IMPERIAL COUNTY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT

IMPERIAL COUNTY

PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT

GIS NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND

RECOMMENDATIONS

FOR

COUNTY BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT GIS

June 2010

Prepared for: County of Imperial Planning and Development

801 Main Street El Centro, CA 2243

Prepared by: Nolte Associates, Inc.

1605 West Main Street El Centro, CA 92243

Funded by: Community Development Block Grant

Business Development GIS Study for Imperial County

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION PAGE

1.0 INTRODUCTION 3

2.0 NEEDS ASSESSMENT 5

3.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 8

3.1. GIS Data 8

3.2. Geodatabase 10

3.3. ArcGIS Server 13

3.4. Custom Applications 13


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PAGE FIGURES

Figure 1. County of Imperial Organization Chart and the Business GIS ...................................... 4 Figure 2. Existing GIS layer used in Planning and Development Services................................... 6 Figure 3. Foundation of the Business GIS ..................................................................................... 8 Figure 4. 2008 Aerial Imagery Acquisition Project extents and sample images ........................... 9 Figure 5. Modelbuilder tool example........................................................................................... 14 Figure 6. Business GIS as viewed in ArcGIS Explorer ............................................................... 15 APPENDICES

Appendix A. Needs Assessment Questionnaires Appendix B. ESRI Business Analyst Online Example Reports


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1.0 INTRODUCTION

Nolte Associates, Inc. has been retained by Imperial Planning and Development Services to develop a plan for a geographic information system (GIS) that will facilitate economic development within the County. The project was funded by the Community Development Block Grant program. The GIS will be powerful tool for storing, viewing, and analyzing spatial data relevant to economic development. This will allow communities and businesses a direct and effective way to research neighborhoods and properties and obtain accurate and current information to help them make important economic and business decisions. For example, Imperial County Planning and Development Services staff will be able to use the GIS to efficiently and accurately obtain land record information needed in a grant application. Business leaders will be able to take advantage of user friendly tools to search available properties that are in qualified economic incentive zones.

1.1 Background

The US Census Bureau estimated the Imperial County 2009 population at 175,984. This is a 2.32% increase from 2000. The 2009 median household income is estimated at $40,716. In 2009, 81.9 percent of the civilian labor force in the identified market area is employed and 18.1 percent are unemployed. In comparison, 89.4 percent of the U.S. civilian labor force is employed, and 10.6 percent is unemployed. There are approximately 50,000 employees and 5000 businesses in the County. About 53% of the jobs are white collar jobs, 22% service jobs, and 25% blue collar jobs. Median home value in the market area is $121,378, compared to a median home value of $162,279 for the U.S. Agriculture is the largest industry in Imperial County and accounts for 48% of all employment. Renewable energy projects such as solar, wind and geothermal power have become a new focus of the economy of the region.

El Centro is the commercial center of Imperial County. Other Imperial County cities include Calexico, Brawley, Imperial, Calipatria, Holtville, and Westmorland.

For a successful implementation of a business development orientated GIS, it is necessary to understand the roles and responsibilities of the Imperial County Planning and Development Services Department. The Planning and Development Services Department has responsibilities to promote economic development, plan for sustainable long term growth, enforce building codes, and guide the development of parks and recreations programs. These services are supported by administrative staff handling accounting, information technology and other functions. The Information Technology section includes CAD and GIS functions.


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Figure 1. County of Imperial Organization Chart and the Business GIS

The Assessor’s Office has the responsibility to maintain and update the County GIS Base Map. The Assessor Office also provides a web based ArcIMS GIS site called Geoviewer, developed by Nobel Systems. Geoviewer has layers for parcels, streets, highways, city boundaries, aerial photos, and various points of interest. Basic zoom and pan functions are available. The parcel numbers of a selection box can be obtained through the tool box. Though this tool is useful for obtaining some basic information about the County, a more robust and user friendly

GIS application can better foster business development in the region.

Several other organizations have an interest in business development in the region. The Imperial Valley Economic Development Corporation is a partnership of private enterprise and local government that is united by the common vision of expanding and diversifying the regional economy.


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1.2 Purpose and Scope

The study is broken into a Needs Assessment section and a Recommendations section. The Needs Assessment describes the state of existing GIS available and in use as well as the functions that the Planning and Development Services Department performs. The Recommendations section includes the options and alternatives for a future GIS system that will help plan for and attract future growth.

2.0 NEEDS ASSESSMENT

2.1 Interviews and Questionnaires

Questionnaires were sent to staff in the Planning and Development Services Department and the Information Technology Department of Imperial County (Appendix A). Information on opportunities and challenges to a business focused GIS was obtained. Interviewed staff felt that a web based system would allow prospective businesses to identify parcels based on zone, size, and surrounding infrastructure. Funding was thought to be the biggest obstacle to such a system.

Existing information such as parcel and centerline data is in GIS shapefile format. Other information such as zoning existing in CAD and is in the process of being converted to shapefiles. Desired data in a CAD system includes hazard, infrastructure, endangered species, and general map information.

The business development GIS should allow fast and easy access to information to both the County staff and the public. A technician should not be needed to create specific maps on a case by case basis. A business should be able to access the GIS system and search for the zoning information and other information such as parcel size of the parcel and surrounding infrastructure.

The planners were asked to identify important layers that should be included in the GIS. This list summarizes their responses:

• Farmland

• Zoning

• Flood zones

• Census tracts and blockgroups/blocks

• Imperial Valley Foreign Trade Zone

• Enterprise Zones (Calexico-County EZ and Imperial Valley EZ)

• Distance to enterprise zones

• Distance from the two ports of entry in Calexico and the Gateway specific plan.

• Specific plan areas

• Utility lines

• Hazard zones (such as earthquake fault lines)

• Endangered species areas

• Addresses

• Status of parcel development


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• Special districts (such as school districts, water districts, etc.)

• Flight zones

• Railroads and rail spurs

• Canals and water bodies

• Spheres of Influence for the cities

• Average climate temperatures

• Elevation

• Soil classifications

2.2. Existing GIS

2.2.1. Hardware and Software

The Information Technology Department has three ESRI ArcMap licenses and no extensions. The Assessor’s Office has a GIS website called Geoviewer hosted by Nobel Systems.

2.2.2. GIS Data Layers

The Planning and Development Services Department has server data layers that are used commonly. The sources include the County Assessor’s Office, the State of California, and the USA Federal Government. The parcel layer is one of the most important base layers for business development. The parcel layer of over 85,000 lots is updated by the Assessor’s Office approximately every three months. Any corrections to the parcel layer go through the Assessor’s Office. The zoning layer is also layer that is of interest to the business community. The layer is currently in CAD but undergoing conversion to GIS. In addition, zoning and permit data is contained in database management system called Accela and accessed through an interface called Permits Plus. The Accela permit information is in a non-spatial database. However, a link between Accela and GIS has been previously created. One issue that complicates this link is the many-to-one relationship between permits to parcels. A single parcel can have several permits associated with it.

Figure 2. Existing GIS layer used in Planning and Development Services.


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2.2.3. Databases

2.2.3.1.Accela

An land management database system called Accela manages the County’s land use and community development activities. It allows the staff access to input data, verify activities, check permit status and obtain code enforcement. It is not currently well integrated with the Planning and Development Services Department’s GIS. There is an additional product available called Accela GIS that would allow geographic representations of land use, zoning, and infrastructure information associated with a permit or parcel.

2.2.3.2.Questys

Over 450,000 County Assessor documents were scanned into a Questys Document Management System. The scanned documents were processed and indexed into an electronic archive. The database management system allows for faster retrieval of records, space savings, and systems integration.

2.2.4. Functions

2.2.4.1.Site Selection

GIS staff often needs to research information on parcel and permit information. This may be needed by either internal staff or a potential business looking to locate in Imperial County. A site selection analysis is needed to find a suitable site considering available land, zoning, hazards, and infrastructure.

2.2.4.2.Grant Application Development Assistance

The staff of the Planning and Development Services Department often needs GIS assistance with grant applications. Information on foreign trade and enterprise zones will be necessary to complete an application. Flood zones and habitat of endangered species must be considered. The future GIS could be also used to create public notice address lists of properties that may be impacted by proposed project.

2.3. Requirements

A system is needed that will be user friendly to staff and the public. Required spatial data will include information on parcels, zoning, infrastructure, demographics, environmental hazards, and natural features.


