1. Street Width

a. What is the minimum pavement width allowed for streets in low density residential developments that have less than 500 average daily trips (ADT)?

If the answer is between 18-22 feet, award 4 points

b. At higher densities are parking lanes allowed to also serve as traffic lanes (i.e., queuing streets)?

If the answer is YES, award 3 points

2. Street Length

a. Do street standards promote the most efficient street layouts that reduce overall street length?

If the answer is YES, award 1 point

3. Right-of-Way Width

a. What is the minimum right-of-way (ROW) width for a residential street?

If the answer is less than 45 feet, award 3 points

b. Does the code allow utilities to be placed under the paved section of the ROW?

If the answer is YES, award 1 point

4. Cul-de-Sacs

a. What is the minimum radius allowed for cul-de-sacs?

If the answer is less than 35 feet, award 3 points

If the answer is 36 feet to 45 feet, award 1 point

b. Can a landscaped island be created within the cul-de-sac?

If the answer is YES, award 1 point

c. Are alternative turn arounds such as "hammerheads" allowed on short streets in low density residential developments?

If the answer is YES, award 1 point

5. Vegetated Open Channels

a. Are curb and gutters required for most residential street sections?

If the answer is NO, award 2 points

b. Are there established design criteria for swales that can provide stormwater quality treatment (i.e., dry swales, biofilters, or grass swales)?

If the answer is YES, award 2 points

6. Parking Ratios

a. What is the minimum parking ratio for a professional office building (per 1000 ft² of gross floor area)?

If the answer is less than 3.0 spaces, award 1 point

b. What is the minimum required parking ratio for shopping centers (per 1,000 ft² gross floor area)?

If the answer is 4.5 spaces or less, award 1 point

c. What is the minimum required parking ratio for single family homes (per home)?

If the answer is less than or equal to 2.0 spaces, award 1 point

d. Are the parking requirements set as maximum or median (rather than minimum) requirements?

If the answer is YES, award 2 points

7. Parking Codes

a. Is the use of shared parking arrangements promoted?

If the answer is YES, award 1 point

b. Are model shared parking agreements provided?

If the answer is YES, award 1 point

c. Are parking ratios reduced if shared parking arrangements are in place?

If the answer is YES, award 1 point

d. If mass transit is provided nearby, is the parking ratio reduced?

If the answer is YES, award 1 point

8. Parking Lots

a. What is the minimum stall width for a standard parking space?

If the answer is 9 feet or less, award 1 point

b. What is the minimum stall length for a standard parking space?

If the answer is 18 feet or less, award 1 point

c. Are at least 30% of the spaces at larger commercial parking lots required to have smaller dimensions for compact cars?

If the answer is YES, award 1 point

d. Can pervious materials be used for spillover parking areas?

If the answer is YES, award 2 points

9. Structured Parking

a. Are there any incentives to developers to provide parking within garages rather than surface parking lots?

If the answer is YES, award 1 point

10. Parking Lot Runoff

a. Is a minimum percentage of a parking lot required to be landscaped?

If the answer is YES, award 2 points

b. Is the use of bioretention islands and other stormwater practices within landscaped areas or setbacks allowed?

If the answer is YES, award 2 points

11. Open Space Design

a. Are open space or cluster development designs allowed in the community?

If the answer is YES, award 3 points

If the answer is NO, skip to question No. 12

b. Is land conservation or impervious cover reduction a major goal or objective of the open space design ordinance?

If the answer is YES, award 1 point

c. Are the submittal or review requirements for open space design greater than those for conventional development?

If the answer is NO, award 1 point

d. Is open space or cluster design a by-right form of development?

If the answer is YES, award 1 point

e. Are flexible site design criteria available for developers that utilize open space or cluster design options (e.g, setbacks, road widths, lot sizes)

If the answer is YES, award 2 points

12. Setbacks and Frontages

a. Are irregular lot shapes (e.g., pie-shaped, flag lots) allowed in the community?

If the answer is YES, award 1 point

b. What is the minimum requirement for front setbacks for a one half (½) acre residential lot?

If the answer is 20 feet or less, award 1 point

c. What is the minimum requirement for rear setbacks for a one half (½) acre residential lot?

