Appendix
Pre-Design Site Planning

Herbert W. Stoughton, Ph.D., P.E., P.L.S., C.P.

Introduction

	You have decided to execute a major renovation, build a new addition, or replace the existing structure.  If the project is a new addition or a replacement, there are certain matters requiring resolution to understand the conditions on the site, particularly with respect to infrastructure and ADA compliance (Americans with Disabilities Act).  In renovation projects, ADA compliance is usually addressed as part of the design effort, and is rather straight forward.

	You have hired an architect or a planner to develop a proposal, or several proposals, which will provide pre-design sketches and cost estimates for discussions with various persons about feasibility, approximate costs, and preliminary approvals to proceed.  With an approval to proceed with the project, the architect, planner, and engineer (hereafter called design professionals) require in depth factual knowledge of the site conditions in order to prepare a suitable set of plans and specifications.

	The first step is to authorize a pre-design site plan of the affected area.  The pre-design site plan is a combined boundary and topographic survey depicting the conditions on or adjacent to the site which affect the design professional’s work product.  This survey is executed by a registered or licensed professional land surveyor.  This land surveyor has been educated and trained to accurately determine the locations of boundaries affecting title and land use (deeds, easements, rights-of-way, etc.) and to “map” salient features under, on, and above the land’s surface, and transcribes the information onto a map.

The Work Product Produced

	Usually, the design professional will order the pre-design site plan.  However, the “owner”, or the authorized project adviser can authorize the work.  There are over ten normally identified items to be depicted on the final map.  These are (with a brief explanation):

	a.	Boundary survey containing.
			i.	Dimensions (bearings, distances, and area).
			ii.	Identity of current adjoiners, including deed/page of filing information in the county/parish repositories and/or county/municipal tax parcel identification.
			iii.	Boundary corner monuments, or witnesses (with dimensions) to corner locations.
	b.	All easements above, on, or below the ground surface, which serve the site or traverse the site that encumber the title of the site.  The official documents creating these easements should be referenced on the final map.
	c.	Air-rights encumbrances or restrictions (e.g.: maximum height of building and/or scenic view easements).
	d.	Adjacent access corridors to the site - roads/streets; green ways; alleys; access/egress easements, etc. (include the easement dimensions).  Also, the “owner and/or maintainer of the highways/roads/streets/alleys must be identified in order to acquire ingress/egress permits (curb cuts).
	e.	All public and private utilities which could service the site (i.e. gas lines, water lines; sanitary sewer; storm sewer or surface drainage; telephone lines; cable television service; electrical service; hydrants; valve boxes; manholes; meter boxes; etc.).
	f.	Any encumbrances which could affect site development (under ground or above ground transmission lines).
	g.	Flood plain locations and classifications (2-year, 5-year, 10-year, etc.) must be investigated.  If no flood plains are across or near the site, then a statement is made to that fact.  All the sources for flood plain information are reviewed, the original date of the source, and the date of the review, are cited on the site plan.  Remember, flood plain designations and modifications are constantly being revised and updated.  These flood plain maps are published by FEMA and usually the most up-to-date set are housed in a local government agency.  The municipal or county engineer, surveyor, or civil defense are the most likely locations.
	h.	Current zoning and land use parcel identifiers, including the source of the information and the date obtained are annotated on the map.
	i.	Building code setbacks from streets and side lines are shown.  If the area being developed has covenants which have more restrictive set back/side lot restrictions, then these are shown or stated, and the less restrictive items are referred to in a footnote.
	j.	Location of soil sample test and percolation test sites.
	k.	Location of existing foundations, wells, septic tanks - leach beds, “archaeological” sites, mines and borrow pits, hazardous chemical sites and dumps, etc., are depicted.
	l.	Location of the services for water, gas, sewer, electricity, telephone, etc., are shown.  This includes the service controls (valve boxes, sewer cleanout, etc.).  In many areas of the country, there are professional locator services who will provide “locates” for the design professional.
	m.	If there is an extensive and expensive irrigation system (sprinkler system), it might be worth mapping.

	Some of the information contained in this list may change due to a variety of activities by regulatory and oversight authorities.  Therefore, care must be exercised in locating the most reliable sources for this information, and the record should show the source of the information; the original date the information was generated/published; and the date the information was extracted from the files/data bases by the land surveyor.

Comment

	The pre-design site plan is used by the design professionals to layout the project.  In most instances the plan is “copied” into the contract drawings as the “Site Plan”.  This means that the document becomes a portion of the contract documents and specifications.  As such, the pre-design site plan becomes a bona fide legal document accepted by the courts to ascertain compliance and responsibility when litigation results from disagreements between regulatory agencies, design professionals, contractors and subcontractors, and owner(s).

	The information contained in this document is not all inclusive, but outlines the most commonly required data and information.  The owner and the design professional must determine if, in the area of the construction, additional site information is required by various statutory or regulatory agencies.  Usually the “Building Department”, which issues the construction permits and oversees construction inspections, have check lists to verify compliance.

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About the Author:	Dr. Herbert W. Stoughton received his three engineering degrees in civil and geodetic engineering from the University of Michigan.  He has spent over fifty years in the engineering and surveying professions working for federal and municipal governmental agencies; teaching surveying and engineering at several post secondary academic institutions; and performing private consulting.   He currently serves as the chairman of the Building Commission for the Diocese of Cheyenne.

file:	c:\my documents\diochey\sitedes01.wpd		date:	2 October 2014