Brief explanation of this term in the context of construction stormwater permitting rules.

A construction activity is part of a larger common plan of development if it is completed in one or more of the following ways:

in separate stages
in separate phases
in combination with other construction activities

It is identified by the documentation that identifies the scope of the project including such things as the following:

plats
blueprints
marketing plans
contracts
building permits
public notice or hearing
zoning requests

It can include one operator or many operators.

Example: A subdivision is being built. You are grading 0.75 acres, another company is clearing 4 different acres, and a contractor is excavating another 0.5 acres. In this case, the total area that would be disturbed is 5.25 acres, so each operator would fall under the requirements associated with disturbing 5 or more acres.