Rating System

LEED BD+C: New Construction

Rating System Version

v2 - LEED 2.2

Inquiry

This project is a new Imaging Center that will provide a full range of diagnostic imaging services for patients and physicians. The focus of the facility is to provide a service to patients first and foremost while also implementing green standards and practices. The intent of the facility is to achieve LEED Certification-Silver Rating. We will pursue SS c4.3 via option #2, by providing reserved low-emitting and fuel efficient parking for 5% of the total FTE (staff, patients and visitors based on a maximum occupied shift) of the new building. The preferred parking for low-emitting and fuel efficient vehicles will be located in the North Parking lot intermixed with the employee parking. "Preferred Parking" as defined by USGBC, is "parking spots that are closest to the main entrance of the project, exclusive of spaces designated for handicapped, or to parking passes provided at a discount." In this healthcare facility there are no parking passes provided at a discount, however, we would like to argue that patient preferred parking be excluded as well from the "preferred parking" definition. Because the main function of the Imaging Center is to provide service to its patients the facility needs to be sensitive to the patient that does not have the means to be able to afford to drive a new hybrid or other fuel efficient car. We feel the preferred parking location for the low-emitting and fuel efficient vehicles will still meet the intent of the credit and that is "to reduce pollution and land development impacts from automobile use." The parking spots are still very close to a main entrance (within 100 feet) and are well within a 1/4" mile, which is a threshold established in rulings of previous CIRs. We feel that this will be acceptable based on two previous CIR responses (dated 7/31/08 & 2/2/07).