Solid site planning is a critical element for any commercial construction project. After all, commercial construction goes past the physical features of a new building. It’s essential to include the location and the regulations that govern it. Both have a significant impact on the success of any structure built on the property. Site planning provides vital data that enables you to make the best decisions. The interesting part is most new clients understand they need site planning, but they aren’t sure what it includes.
Site Planning Includes:
Vegetation
Trees and other existing vegetation provide insight into the stability of the site and its vulnerability to erosion. They also offer aesthetic and environmental benefits. Identifying existing vegetation allows you to pinpoint features that might be worth preserving. It can also help you fend off future problems with pollution, erosion and stormwater runoff. If existing vegetation cannot be preserved, staging may be required.
Soils
Soil data impacts stormwater management planning and erosion prevention measures. It also reveals which areas may be at greater risk of frost issues, which can create problems for roads and parking areas.
Topography
Topographic maps reveal drainage patterns, slope gradients and the placement of ecologically sensitive features. Identifying and planning for these features is crucial if you hope to avoid drainage and stability issues.
Hydrological Features
Water in the wrong place can be incredibly destructive. That’s why it’s important to understand how water flows onto and off of a property. Identifying and documenting all of a site’s hydrological features allows designers to determine if the natural drainage patterns can incorporate into the drainage plans for the site. When analyzing hydrological characteristics, it can also indicate what additional measures might be needed.
Adjacent Areas
Why do adjacent areas matter? Nearby properties and their features can impact your commercial property. Gathering data about them on the construction site plan makes it easier to consider potential impacts, weigh their pros and cons, and plan effectively for them.
Travel Corridors
Roads, highways and stoplights can shape the travel patterns for those entering and exiting your property. Considering their impacts makes it easier to create an optimal design for your commercial campus.
Existing Infrastructure
The presence of existing structures, old wells and underground storage tanks can be problematic. Buried waste materials, the improper disposal of debris, and contaminated soils can also cause headaches. These issues need to be assessed so that remedial actions can be taken.
Natural and Historical Features
Are there bodies of water, wetlands, sinkholes, flood plains, unique habitats, or endangered or threatened species on the site? What about historic buildings, burial sites or artifacts? If there are, there may be special regulations or additional permits to consider. Identifying natural and historical features early in the construction process allows you to plan effectively for these features and avoid unexpected delays.
Regulations
Regulations impact land use and project layout decisions. In many cases, modifying a design to comply can reduce headaches and costs. Including an evaluation of potential regulatory impacts in your land site plan allows you to plan ahead. This helps avoid delays when obtaining permits and permissions.
Our motto is to hope for the best and plan for the worst. In this case, knowledge is power. If a site development plan identifies too many obstacles for this location, it may be more cost-effective to look into a different property. But if you proceed with the build without site planning and don’t know the obstacles, the results could be more costly in the end.
CBF Contracting Inc. delivers top-quality results while keeping projects on time and on budget. To learn more about how we do it and the benefits of preconstruction services like site planning, contact us today.
