Visual Impact Assessments
Clients and review agencies rely on our assessments to plan effectively for potential impacts on historic properties and the visual environment.
A Visual Impact Assessment (VIA)—also known as a Historic Architectural Effects Assessment—is part of a general effects assessment to determine whether a proposed development project would have an adverse effect on historic properties and the encompassing visual environment.
Over the last four decades, we have conducted hundreds of assessments on historic properties for projects of various scale and complexity.
Our staff is familiar with the unique challenges that come with VIAs, and are able to successfully guide clients through the review process. When forecasting potential impacts on a historic property, our architectural historians employ a method of efficient data collection and evaluation that results in clear and concise reports.
VIA services include:
Research and field survey
National Register of Historic Places criteria evaluation
Section 106 criteria evaluation
Balloon Test, Industrial Communications, Whitefield, NH
Our staff is trained in the following:
National Register of Historic Places
Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act
Section 4(f) of the U.S. Department of Transportation Act
National Environmental Policy Act
State historic preservation laws
Select Clients
New England Aqua Ventus
U.S. Department of Energy
NextEra Energy Resources
Palmer Management Corporation
Industrial Communications
Select Projects
Block Island Wind Farm, New Shoreham, MA
New England Aqua Ventus I, Monhegan, ME
Roxbury Wind, Roxbury, ME
Industrial Tower & Wireless Cell Towers, New England
Related Services
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Historic Architectural Survey
Our talented staff of architectural historians have completed hundreds of historic architectural surveys, encompassing tens of thousands of properties.
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Archival Documentation
We have documented over 1,000 properties tailored to federal- and state-level preservation program standards.
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National Register Nominations
Since 1982, we have authored hundreds of successful local, state, and federal historic property and district nominations.
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Historic Tax Credits
We have prepared state and federal historic tax credit applications for hundreds of projects, representing the allocation of over $750 million in state and federal credits.
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Historic Structure Reports
Our report components provide clients with invaluable information on the historical context and significance of a building or structure.
