Before building begins

New subdivisions have been popping up all over Springfield as part of the recent building boom, and engineers play an important role in the early stages of a subdivision’s planning. They work in every facet of planning, from initial design to preliminary plat drawings to rezoning requests with the city.

The process has several steps, but before anything else can be done, the process must begin with the survey. Accurate surveys, for both topography and lot boundaries, are necessary for any planned development, according to James Vaughan, a professional field surveyor with Global Link Land Surveying and Engineering.

Vaughan, who has worked in the planning stages for developments such as Prairie View Estates and Lexington Square, said having a complete and accurate survey is extremely important.

“Without an accurate survey, you’re running the risk of an engineer designing something wrong and costing us thousands of dollars,” he said. “If the engineer’s layout doesn’t match the ground that’s there, then you’ve got all kinds of problems.”

After the surveys are in place, the engineering firm works with the developers to put together a plan for home lot locations as well as placement of streets, sanitary and storm sewers and storm water detention areas.

Choosing a design

Once the engineer and developer have agreed on a design, the preliminary plat is sent to the appropriate governmental body. A development in Springfield, for example, would go to the city Planning and Zoning Commission, which would then make suggestions, which must be addressed before the plat is sent to Springfield City Council for approval.

According to Mel Eakins, a principal of Great River Engineering, the process can be a lengthy one.

“It really depends on the piece of property, whether it has the proper zoning, whether it’s in Greene County, Springfield or another municipality,” he said. “All the regulatory bodies have a schedule that has to be followed, and some have longer processes than others.”

Eakins, whose firm has worked on several Springfield subdivisions including Catalpa Station, Vintage Hills and Olde Ivy, said that if his company were to begin surveying work today for a Springfield development, the earliest that construction could begin would be the end of January, though the length of the process varies depending on the development.

Flexibility

And once designs have been agreed upon, there’s no guarantee that they’ll be completed exactly as planned.

Vaughan said development plans also need to be flexible, because many situations can lay hidden beneath the ground.

“There are cases where maybe the contractor hit a lot of rock, and we can raise or lower things, because it’s very expensive to blast,” he said.

“Or you may hit an underground spring or even break through the top of a cave. You never know.”

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