Site Selection: Things to Consider Prior to Land Acquisition

Site Selection: Things to Consider

Prior to Land Acquisition

Overview

Seven essential planning activities for site selection:

Comprehensive Greenway Master Plan

Green printing

Search land records

Contact landowners

Carefully consider community

Site inventory and analysis

Program analysis

What’s Next?

Green Printing

Master Planning

Adjacent to view shed? (Y=2, N=0)

Adjacent to gateway? (Y=2, N=0)

Identified as county owned lands? (Y=3, N=0)

Identified as a county owned park? (Y=4, N=0)

Identified as city owned lands? (Y=2, N=0)

Identified as state owned lands? (Y=2, N=0)

Identified as public entity owned lands? (Y=2, N=0)

Service Gap

Any parks within a 0.25 mile radius? (Y=0, N=4)

Residential Population

Residential population within the intended project’s

service radius?

- Urban: 0.25 mi radius (1 pt. per 100 persons)

- Neighborhood: 0.5 mi radius (1 pt. per 100 persons)

- Community: 2 mi radius (1 pt. per 1000 persons)

- Regional: 5 mi radius (1 pt. per 10,000 persons)

Parcels designated as future residential

development? (Y=2, N=0)

Mixed Use Development

Parcels designated as future mixed use

(residential)? (Y=1, N=0)

Partnership Opportunity

Adjacent to school and/or library? (Y=1, N=0)

Adjacent to church? (Y=1, N=0)

Adjacent to hotel/motel or cultural sites? (Y=2, N=0)

Adjacent to existing park? (Y=1, N=0)

Adjacent to recreation center? (Y=1, N=0)

Linkages/Connectivity

Adjacent to planned and/or existing greenway?

(Y=1, N=0)

Adjacent to planned and/or existing green street or

boulevard? (Y=2, N=0)

Adjacent to planned and/or existing bike lane?

(Y=1, N=0)

Mass Transit

Project within 150 feet of a transit station or bus

stop? (Y=2, N=0)

Search Land Records

Public landowners

LLC’s

Absentee landowners

Delinquent taxes

Outreach Plan

Mail out letters to potential property owners

Randomly contact property owners

Network with other departments in your agency

Seek assistance from commercial land brokers

Note: Search for single and/or multiple parcels of land

if needed.

Carefully Consider Community

Demographic criteria

Economic criteria

Other criteria

Demographic Criteria

Age structure

Dwelling type

Families with children

Families without children

Occupations

Income

Economic Criteria

Land cost – proximity to high rent district

Land ownership – public vs. private

Land use – commercial, industrial, highly developed

Other Relevant Criteria

Physical attractiveness of the area

Access – travel time to site

Safety of the area

Planned property development

Scoring Matrix

Site Inventory and Analysis

Significant Savings

Which corridor do you think will be more economical to develop?

Which corridor is less disruptive to the environment?

Steeply Sloped Corridor Gently Sloped Corridor

Sources of Information

GIS

LIDAR

USGS (US Geological Survey)

FEMA

Soil Conservations Service

Site Visit

Investigate Off-Site Conditions

Land/Use

Zoning

Transportation

Utilities

Visual Context

Investigate On-Site Conditions

Investigate On-Site Conditions

Geology

Topography

Hydrology

Soils

Vegetation

Wildlife Habitat

Archeological and

Historic Resources

Size and Configure of the Land

Program Analysis

Program Analysis

Site Inventory Matrix

Environmental Impact Matrix

Seven essential planning takeaways:

Start or Update Comprehensive Master Plan

Work with GIS to identify greenway corridors

Search land records

Contact landowners

Get to know the neighborhoods

Study potential corridors

Think about the program for the corridor