Certified Business Sites

Size: At least 10 and less than 25 contiguous, buildable acres, free of impediments to development such as existing structures not appropriate for future commerce, soil contaminants, wetlands, flood plain, protected species and/or cultural resources.

Forested Properties: At least 50% of property on a small site must be cleared and free of trees.  LED may be willing to waive this requirement if the site meets or exceeds all other minimum requirements.

Price per Acre: A fixed purchase price or a fixed leasing price per acre for a specified time period is required to certify and publish a site.

Property Control/Ownership: Control of the site through option, purchase or other legally binding agreement must be obtained and maintained as a condition of certification. It is required that the property can be obtained free and clear of encumbrances.

Buildings: If there are any buildings of commercial value within the bounds of the site to be certified those buildings must either 1) pass with the Act of Sale and be included in the selling price or 2) be excluded from the certified site by redrawing the site boundary. The requirement to redraw the boundary does not apply to small buildings like barns, trailers, etc. are not of significant value and would normally be considered “tear down” buildings.

Zoning: The site must be zoned or otherwise approved by parish and affected municipal authorities for any of the following commercial/industrial classifications:

• General Office Low Rise District
• General Office High Rise District
• Commercial Warehousing/Distribution District
• Light or Heavy Industrial District
• Planned Unit Development that includes some office, warehouse, and light industrial uses.

Flood: At least 10 contiguous, buildable acres must be above the 100-year flood plain (typically land designated with flood plain zones of X, B, or C).  (In the case of a 10-acre site, all 10-acres must be above the 100-year flood plain.)  Alternatively, the applicant may provide a formal cost estimate, construction plan and funding source by which construction footprints can be elevated a minimum of one foot above the flood plain and meet FEMA standards.

Water Supply: Delivery prior to any potential project startup, either by line or by well, a minimum of 50,000 gallons of potable or process water per day. If an existing source of water supply is not available, certification will require submission of

1. order-of-magnitude cost estimate
2. conceptual design
3. funding source to meet the minimum level of service within a reasonable timetable.

A 4-inch line is the minimum sized line for LED’s Small Site program.  A 6-inch line is preferred since a 6” water distribution line is the minimum size that can deliver the required dynamic pressure to power sprinkler or hydrant systems.

If the site does not have potable water available on-site, the required cost estimate and schedule to bring water to the site should be for a 6-inch line.

Sanitary Sewer: Provide a minimum of 50,000 gallons per day of available sanitary sewer capacity in a reasonable time period upon notification. If existing sewer capacity is not available at the property boundary, certification will require submission:

1. an order-of-magnitude cost estimate
2. a conceptual design
3. a funding source to meet the minimum level of service within a reasonable timetable

General Road Access: The roads accessing the site must be paved with asphalt or concrete and should be capable of supporting vehicles with a maximum gross weight of 83,400 pounds, such as semi-trucks and trailers.

The site must have a paved roadway immediately adjacent to the site or have legal title/ownership in perpetuity of a Right-of-Way to access the site.

If a paved access road is not immediately adjacent to the site but a title to a R-O-W is, certification will require submission of:

1. order-of-magnitude cost estimate
2. conceptual design
3. funding source to build a road from the nearest roadway to the site along the owned R-O-W

Electricity: Identify service provider or providers that can deliver reliable 3-phase power service to the site prior to any potential project startup.  If existing capacity is not available at the site, certification will require submission of

1. order-of-magnitude cost estimate
2. conceptual design
3. funding source to meet the minimum level of service within a reasonable timetable (considered to be 12-14 months for small sites)

Natural Gas: Natural gas must be available at the property boundary or available prior to any potential project startup. Typically, a minimum of a 4” distribution line is required with an 8” line preferred.  If natural gas is not available at the site, certification will require submission of:

1. order-of-magnitude cost estimate
2. conceptual design
3. schedule
4. funding source to meet the minimum level of service within a reasonable timetable

Listing: The property owner must agree to have the site published by Louisiana Economic Development on its interactive sites and building website.

Phase I Environmental Assessment: The site must have undergone a Phase I environmental assessment as a prerequisite for being considered for participation in the certification process. The Phase 1 Environmental Assessment must be less than 5 years old from the date of submission.

Remediated/Contaminated/Brownfield Sites: If there are unresolved environmental issues within the bounds of the site, as discussed in the Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment report, the site cannot be certified until a No Further Action/No Further Interest letter or its equivalent from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is provided.

Re-Certification: LED Certified Sites must be re-certified every five years by documenting changes in adjacent land use, right-of-ways, existing structures, zoning, transportation infrastructure, utilities, total available acreage, environmental and cultural conditions, ownership, topography, and any other pertinent changes that impact the marketability of the site. A new application and due diligence will not be required.

Phase I Environmental Assessment: The site must have undergone a Phase I environmental assessment as a prerequisite for being considered for participation in the certification process. The Phase 1 Environmental Assessment must be less than 5 years old from the date of submission. LED will accept two types of Environmental Site Assessments: E1527-13 or later for all sites, rural, urban and forested, of any size, and E2247-16 or later for forestlands and rural properties. All older standards will be rejected.

