FUTURE POTENTIAL OF LOT

Overview
Sustainable buildings start with proper site selection. The location of a
building affects a wide range of environmental factorsas well as other factors such
as security, accessibility, and energy consumption, as well as the energy consumed
by transportation needs of occupants for commuting, the impact on local
ecosystems, and the use/reuse of existing structures and infrastructures. Therefore,
it is important to address site selection early in the project development process to
ensure issues like solar access and proximity to public transportation are
considered. Equally important is that the person selecting the project site
understands sustainable site design, the ecoregion in which the project is located,
and the impact it has on sustainable design and the building's overall energy
performance. If possible, locate buildings in areas of existing development where
infrastructure already exists and consider conserving resources by renovating
existing buildings including historic properties. It is imperative that building owners
and developers maximize the restorative impact of site design and building
infrastructure while meeting the project's other requirements.
Sustainable site planning should consist of a whole system approach that seeks to:

1. Minimize Development of Open Space

Retrofit an existing building. When planning to reuse an existing building,

there are things to consider like relocating personnel for major renovations,
which may include stripping out all interior finishes and insulation, doing
energy audits, and replacing lights, HVAC and windows.

Use disturbed land or brownfield sites.

Naval
Facilities
Engineering
Command
Headquarters, Bldg. 33: Formerly a gun turret
plant at the Navy Yard in Washington, DC, this
facility was renovated into a 4-story office
building featuring energy efficient envelope,
lighting, and HVAC systems as well as
environmentally preferable materials.

2. Control Erosion Through Improved Landscaping Practices

Use vegetation, grading, and stabilization techniques to prevent erosion.

Capture storm water runoff on site; design for storm water retention features
on site such as underground cisterns and pervious pavement.

Use vegetated swales and depressions to reduce runoff.

3. Reduce, Control, and Treat Surface Runoff

Use low impact development principles.

o

Use rainwater cisterns, vegetated swales and depressions, constructed

wetlands and other onsite storm water storage to reduce runoff.

Understand the site boundaries for LID extend beyond the building
construction site and may include the entire campus or installation, a
watershed, or the planned construction site for a future building or
cluster of buildings.

Reduce the amount of impervious site area.

Filter surface runoff.

Use pervious paving materials.

Use Integrated Pest Management to reduce water pollution from pesticides.

Consider incorporating green roofs into the project where feasible.

Plan for storm water events in the overall management of surface water
runoff.

Follow EPA's Green Infrastructure policy for managing stormwater.

4. Consider Energy Implications in Site Selection and Building Orientation

Orient buildings to.be able to integrate passive and active solar strategies. If
renovating/retrofitting an existing structure (i.e. when employing passive
solar strategies is not possible), consider planting trees to shade areas of the
building that get more sunshine. Coordinate sustainable site design with site
security considerations, including Crime Prevention Through Environmental
Design (CPTED) strategies.

Take advantage of natural ventilation and prevailing wind patterns.

Maximize daylight use, while balancing higher heating and cooling demand
resulting from increased glazing.

Investigate the potential impact of future adjacent developments to the site

(e.g., solar and wind exposure, daylighting, ventilation, etc.).

Recycle existing pavement and demolition materials.

Provide bike racks, and vehicle changing stations.

5. Reduce Heat Islands Using Landscaping and Building Design Methods

Maximize the use of existing trees and other vegetation to shade walkways,
parking lots, and other open areas. Ensure that site work and landscaping are
integrated with security and safety design. Integrate landforms and
landscaping into the site planning process to enhance resource protection.

In hot, dry climates, like the southwestern states, consider covering

walkways, parking lots, and other open areas that are paved or made with
low reflectivity (i.e. dark) materials. Ensure that shading devices do not block
critical ground level sight lines for security.

Finish the facility's roof with materials that have high reflectance and high
emissivity to reduce energy loads and extend the life of the roof, particularly
in warm climates; consider incorporating green roofs or photovoltaics into the
project. Use a roofing product that meets or exceeds Energy Star standards.

Consider incorporating green roofs into the project, which bring additional
site benefits, including controlling storm water runoff and improving water
quality.
Energy Star Roof-compliant, high-reflectance, and high
emissivity roofing can lower roof surface temperature by up
to 100F, decreasing the amount of heat transferred into a
building.

There are related sustainable site benefits of green

roofs. They include:

Controlling storm water runoff

Improving water quality

Mitigating urban heat-island effects

6. Employ Environmentally Preferable Landscaping Practices

Eliminate the use of potable water by designing the landscape with droughttolerant native, or indigenous, plants.

Where watering of the landscape is necessary employ zone irrigation, drip

irrigation and rain water detectors to minimize water consumption.

Develop a Pest Control Plan, which includes information about: materials and
equipment for service; method for monitoring and detection; service
schedule for each building or site; any structural or operational changes that
would facilitate the pest control effort; and commercial pesticide applicator
certificates or licenses.

Consider composting and/or recycling yard waste.

Where necessary, use non-toxic outdoor fertilizers and pesticides.

Minimize site disturbance.

Use landscaping products with recycled content as required by EPA's

Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG) for landscaping products.

7. Minimize Habitat Disturbance

Keep land disturbance to a minimum and retain prime vegetation features to

the extent possible.

