Build-Out Project Summaries

OGIA staff are adept at completing many facets of build out projects including spatial data development, analysis of local by-laws, spatial modeling, and tabulation of aspatial (cost-projection) data. The organization is familiar with established build-out methods including those recommended by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA) in 1999.

Under the direction of regional planning faculty, OGIA may also conceptualize new approaches to meet the client's needs. These may include in-fill assessments, indicator studies, and land suitability models. Below is a sample of the range of build out work performed by OGIA from 1998 to present.

A Build-Out Study of the Mid-Connecticut Valley of Massachusetts

A study of residential growth potential in seven towns within in the Connecticut River Valley including Amherst, Belchertown, Easthampton, Hadley, Hatfield, Northampton, and Williamsburg. Using a GIS, staff identified land areas that were both physically suitable and available for future development. (See methods diagram below.)

Build-out method prepared by Dr. E. Bruce MacDougall, OGIA Associate Director.

The analysis required use of digital parcel data, but for many towns this was not existent. This made it necessary for staff to construct base map data by scanning hardcopy property, zoning, and conservation easement maps . This data was then combined in an overlay analysis with datasets of slopes, hydrography, and landuse obtained from MassGIS.

The output of the GIS overlay analysis was then combined with a review of zoning regulations, population growth projections, land conservation trends and other constraints to project different growth scenarios. The scenarios provided an estimate the number of new residences in each town. The results of the study were intended for use in municipal fiscal impact studies.

Download whole report as .pdf document.

NULA Process for the Town of Hadley, MA
Land suitable for development	Land available for development	Resulting NULA for build-out

Prepared under contract with the Center for Economic Development at the University of Massachusetts. 1998.

French-Quinebaug Watershed EOEA Build-Outs

In 1999, OGIA was contracted by Central Regional Massachusetts Planning Commission (CMRPC) to develop spatial data for a four town build-out of Charlton, Leicester, Southbridge, Sturbridge. Deliverables were required to meet CMRPC and MassGIS standards for use under EOEA build-out criteria. OGIA was responsible for meeting with local officials, data collectio, review of local by-laws, updating landuse spatial data, miscellaneous spatial data reconciliation, and metadata preparation.

Much of the staff's time was spent updating the 1985 MacConnell landuse data layer through a "heads up" digitizing process in ArcView 3.2 (see image below). Old landuse was overlain a top 1997 orthophotos and new landuses were identified and digitized. Developments constructed subsequent to 1997 were digitized from plats obtained from local planning offices. Reconciliation of the hydrography dataset to landuse and from landuse to roads was performed in ArcInfo 7.x.

Example of "heads-up" digitizing procedure in ArcView 3.2 used to update the 1985 landuse dataset using 1997 orthophotography.

Industrial Land Build-Out and Infill Assessment for Townsend, Massachusetts

In this project OGIA was asked to determine suitable locations for future industrial development. Given that the town did not have a parcel dataset, OGIA used the methods developed from the Mid-Connecticut Valley study to locate undeveloped land near roadways free of environmental constraints. The study required an update of the landuse spatial data using hardcopy aerial photographs. Environmental constraints were derived from a thorough review of town by-laws (including conservation by-laws).

Acknowledging resistance in the community to new development, OGIA analyzed assessor's real property data, in the context of zoning, to prepare a list of industrially zoned properties that could be "in-filled". In-filling was defined as developed land that could accommodate additional industrial or commercial uses via subdivision or expansion of existing buildings by the property owner.

Results of Net Usable Land Assessment (NULA) for industrial use in Townsend, MA. This map illustrates the inconsistencies that can occur between landuse and zoning. Notice that some industrial uses (solid pink polygons) fall outside of areas zoned industrial (pink outline).

Prepared under contract with the Center for Economic Development at the University of Massachusetts by a Masters of Regional Planning studio team comprised of OGIA staff in 1999.

Download powerpoint slide show of project.

Connecticut River Regional Suitability Analysis

In the summer of 2000, OGIA, in collaboration with the Center for Economic Development, was contracted by the North Country Council of Bethlehem, NH to identify the economic development potential and associated environmental concerns in target communities along this American Heritage River. OGIA's research focus includes all river border towns from Vermont to Long Island Sound.

The project is divided into two phases: 1) base mapping and creation of GIS data library on the Connecticut River Watershed; and 2) regional analysis of areas suitable for economic development given certain environmental constraints.

Phase one was completed in September of 2000. Phase two is on-going. OGIA intends to share its data with other regional partners and river stakeholders. Plans are under consideration to create a data warehouse on all relevant Connecticut River information and spatial data through OGIA's parent organization, The Environmental Institute (TEI) at UMASS, Amherst.

Depicted are known tracts of "protected" opens space (green), river border towns (blue), and watershed (brown).

For more information on these projects or to contract with OGIA for a build out project email
Rick Taupier, OGIA Director.