Planning Services

by admin — last modified 2008-04-15 11:31 AM

Planning Services provided by Hicks & Company.

Hicks & Company’s Planning Program specializes in social and economic analysis required for regulatory compliance and community and regional planning projects. Our certified planning professionals are trained in specialized socioeconomic issues such as environmental justice, Section 4(f) evaluation, secondary impacts and cumulative impact assessment. The firm’s planning practitioners support a variety of community and regional projects, including transportation infrastructure and water resources. They also excel in public participation techniques that work effectively and efficiently to coordinate project objectives and community needs. Their interdisciplinary training allows them to distill the most important project issues and facilitate communication between the project team, the regulatory agencies, and the public.

Regulatory Compliance

NEPA Documents (EISs,EAs,CEs)
Borrower's Environmental Reports (BERs) and Environmental Information Documents (EDIs)
Community Impact Assessments
Environmental Justice Analysis (Executive Order 12898)
Limited English Proficiency Analysis (Executive Order 13166)
Airport Land Use and Noise Studies (FAA Part 150)
Cultural Resource Evaluations required by the National Historic Preservation Act and Texas Antiquities Code
Noise Impacts and Mitigation Measures
Air Quality Analysis
Regulatory Impact Analysis
Major Investment and Feasibility Studies
Socioeconomic Studies
Land Use Impacts and Constraints Analysis
Population and Employment Forecasts
Public Participation

Community and Regional Planning

Streets, Highways, Tollroads and Bridges
Passenger and Freight Rail
Transit Facilities
Airports
Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities
Historic Preservation
Wildlife Habitat Evaluation, Damage Assessment, and Mitigation Planning
Water Resources Evaluation and Planning

Hicks & Company
1504 West 5th St.
Austin, TX 78703
v: 512.478.0858
f: 512.474.1849
info@hicksenv.com

GS-10F-0269R

Gallery

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Ports To Plains Feasibility Study Constraints Analysis and Interactive CD

Hicks & Company evaluated 14 potential interstate corridors traversing four states from Denver, Colorado to the Texas/Mexico border. The firm conducted environmental constraints screenings for alternatives analysis and created an award-winning CD-ROMfor environmental resources containing multiple layers of interactive GIS graphics and companion text and photos.

Edwards Aquifer Authority Proposed Rulemaking Regulatory Impact Assessment

Hicks & Company conducted regulatory impact assessments on proposed rules affecting strategies for addressing water quality, quantity, and aquifer management. This included Regulated Substance Tank Rules; Well Construction, Operation, Maintenance and Closure Rules; Demand Management and Critical Period Management Rules; Groundwater Withdrawal Permits, Aquifer Recharge, Storage, and Recovery Projects Rules. Each of the rules assessments analyzed potential impacts to the Authority, the regulated community, the aquifer and aquifer-related resources, and longer term or indirect social and economic effects. The assessments are generally based on the application of available data and previous research and studies performed by the Authority. A significant amount of additional information was collected through interviews with stakeholders including the regulated community, groundwater users, and other professionals who might be impacted by the proposed regulations.

George West High Priority Corridor Project Community Impact Assessment

Hicks & Company conducted a Community Impact Assessment for proposed transportation improvements in this small, south Texas town. The project, led by the Corpus Christi District of TxDOT, involved nearly two dozen stakeholder interviews and extensive GIS analysis in support of the land use, economic effects and environmental justice assessments. Hicks & Company prepared an EIS-level assessment of the potential social and economic effects of a proposed relief route and "through-town" alignment alternatives, and helped lead a public open house meeting to present the findings. In addition to the final report, Hicks & Company prepared a summary brochure of the findings and recommendations, providing both English and Spanish language versions for wide circulation within the local community.

Tyler Loop 49 Environmental Justice Analysis

As part of the EIS for the Loop 49 project in Tyler, Texas, Hicks & Company analyzed demographic characteristics to determine the effect that the proposed toll road would have on the area's low-income communities. The study required adapting U.S. Census data to the project's travel demand model and traffic analysis zone geography and investigating dependence of low-income motorists on the proposed Loop 49 toll road.

Community Impact Assessment for a Proposed Solid Waste Facility in Chaparral, New Mexico.

Hicks & Company was contracted by the Camino Real Environmental Center in Sunland Park, New Mexico, to conduct a Community Impact Assessment (CIA) to determine potential quality of life impacts from continued operation of their regional landfill. The CIA and accompanying public involvement process were conducted as a response to increased scrutiny of environmental justice issues in New Mexico, as a result of the New Mexico Supreme Court’s recent ruling. Hicks & Company staff participated in bi-lingual public meetings and extensive community outreach, and prepared a cumulative impacts analysis as part of the CIA that was submitted to the New Mexico Environment Department in March 2006.

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