If the design team does not know all of the answers, someone involved in planning or environmental work in the local municipality may be the most helpful person to talk to. Seek out specialized municipal agencies for help on specific issues.
Finding existing information (rather than undertaking new studies) makes for the easiest documentation. The challenge is finding the information easily.
Check with the civil engineer, who may already know if your project meets the requirements. If the civil engineer can provide only a few of the answers, also consult the landscape architect and architect, who may have already done some of this research.
Determine whether any part of the project development (buildings, hardscape, roads or parking areas) may impact sensitive portions of the site.
If you develop in an urban or infill area on previously developed land, you will already have access to public utilities and may be near public transit. This can help your budget and offer a valuable amenity to building occupants.
Locating your project site outside of a flood plain can lower your property insurance rates.
Typically, this is a no-cost credit, except for the research time needed to verify compliance, which will vary depending on the project.
For purposes of this credit, “previously developed” indicates a site on which at least a portion has been altered by human activity.
Previously developed sites typically comply with the requirements of this credit and are exempt from meeting the requirements of flood-plain and water-body setback requirements.
According to the credit criteria, you must avoid sensitive areas such as: