Understanding CA’s Easement Review Process
Did you know that easements are required for anyone looking to make permanent changes to CA property? This includes everything from smaller-scale projects – like expanding a home driveway – to relocating a sewage line to new commercial development.
For a proposed easement to get approved, it must be considered an improvement to CA property – one that offers a net community benefit.
This guiding principle applies to any easement request that comes across the desk of CA’s Real Estate Services Division (RES), whether it’s from a resident, government agency, developer or utility company. CA evaluates all requests with the same level of due diligence to ensure that proposed easements align with our community-focused mission.
What does “net community benefit” mean?
Speaking broadly, the mission of our nonprofit community services organization is to enhance the quality of life in Columbia. This also applies to how CA approaches the easement process: Easements must be desirable and beneficial for the social welfare of people in Columbia to be approved by CA. To ensure this, every easement request goes through a thorough review and rigorous set of approvals.
As a major landowner in Columbia, CA receives various types of easement requests, including reasons such as:
- Utility access for ongoing or emergency maintenance
- Public infrastructure required for commercial development projects
- Land swap requests for land of equal value (to avoid perpetual easements on CA property)
- Installation and/or operation of the Columbia area pathway network
- Shared parking agreements for area businesses abutting CA facilities
Assessing the potential advantages and impacts associated with each request is a crucial part of CA’s review process. To ensure that we are a successful steward of the land, this is a cross-departmental effort across CA.
That’s where the concept of “net community benefit” comes into play. Many requests have positive impacts on our community that are taken into consideration by CA’s Board of Directors, such as:
- Improving pedestrian and bicycle connectivity for residents
- Enhancing safety in the community
- Encouraging native pollinators to thrive
- Improving accessibility with affordable housing
These criteria not only help CA to evaluate the merit of specific projects, but also – in some cases – justifies a reduction of fees for applicants.
How to obtain a CA easement
To process easement requests, CA has a rigorous multi-step process led by the CA’s Real Estate Services Division. Here’s a brief overview:
- Apply – Submit your easement request online through CA’s official easement request form.*
- CA review – RES staff will review the submission for completeness and arrange for payment of the application fee before evaluating your request, coordinating the terms of the easement and developing a staff recommendation for final consideration.
- Village notification – Staff will contact the appropriate village manager and village board chair. Following that notification, the applicant may be invited to present to the village board.
- CA Board presentation and vote – Every easement request is subject to approval by CA’s Board of Directors. RES staff, the applicant or both will present to the Board at a work session and subsequent meeting where a vote will likely take place.
- Final coordination – Pending approval by the Board of Directors, RES staff will coordinate with the applicant to finalize necessary legal documents, review technical details or exhibits associated with the easement and finalize fees.
Questions about CA’s easement process? Contact CA Land Administration Manager Brady Greer at brady.greer@columbiaassociation.org.
