Look around the internet and you are sure to find one of these:
The design team of a 28,000 sq. ft. public school hope to achieve SS Credit 6.2, Stormwater Design: Quality Control, in the LEED-NC Rating System. Incorporating which of the following green building elements into the design would aid the team in achieving this credit? (Choose three)
A. constructed wetland
B. solar hot water system
C. vegetated roof
D. infiltration basin
E. high-albedo concrete
The correct answers are A, C, and D. (Thanks www.intheleeed.com for the sample.) Well, if you look around Nashville, you are sure to find a real life LEED AP exam question brewing on some property known as Bells Bend. It’s called the May Town Center … and the development has both supporters and critics. If you think I’m kidding about the exam question, watch this clip and listen for words like “sustainable site” “light reduction” and “green-washing”:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=nRl_k_32OPI%26hl%3Den%26fs%3D1%26rel%3D0%26color1%3D0x006699%26color2%3D0x54abd6%26border%3D1
Following hours of heated open hearings, the Planning Commission voted last week against the proposed land use plan for the development. According to the Nashville Business Journal,
The Metro Nashville City Council has final say on zoning changes and will take up the issue in a public hearing on July 7. However, with a negative recommendation from the planning commission, the zoning measure will need 27 votes from the council, rather than the 21 usually required. . . .The planning staff had recommended approval of a zoning request to allow the development, but that was contingent on the land use plan amendment. The commission then voted down the proposed zoning changes.
There are many of us in Nashville closely watching the May Town Center development and I look forward to reviewing some of the LEED-related issues on the project, as well as reporting back after the July hearings.