Standard Arlington Green Building Site Plan Conditions
Standard site plan conditions include the following. Each project will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis:
1. LEED® Accredited Professional. The program requires that all site plan projects have a LEED Accredited Professional on the development and construction team.
2. LEED Certification. All site plan applications in Arlington County must include the LEED scorecard with an explanation of all the LEED prerequisites each LEED credit, describing how they intend to achieve the credit, or why they are unable to incorporate the component into the project. Site plan applications must also include a preliminary energy model identifying the energy saving strategies and targeted level of energy savings. This allows the County to measure a project’s overall performance and to collect data on the environmental status of all site plan buildings in the County. During project negotiation, a LEED Certification level and ENERGY STAR commitment is identified and formalized in a site plan condition.
3. LEED Reporting. The site plan condition requires that reports be submitted with specific building permit applications. These reports track the progress of LEED and energy prerequisites and components throughout the demolition and construction process. Permits will not be issued if LEED reports are incomplete. Please see the LEED Submission Requirements for Site Plans on the AIRE website for more detail.
4. Site Visits. Arlington staff will periodically request site visits to verify LEED progress and sustainable building components.
5. Financial Security. Because some green building components are not complete until a building is operational, a financial security is posted in a form acceptable to the County prior to the Certificate of Occupancy of the last floor of space. This allows the developer to fully occupy the building while waiting for final LEED or ENERGY STAR certification.
6. Energy Reporting. All bonus density projects are required to report complete energy and water utility data to the County after occupancy each year for 10 years. Information on how to share utility data with the County through the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager program is available on the AIRE website.
7. Standard Site Plan Language. The county’s standard site plan language covering green building and LEED issues can be found under condition 18 in this document. Modifications will be made on a case-by-case basis depending on project type.
8. ENERGY STAR Certification. To ensure ongoing energy performance, some participating developments include a commitment to earn ENERGY STAR certification within four years of occupancy.