We’ve had a busy start to the year here at McInnis Engineering! Our firm specializes and focuses primarily on feasibility, civil design, and construction administration. In this update, we’ll be taking a look at some of our current projects through the lens of each.

Feasibility

We have a variety of projects in feasibility right now. Clients usually come to us with a piece of property that they are interested in, we consult with GIS resources and develop conceptual site plans. We typically schedule pre-application meetings with the reviewing jurisdiction to determine project requirements, which helps clients decide if the project is feasible on the property. We investigate zoning, setbacks, and critical areas. As we gather our information, we communicate our findings with the client to help them make informed decisions. One project that we are investigating is the Share and Care house in Puyallup. We are working on the feasibility of expanding the parking lot. Currently, the employees are parking between the trees.

Civil Design

We have several different types of projects in Civil Design. Our projects vary in size, from small residential homes to multi-family projects and large commercial sites. In this phase, we work with the client to determine site use, and then move into designing a stormwater management system that complies with the reviewing jurisdiction’s Stormwater Management Manual. We provide full civil design services, which typically includes Temporary Erosion Control (TESC) Plans, Site Plans, Grading Plans, Drainage Design, and Utility Design. Once the design is complete, we begin the review process with the jurisdiction, respond to their comments, and get the design permitted so that construction can begin. Our team has over 30 years of combined experience navigating permit processes with Pierce County, the City of Puyallup, and the City of Tacoma.

Two projects that we are working on are a multi-family project located in Tacoma, and a commercial/multi-family project in Puyallup. Both sites are currently undeveloped. Working with undeveloped lots means that our team may need to address issues with wetlands or other critical areas. In addition to these two sites, our team is also modifying an existing site so it can better meet the needs of the project. The buildings are being remodeled and the site is changing to better utilize the space between the buildings. The entrances are sunken, so our storm design is important to keep the area between the buildings dry.

Construction Administration

The busy season for construction is not quite here yet, but many of our projects that are currently in civil design will soon need to be monitored during the construction phase. This past Summer, we monitored a short plat project in Edgewood, and provided Lakehaven sewer with as-built drawings to document where the sewer and water lines were officially placed.