CSU Channel Islands Exterior Building Management Plan
GOALS AND SCOPE

CSU Channel Islands property maintains a comprehensive exterior and hardscape management
plan, using as a guideline, the standards developed by the US Green Building’s Council’s LEED
program. The plan incorporates best management practices which significantly reduce the use of
harmful chemicals, energy waste, water waste, air pollution, solid waste and/or chemical runoff as
compared to traditional practices. The goal of the plan is to encourage environmentally-sensitive
exterior and hardscape management practices that provide a clean, well-maintained and safe
building exterior, while supporting high performance building operations. The scope of the plan
includes the building roof, exterior façade and the building hardscape. The building’s hardscape
consists of concrete, decomposed granite, pavers and asphalt. The scope of this plan will also
include drought tolerant landscape, wildlife corridors, combating heat island effect, the Arbor Day
Foundation’s – Tree Campus USA, minimizing light pollution and stormwater management.
INTENT
To encourage environmentally sensitive building exterior and hardscape management practices that
provide a clean, well-maintained and safe building exterior while supporting high-performance building
operations.
REQUIREMENTS
Employ an environmentally sensitive, low-impact building exterior and hardscape management plan
that helps preserve surrounding ecological integrity. The plan must employ best management practices
that significantly reduce harmful chemical use, energy waste, water waste, air pollution, solid waste
and/or chemical runoff (e.g., gasoline, oil, antifreeze, salts) compared with standard practices. The plan
must address all of the following operational elements that occur on the building and grounds:

Maintenance equipment.

Cleaning of building exterior.

Paints and sealants used on building exterior.

Cleaning of sidewalks, pavement and other hardscape.