If the answer is 25 feet or less, award 1 point

d. What is the minimum requirement for side setbacks for a one half (½) acre residential lot?

If the answer is 8 feet or less, award 1 points

e. What is the minimum frontage distance for a one half (½) acre residential lot?

If the answer is less than 80 feet, award 2 points

13. Sidewalks

a. What is the minimum sidewalk width allowed in the community?

If the answer is 4 feet or less, award 2 points

b. Are sidewalks always required on both sides of residential streets?

If the answer is NO, award 2 points

c. Are sidewalks generally sloped so they drain to the front yard rather than the street?

If the answer is YES, award 1 point

d. Can alternate pedestrian networks be substituted for sidewalks (e.g., trails through common areas)?

If the answer is YES, award 1 point

14. Driveways

a. What is the minimum driveway width specified in the community?

If the answer is 9 feet or less (one lane) or 18 feet (two lanes), award 2 points

b. Can pervious materials be used for single family home driveways (e.g., grass, gravel, porous pavers, etc)?

If the answer is YES, award 2 points

c. Can a "two track" design be used at single family driveways?

If the answer is YES, award 1 point

d. Are shared driveways permitted in residential developments?

If the answer is YES, award 1 point

15. Open Space Management

a. Does the community have enforceable requirements to establish associations that can effectively manage open space?

If the answer is YES, award 2 points

b. Are open space areas required to be consolidated into larger units?

If the answer is YES, award 1 point

c. Does a minimum percentage of open space have to be managed in a natural condition?

If the answer is YES, award 1 point

d. Are allowable and unallowable uses for open space in residential developments defined?

If the answer is YES, award 1 point

e. Can open space be managed by a third party using land trusts or conservation easements?

If the answer is YES, award 1 point

16. Rooftop Runoff

a. Can rooftop runoff be discharged to yard areas?

If the answer is YES, award 2 points

b. Do current grading or drainage requirements allow for temporary ponding of stormwater on front yards or rooftops?

If the answer is YES, award 2 points

17. Buffer Systems

a. Is there a stream buffer ordinance in the community?

If the answer is YES, award 2 points

b. If so, what is the minimum buffer width?

If the answer is 75 feet or more, award 1 point

c. Is expansion of the buffer to include freshwater wetlands, steep slopes or the 100-year floodplain required?

If the answer is YES, award 1 point

18. Buffer Maintenance

a. Does the stream buffer ordinance specify that at least part of the stream buffer be maintained with native vegetation?

If the answer is YES, award 2 points

b. Does the stream buffer ordinance outline allowable uses?

If the answer is YES, award 1 point

c. Does the ordinance specify enforcement and education mechanisms?

If the answer is YES, award 1 point

19. Clearing and Grading

a. Is there any ordinance that requires or encourages the preservation of natural vegetation at residential development sites?

If the answer is YES, award 2 points

b. Do reserve septic field areas need to be cleared of trees at the time of development?

If the answer is NO, award 1 point

20. Tree Conservation

a. If forests or specimen trees are present at residential development sites, does some of the stand have to be preserved?

If the answer is YES, award 2 points

b. Are the limits of disturbance shown on construction plans adequate for preventing clearing of natural vegetative cover during construction?

If the answer is YES, award 1 point

21. Land Conservation Incentives

a. Are there any incentives to developers or landowners to conserve non-regulated land (open space design, density bonuses, stormwater credits or lower property tax rates)?

If the answer is YES, award 2 points

b. Is flexibility to meet regulatory or conservation restrictions (density compensation, buffer averaging, transferable development rights, off-site mitigation) offered to developers?

If the answer is YES, award 2 points

22. Stormwater Outfalls

a. Is stormwater required to be treated for quality before it is discharged?

If the answer is YES, award 2 points

b. Are there effective design criteria for stormwater best management practices (BMPs)?

If the answer is YES, award 1 point

c. Can stormwater be directly discharged into a jurisdictional wetland without pretreatment?

If the answer is NO, award 1 point

d. Does a floodplain management ordinance that restricts or prohibits development within the 100 year floodplain exist?

If the answer is YES, award 2 points

TOTAL