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3.0 RECOMMENDATIONS

Nolte recommends the County build a web based Business Development System that can serve both County staff and the business community. The foundation of a County Business Development GIS would be accurate and pertinent business related GIS data. It would be beneficial to establish data sharing agreements with agencies in the region to obtain the most complete dataset possible. The data is organized in a geodatabase to provide an efficient and logical data structure. The geodatabase can be accessed with both the ArcGIS Desktop and the ArcGIS Server. Custom tools and web interfaces are built on top of the ArcGIS platforms to provide more specific and user friendly ways to explore that data as it relates to business development in the County.

Figure 3. Foundation of the Business GIS

3.1.GIS Data

3.1.1. Data Sharing

Several organizations in the region have GIS resources that would be valuable to a County Business Development GIS. The formation of a data sharing agreement could allow for various governmental entries to join together and freely exchange spatial data. One example of this is in Clark County, Nevada. The Interlocal Agreement was established which specified the Clark County GIS Management Office (GISMO) to maintain a GIS warehouse and facilitate data sharing among participants. For this service, the agencies pay a yearly fee to GISMO.

3.1.1.1.Imperial Irrigation District

Imperial Irrigation District (IID) is a community-owned utility, providing electric power, irrigation water, and drainage to the Imperial Valley. The District has


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valuable GIS information on power lines and water supply that is of interest to the business community. IID has mentioned security concerns to sharing GIS data.

3.1.1.2.Municipalities

Several municipalities in Imperial County may have valuable information on infrastructure in GIS. Bringing this information together would help complete the patchwork within the County.

3.1.1.3.Academia

The various academic institutions in the region could provide a resource of GIS data that would support the County’s business and economic development efforts. One such example is the University of Redlands Salton Sea Database program which has environmental, cultural, and infrastructure information for the Salton Sea Basin. Maps and GIS data are available here http://www.institute.redlands.edu/Salton/.

3.1.2. New GIS Data Available

3.1.2.1.Imagery

Aerial Imagery can serve as an import base to a Business Development GIS. The recent 2008 Aerial Imagery Acquisition Project provides one foot or better orthophoto resolution across all of Imperial County. This project was led by the Southern California Association of Governments with the Imperial County GIS Department serving on the technical advisory committee.

Figure 4. 2008 Aerial Imagery Acquisition Project extents and sample images


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In addition, the National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) covered Imperial County in 2009. NAIP color imagery is acquired at a one-meter ground sample distance.

3.1.3. Potential Future GIS Data Acquisition

3.1.3.1.Building Footprints

Building data corresponding to the building footprints and height could be collected from recent aerial imagery. Building data would provide valuable information for visibility analysis, zoning rule violation studies, precise dimensions of buildings, and related attributes.

3.1.3.2.Local Infrastructure

Potential businesses will want to know about available services such as water, sewer, and electricity provided by local government and utilities. A strong data sharing agreement between these entities will be vital.

3.1.3.3.Critical Habitat

It is important to obtain spatial information on critical wildlife habitat and multiple species habitat plans. One source of information is the California Wildlife Habitat Relationships (CWHR) database from the California Fish and Game Department.

CWHR is a state-of-the-art information system for California's wildlife. CWHR contains life history, geographic range, habitat relationships, and management information on 694 species of amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals known to occur in the state. In addition, a Natural Community Conservation Planning (NCCP) Agreement was signed by the Imperial Irrigation District and the Department of Fish and Game. Through this agreement, 9 plants and 87 animals will be protected within a 500,000 acre region.

3.2.Geodatabase

The spatial data for the County Business Development GIS Project is organized in an ESRI File Geodatabase. An ESRI file geodatabase is a collection of organized GIS datasets held in a file system folder. The file geodatabases are ideal for storing and managing spatial data. The database is only limited by the available disk space in size. The database structure is optimized for fast performance.


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3.2.1. Database Structure

The structure for the County Business Development geodatabase is grouped into datasets of related information. The figure below shows groups for Administration, Basemap, Cadastral, Environment, Facilities, Infrastructure, Land Use, and Transportation. This structure is derived from the proposed data sharing model called Data for the Nation. Other components were taken from ESRI’s Local Government Data Model. The horizontal coordinate system is California State Plane, Zone 6 (feet).

3.2.2. Administration Dataset

This dataset includes administrative and legal boundaries for governmental units. Municipal, county, and water district boundaries are included.

