This point is for us, very straightforward:
Select a lot that is within 1/2 mile of existing water service lines and sewer service lines.
The intent for this point is that locating in places that already have utilities and roads reduces both the environmental impact and the economic cost of extending infrastructure. As with the previous section on Preferred Locations, since we are located on a previously developed site, we get the one point offered here.
Since we continue to rack up the points from our ONE choice of location, it is interesting that there is no requirement about what happened to any structure that happened to be on the site before we built our house. In our case, we tore down an old house that had a very moldy basement, did not take advantage of the views of the lake across the street, and did not really suit our needs. So, after much angst over the waste that would be created by tearing something down, we bit the bullet and decided to start over.
We used Deconstruction Services, which pulls out every possible piece of usable wood, cabinet, fixture, and appliance; they then resell those items. We then used a demolition company that separates and recycles every different part of the construction waste — from windows and glass to concrete and asphalt. That did make me feel a little better. But it was still not the greenest thing to do.
In any case, LEED for Homes neither rewards or punishes for tearing down an old home or for how we tore down an old home. Indeed, we get rewarded for all the benefits in choosing a location that is not an empty lot — for they are very rare in a city. But I would say this may be one weakness in the LEED Rating System.
Location & Linkages points so far: 6
Cumulative points: 10
Additional points needed to get to Gold: 78