established local regulations. An initial evaluation of the physical characteristics of the site 

 may reveal construction or operational problems too great for further consideration of the 

 project. If an initial analysis fails to reveal any potentially disquaUfying factors, each of the 

 factors discussed below should be investigated, generally in the order Usted. The report 

 should then summarize the findings, Ust the conclusions, and present recommendations for 

 further studies needed in project planning. 



b. Selection of Site. If more than one potentially feasible site is available, the first 

 efforts of the study should be directed toward eliminating those that are less desirable and 

 reaching a decision as to the best site as soon as possible. Each site should first be subjected 

 to the elimination tests suggested earlier; the surviving sites should then be analyzed only to 

 the extent necessary to establish which is the best, all factors considered. If two or more 

 sites appear to be about equally well qualified, each must be evaluated sufficiently to enable 

 the owner or the sponsoring public agency to reach a decision. 



c. Availability of Public Assistance. If the sponsoring agency is a public entity, such as a 

 city or a harbor district, some form of contributory assistance may be available from one of 

 the higher-level government programs described in Section VI. In some instances, the 

 feasibility of a project may depend on whether it quahfies for assistance, and in any event, a 

 feasibility report is usually required as a feature of the application for assistance. It is 

 important to ascertain at the beginning of the study the items of information that must 

 accompany the application and the leadtime required to obtain the assistance offered. If it 

 appears questionable that the project actually qualifies, or if the indicated leadtime is so 

 great that it is doubtful the assistance will arrive in time to be helpful, the feasibility study 

 should present an analysis of the economics both with and without assistance. 



Direct public assistance is seldom available to a private developer. However, many 

 projects that have been initiated by private enterprise include public features, the 

 desirability of which was first pointed out in a developer's preUminary feasibility report. For 

 example, a large privately owned tract of land adjacent to a good harbor site may be worth 

 developing only if the harbor is also developed. A city (or other local public entity) may 

 desire to develop the harbor, but cannot qualify for State or Federal assistance until it owns 

 some of the perimeter land and can demonstrate fuU-use potential. The developer's 

 feasibility study is then prepared on the premise that if he deeds a part of his land to the 

 city and develops the remainder into a residential-commercial complex, the full-use 

 potential of the harbor can be realized and the city can qualify for assistance. Other 

 possibilities of private -public cooperation can often be found that will benefit both parties. 

 Such possibilities must be sought out and analyzed in the early stages of the feasibiUty 

 study, as they may set the course for the remainder of the study. 



d. Socioecological Aspects. An environmental impact statement must be submitted on 

 nearly every small-craft facility project in most States. It is important to learn very early in 

 the feasibility investigations whether a study is actually needed or is likely to cause the 



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