3.2.3. Cadastral

The cadastral dataset includes details on the ownership of land. The parcel layer shows the dimensions of the parcels, ownership information, and assessed value. The parcel layer is anchored to a survey control network to provide an accurate geospatial framework.

3.2.4. Census

This dataset includes the spatial and tabular data from the 2000 US Census. There are three layers of information in this dataset: Census Tracts, Block Groups, and Blocks. Tracts are statistical subdivisions of the County that generally have stable boundaries with an average of about 4,000 people. Tracts are divided into


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Block Groups. Block Groups are further divided into Blocks, the smallest geographic unit for which the Census tabulates data. Data from the 2010 Census should be available in the second half of 2011.

3.2.5. Elevation

This dataset contains surface elevation information. The primary dataset is the 10 meter National Elevation Dataset. Elevation points, contour lines, TINS, DEMS, and hillshades could also be stored here. A TIN is a triangular irregular network of elevation points. A DEM is a digital elevation model arranged in a regular grid.

3.2.6. Environment

This dataset includes physical features and landform characteristics such as geology, soils, and vegetation. Environmental hazard dataset such as flood and earthquake zones are also included.

There are nine fault zones within Imperial County. The most significant fault is the San Andreas, which extends from Mexico into northern California, and the maximum earthquake intensity

predicted for the fault is a magnitude 8.3. Although the County is located in the desert with very low precipitation, it is sometimes subject to heavy rains and subsequent flooding. Floodplain management is the key to effective flood control within Imperial County. The Federal Insurance Administration delineates areas of special flood hazards and floodways through the official digital Flood Insurance Rate Map (DFIRM).

3.2.7. Imagery

Imagery can provide important reference or base map information. The primary dataset is color orthophoto imagery of 0.5 and 1 foot resolutions from a 2008 SCAG project. Other imagery is available including the 2009 NAIP 1 meter orthophotos.


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3.2.8. Infrastructure and Facilities

This dataset includes point locations of critical facilities such as fire stations and hospitals as well as line and polygon representations of infrastructure such as canals. The source of the facilities information is the FEMA HAZUS Dataset of August 2009.

3.2.9. Land Use and Land Cover

This dataset defines the primary ways that the land is used. Land use, zoning, planning, and economic incentive zones are included. Also included are “Important Farmland” areas determined by soil type.

3.2.10. Land Use and Land Cover

The transportation layer contains information about highway, street, and railway network. This dataset will be useful to determine the proximity of a site to major though fares. Historic traffic volumes would help augment this layer.

3.3.ArcGIS Server

The ArcGIS Server platform from ESRI allows the distribution of spatial data, maps, databases, and tools across an organization such as Imperial County and beyond. It could be a key component on which to base a Business Development GIS. ArcGIS Server would enable the publication of intuitive web maps tailored to the business community. Spatial information including imagery could be centrally managed and efficiently stored.

3.4.Custom Applications

Custom GIS web applications could be created for browser based tools for viewing and querying business development related information. Web based GIS would be available to serve most of the spatial information requests from staff and business community. County staff would be on hand to handle more complex GIS tasks with Desktop GIS.


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3.4.1. Desktop GIS

Tools are available in the desktop environment to do analysis related to business development research. Below is an example of one tool built in the ArcGIS Model builder application that selects parcels that are larger than one acre and within 1000 feet of a school. The box in the lower left shows the process flow of the tool. After the tool is run, selected parcels are highlighted in light blue.

Figure 5. Modelbuilder tool example

The ArcGIS Business Analyst Desktop could also be a valuable part of a solution for Imperial County. This ESRI product provides a suite of tools and datasets tailored to business development research. It would allow viewing patterns, trends and opportunities in a spatial context. Customer data and sales data can be used in models to make predictive reports based on different scenarios or geographic locations.

3.4.2. Web Based GIS

One function of the GIS should be to help developers find suitable and available properties. The developer could enter basic requirements such as zoning and size to narrow down the available list. Information on site constraints and economic incentive zones could help further narrow down available sites. ArcGIS Explorer offers an easy way to view, share, and present GIS data. It is a free GIS viewer that could connect directly to a business GIS stored on ArcGIS Server. Custom geoprocessing tools could be built to assist businesses looking to expand or relocate to Imperial County. The ESRI ArcGIS Online website would provide the capability to share business GIS content and specialized tools.


