BH Class Blog

1. How do you know when the design you’ve chosen for a site is the correct one?
-- The correct design is based off how efficiently you have used the space for its purpose. The property needs to flow well and be useful.

2. As a developer for the site, how does knowing about past owners and the uses of the property help you develop the site?
-- How the site has been used previously will govern how it can be used today. On the surface, the ground may seem safe, but you never know what has been buried or what the soil has been through.

3. In what ways do the view of a site, its terrain, the solar aspects, wind, and sound influence site orientation?
-- When building on a property, you have to know what its purpose will be and what its needs are in order to orientate it properly. If you're building a business, you probably want high visibility. If the building is tall, you'd want low winds. All these things

4. How does knowing about current neighbors help you in developing a site?
-- In smaller communities like Wells county, neighbors will make or break you. Word travels around quickly here and if your neighbors don't like what you're doing, life can be made rather unpleasant.

5. What difference does it make if you do or do not abide by the regulations and requirements for developing and building property?
-- If your property is not up to code, serious fines can be instated until you fix the issue. Building inspectors can deem the building unsafe and it will not be able to be used.

6. What regulatory agencies should you know? Why is it important to work with them in preparing to develop property?
-- Your local zoning and building committees. Also, it would help to work with the city council in order to be part of the city. By cooperating with these committees, you're ensuring a safe and smooth ride to completion.

7. Zoning is not a requirement in all localities. How does zoning help or hinder land development?
-- Zoning helps development by designating what can and can't be built in and around a property. Contractors interested in building a housing complex will be much more interested in a property if they know the area around them won't have large factories springing up anytime soon.

8. The environment is affected when land is developed. How does an environmental impact study help or hinder a developer in preparing to develop property?
-- In some cases this can help the ability for a contractor to build in an area because it may help the environment. On the other hand, as in most cases, if the study shows building may hurt the environment, different paths may have to be taken to replenish the environment in the long term.

9. What do wetlands, covenants, and prior ownership have to do with site selection?
-- Obviously, it would be more difficult to build a sturdy foundation in a swamp, so special procedures would have to be taken to drain the area to make it suitable. This may mean a higher cost to build which would make the area less desirable. The same would go for previous ownership. If the prior owner buried tanks for oil or gasoline, these will have to be inspected yearly which may mean more cost as well.

10. How did completing a traffic analysis around the property help in providing information about the property?
-- It will show how many cars travel around the property, it will also outline what the visibility is.

11. As an owner of the property, what issues were of concern to you and may affect the development of the property after you completed the viability analysis?
-- Once again, money is the biggest issue. If by completing a viability analysis, you realize you'll have to go through special hoops, you may be weary of building where you were thinking. Also, if you cannot attain the proper permits, you may not be able to build there.

12. What is the relationship of regulations to the viability analysis?
-- The more regulations, the more problems you will have with your viability analysis.