No commercial development project is without hiccups from start to finish. These projects can be time-consuming and costly, requiring multiple site plan revisions and meeting various municipal requirements. The planning stage of your project may involve dozens of zoning and design variations to satisfy the requirements of the municipalities.
Because multiple municipal entities will most likely review a project’s plans, the results may include varying interpretations, comments, and revisions. This stage may also become complicated due to staffing changes and the assignment of a new planner.
So, what happens when you’re constantly dealing with changes?
Here are tips to help you be proactive in lowering overall costs and delays, even when rework is unavoidable.
Keep Project Fees and Timelines in Mind
In addition to the obvious labor and material costs, you should be aware of any unexpected costs, such as resubmittal fees, change orders, and remediation, from the start. Recon reconciling many complex and frequently contradictory ordinances and requirements can delay the development review process for months.
If numerous site plan revisions are required, address what is necessary to meet project timelines and costs. It is critical to plan how municipal review will impact the project timeline.
Recognize the Relevant Criteria
Although it varies by municipality, major changes to permitted construction plans are usually required to be resubmitted to the land development division, where they are handled at the discretion of the inspector supervisor.
Learn about the potential reasons for revision, which include, but are not limited to:
• Unexpected conflicts
• Changes caused by neighboring properties
• Changes in ownership
• Schedule changes as a result of delays
Reduce the Impact
Much of the frustration associated with land development review and approval stems from the process’s complexity and a lack of information about the steps.
As a best practice measure, meet with municipal staff involved to help determine the necessary approval requirements.
Another option is with engineers or architects who have previously worked with the municipality to learn about their experiences.
A profitable way to mitigate this challenge would be to use a third-party plan review, and inspection service provider qualified in their jurisdiction. The benefit of doing so is that their programs provide more thorough inspections and efficient performance standards, whereas public agencies may have overburdened staff, resulting in longer turnaround times.
The development process will almost certainly require the entire team to start over. There is no way around it. Working with a trusted developer who finds ways to work more effectively and efficiently will significantly reduce the number of setbacks caused by ongoing site plan revisions.
******************************
Come join us! Email me at mark@dolphinpi.us to find out more about our next real estate investment.