What Is a Sustainable Site Plan?

"A sustainable site plan has the least environmental impact while still meeting the client's project goals." • It's not sustainable if it only parks half the cars that
the project needs and costs twice as much as the budgeted amount. Just like any other design, sustainable design must fit within the typical project parameters
and must also consider the environmental impacts.

Site Selection

Site selection can significantly effect the environmental impact of a project. Some specific parameters to consider when selecting a site include the following: •
Avoid flood plains. • Continued development in natural flood plain areas has contributed to increased flooding, decreased flooding, and increased soil loss. •
Provide buffers for bodies of water. • Development around bodies of water such as streams and wetlands should be limited and include buffers of undisturbed
areas of 50' – 100' or more. Site selection can significantly effect the environmental impact of a project. Some specific parameters to consider when selecting a
site include the following: • Avoid Greenfields. • Grey fields and brown fields are often less expensive to develop, place less stress on infrastructure, and limit the
environmental impact of developing previously undeveloped sites. • Keep transportation in mind. • The transportation of people and goods to a site can have
significant effects. Try to select sites accessible by public and non-motorized transportation

Site/Building Layout

• The simple act of properly orienting a building can create energy savings of up to 25%. As little as an eight-degree rotation can have an impact. Consider the
following when placing and orienting buildings. • Elongate the plan on the east/west axis. • Maximize north and south exposures for day lighting. • Minimize
east- and west-facing windows.

Site/Building Layout

• Orient the most populated areas to the north and south. • The above items are good general guidelines but keep in mind that extreme climates may warrant
different practices. • For instance, in extremely cold climates, limiting the number of windows on the north side may create energy savings that outweigh the
benefits of the day lighting that they provide

Impervious Surfaces

Increasing the imperviousness of a site can have a tremendous effect on the water cycle. • Impervious surfaces limit groundwater recharge, increase pollutant
loads and runoff, and create a heat island effect. • It is important to limit the impervious areas on site to a minimum. • Doing so often improves the aesthetic
appeal of a site, reduces the environmental impact and saves money.

Impervious Surfaces

• Below are some ways to reduce site imperviousness. Minimize parking areas by adhering to the minimum zoning code or less, incorporating compact car
spaces when possible, and reducing lane sizes. • Provide plantings in and around parking areas. • Implement green roofs. • Implement pervious paving options
such as pervious pavement/asphalt, pervious concrete, permeable pavers, and "grass pave" systems.

Grading Considerations

The environmental impacts of mass grading a development or building site are often overlooked. • Site grading destroys the natural ecosystem present within
the soil. • This ecosystem breaks down pollutants, provides nutrients for biota, supports insect and animal life, and has numerous other benefits. • It takes many
years for the soil to recover from mass grading; in some cases it never does. • Soil erosion, which can be a temporary or permanent effect of grading, pollutes
waterways and washes valuable soil off-site.• Whenever possible we should try to limit grading operations as in the distances given below. • Less than 10'
beyond surface walkways, patios, surface parking, and utilities. • Less than 40' beyond the building perimeter. • Less than 15' beyond primary roadway curbs. •
Less than 25' beyond constructed areas with permeable surfaces (such as pervious paving, storm water detention areas, and playing fields).

Storm water Management

• Storm water runoff is one of the most significant environmental impacts of a developed site, but it also provides one of the greatest opportunities for
sustainable design. • All of the items listed above help to limit the amount and speed of storm water leaving the property and also contribute to improving the
water quality. • However, developing a site can significantly alter the hydrologic cycle for the property and surrounding area. • Steps can and should be taken to
maintain the pre-development hydrology or even to improve it. • Many municipal regulations require that the post-development runoff rate does not exceed
the pre-development rate but do not address runoff quantity.• These regulations are largely flood control-based and do not address groundwater recharge and
the hydrologic cycle. • The low-impact development (LID) techniques shown below can be used to mimic the predevelopment hydrology. • Rain gardens/Bio-
retention: 6" – 12" deep, 8% – 10% of the site area, less than 1/2 acre drainage area, up to 2 acres possible, landscape islands, and 4' – 10' between parking rows
and 8' – 10' for double-loaded rows. • Wetlands: 6" – 12" deep, large drainage areas (often less than 25 acres), minimum of 6” – 18” permanent pool depth,
excellent water quality control and wildlife habitats.• Grass Swales/Infiltration Trenches: up to 5 acres of drainage areas, 1% – 4% slopes, low-maintenance and
improved storm water quality. • Green Roofs: well suited for urban and ultra urban areas, intensive and extensive types, less than a 20% roof slope, improved
storm water quality and interception and storage of rainfall (up to 50%).

Landscape Design

• Landscape design is often ignored in the initial planning stages and is tacked on at the end of the project. • This practice is unfortunate and discounts the many
benefits that proper landscape design can have, beyond aesthetics. • On the other hand, improper landscape design can have significant negative effects such as
excessive use of potable water for landscaping and erosion. Below is a list of items to consider during the site planning phase and throughout the design process.
• Limit potable water use to native species, place landscape areas to receive runoff, and use captured rainwater. • Shade large hard capes. • Shade buildings in
summer and allow sunlight in during winter. • Place and design landscape areas to filter and clean storm water. • Site rain gardens in parking areas. • Dig
bioretention, rather than retention, ponds.