For most people, selection of a building site is usually based on proximity to the area where they want to live, their budget and/or how much flexibility they have in building design. The location that you choose should match your needs for access to community amenities, work, good schools for your children, and/or your lifestyle goals. Too many times people make poorly thought-out decisions, such as building large, luxurious homes on acreage outside of town only to abandon them within a couple of years, realizing that they hate the commute to work every day.
Just as often, people buy undeveloped sites in established infill areas only to discover that these sites were never built on because of poor soils, drainage issues or development restrictions pushing development costs above neighborhood home values. Most people do not know enough about building to determine cost variances associated with site abnormalities. Sites with steep grade or poor soils may mean that engineering and installing the foundation will be cost prohibitive. If the site is heavily treed, it may be subject to city ordinances that prohibit the removal of large trees that just happen to be located within the allowable build area of the site. So it might be difficult to fit the home on the site or you may have to take expensive measures to prevent roots from damaging the foundation over the long term.
Some sites have expansive clay soils, which can cause foundation problems, while other sites are so rocky that they cannot support the vegetation that will be needed to shade the structure, much less any kind of landscaping. If your goal is to put a solar photovoltaic system on your home, some sites in dense urban areas might not have enough sun exposure, due to trees or proximity to neighboring structures, to support that feature. If possible, it is best to have your builder or architect review the site before you make an offer to buy to be sure it will accommodate the size and type of home you intend to build.
You should also research any future growth, development and planning studies available for your area. As communities and regions struggle with population migration issues, you’ll want to know that your decision to build and live in those areas will be a worthwhile investment in the long run. A recently published study indicates that, by the year 2050, 90 percent of the US population is expected to live in dense, urban areas (current 2010 census indicates we are already at 82 percent). There have been reports in the media that the expected volume of baby boomers retiring is going to create a glut in the housing market as they attempt to unload the large homes supported by their working incomes for smaller, active retirement lifestyle accommodations. In fact, the average home size is expected to shrink back to mid-1990 levels by the year 2015, as more families lose ground in their battle for wage increases. All of these news items indicate a trend toward higher-density, urban, mixed-use developments. Certainly cities are going to have to come up with creative solutions to address these challenges.
But the truth is, if you are still thinking of moving to the suburbs, you are not alone. Many fall prey to the false impression of cheaper land and lower rural tax evaluations. You should recognize, though, that as growth continues to move outward, so must infrastructure and services. And when enough people move outward, commercial development will follow to address the demand for support services and amenities. Before long, roadway construction will need to be upgraded or expanded to accommodate the volume of commuter vehicles; new schools, ball fields and hike-and-bike trails will be built; and strip shopping centers will line the highway. So even if property taxes are cheaper initially, that is probably not going to continue to be the case in the future. Some call this progress. Green building refers to it as sprawl, and the truth is that much of it is not sustainable.
Building new – or even sustaining existing — infrastructure for uncontrolled development is going to be difficult, if not impossible, except where planning addresses hubs of targeted growth corridors. We simply cannot afford to build and maintain an ever-expanding infrastructure to service every new “affordable” outlying development that springs up. Many cities around the country have partnered with their neighbors to create regional authorities to collaborate on long-term solutions that will enable them to stay ahead of these problems. By defining these target corridors, they are able to minimize traffic congestion caused by cross-area commutes from bedroom communities to work centers. Sustainable developments will have to be defined by planning and development boards that look at integrating employment centers, residential housing, parks and recreation both within the urban core and in suburban areas. To assure long-range sustainability, both affordability and diversity will have to be key components of these planned communities.
This is not to say that farmsteads are going by the wayside. On the contrary, there are also current trends toward community-supported local agriculture. We expect this form of agriculture will lead to increased activity for community-shared gardens, with many new opportunities in urban and suburban areas for small-scale organic cottage food industries. This will include continued efforts in the city structure of the future for developing vertical farms and embracing rooftop real estate for growing the food of those buildings’ occupants.
Smart Growth
You can easily find new community resources (banks, churches, schools, retail, medical and other personal service providers) when you move to any new neighborhood, but finding them within walking distance, a feature offered by many of the new mixed-use “master planned” developments, offers even further savings on commuting expenses and time and other factors that impact your quality of life. In the best-case scenario, your location would be in a mixed-use development that includes all of the resources that your family will need: community services (fire, police and emergency) and recreation within walking or biking distance; alternative (car share) or mass transit (bus, commuter trains) that connects to other dedicated hubs. Since many cities are mandating Smart Growth developments with these sustainability features, you should think about how well your investment will hold up in a location that does not.
Living in a master-planned development also means you get more amenities because the cost is shared by the community. This includes the cost of installing utility lines and roadways, open space, parks, recreational facilities including swimming pools, dedicated pedestrian and bicycle trails, libraries and community buildings and gardens. There is definitely a revival in interest in neighborhood support, with sharing of interests and responsibilities. Homeowner associations help assure properties are maintained and values are protected. And, finally, when choosing your site, think about which one will contribute the most to your living enjoyment, building performance and ease of homeownership.
This article is dedicated to recognizing the opportunities and challenges associated with site selection. It is important to recognize that, although some sites may offer obvious advantages over others, sometimes if we think outside the box we can overcome challenges and still achieve our goals.
