Contributor: Marsha Maller, PE, Director of Land Development Engineering
Supporting Contributor: Bill Blackstock, Utility Locating Manager
Insights From the Ground Up: Exploring Utility Locating & More with Our Land Development Pros
Every few months, we sit down with one of our engineering or surveying discipline leaders to get an inside look at what it’s like to work at TWM and how we provide Exceptional Service. Nothing Less.
This month, we’re highlighting Marsha Maller and our group of land development engineers, who transform visions from conceptual design to completion. With utility locating being a critical element in the success of land development projects, Bill Blackstock shares valuable insights into its essential role.
Together, our teams work closely to establish relationships with regulatory agencies and local municipalities throughout the process to promptly address and resolve site development issues, so projects stay on track.
What’s the biggest challenge in land development, and how does your team address it?
Marsha: The biggest challenge for land development is designing a site that meets the vision of the developer and the vision of the governing entity. These visions typically are not aligned, and our task is to merge these visions and develop a site that considers the needs of our client and the local community.
What’s an overlooked factor in land development that you think is crucial?
Marsha: The schedule for land development projects is crucial as the review and approval process through the local agency has strict submittal dates. The approval of the development is critical to the property owner and the developer as the land contracts are finalized when approvals are received, and construction begins when permits are secured. Developers know that time is money as the interest on land loans can make a winning project a losing endeavor.
What role does zoning and permitting play in your work, and how do you navigate it?Marsha: Most developers don’t purchase the property until the zoning has been reviewed and approved by local governmental agencies. The property must be zoned properly for the proposed use and must align with the governmental agency’s comprehensive plan. Permits from local, state, and federal agencies are required prior to initiating construction and if not secured, can lead to substantial fines. Having a knowledgeable partner like TWM helps clients and developers to better navigate the complexities of federal, state, and local approvals.
How does community input and public feedback shape land development projects?
Marsha: Most land development projects begin with a public hearing where community members and government staff provide feedback. This feedback is commonly incorporated into the site design creating a development that reflects the community’s input.
What are some of the long-term impacts your team considers when designing a site?
Marsha: When designing a residential subdivision or a commercial site, it’s important to consider any environmental impacts including soil erosion, stormwater management, and traffic patterns in addition to creating a development that will last and be an asset to the community.
FROM ARCHITECTS TO UTILITY LOCATING: UNITING DISCIPLINES FOR INTEGRATED PLANNING
How does your team collaborate with other disciplines, such as architects and environmental scientists, on a project?
Marsha: The development of vacant property starts with environmental surveys and assessments. We work closely with environmental scientists to identify any cultural resources on the site, any environmental concerns, wetlands, or endangered species. For commercial, institutional, and healthcare developments, we coordinate and collaborate with architects and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing consultants to design the facilities.
What are key considerations when planning for green spaces and public access?
Marsha: When planning and designing green spaces within a development, it’s essential to ensure that they are functional and strategically located for easy access for the residents. The size of the green space should be sufficient to accommodate either passive or active recreational use.
How do utility locating teams and land development professionals collaborate for project success?
Bill: Getting construction off to a strong start begins during the design stage. Early collection of accurate data on underground obstructions enables the land development design team to plan around them smoothly and effectively. If an obstruction can’t be avoided, we coordinate with utility providers to relocate it before construction begins. While utility coordination can sometimes be lengthy and complex, there are cases where relocation isn’t possible. In those instances, the design team must adapt to accommodate the obstruction. Collaboration between the utility locating team, professional engineers, and utility companies is always essential to ensure the project proceeds efficiently and successfully.
What risks can utility locating mitigate during the land development process?
Bill: If there’s a lack of accurate utility data during the design phase of development projects, it can lead to construction challenges down the line. For example, maps received during design stage requests may be outdated, imprecise, or scaled too broadly to pinpoint exact utility locations. This can result in unexpected surprises, like finding utilities not where anticipated, or worse, discovering unknown utilities during excavation. When this happens, construction grinds to a halt, and time-consuming coordination with utility providers becomes necessary. By locating utilities accurately at the outset, rather than relying solely on maps, projects can avoid costly delays and stay on schedule, which saves both time and money for everyone involved.
