We work on a lot of projects here at Fuss & O’Neill. With offices in every New England state and too many services to list, that opening sentence might be a ridiculous understatement. But until we learn how to defy gravity, all our projects start with the ground. And in case you haven’t been outside lately (and who would blame you – it’s been so cold!), the terrain here in New England isn’t exactly level…or consistent…or kind when you fall. So every project needs to consider the space on which it exists.
For some projects/departments, this seems obvious. Want to see if undeveloped sites in both New Hampshire and Maine are appropriate for new storage facilities? Someone has to do the research, note the existing conditions, establish the boundaries, and provide construction layout. Need to determine if a forest in Connecticut will be an ideal spot for a solar power generation facility? Well then someone is going to have to trek through all 200 acres of said forest to show clearing limits and accurately display the site’s topography.
Some projects/departments make sense if you stop and think about it. When a bridge in Merrimack needed to be replaced, several things had to be determined before options could be discussed. This project required existing conditions/topographic and right-of-way surveys, right-of-way research and reestablishment, base plan preparation, and construction baseline layout. Or when a major road was constructed on an active college campus, field surveying was first required to establish a corridor boundary, and field boundary stakeout and clearing limit delineation had to be performed. Furthermore, survey services were required to combine an existing conservation area with a proposed conservation area, which necessitated a new boundary plan based on field work and existing surveys to combine the easement areas.
And some projects/departments you would probably never think to associate with land survey. When a rock ledge was experiencing instability in Vermont, our survey team documented ledge conditions and created base mapping to be used to design a ledge stabilization solution. To address coastal flooding in Connecticut in conjunction with the relocation of a substation, field surveying and mapping were provided for subsurface utility engineering improvements along multiple streets in the project area, and a proposed subdivision map was prepared for a new parcel to be conveyed out of the adjacent land. And when a major utility company needed more than 20 miles of flagged line over 10 miles of easement corridor at crazy elevations, our team navigated deeply-sloped ravines, wetlands, dense vegetation, and rocky terrain to accomplish this task.
While the daily activities of a land surveyor can be very singular, the work they do is actually very collaborative. They work closely with every department to bring our clients visions to life.
Meet the Team
John Gatchell has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of New Hampshire and recently celebrated his first anniversary with the firm. A Survey Technician, John also enjoys bow hunting, fishing, and camping.
Heidi Quesada, LLS has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts and an Associate degree in Architectural Engineering Technology from New Hampshire Technical Institute. Heidi has been with the company for 18 years and enjoys traveling and photography.