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Figure 6. Business GIS as viewed in ArcGIS Explorer

3.5.Functions

3.5.1. Community Promotion

The GIS web site should highlight the unique characteristic of Imperial County and what it has to offer the business community. The user should be able to easily research demographic information such as the quality of the workforce and the potential market demand of the local consumers.

3.5.2. Resources

Available resources within the County should be easily found using the GIS to help site a business. A resource tool would allow the user to identify various natural and infrastructure resources in a region. For example, areas having the highest available solar and wind energy production capacity while providing the necessary infrastructure could be highlighted in the GIS.

3.5.3. Economic Incentives

There are several economic incentive zones in Imperial County including Enterprise and Foreign Trade Zones. It can be challenging to make sense of all the different zones. The business GIS system should have a tool that will allow the user to find out which zones


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apply to a particular parcel. In addition, the user should be able to search for parcels the meet certain incentive zone requirements.

3.5.4. Constraints

It should be possible for the user to remove areas from consideration that do not meet project requirements. Information in the GIS used in this process could be earthquake risk, flood hazard areas, and sensitive environmental areas.

3.5.5. Market Analysis

A business GIS could provide the tools to analyze the local market characteristics and help determine the success or failure of a site. By blending demographic and business data, the user could calculate customer drive times, evaluate new profitable business locations, and implement marketing programs.

3.5.6. Available Properties

The Business GIS should have a database of available properties. The user should be able to select property type and size requirements and the GIS will return available properties displayed on an interactive map. The database should be updated frequently and have an easy way for authorized users to add new available properties and remove ones no longer available. Descriptions, offered price, infrastructure, and photos could be shown.


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3.5.7. Land Database Inquiry

An application is needed to allow answer basic questions about a parcel. The user should be able to research a property and find information on zoning, property descriptions, and property values. This information should be updated frequently.

3.5.8. Project and Permit Data Inquiry

The user should be able to inquire on various types of land development projects in Imperial County. Search results could include project address, project type, contact information, project status, and fee information. The GIS layer would be linked to the permit database to provide the public a comprehensive search of all the issues permits in Imperial County.

3.5.9. Site Ranking and Selection

A site selection tool incorporating many of the factors above would be very important function for a business to evaluate potential locations. A user may give different priorities to a site being close to the highway, having a low property value, and being close to schools. These priorities could be given weights and the available parcels would be scored according to the selected weighted priorities.

3.5.10. Visualization

The ability to view sites in Imperial County in 3D, complete with accurately modeled buildings could add a new dimension to site evaluation. Proposed projects could be shown in 3D to evaluate their visual impact on the community.

3.6.Subscription Based Services

3.6.1. ArcGIS Business Analyst Online

On cost effective online solution available is ESRI’s ArcGIS Business Analyst Online. Business Analyst Online helps developers understand the market and potential customer’s in Imperial County by providing information about demographic attributes, customer spending patterns, and businesses in a specific trade area. This Web-based solution provides on-demand access to more the 70 reports and maps based on demographic information. Example reports are shown in Appendix B.

3.6.2. Community Selection Services

One type of subscription service available is one that helps a business find an optimal community match. Research can be done based on criteria such as population, income,


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education, and available labor. This type of service could lead a potential business to a community within Imperial County based on criteria that was selected.

3.6.3. Site Selection Services

Another type a subscription service is one that focuses on available properties in a community. Once a community has been selected, available properties can be found and narrowed by important criteria. A business may want to show all available properties under $500,000 that are close to the highway and an educated work force.

3.7.Maintenance

The data in the Business GIS will need maintenance in terms of updated datasets, new user interface tools, and renewed software subscriptions. Some datasets like the parcel layers can change very frequently while others like US Census data will rarely need to be updated. A list of available properties for sale could be difficult to maintain but be very valuable to the business community. The following steps outline how to add a dataset to the geodatabase:

1. Open the Business GIS geodatabase in Arc Catalog 2. Right click on the dataset (e.g. Land Use) to add the data layer to. 3. Select ‘Import Feature Class’ and import.

New tools may be requested by users. Modelbuilder tools will be relatively easy to modify the existing templates. Consult ESRI ArcGIS Desktop Help for more information on Modelbuilder. The user interface will need to be maintained to provide new functionality and fix problems users have encountered. A tracking system should be set up to prioritize the changes to the user interface.

IMPERIAL COUNTY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT

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