Rating System

LEED BD+C: New Construction, LEED BD+C: New Construction, LEED BD+C: Schools, LEED BD+C: Schools, LEED BD+C: Core and Shell

Rating System Version

v2 - LEED 2.2, v3 - LEED 2009, v2 - Schools 2007, v3 - LEED 2009, v3 - LEED 2009

Inquiry

Our project is one of three LEED-NC buildings under development at a community college campus in Northern California. The campus consists of 147 acres --- although only 47 acres have been developed to date, with the remaining land currently undeveloped. The campus master plan calls for development of approximately 20 additional acres for new buildings, parking, and athletic fields --- with the remaining approximately 80 acres of campus land to remain undeveloped. The entire campus site has been identified as a habitat for three endangered or threatened species: the California tiger salamander, the California red-legged frog, and the San Joaquin kit fox. For this reason, our project and other LEED projects at the college do not qualify for and will not be pursuing SS Credit 1, Site Selection. The College has proposed to mitigate the impact of its development on sensitive habitat areas by acquiring a 400 acre area immediately adjacent to the campus, which is currently undeveloped, but which is owned by private party holding development rights to the land. The College will place a conservation easement on 208 acres immediately upon purchase. The College intends to allow other entities to utilize the remaining acreage for habitat mitigation and is in conversation with potential partners for this endeavor. The proposed 400 acre land acquisition is in addition to approximately 80 acres of undeveloped campus land that will remain undeveloped in the long term master plan for the College. This will ultimately result in the college protecting and reserving approximately 480 acres of undeveloped habitat area within its control --- over 6 times the developed area of the campus. We feel this commitment by the College meets the Intent of Credit 5.1: Site Development: Protect or Restore Habitat to "Conserve existing natural areas and restore damaged areas to provide habitat and promote biodiversity." The conserved, undeveloped, natural area would be adjacent to the campus as a whole, however, it would not be within the site boundaries and limit-of-work for our LEED project. Would this strategy satisfy the Intent and therefore earn credit under SSc5.1?