Managing commercial development projects are an intensive and time consuming endeavor that sucks the energy of those involved, especially in situations where planning was not properly done. Commercial builders & developers in Connecticut can ease their work load by seeking the services of professional surveying and civil engineering firms. An experienced firm can assist them right away, from the initial data collection stages, to planning, then design, local state & federal permitting and lastly, the construction process. Commercial builders can leverage on these firms technical expertise and experience in local zoning, planning and regulations- areas that are daunting to many.
Why Get A Professional Survey?
It’s common for most first-time commercial builders to undermine and not allocate adequate resources to property surveying. A survey is highly important as it forms the basis in understanding property boundaries, limits, and preserving property rights. Having a professional survey done by an experienced firm in the early stages will help the development team understand site limitations from a developer’s standpoint before moving on.
Property Survey Map
One of the key documents that commercial developers rely on to guide their investment decisions are the property or boundary survey map. It is a comprehensive type of survey that illustrates all the important issues of record regarding the property site and how this information impacts on future land use. The surveyor conducts a conscientious review based on available data and maps to render a professional opinion of the property boundaries. Any property line discrepancies with adjoining blocks are solved after the property survey has been evaluated.
Property Boundaries
Surveyors can also be commissioned to carryout preliminary investigations of the subject property to determine validity of the property of the existing property boundaries. A thorough evaluation of existing records, deeds, historic info, and all known maps will be completed before any calculations and boundary determination can take place and physical stakes and/or markers are installed.
Civil Engineering Services
Commercial builders engaging in construction projects require the experience of an engineer or possibly the entire engineering firm depending on the scale of the project. An example of a few of the services offered include property surveys, topographic surveys, feasibility studies and conceptual plans, coordination with design team (architects, zoning attorneys, soil scientists, traffic, geotechnical & structural engineers), site design, drainage design, utility design and layout, parking layout, landscaping, site lighting erosion control, construction staking and layout & as-built surveys.
LID or Low Impact Development is an alternative process of land development aimed at minimizing the impact of urbanization in Connecticut’s natural habitats. For example, any land development that could possibly effect the natural movement of water in that area is carefully analyzed and designed to prevent this. The purpose to Low Impact Development is to keep natural processes in tact and work with the natural landscape and hydrology rather than debilitating it. As a result, residential and commercial developments in Connecticut can avoid most environmental degradation, water pollution, and/or possible flooding. Using LID methodology its possible to control most water runoff by retaining it on the property instead of funneling it through pipes and drains into local water resources. If you would like more information about how your next industrial, commercial or residential project in Connecticut can utilize Low Impact Development fundamentals, Click Here.
The design team also prepares all the applications for town, state and federal permitting including local ZBA (Zoning Board of Appeals), P&Z (Planning and Zoning Commissions, IWWC (Inland Wetland & Water Commissions), State of CT DEEP (Department of Energy & Environmental) State of CT DOT(Department of Transportation) as well as Federal permitting for FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) & the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Last but not least let’s not forget about the State and Federal financing arms like CHFA (Connecticut Housing Finance Authority) & HUD (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development)
Key Takeaways:
-
Commercial Construction developers should clearly communicate with surveyors and engineers to easily manage the construction project.
-
A professional survey will determine the property boundaries and sort out any boundary discrepancies.
-
Property survey maps utilize existing maps and available information to verify and evaluate the boundaries of a property.
-
While a Surveyor collects and reports data and a Civil Engineer designs and analyzes this data, both will work in conjunction with each other to ensure your next commercial development project is a success.
