Step 2 - Site Analysis and Feasibility Studies

An essential part of taking a Client’s vision from concept to reality is selecting a site with features and resources that compliment the type of development.  Despite the real estate mantra - location, location, location, selecting a site is more than just considering its location.  For that matter, it is much more than finding a site of adequate size, or a parcel that has a favorable zoning for the use. 

In addition to these aforementioned factors, the physical, biological, and cultural aspects of a site should be considered early in the design process to ensure a good fit and reduce development costs.

Feasibility studies are pre-design assessments to determine the suitability and appropriateness of the project scope and theme, as it relates to a particular site.  These studies consist of inventoried site data that are overlaid and analyzed to identify site opportunities and constraints.  This is, without a doubt, one of the most critical steps to producing a functional, aesthetically pleasing, and cost effective design. 

At Georgia Civil, we feel so strongly about this that we began Site Development Analytics, or SDA.  SDA is a collaborative effort that links site developers and the land planners and engineers at Georgia Civil, with knowledgeable and respected real estate agents who know the subject community.  The goal is simple - a turnkey, cost effective solution for our Client, that locates potential sites, and analyzes the sites quickly and efficiently to identify the right site for the proposed development. 

Georgia Civil’s role in the site assessment phase is a two-step linear process. The first step is to analyze a site’s critical data sets: natural, biological and cultural elements, and the review of technical, legal and financial/budgetary aspects of the project. Using the latest methods and equipment, analysis such as land assessment of the topography, soils and surface drainage, geology features such as depth to bedrock, are carried out by our engineers and consultants to determine the best and most cost effective design solutions. Our professionals also identify cultural elements, such as zoning or land-use regulations or restrictions, utilities (sewer, electricity, water, telecommunications, etc.), surrounding historic buildings or landmarks; archaeological sites and traffic circulation conditions, to determine the optimal direction for the design.  The scope of the data collection effort is driven by the project’s site program established in the initial phase of the project.

The second step of the site feasibility process is to determine the site’s suitability for the desired uses and outcomes.  This step separates the good sites from the bad, giving the client key variables to consider.  Make no mistake about it, the greatest cost saving tool in a developer’s toolkit, is picking a site that requires minimum physical modifications to support the proposed development. 

Whether the Client is considering multiple sites or the site has already been selected, site analysis and feasibility studies are essential.  The information collected from the studies and conclusions drawn from the analysis will be used by our professionals to drive the direction of the project and produce a sustainable development.