Important Factors to Consider for Site Planning Documents
Site planning is a complex process, best done with the help of professional town planners. As part of the process, they perform an analysis with consideration of factors such as the topography, existing infrastructure and buildings, fauna on the property, surrounding culture, environment and weather elements that affect the suitability of the property for the proposed development.
Equipped with information from the analysis, they can proceed to the drafting of the site plan. Below are some of the essentials they will include before they submit your development proposal to the relevant department of your local municipality.
Clear indication of the property lines
Site planning without consideration for the location of the property lines is doomed to fail. The town planning division at the municipality will not take a second look at a plan that doesn’t accurately indicate the property lines, and for good reason. Without these, it is impossible to know if your development will encroach on the space of the property next to it. The property lines indicate the exact boundaries of the particular piece of land. A land surveyor handles the measurement and drawing of the property lines. This is called the surveyor general (SG) diagram. Using the information from the SG diagram, the town planners indicate the property lines on the plan.
What is the distance between the proposed buildings and the property lines?
With specific regulations in place regarding the distance of buildings from property lines, it is imperative to show the exact footprint of each building and distance between the property’s boundaries. Factors to keep in mind range from the height of the buildings to zoning regulations relevant to the property, potential fire hazards and for what each building will be used.
What is the current and proposed state of the property?
Site planning documents must show how the property currently looks and what the proposed outcome is. With that in mind, the town planning consultants will show the current fences, vegetation, landscape, buildings and related infrastructure, and utility lines. They will also show the proposed landscape, entrances and exits, buildings, and more.
Property easement applications
You need to determine for which aspects you will need to apply for easements. This must also be shown in the site plan, which the town planning consultants will do. For instance, you may need easement to access part of the adjacent property to maintain a utility line that leads into your property and is essential for your development.
Areas of construction
During the project development, construction machines, access routes and material storage will apply. Part of the process entails indication of where these will take place on the property. Parking for the construction vehicles adjacent or on the property must be indicated. This is important to determine the impact of construction on the adjacent areas.
Landscaping aspects
The likelihood of the property’s landscape staying the same during and after development is almost zero. To this end, the town planning consultants will indicate all landscaping elements as current and proposed. You may have to preserve a specific ecosystem, which should be indicated on the plan in addition to aspects such as run-off and erosion control. An example being the erection of a retaining wall.
Proposed parking areas
How many open and protected parking bays do you want to include, where will these be located, and what will the size of each bay be? Will you have parking bays for disabled drivers? Do you need to include parking bays for trucks? Elements such as signage, accessibility, dimensions, location, traffic flow, and more must be shown on the site plan.
Surrounding area
New developments have an impact on traffic flow. To this end, roads, signage, intersections, cul-de-sac sections, one-ways, walk areas and the likes must be indicated for the area surrounding the property.
Access route to the property
Several regulations apply regarding access route location. To determine if the access route location can be approved, the reviewers or city council officials must know where you plan to place these. The town planning consultants will discuss the regulations during the site planning stage and include the dimensions and location on the site plan.
In conclusion
These are some of the basic elements that must be indicated. Make use of The Practice Group for expert help to ensure your site planning documents include the mentioned and other important elements.