H2M conducted site visits of each property including interior and backyard inspections, where feasible, and met with interested property owners to discuss the redevelopment process. During the three days of inspections, we used tablets and mobile Geographic Information System (GIS) software, Fulcrum, to document existing building and site conditions of each property.
Designing our own form for the field, the H2M Team collected and analyzed a wealth of data for the individual properties and the surrounding area, which spanned portions of Newark’s West Ward Model Neighborhood Initiative (“MNI” Area). A Property Database was developed using Microsoft Access to track, update, and display in the final report form, property information related to each site. Attributes in the database were presented in the final report as a single “property information sheet” which included applicable data such as tax assessor records, building and inspection records, zoning conformance, code violations, health department records, contamination records, and delinquency and foreclosure data. Photos taken in the field were geo-coded for each property, of which six to eight photos were used in the final report. We assessed police data and crime trends, foreclosure and underwater mortgage situations, and other blighting influences within the surrounding area.
The study was adopted by the Council and allowed the City to pursue a neighborhood revitalization strategy through a subsequent redevelopment plan.
