Rating System

LEED BD+C: New Construction

Rating System Version

v2 - LEED 2.0

Inquiry

We are developing a 4 story, 73,000 ft2 government office building for Harford County Public Schools (HCPS)administrative headquarters in the city of Bel Air, Maryland on a .77 acre project site. The city of Bel Air is located in Harford County, north of Baltimore County along the route 95 corridor between Baltimore and Philadelphia. Bel Air is the most densely populated city in Harford County and is the county seat. The new building is located in the heart of the central business district and has many neighboring buildings that meet the required density levels, but parking garages, surface parking lots and a historical residential section also surrounds it. Because of these factors, it does not meet minimum development density requirements of 60,000 ft2, however the selection of this location was based on the intent of this credit, and we believe all aspects of intent have been met for the following reasons: 1. Bel Air is the most densely populated city in Harford County. The school system building obviously needs to be in the county it serves and this is the most appropriate location for the building. 2. It is in the central business district of Bel Air, MD as well as the county seat and within short walking distance of other county agencies. 3. It is replacing a parking lot, which significantly adds to the urban density of the area and will reduce the stormwater and light pollution impact of the existing site. 4. HCPS had two possible locations to consider from available county property. Site plans were developed for both locations, and the owners made their final site decision based on environmental concerns. a. Box Hill Drive, a wooded greenfield site, with no utility infrastructure and a large parking requirement due to its more remote location. b. The second was the urban site that was ultimately chosen. It was chosen for all of the reasons that this credit is intended to serve (channel development to urban areas with existing infrastructures, protecting greenfields and preserving habitat and natural resources), and offered the opportunity to make use of existing structured parking. 5. The site is an urban area with existing infrastructure already in place and the location is within a short distance of workforce, supporting commerce and other county agencies. We propose that the project is awarded the credit for meeting the intent and request a ruling to indicate that intention. Additional supporting documentation and photographs can be provided if required.