Real Property Services
CE Prime’s real property services including ROW acquisitions and management consulting services are a diverse and complimentary offering of disciplines that address the needs of both public agencies and private developers/landowners. CE Prime’s experienced staff of ROW experts, professionals, and technicians are highly qualified to investigate, analyze, and consult on a wide range of civil planning and design activities, including evaluation of property rights issues and complex civil construction matters.
CE Prime’s professionals draw on their industry expertise pertaining to land development, site engineering, and ROW management. Their specific experience includes working with public and private clients on water and wastewater distribution systems, water storage and pumping facilities, hydraulics and hydrology, drainage detention and retention facilities, public and private improvements, roadways, site and grading plans, entitlements, ROW acquisition, ROW management, overhead and underground electric transmission and distribution corridors, power plant sites, substation sites, renewable energy project coordination, and utility coordination from generation to client.
CE Prime is proud to offer to its client’s in-house expert resources with a strong foundation of extensive agency experience. Our ROW professionals have a firm understanding of the engineering requirements of a project as well as the steps necessary to secure easements or fee title. For these reasons, we not only offer professional acquisition services but professional real property management services as well.
CE Prime Real Property Services
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Acquisition and Relocation:
Voluntary transfer and the acquisition of private property.
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Fee and Easements Negotiation:
Acquire land rights in either fee or easement interest.
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Utility Coordination:
Research existing utility easements and access. Prepare new easements and Right of Ways, prepare abandonment or relinquishment documents. Supervise the placement and/or removal of conflicting utilities.
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Site and Route Selection and Feasibility/Cost Studies:
Determine and/or assess viable location/route options for proposed projects in terms of costs and/or feasibility.
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Title Research and Due Diligence:
Investigate records, documents, and reports to ascertain history and status of title to property. Identify property rights to consummate a transaction or to change/add a use.
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Appraisal Review and/or Valuation Studies:
Ascertain the validity of an appraisal report and/or valuation study for real property, fixtures & equipment, and goodwill (where applicable.)
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Permits & Agreement Processing:
Obtain the required permits or joint use agreements to obtain rights and permission to construct on public or utility property.
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Encroachment Documentation, Clearance and Monitoring:
Investigate and resolve real property encroachments.
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Renewable Energy:
Lease and easement negotiation for distribution and transmission corridors on private and public properties, site analysis and permitting for wind, solar and geothermal projects, alleviation of public opposition, visual impacts, and identification of biological and cultural resources and/or constraints.
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Eminent Domain:
Support to legal counsel for the acquisition of property under the power of Eminent Domain - may entail documentation and testimony as to “good faith” negotiations and value of property taken.
CE Prime professionals draw on their experience and education to offer their clients the latest advances in Renewable Energy projects and policies and facilitating the permitting process with local, state and federal agencies, as well as representation to the property owners and utility companies.
Recently, CE Prime has expanded to include real property activities for various aspects of the Renewable Energy market, specifically Wind and Solar power. The expansion of “alternative energy farms” across the United States highlights two deficiencies that CE Prime has noted in particular – the lack of effective transmission corridors, and the difficulties experienced by agencies and landowners in the permitting process for easements.
A 2006 article entitled Transmission and Wind Energy, by National Grid Company of Westborough, Maine, states that:
“In order to tap the vast potential of new generation sources such as wind power in the US, we must address the existing challenges in generator interconnection and transmission cost and planning policies…; additional transmission infrastructure will be required…(as well as) effective transmission policies for regional planning…”
CE Prime typically furnishes all labor, material, equipment, transportation, and supervision required to perform general engineering and real property related services as requested and authorized by the client. These services may range from total project support to a single task necessary to acquire and maintain the legal land rights of the client for the construction and/or continued operation of pipelines, metering and substation sites, electrical distribution and transmission lines, and all related equipment and appurtenances. Our team provides encroachment identification and removal, ROW program assessment, records management and document control, ROW Construction observations, easement preparation and interpretations, ROW acquisitions, and relocations.