Hi, I have a question about the requirement, if for example, all the land of my project has already been touched by construction activity, then is my project no longer qualified to claim this credit? Even though I have a designated greenfield area which will be one after the construction is finished and will be protect the designated 40% of said greenfield area?
Thanks a bunch, sorry if my question is a bit confusing.
Victoria Rios Esteve
3 thumbs up
February 7, 2020 - 1:38 pm
Hi, I am having a similar issue. Could you resolve it?
emily reese moody
Sustainability Director, Certifications & ComplianceJacobs
LEEDuser Expert
474 thumbs up
May 21, 2021 - 12:40 am
Hi, I think I understand the question.
My teams often get confused by the term "greenfield."
At the end of the credit language in the Ref Guide, LEED defines this:
greenfield - that has not been graded, compacted, cleared, or disturbed and that supports (or could support) open
space, habitat, or natural hydrology.
So, if your site has been altered in any way, for any project (even if it was not yours), it is considered "previously developed", which LEED defines as:
areas that have been graded, compacted, cleared, previously developed, or disturbed in any
way. These are areas that do not qualify as 'greenfield.'
That does not mean your project is ineligible, it just means to be careful which instructions you follow. If your entire site is considered previously developed (as mine have always been), then meet the applicable criteria for that type, by either restoring/protecting at least 30% of the site (and meet the other requirements for soil and such), or switch to the Nov 2020 v4.1 (or after) and meet the 15% requirement with the updated plant types and soil requirements there (which are generally easier for my projects).