Stormwater Management

Minimizing Light Pollution

Arbor Day Foundation – Tree Campus USA

Heat Island Effect

Wildlife Corridors

Drought Tolerant Landscape
RESPONSIBLE PARTIES
Exterior building maintenance, including cleaning and painting, is under the control of the Director of
Operations. Cleaning of hardscape including sidewalks, pavement and other areas is under the
Associate Director of Facilities. Construction and finish materials selections are initially developed by
Planning, Design and Construction under the Director of PDC.
GUIDANCE FOR RESOURCES AND IMPLEMENTATION
A. Exterior Maintenance Equipment– Best management practices call for the use of maintenance
equipment with the smallest environmental impact in regards to energy use, water use, noise,
emissions and soil compaction.
The property’s exterior maintenance equipment consists of equipment owned and maintained
by the campus and equipment owned and maintained by third party service providers. The
property’s exterior and hardscape management plan is applicable to all of the building’s
equipment regardless of ownership.
Best management practices call for the replacement of maintenance equipment only at the end
of its useful life. All maintenance purchases shall consider the expected life of the new
equipment, as well as the equipment’s environmental impact in regards to energy use, water
use, noise, emissions and soil compaction.
While the property currently uses some gas and diesel powered equipment due to the size of
the hardscape and the limited range of battery-powered equipment technology, the property
will constantly reevaluate a transition to battery-powered equipment as technology makes their
use more feasible.
This ultimately includes the use of manual brooms and dustpans, and battery operated leaf
blowers. The property also utilizes electric carts for moving around the campus landscape,
hardscape, and parking areas. Currently, lawn mowers, blowers, weed eaters and chainsaws
cannot practically be powered by battery, electricity or propane for properties this size.
Therefore, in the short term, best practices call for using equipment with the highest EPA
specifications approved for gas powered equipment until such a time when other more
environmentally friendly versions are available and appropriate for a property this size.
B. Cleaning Of Building Exterior – Best management practices call for the use of chemicals,
equipment and procedures which minimize the use of harmful chemicals, energy waste, water
waste, air pollution, solid waste and/or chemical runoff.
Disposable janitorial paper products and trash bags meet the minimum requirements of one or
more of the following programs for the applicable product category:
Janitorial paper products derived from rapidly renewable resources or made from tree-free
fibers.
The exterior facade of the buildings consists of painted concrete, stucco, and glass windows,
while the buildings’ roofs are either clay tiles or a rubber membrane (on the flat roofs).
The building’s exterior windows are cleaned once/year deionized water and a scrubbing brush.
As compared to traditional practices, this practice reduces the use of harmful chemicals, air
pollution, solid waste and/or chemical runoff.
The building’s façade is inspected annually but has not required routine cleaning. As compared
to traditional practices, this practice reduces the use of harmful chemicals, energy waste, water
waste, air pollution, solid waste and/or chemical runoff.
Roofs are cleaned and inspected, on occupied buildings, twice a year. For new roofs, the campus
invests in 30year + roofing systems with recycled content which achieves a greater life cycle.
As compared to traditional practices, this practice reduces the use of harmful chemicals, energy
waste, water waste, air pollution, solid waste and/or chemical runoff.
D. Paints And Sealants Used On Building Exterior – Best management practices call for the use
of paints and sealants with the smallest environmental impact in regards to air pollution and
chemical runoff.
E. Cleaning Of Sidewalks, Pavement And Other Hardscape – Best management practices call for
the use of chemicals, equipment and procedures with minimal use of harmful chemicals, energy
waste, water waste, air pollution, solid waste and/or chemical runoff.
The building’s sidewalks, pavement and other hardscapes are power washed and occasionally
hosed down. As compared to traditional practices, this practice reduces the use of harmful
chemicals, air pollution, solid waste and/or chemical runoff.
F. Stormwater Management – CI has implemented several strategies to enhance the
percolation of storm water run-off into the groundwater aquifer while reducing the quantity of
run-off from entering our storm water drain system. Minor Capital and Capital Renewal projects,
including in-house, follow best practices for storm water runoff protection. As part of all new
construction projects, the runoff from the roofs is led to planter areas. For existing buildings, the
University has disconnected the downspouts from the storm water piping system. This allows
the run-off to flow of the existing tile roofs and percolate into the groundwater before it enters
the storm water system.
The University is converting the grounds adjacent to the buildings to planter areas so that the
hydrological retention time is increased. When the University initiates a capital construction
project, the general contractor is required to take the necessary actions to prevent all
construction-related activities from contaminating ground water runoff from entering the storm
drain system.
It is also noteworthy that on an annual basis the management team will ensure the cleaning of
storm water and SS lines. With the cleaning of the lines, there have been no negative reports
received. However, if a negative report is received management will seek to take corrective
action.
G. Minimizing Light Pollution
All outdoor lighting shall implement the following “dark sky friendly” lighting design
specifications by the International Dark-Sky Association to protect the nighttime environment
from light pollution including sky glow, glare, light trespass, light clutter, decreased visibility, and
energy waste. The lighting in the South Quad is the first phase for changing out the inefficient
fixtures with the new fixtures minimizing light pollution and using approximately 1/4 of the
energy.
H. Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Campus USA
Tree Campus USA is a national program created in 2008 to honor colleges and universities for
effective campus forest management and for engaging staff and students in conservation goals.
CI achieved the title by meeting Tree Campus USA’s five standards, which include maintaining a
tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures toward trees,
an Arbor Day observance, and student service-learning projects.
CI’s 1,200-acre campus has been carefully planned to preserve natural open space and native
vegetation. The 135-acre main campus is home to more than 2,025 trees of 110 varieties,
ranging in age from newly planted to historic. The extended campus includes a 370-acre regional
park and several acres of restored creek bed. Over the past two years, more than 800 new trees
have been planted as part of that effort.
I. Reduced Heat Island Effect
CI is actively reducing the heat island effect on the campus through various methods. Trees and
other plants help cool the environment, making vegetation a simple and effective way to reduce
the heat island effect. The University aims to increase its tree canopy cover on the main campus
from 25 percent to more than 40 percent in the coming years. CI is has also recently converted
its central mall from an asphalt pavement to a decomposed granite (DG) surface. The DG greatly
increases the solar reflectivity, therefore producing a cooler environment and combating the
heat island effect.
J. Wildlife Corridors
CSU Channel Islands main campus is located on nearly 1200 acres. Of that land, well over 75%
will permanently remain essentially undeveloped due to its steep terrain, frequent flooding, or
deed restrictions on its use. These areas include wetlands, riparian habit, and the semi-arid
hillsides. These various types of landscapes are well connected and considered wildlife corridors.
The developed portion of University has several areas which have been restored to native or
drought tolerant plantings and is becoming a campus standard. These areas include Long Grade
Canyon Creek within University Glen and the meadow east of University Drive. An additional 5
acres within the lower portions of Long Grade Canyon Creek will be restored as a native riparian
habitat to support nesting of birds, including the endangered Least Bell’s Vireo.
The University also includes the former Regional Park near the crossing of University Drive over
Calleguas Creek. The deed to the University prohibits development of the park for anything but
passive recreation and environmental education. It contains wetlands, rocky hillsides,
grasslands, coastal sage scrub, and even a small pond. Large portions of the park are in a
natural state, while others are ripe for habitat restoration. Most noticeable features of the land
are a wide variety of raptor birds and impressive views of the surrounding mountains, the
Oxnard Plain, and the ocean. The university is planning to use the land as an outdoor natural
area for the enjoyment and study of native habitats.
K. Drought Tolerant Landscaping
As a campus community, we have been reviewing the appropriateness of decreasing the
amount of lawn area on campus and are now moving towards that goal. Areas have already
been identified that are appropriate for expanses of lawn that can be replaced with indigenous,
drought-tolerant grasses and plants that require less irrigation and less invasive maintenance
such as mowing, edging, and irrigation system repairs. The initial areas include the future
Campus Green Central Mall (Los Angeles Avenue between University Drive and Ventura Street),
the North Quad, and the lawns abutting most of the campus buildings.
PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT
Operations, Planning and Construction has established numeric performance metrics to assess
how actual outcomes and sustainability performance for each component of this plan will be
measured and tracked over time.
On an annual basis the management team will calculate the percentage of compliant
maintenance equipment (by count) that has been in active use during the previous year. A
minimum of 20% of the building’s maintenance equipment shall be environmentally preferable.
100% of the building’s new maintenance equipment shall be environmentally compliant.
On an annual basis the management team will calculate the percentage of compliant cleaning
supplies (by dollar amount) that were used on the building’s exterior during the previous year. A
minimum of 20% of the building’s exterior cleaning supplies shall be environmentally preferable.
On an annual basis the management team will calculate the percentage of compliant paints and
sealants (by dollar amount) that were used on the building exterior during the previous year. All
exterior finish and roofing needs, based on life cycle, are tracked in several systems / databases
(FRRM, ISES and RAMP) and backlogged amounts / deferred maintenance is tracked and
measured. A minimum of 20% of the building’s exterior paint and sealants shall be
environmentally preferable.
On an annual basis the management team will calculate the percentage of compliant cleaning
supplies (by dollar amount) that were used on the building’s sidewalks during the previous year.
A minimum of 20% of the building’s sidewalk cleaning supplies shall be environmentally
preferable.
QUALITY ASSURANCE / QUALITY CONTROL PROCESSES
At least once/week the Management Team conducts a building exterior and hardscape
inspection to evaluate the continued efficacy of this plan.
The Management Team also convenes on a quarterly basis to discuss the building’s most recent
quarterly performance based on the performance metric described above. Results are logged in
the LEED Compliance Log.
On a quarterly basis the Management Team convenes to discuss the continued viability of the
performance metric as an effective measurement of the plan’s successful implementation.