How toÉ

by Patrick Nolan

SBJ Contributing Writer

Developing land has never been a quick and easy process. And everyone in the business has a different opinion of what the single biggest hold-up can be in a development project.

Ralph Rognstad, assistant director of Planning and Development for Springfield, said that from the city's perspective, the single biggest stumbling block to the permitting phase of development is a lack of information.

Frequently permit applicants don't have all the information needed by the city to approve a permit. "The better information the applicant provides and the staff provides, the faster the process moves," Rognstad said.

The city is going to want information on what the applicant plans to do about traffic concerns, water retention or detention, utilities, street designs and other issues.

Developer Lee McLean, owner of McLean Enterprises Inc., said you need to work with the governing body on issues such as traffic, neighbors, water detention, soils and environmental issues in the pre-planning stages.

Projects that address the questions the city has to ask up front will save money in the long run by speeding up their development, Rognstad said.

Saving money and speeding up the development process are two things every developer likes. Assembling a team of professionals at the start of the project may be the best way to accomplish these goals.

"It's a team project, and you want input as early on as you can from not only the architect, but the builders as well," said Ken Schwab, commercial real estate agent/developer with Wilhoit Properties. "Establish a team and organize early."

Organizing early means bringing in the necessary team members at the start. Tim Rosenbury, a partner at Butler, Rosenbury & Partners, said, "The first thing you should do is bring in an architect; but it also depends on what you want to do."

McLean said the very first thing a developer should do is ensure that he or she has a clear title to the land, then get an architectural firm, for an office building, or an engineering firm, for planning a residential subdivision.

An architect is to development what a research librarian is to an information seeker, Rosenbury said. They know where to go for the information.

"An architect generally has a base of knowledge a mile wide and a foot deep. They are generalists," Rosenbury said, but they are dedicated generalists. Many architects view the buildings almost as choice pieces of art the artist creates, he said. Whenever they drive by the building, a bit of pride tugs at their soul and they think: That's my building.

As far as the team is concerned, "It is wise to have an architect working with the owner, builder and developer," Rosenbury said.

The city makes an extra effort to work with developers, Rognstad said. "For larger projects, we'll put together a team with representatives from all the (city) departments."

Even with all the necessary assistance, developing a project can take weeks or months before construction ever starts, McLean said.

And, Schwab added, "Typically the time of development is one year."

In a city of Springfield development review time line report from September 1996, the development process was shown to take from 15 days for a simple building permit to 259 days for the most difficult development, including annexation, zoning, final development plan, subdivision, public improvement plan and building plan.

It can take longer if everything isn't perfect. The report didn't account for the time spent privately designing and preparing the plans.

Kirk A. Heyle, real estate counselor and developer, said the city has checklists available to guide the developer through the process. Those checklists are available in the Building Development Services Department, located on the first floor of the Busch Building.

To avoid potential delays in construction, Heyle said, "It's best to try and get these plans before the city a couple of days ahead of time."

J. Christopher Ball, a partner with Jack Ball & Associates, said, "We personally and most architects will go to the city early in the planning process for a plan review."

All the professionals interviewed agreed that getting the plans before the city early and involving the city's development office speed the process.

This can help avoid costly and time-consuming delays when the plans are before the city for approval.

Time delays aren't the only hitches that developers run into. Rosenbury said underfunded projects are the most common hold-up. "Every project is a business, and it needs a good plan, a good leader, good follow-up and good capitalization."

(See related story on page 26.)

A general checklist for a site plan

------------------------------------------

1. Name of the project

2. Signature and seal of a Missouri registered architect or engineer

3. North arrow

4. Area locator map showing location within subdivision or block

5. Legal description of existing tract of record and zoning of parcel

6. Setbacks and location of all easements including ingress, egress, sanitary, stormwater and utility

7. Impervious surface ratio (minimum 20 percent pervious area)

8. Density (number of units per lot and building coverage)

9. Height of structures

10. Drawn to scale (preferably 1 inch = 20 feet)

11. Established USGS benchmark number, location and elevation

12. Finished floor elevation of building as related to USGS benchmark

13. Location of existing structures, water wells and fuel tanks on site

14. Street names and locations, including right of way and center line

15. Location and elevation of 100-year floodway, flood plain and sinkholes

16. Location of proposed and existing signs

17. Required landscape and buffer yard

Taken from the general requirements section of the city's A Plan Review Checklist.

[[In-content Ad]]