If the building has a health/fitness club and is not free to all tenants - does this credit apply?
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CI-2009 SSc3.2: Alternative Transportation—Bicycle Storage and Changing Rooms
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Health club membership
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FAQs about SSc3.2:
Does LEED have any requirements on spacing or the type of bike racks used? What about security?
Are there specific requirements for the changing rooms, such as size?
Do bike racks have to be within the LEED project boundary?
Is a general storage room that is accessible to residents acceptable for covered bike storage?
Do I round up or down? What if the calculations show that I need 0.5 showers?
David Posada
Integrated Design & LEED SpecialistSERA Architects
LEEDuser Expert
1979 thumbs up
October 18, 2011 - 5:25 pm
Yes, we've seen this credit approved for projects approved where access to showers required a monthly fee. Access to sufficient bike racks, however, needs to be free.
Sheela I
97 thumbs up
October 18, 2011 - 5:33 pm
Thanks David. If the tenant is not willing to pay the monthly fee - I guess we cannot opt. for this credit - correct?
David Posada
Integrated Design & LEED SpecialistSERA Architects
LEEDuser Expert
1979 thumbs up
October 27, 2011 - 8:36 pm
If I understand your question correctly, the tenant of an office building (an Accounting firm, for example) is not expected to buy health club memberships for any and all of their employees who might want to use the health club for showering. If an individual employee of the accounting firm wants to use a shower, and there is one available in the health club for a reasonable fee, even if the employee has to pay it, I think the requirements have been met. In one example we've seen, individual building users had the option of paying a $40 monthly fee for use of a shower and locker.
Since I've not seen any official interpretation of your situation, I'm only guessing that If the only way for an employee to have access to a shower is to buy a full health club membership, with unlimited access to all equipment and facilities, that might not meet the intent of the credit. If bike commuters have the choice of a discounted, limited membership that at least allows them to shower, that seems more in keeping with the credit intent. A CIR is probably necessary to find out for sure.
Sheela I
97 thumbs up
October 28, 2011 - 9:49 am
Hi David, thank you very much for the response!!
Yes - The client that is pursuing for LEED is one of the Tenant's in the Building.
As of now our project meets one of the two credit requirements of the credit - i.e. Free bike racks are provided for the commuters.
For the second requirement - The client is not willing to buy the club membership for all of their employees inorder to access the showers at this time. Incase they do have employees that are willing to pay for the showers and use them, how do we document that requirement?
David Posada
Integrated Design & LEED SpecialistSERA Architects
LEEDuser Expert
1979 thumbs up
October 28, 2011 - 12:16 pm
To document the shower access you'd want to show a floor plan that indicates the location and number of showers and include a narrative in the credit form describing membership options that employees would have. Perhaps the tenant can negotiate an agreement with the health club for limited shower-access-only membership for their bike commuters. You may want to provide a copy of any membership forms or other agreements.
Sheela I
97 thumbs up
October 28, 2011 - 12:47 pm
Thank You very much for the quick response! Appreciate it!