The reviewer comments are mentioning that it is unclear that the discount will be available to all ocupants of the buildings, however according to the LEED reference guide this alternative complianche path is to provide the discount to BUILDING CUSTOMERS.
On a tipical operation on an office building the right to use parking facilities is included on the monthly bill. This bill never specifies what percentage belongs for a particular user/worker for his/her parking space so it is not clear how a discount can be granted.
We will provide documentation stating that ALL BUILDING VISITORS will be granted a discount if they arrive to Torre Norte using a low emission/fuel efficient vehicles.
However for FTE for the office space, since these are people who will work there and do not pay a fee for the daily use of parking (it is already included on the monthly bill that the company they work for will pay for renting).
The developer will do what is required to comply with credit requirements, however please advise how to make extensible this discount to FTE of office building, or if it is sufficient to make the discount available only to BUILDING VISITORS.
Ellen Mitchell
331 thumbs up
November 3, 2014 - 12:46 pm
Michael,
I'm afraid that your strategy to only provide the discounted rate to visitors is not going to comply with this credit, which is intended to incentivize both visitors and employees to reduce pollution and development impacts associated with automobile use. In a situation where the tenants' parking is baked into the overall lease fee, I agree that the discounted parking does not make a lot of sense. Could you consider the reduced fee for visitors and then preferred parking spaces for employees?
Michael E. Edmonds-Bauer
Edmonds International38 thumbs up
November 3, 2014 - 1:30 pm
We do agree that it does not make any sense. Also I remember I read somewhere that someone can not apply for half a strategy and half a different one so I believe offering discount for visitors and preferred parking for employees would not comply with credit requierements.
Either way if we offer preferred parking for employees credit requirements would be covered but the client decided not to go for that option since availability of LE/FE vehicles is low in Mexico and it complicates parking management leaving a lot of parking spaced unused and with a problem with lacking of available spaces for regular cars.
We email the same question to GBCI, hope this can have a better solution.
Ellen Mitchell
331 thumbs up
November 3, 2014 - 2:50 pm
I have successfully used the combined approach but in my situation, the visitor parking was completely separated from the employee parking - if all of the parking is unassigned, it might not be as straightforward of an approach. An email to GBCI is a good idea.
Have you looked at the ACEEE spreadsheet that defines LEFEV? My clients are always surprised how many cars actually qualify - most compact and subcompact cars will count. The issue with leaving a lot of parking unused is a problem I have heard many clients express as well, but unfortunately there is no way around it if you want to attempt this credit via the preferred parking option.
Michael E. Edmonds-Bauer
Edmonds International38 thumbs up
November 4, 2014 - 12:40 pm
Hey Ellen!!
Thanks for your help. Where could I find that ACEEE spreadsheet?
Ellen Mitchell
331 thumbs up
November 4, 2014 - 2:01 pm
There is a link under NC SSc4.3 in the most recent Comments posting (dated October 20, 2014).