Another important factor to consider in the purchase of a property for building placement is the utilities that service the facility. Primarily this would include electricity, water, sanitary sewer, storm sewer and natural gas. Additional utility considerations would be for telephone and cable TV/internet connections. When a property survey is done, the utilities ought to be located on the plan in order to determine and design connections. Often the church that is relocating and building on new open land will consider the zoning and planning issues, but may not adequately consider the utility issue. In pointing out regulations and costs, the intent is not to dissuade a church from developing on open land that does not have public utilities. This is simply meant to call attention to these needs so that a realistic budget for the project can be developed.
Water
Access to public water may be more important then a church realizes. If the eventual development plan for the Church is large, then building codes will require a fire protection sprinkler system. This is normally accommodated with the public water system where there is adequate pressure to operate the sprinkler system in emergency conditions. Relying on well water for sprinklers becomes a much more expensive proposition, involving large capacity water storage tanks and pumps that are powered by emergency generator back-up power systems. A site may be adequate for most purposes; however a lack of public water can wind up adding several hundred thousand dollars to the development costs.
Sewer
Another significant issue is the availability to a public sewer system. When it does not exist and the development is of a small nature, then an on-site septic disposal system may be adequate. However, if a large development is ultimately planned, an on-site sewer treatment plant may need to be constructed, again entailing significant costs. Also, proximity to a public sewer line is no guarantee that the church will be allowed to tap into that line. The overall capacity of the sewage system is regulated by the local sewer authority, and in some municipalities development is hindered by a lack of capacity at a local sewage treatment plant.
Electricity
Electricity, although it may be readily available at the road, may need to be of a different service type than exists presently. Especially in residential areas where it is common to only have what is known as single phase electrical service, this is true. The church may be burdened with an added expense of bringing in three-phase service in order to have a facility that is reasonably energy efficient to operate. Most of the more economical commercial equipment for buildings (lighting systems and heating/air conditioning systems) operate on three-phase service. Be sure to check with the local utility company to see what is available to service your site, and what the premium may be to bring three-phase service, if it is not already available.
Another electric issue to consider is the need for transformers to bring an adequate power load to the facility. Typically the utility company will provide the transformer, however for economy’s sake it is best to locate this as close to the main distribution panel for the building electric service as is possible. Typically, the utility company will require a pad constructed of concrete or a below ground concrete vault in which to place the transformer. This needs to be within twenty feet or less of the paved roadway so that the truck delivering and setting the transformer will not get stuck in the mud, but will be able to easily service it. At times the utility company may require the church to furnish the conduits and key cables from the roadway to the transformer and the service company will provide connections. Another reason to keep the transformer close to the main distribution panel is because of the expense of the secondary electric cables. Secondary electric cables are the ones that run from the transformer to the main distribution panel. This wire run tends to be very expensive, often in excess of $100 per linear foot. So a long run can add up to a very high expense. Typically the utility company wants to place the transformer on the roadway side of the building. This may result in an undesirable location from an aesthetic standpoint. For this reason it is best to work out the location of the transformer ahead of time with the electrical engineer for the project and the local utility company.
Natural Gas
The heating systems for the building in a temperate climate are best served by natural gas or, alternatively, heating oil. It is very expensive to operate a building on all electric heating in the northern portions of the United States. Natural gas is a much cleaner fuel than fuel oil, and tends to be the fuel of choice for commercial buildings. It is desirous to have a site with natural gas; however propane can be brought in as an alternate natural gas form if natural gas does not exist nearby.
Storm Sewer
A storm sewer connection may only apply on urban sites where the site’s storm water run-off must be collected and connected into a public street storm water system. In many urban locations, a property owner cannot simply dump rain water from the roof onto the ground and allow water from the parking lot to run-off into the street, as this can cause flooding conditions. Typically, direct connections will be required from the roof drains and parking area inlets into the public storm water system.
In suburban sites the storm water is typically handled by retention basins. These can be above ground or below ground in order to return storm water to its predevelopment flow. Storm water management has become a “hot button” in many suburban municipalities. Unchecked development over time has created conditions where flooding occurs on a regular basis at downstream locations. This is because during heavy rain storm water flows to the streams much quicker traveling over pavement, then it did previously when the land was grass, meadow or woodlands. As a result most municipalities require storm retention or detention facilities that will fill up during a rain, and then slowly release the water back into the Environment.
Other municipalities are going to what are known as “ground water recharge systems” to deal with storm water, because development over time in an area can deplete the amount of water flowing into underground aquifers. These systems tend to be much more expensive than an above ground retention pond. They involve the construction of stone beds or perforated pipes underneath parking areas that allow the storm water to saturate back into the soils. Typically a civil engineer would provide the design for these systems in conformance with the municipality, but be aware that, depending upon the regulations that are enforced in a particular municipality, dealing with storm water can be a very expensive proposition, and it is possible that a portion of the building site will need to be dedicated to storm water retention.
Data Connections
The final utility issue is data connections, such as a telephone and cable. Typically, cable is or is not available at your site. If it is available then the utility provider will bring the cable to the building in your choice of routings, i.e. underground conduits or overhead lines. Telephone is available almost universally and, again, will be brought to the building through your preferred route of service. From an aesthetic standpoint, underground utilities – cables and conduits and pipes – are always more desirable than above ground utilities. They also tend to be more reliable, in that they are less apt to be damaged by storms, falling trees, etc.
The final utility issue is data connections, such as a telephone and cable. Typically, cable is or is not available at your site. If it is available then the utility provider will bring the cable to the building in your choice of routings, i.e. underground conduits or overhead lines. Telephone is available almost universally and, again, will be brought to the building through your preferred route of service. From an aesthetic standpoint, underground utilities – cables and conduits and pipes – are always more desirable than above ground utilities. They also tend to be more reliable, in that they are less apt to be damaged by storms, falling trees, etc.