The Site Identification Process
We investigate the following key attributes of a property:
All of the above activities utilize publicly available data. Our investigation utilizes a county’s GIS website, the National Wetlands Inventory, FEMA and USGS. Since our site identification service utilizes publicly available data, we don't have to purchase GIS data and simply turn around and charge an astronomical amount for it. Therefore, our site identification service can be performed at a MUCH lower cost than our competitors. We find, many economic development organizations can justify our cost.
- Size of the site – Early on during an investigation, we'll gain an understanding of the developable acreage of a property
- Number of property owners – In order to obtain a consensus of the owner's willingness to sell, it's beneficial to minimize the number of land owners that are involved in the process. Based on our experience, it's preferable to keep the number of land-owners to four or less
- Wetlands – We investigate the wetlands that may exist on a site by utilizing the National Wetland Inventory. If wetlands exists, their location is critical for development of the property
- Floodplain - We investigate the floodplain that may exist on a site by utilizing information from FEMA. As with wetlands, if any floodplain exists, its location is critical for development of the property
- Rivers and Streams – We investigate rivers and streams that may be present on a site by utilizing the National Wetland Inventory. As with both wetlands and floodplain, if any rivers and streams exist, their location is critical for development of the property
- Topography – Many county GIS websites contain a topography layer which may have great detail. However if not, we utilize USGS information during our analysis
- Utilities (Water & Sewer, Electricity, Natural Gas & Telecommunications) – We communicate with each utility provider to determine the infrastructure that currently exists. We also determine the primary contact for the local economic development representatives to interact with regarding development on the site
- Access – During our analysis, we analyze the roads near a site. For example, one of the items we quantify is the travel time to a property
- Exposure – Many projects desire to locate on a site with very high exposure such as interstate frontage or in an industrial park, etc. Our investigation investigates the exposure of the site
- The Property Owner's Willingness To Sell – This is a vital step in our process and one that many providers of a site identification service simply don't accomplish. If an owner isn't willing to sell, it could be the best location in the world, however, it’s not a site if the property isn't under control. We perform the initial interaction with a site's property owner(s) on your behalf.
- Pros and Cons - On each site undergoing an investigation, we provide its pros and cons, from someone who has been in the economic development industry for over 18 years. As we investigate a site, we denote those items that are important in order for the site to be used as an economic development location
All of the above activities utilize publicly available data. Our investigation utilizes a county’s GIS website, the National Wetlands Inventory, FEMA and USGS. Since our site identification service utilizes publicly available data, we don't have to purchase GIS data and simply turn around and charge an astronomical amount for it. Therefore, our site identification service can be performed at a MUCH lower cost than our competitors. We find, many economic development organizations can justify our cost.
Detail on the Site Identification
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Flyer for Site Identification service

Do You Have A Product? Guide To Site Identification.pdf | |
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