Wetland and Stream Delineation: Applicants must have a wetland and stream field survey conducted to delineate all wetlands and “waters of the US” on the site. If wetlands and waters of the US will likely be impacted by planned development of the site (i.e., wetlands are in the middle of the site or in areas likely to undergo construction), the applicant must submit the wetlands delineation to the US Army Corps of Engineers for a formal Jurisdictional Determination. This formalizes the wetlands delineation and provides some assurance from the Corps that wetlands are no more extensive than the delineation purports.

Note: Wetlands mitigation is NOT required of an applicant but applicants with wetlands in the prime areas of their site are encouraged to mitigate those wetlands.

Topographic Survey and 100/500 year Floodplain Designation: Obtain a suitable interval aerial topographic survey of the site. Demonstrate that the site is either above the 100/500 year floodplain or a site manufacturing pad can be cost effectively constructed to raise the site above the floodplain.

Preliminary Geotechnical Investigation: LED’s Small Sites program does not require a full-blown geotechnical investigation. It does require a memo giving an unofficial opinion discussing the general type and quality of soils expected to be found in the general vicinity of the site. LED requires a one or two-page memo submitted and signed by a registered geotechnical engineer or geologist in the state of Louisiana with 10+ years of experience. A retired geotechnical engineer may be ideal although any Geotech expert meeting the above qualifications is acceptable.

Cultural Resources Investigation: Obtain a database research level cultural and archeological investigation of the site from a qualified third party archeologist to document that there are no known cultural resource sites existing on the site. Provide the results of this third party investigation to the State Historical Preservation Office (SHPO) and request a letter from SHPO indicating whether the site is cleared for development or if the site requires a Phase 1 Cultural Resources Assessment. If a clearance letter cannot be obtained from SHPO, then a Phase I cultural resources survey must be performed.

Endangered Species Investigation: Secure a letter from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries indicating that development on the site will not impact any protected or endangered species on or near the site.

Railroad Accessibility: If the site can be served by railroad, please provide a brief narrative describing how rail access will be provided. Be sure to indicate if roads, highways, streams, bayous or other water bodies must be crossed. Please include a map as an additional exhibit if the suggested route for access crosses any of the previously mentioned obstacles.

Utility, Oil/Gas Well and Pipeline Easements and Rights-of-Way: Identify any and all existing easements, utility rights-of-way, well heads, pipelines, etc. on the site that may be potential impediments to fully utilizing the site. Determine if the identified impediments can be cost effectively relocated.

Roadway Accessibility: A four lane major highway within close proximity of the site is preferred. Determine if there is a cost effective means to obtain right-of-way and construct an access road from the site to the four lane highway. Obtain an order-of-magnitude cost estimate for the access road construction, if needed. The roads accessing the site must be able to support vehicles with a maximum gross weight of 83,400 pounds, such as semi-trucks and trailers.

Acadiana Region 
Megan Duhon, OneAcadiana

Bayou Region 
Vic Lafont, South Louisiana Economic Council

Capital Region 
Russell Richardson, Baton Rouge Area Chamber

Central Region 
Dan Purvis, Louisiana Central

Northeast Region
Rob Cleveland, Grow NELA

Northwest Region
Sheena Bryant, North Louisiana Economic Partnership

Southeast Region
Gary Silbert, Greater New Orleans, Inc.

Southwest Region
Gus Fontenot, SWLA Economic Development Alliance

Verification of Site Availability

Site Zoning, Tax Assessment, and Special Economic Development Districts

• Tax millages can be found at the Louisiana Tax Commission.
• Parish assessors can provide information on parcel sizes and current property tax millages applied to the parcel. A list of assessors can be found at the Louisiana Assessors’ Association.

Utilities and Infrastructure

Applicants will need assistance from their local offices and providers. You can also download a printable Resource Guide.

• Potable Water Infrastructure
• Wastewater Infrastructure
• Electricity Infrastructure
• Natural Gas Infrastructure
• Pipelines Maps
• Telecommunications Infrastructure
• Roadway Transportation
• Air Transportation Infrastructure
• Rail Infrastructure
• Water Transportation Infrastructure
• Geography and Geological Assessment
  – U.S. Geological Survey Quad Map
  – Soils Conservation Service (SCS) Map
  – National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) Map

• FEMA 100-year Floodplain Map
  – LSU AgCenter’s Flood Map Portal
  – Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

• Environmental Assessment
  – Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
  Carolyn Michon, Biologist
  337.735.8734
  – State Historical Preservation Office (SHPO) 
  Rachel Watson, Section 106 Review & Compliance, Division of Archaeology
  225.342.8165
  – Wetlands Delineation/Determination
  U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
  Team New Orleans
  504.862.2201
  – Vicksburg District
  601.631.5000