Can you describe how stormwater management factors into land development planning?
Marsha: With the development of residential and commercial projects, the overall site conditions are changed from predominately pervious surfaces to large percentages of impervious surfaces. It’s imperative that the management of additional stormwater flows are analyzed and that the quantity and quality of stormwater are addressed to avoid any impacts to downstream properties.
BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN SURFACE DESIGN & SUBSURFACE DATA
How has technology changed your approach to land development design?
Marsha: Current technology has allowed for the design and development of larger properties and has increased design efficiency. Stormwater analysis programs allow for modeling of streams to identify critical areas and determine high water elevations for storm frequencies, which more closely reflect conditions. Civil 3D allows for better design accuracy, surface modeling, drainage system design, corridor design, and visualization of the graded site.
What advancements in utility locating technology are shaping the future of land development?
Bill: Over the past decade, utility locating has made remarkable strides, and we’ve embraced these advancements to enhance our services. Initially, we used SPAR equipment, introduced at the request of a specific client. While effective, it required carrying a large, cumbersome box to each site. Over time, we upgraded and expanded our toolbox to the lightweight and mobile Radio Detection 8100/8200 units, adding flexibility to our operations. Recently, we took another leap forward with the RD8200SG, which not only locates utilities but also captures survey-grade quality data in real-time. This innovation has greatly improved our team’s efficiency – allowing us to mark utility lines and collect accurate coordinates simultaneously. The result is faster workflows for our teams and cost savings for our clients.
TRANSFORMING IDEAS INTO IMPACT
What’s the most rewarding part of working in land development engineering?
Marsha: Land development engineering incorporates all facets of civil engineering design including horizontal and vertical roadway alignments, water system modeling, sanitary sewer collection systems, and stormwater management. It’s very rewarding to incorporate all areas of civil engineering into the design and development of our projects and to see those projects constructed.
What trends do you see emerging in land development, and how is your team adapting?
Marsha: Current trends include mixed-use developments that incorporate commercial, residential, and recreational spaces. These designs require smaller lots, which may not comply with local ordinances, but these smaller lots allow for the overall density while preserving environmental areas within the project site.
About TWM’s Land Development Group
TWM has a long history of land development experience, from residential and commercial developments to industrial, recreational, and institutional projects. Our civil engineers focus on finding ways to lower the cost of both design and construction without compromising quality. TWM’s typical site design might include grading and erosion control plans, hydraulic analysis, drainage and detention design, streets, parking lots and ingress/egress design, sanitary sewer and water distribution design, and utility coordination plus a wide range of related services such as pre-project due-diligence, concept/master planning, annexation, planning and zoning board assistance, preliminary/final platting, and construction phase engineering.
Our typical land development projects include:
- Hospitals and other medical facilities
- K-12 and higher education facilities
- Retail, office and commercial centers
- Single- and multi-family developments
- Assisted living facilities
- Industrial parks/warehouse facilities
- Municipal buildings, parks and recreational facilities
- Churches/church-school campuses
- Planned unit developments
About TWM’s Utility Locating Services
TWM uses the latest, most advanced conductive and inductive electromagnetic locating equipment and GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar) coupled with the latest technologies in surveying to deliver a service unmatched in locating accuracy. Integrating this equipment with our existing GNSS receivers and total stations gives us the ability to provide data in various formats. Marked on the ground, GIS, or a CAD drawing are our primary deliverables. Having data geospatially referenced is the best way to keep track of assets, prevent future damage, and reduce costs on future planning and construction project costs.
TWM is equipped to handle SUE Level B (non-excavation underground detection), Level C (above ground reconnaissance), and Level D (records search) projects.
Read more about our land development and utility locating services. Visit our Projects page to explore some of TWM’s land development projects.
