The last time that you invested in a piece of property, did you know the answers to these questions?

• Are there any underground pipelines on the property?

• Does the title report contain any restrictions to development?

• What use have the neighbors made of the property over the years? Are any of them municipal officials or others with potential conflicts of interest?

• Even if the property has been recently farmed, does the topography of the property show low or depressional areas?

• Was asparagus ever grown on the property?

• What is the position of the elected officials towards development? Does it correspond with its advisory commissions, staff, and consultants?

• Who controls the sewage treatment ? What is the capacity? Is that capacity available, or reserved by others?

• What is the proposed use of the property in the municipal Comprehensive Plan? How old is the Plan?

• Have similar developments been approved recently in the municipality? What variations were granted? How satisfied is the municipality with those developments?
  

• Are there municipal elections scheduled during the estimated approval process period?

• What municipal dedications or improvements are shown on the Comprehensive Plan for the property? Do other taxing bodies have separate Master Plans for the area?

• Is the local Fire Department capable of serving the property? What is their anticipated Response Time? What is their reaction to your proposal?
  

• If the surrounding properties have been developed long ago, why is this property still vacant? Are there other developments proposed in the vicinity that may affect the availability of services or contiguity to municipal boundaries?

• What are the plans for improvements to adjacent highways? Who controls the access?

• What are the perceived needs of the local school district? Do they prefer cash or land? Does their student "cost per year" figure correspond to the local impact fees?

• How do the neighbors feel about development of the property?  Are they organized?  Do they have access to tar and feathers?

Our 35 years of experience have taught us that the unasked questions are those which lead to the biggest (and worst) surprises. Integrated Planning Services can conduct anonymous inquiries on the behalf of our clients to answer these types of questions.  Often, the answers to these questions are personal or political rather than technical. Our hands-on practice and cross-training in civil engineering, architecture, real estate brokerage, and landscape design gives I.P.S. an array of skills and insights unique in the land planning profession. We know the questions to ask, and where to look for the answers.

The level of detail and scope of inquiries can be adjusted to each clients specific needs, and where more detailed investigation is required, we can refer you to those sources.