Before you buy
What Studies Does a Land Development Project Need?
Brian starts from the studies the project needs, and he says when more are warranted.
The short answer
At Land Development Specialists LLC, Brian Woods helps an owner see which land development studies a project needs. He rarely tells an owner to skip a study. He generally knows which studies are required at a minimum, and when more studies are warranted. The work is in Orange County, Los Angeles County, Riverside County, and southern San Bernardino County, including the Inland Empire. Call (760) 271-1081.
A land development feasibility study is where that review is organized before a purchase.
He starts from the studies the project needs
The studies follow the site and what the agencies require. He separates the work the purchase decision needs now from tasks that can wait until entitlements or later design.
A city example: Moreno Valley street cores
The City of Moreno Valley requires coring of the existing streets in front of a project, plus a structural analysis, to decide whether the street needs an overlay or full removal and replacement. Street plans will not be approved without this analysis.
Plan approval and permitting is where those agency studies are tracked through to a permit.
Deal-breakers first when time is short
When time is short, investigate potential deal-breakers first: legal access, the intended use, major site hazards, utility capacity, and unusually expensive improvements. Studies with long lead times need to start promptly.
A dry utility planning review can take 30 to 60 days or longer, depending on the provider and the project.
Contamination and habitat are different studies
Ask about earlier uses before ordering the environmental work. Industrial activities, agriculture, dumping, fuel tanks, imported fill, wells, septic systems, and demolished buildings all belong in that question. Historical aerial images can show earlier uses, former buildings, or disturbed areas. Agricultural land may need evaluation for pesticide residues. Former dairy operations may require investigation of buried organic material and potential gas concerns. An environmental professional determines the assessment and any further testing. The findings can affect cleanup costs, timing, and the purchase decision.
A Phase I environmental site assessment may identify the need for a Phase II. Phase II is sampling and testing. Those findings help determine whether further investigation or a cleanup plan is needed.
Contamination and habitat need different specialists. Former industrial activity, fuel tanks, dumping, stained soils, and pesticide storage may require an environmental site assessment. Habitat, waterways, protected species, and cultural resources require specialists in those areas. The planning department can help identify known constraints and applicable conservation plans. Depending on the site, coordination may also involve wildlife agencies, the Army Corps of Engineers, or other responsible agencies.
A soils study is more useful after a grading concept
A geotechnical investigation is more useful once there is a preliminary grading concept. Proposed cuts, fills, and buildings help the geotechnical professional target the field work. Without that concept, the findings may be more general and need more work later.
The feasibility study keeps the due-diligence steps. Plan approval and permitting carries the studies an agency requires into the permit.
Frequently asked questions
What studies does a land development project need?
Brian Woods generally knows which studies are required at a minimum, and when more studies are warranted. He rarely tells an owner to skip a study. The studies follow the site and what the agencies require. A land development feasibility study is where that review is organized before a purchase.
What street study does the City of Moreno Valley require?
The City of Moreno Valley requires coring of the existing streets in front of a project, plus a structural analysis, to decide whether the street needs an overlay or full removal and replacement. Street plans will not be approved without this analysis.
What should be checked first when time is short?
Legal access, the intended use, major site hazards, utility capacity, and unusually expensive improvements. Studies with long lead times need to start promptly. A dry utility planning review can take 30 to 60 days or longer, depending on the provider and the project.
How are contamination and habitat handled?
They need different specialists. A Phase I environmental site assessment may identify the need for a Phase II. Phase II is sampling and testing, and those findings help determine whether further investigation or a cleanup plan is needed. Habitat, waterways, protected species, and cultural resources require specialists in those areas.
When is a soils study more useful?
A geotechnical investigation is more useful once there is a preliminary grading concept. Proposed cuts, fills, and buildings help the geotechnical professional target the field work. Without that concept, the findings may be more general and need more work later.
Related pages
- Land Development Feasibility Study
Screen a site before purchase: permitted use, access, utilities, drainage, soils, environmental concerns, expected approvals, and total development costs.
- Plan Approval and Permitting
Coordinate consultants and agencies through CEQA, mapping, entitlements, plan approvals, and permitting.
- Can My Land Be Developed?
See whether land you own, or may buy, can be developed, including access, utilities, slopes, shape, and cost.
Want help sorting the studies?
Call (760) 271-1081 or email brian@landdevspec.net.