Rating System

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

Rating System Version

v3 - LEED 2009, v2 - Schools 2007, v2 - LEED 2.2, v2 - LEED 2.0

Inquiry

Our project is a renovation of an existing residential student complex in the center of the Clemson University campus. The site is within a 5 minute walk to the academic core areas of campus and to downtown Clemson. The project will house 442 students and resident staff. Campus parking policy requires resident students park their cars in a perimeter campus lot approximately 1/2 mile from our project site. Thus residents use their cars selectively. In order to create a more pedestrian friendly quadrangle, the proposed design will eliminate all existing on-site parking (11 spaces) and provide only 3 new metered spaces, and 10 scooter spaces adjacent to the buildings. Our question is regarding the carpool/vanpool requirement for 5% of the building occupants. The LEED Application Guide for Lodging states "In some cases, lodging facilities are located in close vicinity to the workplace and carpools and vanpools are not necessary. Such a strategy would likely comply with the intent of the credit." We would like to confirm that our project meets the requirements of this statement and would therefore receive credit for this item without providing carpool/vanpool parking. Also, what documentation is required? We should also point out that in order to provide carpool spaces for 5% of the occupants (12 spaces), we would be increasing the amount of parking over the existing. We believe that providing the 12 carpool spaces on-site would likely encourage the use of cars, as students will park in these spaces short-term, and risk getting a ticket.