Reduce building and paving footprints.

Limit site disturbance to a minimal area around the building perimeter,

including locating buildings adjacent to existing infrastructure.

Plan construction staging areas with the environment in mind.

8. Restore the Health of Degraded Sites

Focus on restoration of degraded areas, increasing the existence of healthy

habitat for native species.

Conserve water use through xeriscaping with native plants.

9. Design for Sustainable Transportation

Site the building with public transportation access in mind and limit on-site
parking.

Site the building close to a range of services and stores (especially grocery
stores) such that building occupants can walk to conduct errands.

Use porous (pervious) alternatives to traditional paving for roads and

walkways.

Make provisions for bicycling, walking, carpool parking, and telecommuting;

and provide refueling/recharging facilities for alternative fuel/electric vehicles
(or plan for their incorporation at a later date).

Where sidewalks are not provided by the local jurisdiction, provide sidewalks
along all adjacent public ways so that no one has to walk in the street to go
to or walk by the building.

10. Balance Site Sustainability with Site Security/Safety

Consider installing retention ponds and berms to control erosion, manage

storm water, and reduce heat islands while also serving as physical barriers
to control access to a building.

Use native or climate tolerant trees to improve the quality of the site as well
as provide protection by obscuring assets and people.

Implement erosion control measures to stabilize the soil (e.g., seeding and
mulching, installing pervious paving) and/or to retain sediment after erosion
has occurred (e.g., earth dikes and sediment basins). These help to reduce
the negative impacts on water and air quality as well as mitigate potential
damage to a building's foundation and structural system due to floods,
mudslides, torrential rainstorms, and other natural hazards.

SIZE OF SURROUNDING LOTS AND APPROXIMATE

PRICE RANGES
1. What is the zoning on the property?
First and foremost, it is vitally important to understand what a property can
be used for, and what the highest and best use of the property is.

2. What is the topography of the property?

There are many, many places around the world that have very unpredictable
elevations, cliffs, mountains, valleys, ravines and more. In many cases, the
topography of the land can have a huge impact on the build-ability of a property.

3. What Is the annual tax obligation?

If you intend to hold onto a property for any length of time, beware of a super
high tax bill relative to the actual value of the property itself.

4. What public utilities are available? (water, sewer, gas, electricity,

phone, etc)
If a property doesnt have access to one or more of these staples of
reasonable living, the property (for all intents and purposes) may not be considered
build-able. If a property isnt build-able, you will lose a massive portion of the
propertys usability, marketability and value.

5. What are the required building setbacks of the property?

When you take these setbacks and regulations into account (relative to the
size of this parcel of land), is there still enough room to build something worthwhile
or does it render the property useless?

6. Does the property have any usage restrictions or

zoning requirements?
Most of the vacant land youll encounter will have SOME kind of zoning
requirements and/or usage restrictions in place.
Usage restrictions and zoning ordinances arent a bad thing they usually
make sense on some level. Theyre designed to help maintain order and support the
value of each property in the subdivision.

7. Is the property located in a flood zone?

If a property is at risk of flooding youll want to know about this before you
buy, because properties in a flood zone can be extremely expensive to insure.

8. Does the soil percolate (aka perk) or have access to a sewer?

A Perc Test (also known as Perk Test, and more formally known as a
Percolation Test), is a soil evaluation that tests the rate at which water drains
through soil. If a property doesnt have easy access to the local sewer system, a
perc test is required to determine whether a septic system (the alternative to a
sewer) can be installed on the property.

9. Is the property landlocked? If so, are there any easements or

access roads to the property?
There are thousands of properties all over the country that have no road
access. They are surrounded on all sides by other private property which
(according to some) deems the land virtually useless. In a sense, these
properties might as well be on the moon because nobody can legally access the
property.

10. What is the size and shape of the property?

There are a number of properties that are virtually useless due to their size
and shape.

11. Does the property have access to a municipal water supply? If

not, can you drill a well or have water trucked in (and if so, at what
cost)?
There are a lot of properties in the world that dont have access to a
municipal water supply (i.e. city water). This isnt necessarily a problem, but it
does mean youll have to drill a well in order to access a clean water source beneath
the surface.

12. Is there a moratorium on building?

There are some municipalities that will impose a temporary moratorium on
building from time to time. For various reasons, a town will determine that they
want to hit the pause button on all new development, which means that for the
time being, you (or anyone else) will not be able to build anything in that area.

13. What about junk, tires, rubble, gas, oil, or other contaminants
on the property?
If youre going to buy a piece of land, make sure that all youre getting is
LAND (and if anything else is coming along with the deal, make sure its something
you actually want).

14. What were the previous uses of the property?

Most states have environmental laws that pertain to commercially zoned
property (i.e. properties zoned Residential generally arent held to these
standards). If youre considering a vacant lot zoned for commercial development,
make sure youre not inheriting any environmental contamination with the property.
For the most part, properties located in an undeveloped area are generally
not going to have these problems.

15. What do the surrounding properties look like?

The properties next door can have some MAJOR implications for the value and
sale-ability of a parcel of land.

REFERENCE/S:
Future Potential of Lot: https://www.wbdg.org/design/site_potential.php

Size of Surrounding Lots and Approximate Price Range:

http://retipster.com/valueofland/