Developers first and foremost are interested in speed, and the last thing they want is unforeseen issues once a project is underway.
The Fulton County Center for Regional Growth has fully recognized developers’ needs in today’s climate and has made significant investments to remove the element of surprise from potential development sites in its borders to help speed the process along.
The 250-acre site spans the border of the Town of Johnstown and the Town of Mohawk on New York State Route 30A is a case in point. The county has been working over the past year to prepare the parcel for application for the FAST NY program for Shovel-Ready Certification.
“There’s a complexity to the development process that didn’t exist 30 to 40 years ago,” said Mary Beth Bianconi, a partner at the Albany-based firm Delaware Engineering, DPC.
She goes on to explain that the availability of sites has decreased, as all the land that is easy to develop has already been used for houses, schools, malls, and a variety of other buildings essential to a community.
These days, developers are forced to look on the fringes of urban areas outside major cities to find available free spaces.
In addition, the regulatory landscape has changed, becoming more complex over time as government agencies introduce new regulations on building. Increased regulations require additional studies that must be conducted, lengthening the building process.
More time translates to higher costs, something that the development community is no longer willing to tolerate. Furthermore, studies are essential in determining the suitability for an end user, and without having the studies in hand before making a decision to build, a developer would be taking a significant risk.
“From a development perspective, certainty is very important,” Bianconi said. “And the only way you get certainty is to do the studies up front and get all the information.”
Given that time is of the essence and certainty is a must, FCCRG engaged Delaware Engineering to advance this property through the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act which involves conducting studies relevant to the site, including environmental, archaeological, and wetlands identification, as well as obtaining any permits that can be issued without end user input.
The initial work for Delaware Engineering was to gather any documentation related to a whole host of environmental conditions at the site, including community plans, to obtain a clear picture of the conditions and resources there. Wetland mapping, identification of cultural resources, and other field work followed.
One thing that the Route 30A site has going for it is that utilities are already in place. Delaware Engineering evaluated the configuration of the land, how the parcel would accommodate drainage patterns and the amounts of water, along with the sewer and electricity that are already available.
While environmental and cultural studies were taking place, Alexander “Sandy” Mathes, Jr. of the Coxsackie, New York-based Mathes Public Affairs was preparing a market analysis for the site.
He examined the site’s potential for companies operating in the advanced manufacturing, life sciences, and food manufacturing sectors as well as other opportunities that the property could support.
He also worked with New York State Empire State Development as a resource to determine potential uses for the property. “There are significant needs for sites in advanced manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and safe energy,” Mathes said.
His analysis gave the Fulton County Center for Regional Growth a clear direction on where to focus its marketing efforts.
With all these various pieces gathered, Delaware Engineering prepared a master plan, which gives a vision of what the site could look like when built on, identifying potential locations for buildings, roads, parking, utilities, landscaping, and other elements.
“The Master Plan is important as part of the assessment process, but it’s flexible,” Bianconi said. “It’s intended just to present a guidance document for us to assess the project, and because we’re assessing the marketplace, we shouldn’t be caught off-guard with somebody asking us for what we haven’t considered.”
Bianconi describes the process of finding the perfect occupant for the property as a Venn diagram. “What does the community want to see in this site as reflected by the zoning, what is the market wanting in terms of development, and what does the site offer?” she asked. “Where those pieces intersect in the center is the sweet spot.”
Even with the great need for available sites, developers are still looking for low-risk, quick places to develop. Mathes points out that it is a high priority for anybody looking to select a site that the process be predictable, smooth with the community, and can be completed in a rapid time frame. He also admits that this is a difficult endeavor for counties and municipalities to accomplish due to the cost.
Bianconi agrees. “To go through this process takes money, it takes time, it takes political will,” she said. “It’s being done very selectively by communities that have been willing to make these investments.” In essence, Fulton County’s dedication to conducting the pre-development activities necessary to make properties in its county appealing to developers puts it ahead of other areas that may have land but have not made properties development ready.
“Kudos to the Fulton County Center for Regional Growth,” Mathes said. “Most counties are not doing this and making the investment–which is significant–to put them in a position to be successful.”
Ready to Grow Your Business?
For more information, application guidelines, and to learn how the FCCRG can support your business journey, please contact us at +1.518.725.7700
All Rights Reserved. Website by