Important Site Planning Elements to Consider
Site planning is essential for any development proposal. Indeed, you will need to submit a site plan for approval if you, for instance, want to erect a fuel station forecourt on a property, want to build a small shopping centre, develop a residential estate or even put up a warehouse or light industrial building on a piece of land.
Site planning is essential to determine whether the property can be developed for the particular purpose you have in mind. Many elements affect the viability of a building design, and such elements must be shown on the site plan. Some essential elements to consider are:
• Existing infrastructure
• Topography of the piece of land
• Weather elements such as the wind, rainfall, potential of floods and more
• Vegetation such as trees or protected plant species that cannot be removed
Many other elements are taken into consideration with site planning. Some of the essential elements to include in a site plan are discussed in more detail below.
Determine and Indicate the Property Lines
Determining the exact property lines is essential as building encroachment of an adjacent property can lead to lawsuits, in addition to financial losses as the erected structures may have to be removed. The site plan must thus indicate where the property lines are located. This also shows in which areas development can take place. As such, it should be done right at the outset as part of the development planning process.
Vegetation and Landscaping
How will the development affect the existing vegetation? Indicate current vegetation and show how the landscape will look after development.
Access to the Property
Part of site planning entails a decision on where to give access to the property. The driveway must be accurately depicted, showing the width, distance from a stop street or traffic light, the distance from infrastructure, and the property lines, and so forth.
Indication of Distance Between the Buildings and the Property Lines
Site planning takes into consideration the infrastructure of not only the property on which development is to take place but also on adjacent properties. Dimensions of the infrastructure on the property and neighbouring properties must be accurately indicated on the site plan. Details such as building height, fire hazards, current building usage and zoning must also be included.
Fire Hydrants and Stormwater Drainage
Emergency workers must be able to get to fire hydrants. Stormwater drainage is essential. The proposed development must not hinder access to fire hydrants or cause a problem with adequate water drainage. Buildings must be a certain distance from fire hydrants according to the regulations of the specific municipality in which the property is located. With the above in mind, make sure to include the location of fire hydrants and stormwater drainage points in your site plan diagrams.
Current Conditions and Proposed Development on the Property
The city planning division officials need to understand the scope of the proposed development or design. For such to be possible, you need to submit details regarding the current conditions of the property in addition to proposed conditions. You must, for instance, show where the utility lines are present and how far the infrastructure structure will be from such lines after development. With the details included, they can also identify where you will need building inspectors to be present during the construction of the infrastructure.
Parking Spaces
As part of the planning of a site, you need to show where the parking spaces will be, how many such spaces will be available, how vehicle flow will be facilitated, what signage will be in place and what the dimensions of the parking spaces will be. You will thus need to include a diagram for the parking area in your site plan.
Proposed Easements
If your proposed development includes elements on an adjacent property, it is imperative to show such. For instance, where a pipe must run through a part of the adjacent property, it must be shown in the documents. For such usage of an adjacent property, you will need an easement for which an application must be submitted. Upon approval, you will have the legal right to install the element on the adjacent property.
Traffic Flow Around the Site
Planning for entrance and exit points to the site is essential. Part of this entails consideration for elements such as the surrounding streets, traffic flow, traffic signs and infrastructure. Pavement, pedestrian crossings, streetlights, and more must be included. The plan must thus show where each of the elements is located.
Many other factors must be considered and included in the proposed plan. Benefit from our professional help with site planning. Get in touch for a quote and expert advice.