Orange County NC Website
84 <br /> 9. Can the developer be required to develop as Low Impact Design (LID) and/or LEED <br /> Certified? <br /> Staff Response: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), is a private building <br /> certification program for "green" or environmentally sensitive buildings. There are <br /> numerous levels and ratings within this certification program that recognize best-in-class <br /> building strategies for homes and various types of non-residential construction. While it is <br /> possible for the applicant and/or subsequent builders to pursue LEED certifications, it is not <br /> a required element of the subdivision process. <br /> Low-impact development (LID) is a term used in Canada and the United States to describe a <br /> land planning and engineering design approach to manage stormwater runoff as part of <br /> "green" infrastructure. LID emphasizes conservation and use of on-site natural features to <br /> protect water quality. <br /> In Orange County, LID is also a classification or category for stormwater permitting. It <br /> determines the permit cost and many of the water quality requirements for stormwater <br /> treatment. With this request the amount of land disturbance for the roads and initial <br /> clearing would prohibit this stormwater classification. However, the applicant can utilize <br /> basic LID principles as part of the subdivision's lot and overall subdivision design. <br /> Applicant Response: Regarding the LEED program and its applicability to site development, <br /> there are basic items that fall within the recommended guidelines that this project will <br /> provide. These include preservation of open space areas and buffers, rainwater/stormwater <br /> management and minimizing the amount of impervious surface areas. For the construction <br /> of the houses themselves, application of any LEED design or construction methods will be <br /> up to the contractor and the individual home buyers. <br /> Regarding the LID principles related to stormwater design, while the project does not meet <br /> the Stormwater LID classification within the parameters of the LIDO, the design of the <br /> proposed stormwater management system utilizes these principles. The proposed <br /> stormwater management control measures are derived from the LID principles and are also <br /> required to be used in some form or another as set forth in the NCDEQ Stormwater BMP <br /> Manual. The project will use a combination of grass swales, level spreaders, bioretention <br /> basins and/or constructed wetlands. <br /> 10. Can the developer be required to provide affordable housing? <br /> Staff Response: This request is for a major subdivision, which does not allow or require <br /> price controls to ensure affordable housing. <br /> Applicant Response: The current Orange County UDO does not include provisions to <br /> address an affordable housing component for a major subdivision. As such the pricing of the <br /> houses to be built within this development will be controlled by the current real estate <br /> market within this geographical area. Also, since there are only 20 lots proposed within this <br /> subdivision, it does not lend itself to provide for a mix of price ranges for affordable <br /> 5 <br />