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Mar 17

Harbor Point Elementary construction complete for the growing city of Saratoga Springs, Utah

By Completed Project

Located at 4189 East Schooner Drive, Saratoga Springs, the new elementary was placed on an undeveloped site with a grand view of Utah Lake to the east. As part of the architectural engineering design team for Alpine School District lead by VCBO Architecture, Meridian Engineering provided the survey, civil site layout, utility plans, drainage, grading, and subdivision plats for collaboration of a beautiful, tech-friendly, two-story educational facility.

 
Photography by Paul Richer, Richer Photography, courtesy Hogan Construction
Conceptual Design, VCBO Architecture

Our role began with design grade surveying, boundary analysis, amended subdivision platting. Civil design included site grading and drainage plans for two parking lots, bus and parent drop of zones, and two new play fields.  In addition, Meridian provided site utility design for all new sewer, water, and storm drain connections. To provide access to the school, Meridian designed two new roadways, Captain Street and Schooner Drive, as well as the widening of Redwood Road for a left turn lane. The roads were included in accordance with city standards and a traffic study as part of the design. The new school was constructed by Hogan Construction and opened August 2021.

Salt Lake County
Feb 17

DNR North East State Park campground and day use projects are progressing nicely.

By Project Progress

Meridian’s civil engineering team is working with the State of Utah-DFCM, and the Department of Natural Resources to finish four separate recreation projects cohesively. These projects consist of Jordanelle Reservoir’s Rock Cliff RV and van campground and Ross Creek day use area improvements, Rockport Reservoir’s Cedar Point new day use area, and a new campground at Deer Creek Reservoir along with waterski boat improvements.

Construction for each site is slated to begin this spring. Deer Creek, Ross Creek and Rockport construction are expected to be complete during the fall of 2022. Rock Cliff is scheduled for completion fall of 2023. These expanded areas are anticipated to enhance recreational activities at each of the reservoirs for years to come while meeting local public demand for camping and day use activities.

 
Rock Cliff Campground site plan and new entrance station
Deer Creek Campground site plan
Rockport Cedar Point Day Use site plan
 
Ross Creek Entry – Day Use site plan
Ross Creek Parking – Day Use at Jordanelle Reservoir
Salt Lake County
Jan 12

Acquisition TIP #4

By Knowledge Base

Right of Way Acquisition TIP #4: Land Research and Title

The Nov/Dec edition of the Right of Way magazine (pg. 22) features an intriguing article authored by Rob Scimeme. He details the initial land research and title work needed for utility projects. Suffice it to say that his words of wisdom don’t only apply to linear projects; there are critical points to be highlighted for any project that is determining right of way acquisition requirements. 

Conduct a project walk down for the initial route and involve team members from engineering and survey firms, construction groups, and stakeholders. During the walk down, gather pertinent data, assess field conditions, and determine needs for property rights.

Create a line list of the affected properties and research public land records; capture boundary lines, identify potential environmental effects, utility easements, crossings, and historical land records. Take into account considerations for conflicts and develop alternative approaches.

Ascertain current ownership types and land use. Ensure the proper party is engaged to acquire the needed rights, help identify unique property characteristics, estimate acquisition timing, and provide feedback to determine an appropriate design and acquisition approach. 

Upon completing these initial steps, it’s time for extensive title research. Use a reputable company familiar with your project type and has access to a title plant. They will conduct the examination and issue a report containing the search results, including the legal ownership and the property’s legal description. It also reveals clouds on the title, such as restrictions and encumbrances, that potentially impact the title’s transfer. 

Conducting these practices is imperative to expose existing issues early on and help avoid costly surprises. 

Contact the experts at Meridian Engineering and allow us to help you deploy your strategic initiative.

-authored by,

Tammy Evans, MRP, SR/WA
Acquisition Manager

Meridian Engineering

tevans@meiamerica.com

 

Dec 21

Acquisition TIP #3

By Knowledge Base

Right of Way Acquisition TIP #3: Complexities of Relocations for Projects with Federal Funding Participation

Wherever a transportation project is anticipated to acquire real-property rights for federally funded or federal-assisted programs or projects, it’s mandatory that proper relocation planning, advisory, and coordination preparations are performed consistent with federal regulations CFR title 49 part 24.205. At the early stages of project development, and where appropriate, any action by an Agency causing displacement should be scope according to the complexity and nature of the activity and bring forth resources needed to carry out timely and orderly relocation services.

Relocation planning shall be done in such a manner that recognizes the problems associated with the displacement of individuals, families, businesses, farms, and non-profit organizations. It shall develop solutions to minimize the adverse impacts of displacement.

Contact Tammy Evans, Meridian Engineering, Inc. for a free half-hour consultation. With over 10-years of relocation planning and experience, she can assist you with pre-requisite planning and provide the supportive resources needed to meet your program’s goals.

-authored by,

Tammy Evans, MRP, SR/WA
Acquisition Manager

Meridian Engineering

tevans@meiamerica.com

 

Dec 02
right of way acquisition services - Meridian Engineering

Acquisition TIP #2

By Knowledge Base

 

Acquisition TIP #2: Upholding and Maintaining Public Confidence

Many local agencies have adopted their own set of processes for smaller projects that works in many ways. Although this practice benefits the project budget and schedule, it doesn’t necessarily protect property owners’ lawful right for uniform and equitable treatment while maintaining confidence in managing public funds.

A May 2021 Pew Research Center Study on Public Trust in Government: 1958-2021 found that America’s trust in government began to wane in the 1960s and remains low today. Approximately one-quarter of Americans say they can trust the government “just about always” (2%) or “most of the time” (22%). Since 2007, these figures have not surpassed 30%.

Keeping Utah on the Right Track.

Considering the sensitivity surrounding the compulsory sale of private property rights is significant in fostering trust within the community and creating a positive outlook and roadmap to project completion. The solution is hiring quality personnel with the proper knowledge of Right of Way Acquisition standards as it pertains to the consistency in applying state and federal code and, in addition, understanding the fundamental mediating factors required to manage and create trust. A single property owner’s dissatisfaction regarding the project can negatively influence the surrounding owners’ perception of fair and equitable treatment. It reverberates itself into added costs and delays in meditation and settlement efforts, resulting in significant delays and feeding into public distrust.

Ensure your agency contracts with a firm with a strong reputation of high ethical standards of conduct, honesty, integrity, and quality of work. Bestowing respect is vital in maintaining good public relations, and a qualified real estate professional with compassion and expertise in eminent domain law will ensure relationship growth and endurance with the community and each property owner.

-authored by,

Tammy Evans, MRP, SR/WA
Acquisition Manager

Meridian Engineering