOC materials. Minimize heat island effect to reduce ground level temperatures. Select when possible re-development / low impact sites. Develop sites maintaining vegetation areas and enhancing open space preservation. Avoid light pollution. Provide storm water management through use of enhanced erosion control practices (Attachment A). Minimize water usage in the building 20% below State Code and irrigation use 50% below State Code requirements (GS or current). Re-use buildings, recycle construction and demolition materials, and incorporate local material with high recycled content or of a renewable nature. Protection of Natural Heritage and environmentally sensitive areas. LEED Silver Certification for all County facilities over $2million LEED checklist for small projects and renovations Set practices and standards that demonstrate the feasibility and convenience of a sustainable approach to expansion and renovations, and share these experiences so a sustainable approach will be demonstrated and become standard practice for Mecklenburg County and for others in the region. Joint use of facilities will be explored and optimized between all County departments and County-funded agencies. June 2010 Page 2

3 Policy Applicability Large Projects: ($2M or more, or in smaller projects when possible) To provide guidance and organization to the Sustainable Facilities Policy and a support to define criteria, the US Green Building Council s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) New Construction and Major Renovation shall be used as the standard. LEED for Neighborhood Development will be used as a reference for site design. County Buildings shall strive to achieve a minimum of LEED Silver Certification. Small Projects - Renovations or Small Buildings The Mecklenburg County Small Project checklist (see below) shall be used as an instrument to ensure a sustainable approach; this checklist incorporates LEED principles, but shall be flexible to allow for project-specific approach without the formalities of the certification required of large projects. This check list will be used to define minimum expectations when applicable, but can be modified or expanded based on the characteristics of the project. Mecklenburg County Small Project Checklist for Goals Waste water reduction: meet 20% reduction below State Code for indoor plumbing and 50% reduction below State Code for outdoor irrigation as able. Energy: Use energy saving equipment and lighting fixtures when possible to obtain 20% below ASHRAE standards as able. Materials: Re-use building components and elements when possible, for example: partitions, carpet, electrical, lighting. Recycle demolition and construction waste. Use regionally sourced and/or manufactured materials as able. Use materials with recycled content Air Quality: Explore the possibility of increasing outside air ventilation. Manage construction dust and replace filters after construction Use Low emitting materials (use LEED criteria) in glues and sealants, paints and coatings, carpets, wood and particle products. Views and Natural Illumination: strive to use design that enhance access to exteriors views and light when possible. June 2010 Page 3

4 Verification and Reporting Verification of environmentally friendly construction shall be provided by the project consultant under direction of a County project manager and in accordance with this policy.* Design firms are responsible for including environmental best practices in the construction documents, and request information from the contractor. A copy of the LEED checklist shall be provided by the consultant at project close-out, indicating the outcome of the sustainable practices implemented. Commissioning of Large Projects is mandatory. The Small Project Checklist included herein will be followed and reported on by consultants.* Performance of existing facility operations shall be measured against standardized benchmarks (e.g., Energy Star Portfolio) and reported on an annual basis through goals in the Environmental Leadership Policy. *Request for Bid and Consultant contracts shall include a record keeping and reporting requirement to capture this policy. June 2010 Page 4

5 Attachment A Enhanced Erosion Control Requirement At a minimum and regardless if the project is grandfathered for a specific water quality ordinance, the standard comment for all projects is as follows: Enhanced erosion control measures are to be installed for the proposed project as described below: 1. Surface water draw down devices (risers or skimmers) shall be installed in all sediment basins. Forebays shall be used in conjunction with all sediment basins. Rock forebay embankments may be used in lieu of porous baffles. 2. Polyacrylamides (PAM) shall be used to reduce turbidity and suspended solids whenever a sediment trap, basin, pit, hole or building foundation is being pumped out to remove sediment laden water. PAM is not required when any of the above is being pumped to an approved sediment basin on site. This activity must be inspected and approved by the City of Charlotte/Mecklenburg County erosion control inspector. 3. Double silt fence shall be used along wetlands, streams, lakes or other surface water bodies as well as adjacent to all S.W.I.M. or other Water Quality Buffers. High hazard silt fence with wire backing and washed stone will be installed as determined necessary by the City/County Engineer or field inspector. 4. The amount of uncovered area at any one time shall be limited to no more than 20 acres, unless approved by the County/ City Engineer. 5. A 10-foot undisturbed buffer shall be provided around the outside edge of drainage features such as intermittent and perennial streams, ponds and wetlands. Incidental drainage improvements or repairs will be permitted within the buffer as approved by city/county staff. 6. Installation of temporary ground cover or seeding must be performed within five (5) working days or slope drains installed after fill slopes are brought up in height. 7. Permanent terraces shall be installed on 2:1 or steeper slopes over 19 feet in height to reduce runoff velocity coming down the slopes. Unless an alternate design is approved by the County/ City Engineer. June 2010 Page 5