Boundary, setbacks and measuring

Site boundary #

The Site boundary section shows the boundary's area (square feet and acres), perimeter and number of corners once there is one. There are three ways to get one: draw it, import a file, or pick a county parcel.

Draw a boundary #

1. Under Site boundary, click Draw.
2. Click the map at each corner. Once there are three corners, the area so far shows on the map.
3. Finish: click the first corner, double-click, press Enter, or click Finish.

While drawing, Undo corner (or Backspace) takes back the last corner, and Cancel (or Esc) stops without saving.

If the site has no pin yet, the boundary sets one.

Edit corners #

Click Edit corners, then drag any corner to move it. Click Done editing when you're finished.

Import a boundary file #

Click Import under Site boundary and pick a GeoJSON or KML file (Google Earth saves KML). Site GIS uses the first polygon it finds and zooms to it.

This Import is for boundary files. The Import in the toolbar opens a whole site file.

Parcels from your county #

There's no free national parcel map, but many counties publish one.

1. Under Site boundary, open Parcels from your county.
2. Paste the county's ArcGIS layer URL. It ends in /FeatureServer/0 or /MapServer/ and a number.
3. Click Load. The Parcels layer turns on.
4. Zoom in until the parcel lines show, then click a parcel.
5. Click Use as site boundary.

A parcel layer's lines are the county's approximation, not a survey.

Lock the boundary #

Click Lock to keep the boundary from changing. While it's Locked, Draw, Edit corners, Import, Clear and picking a parcel are all off. A locked boundary draws as a solid line; an unlocked one is dashed. Click Locked to unlock it.

Clear the boundary #

Click Clear to remove the boundary. It's on the undo list in the platform bar if you change your mind.

Buildable area #

The Buildable area section works out the area left after front, side and rear setbacks. It needs a boundary first.

1. Click Set setbacks.
2. Type the Front, Side and Rear setbacks in feet.

The buildable area appears on the map (the Buildable area layer) with its area in the panel. If the setbacks cover the whole lot, the panel says No buildable area — the setbacks cover the lot.

Pick the front #

By default, the front is the lot line nearest the site pin. The panel names it ("Front: lot line 2 (nearest the site pin)").

To choose it yourself, click Pick the front on the map, then click the lot line that faces the street. Front: auto goes back to the nearest line.

Set each lot line #

Open Each lot line for a row per line. For any line you can:

• change its role to Front, Side or Rear (a corner lot has two fronts), or leave it on auto;
• type its own setback distance, which wins over the front, side or rear number.

To take the setbacks off, click Remove.

The buildable area is planning arithmetic only. The zoning code's rules (corner lots, averaging, projections, height planes, easements) govern; check them with the jurisdiction.

Measure #

The Measure section measures on the map without changing the boundary.

1. Pick Distance or Area.
2. Click Measure on the map.
3. Click points on the map. The running total shows in the panel.
4. Finish: double-click, press Enter, or click Finish. Undo point (or Backspace) takes back the last point.

Then either type a name (optional) and click Keep, or click Clear to throw it away. Kept measurements go on the Measurements layer, show in the exports and on the site sheet, and are listed in the panel. Delete one with its trash button, or all of them with Clear all measurements. Click Done to stop measuring.

Related #

• Map and layers
• Site facts
• Export and print