Planning for

Infrastructure &
Community
Facilities
Rodger D. Joe, Senior Planner
Northern Agency L.G.S.C.
505-368-1023
Have Patience, Will Travel

What is infrastructure?
Why plan for
infrastructure?

Infrastructure is a basic, underlying

framework of an organization. The
fundamental facilities serving an area,
country, community, or town, for
transportation, domestic water line, sewer
line, electricity, roads, communications, etc.
(network)
Why have a Plan?
It dictates when and where to build facilities
and infrastructure.
In a cost efficient and orderly manner.
This is for long range comprehensive
development in a community for public
services.

How should I plan my

community?

Develop a Strategic Plan for your

community.
Strategic Plan is a useful tool for any
community that wishes to grow.
A plan will help you see where you want to
go and help you get there.
Create a vision of what you want your
community to be like in the future.
Identify things that are preventing change
and opportunities to move forward
What actions are needed to make your vision
a reality.
Strategic Planning, Implementation and
Evaluation should be done to carry out the

What should I do first?

Review your land use plan and see if land

suitable for that particular area for
community facility. (Drainage, Soil, Type of
bldg, Capacity and Traffic.
Obtain Chapter Approval to withdraw land
for community facility, through the
appropriate procedures.
Obtain Archeological and Environmental
clearances.
Have Land Administration conduct land
survey of the proposed site.
Plan with NTUA, NHA, Indian Health
Services Environmental Health & Eng. Dept.,
etc.

Planning for Utilities and

Infrastructure
Three (3) areas to remember when planning.

Public Facilities define a community, roads,

highways link to the outside world and
define its internal circulation.
Parks, Recreation and Schools becomes
gathering places and activity centers.
The pattern of roads, sewer and waterlines
defines the pattern of growth and the
location of major center of activities ranging
from malls to housing developments.
Identifies industrial areas.

Planning continued

Public facilities are important to the

planning process in several ways.
Some public facilities, mostly roads,
sewer, and waterlines are instruments
of change. The location of the roads
and infrastructure shapes the future
development patterns of the
community. Builders and Developers
actively seek land with good access
and the availability of public facilities.
Example: If a community builds new
roads, sewer and waterlines to the
west, whatever growth occurs, is likely

Planning for Water and

Sewer

Gravity is the magic word for water

and sewer lines. Generally, sewage
flows through pipes downhill to a
sewage plant or lagoons. Most Water
providers pump water uphill into
tanks or towers or reservoirs and
water flows downhill through a system
of pipes to reach individual users.
Drainage base is very important. The
system work best, when operating a
single drainage base. A geographical
area where outer boundaries consist
of ridgelines that defines the highest
points in the area, so that rain that
falls inside those ridgelines drains

Planning for Water/Sewer

continued

Water pressure is a critical issue in

water services
Pressure is a direct function of
difference in elevation between water
tank and point served.
Peak day for water use are days
involve car washing, lawn watering,
hauling water for live stocks, showers,
cooking, and flushing toilets.
Flow capacity deals with the size of
the pipes and its distribution lines

Planning for Schools, Fire

Stations & other Facilities

Schools are usually built close or around housing

development.
Fire Stations are located based on response time,
which is a measure of length of time from an
emergency call, until the fire truck arrives at the
scene. (Average response time is 8 minutes)
Navajo Nation response time is 1 hour or more, due
to the distance and no equipment or no water system
designed to extinguish the fire.

Planning continued

Street designs are very important for

quick identification of crisis and how
to get there. The grid system of road,
housing and streets are easily located.
Elementary and High Schools requires
6-8 acres or more. Secondary Schools
sites requires 15 or 20 for athletic
fields.
Adequate amount of land for fire
stations, emergency medical stations
is one acre of land.

Controlling when and

where development takes
place

Some communities now regulate growth

management techniques. A.P.F. stands for
Adequate Public Facilities regulation to
local land use control. This is a
requirement , there should be adequate
road, sewer, and water on every proposed
development.
What do we look for?
1. There is or will be at the time of actual
development, an adequate supply of water
to serve the needs of the project.
2. There is or will be at the time of actual
development, an adequate capacity to
collect and treat wastewater from the

Continued from previous

slide

3. There is or will be at the time of actual

development, adequate road capacity to
handle traffic to and from the project.
4. There is or will be at the time of actual
development, adequate capacity for storm
water drainage system to handle storm
water run off from the project.
5. These are the common rules that you
can apply and question these areas to
deal with contractors and labor force that
are responsible for the project.

Planning for Housing

Things to consider when planning for

housing development.
Design for solar energy and cost
efficient homes
Wind direction, sunbeams, soil, &
topography.
Erosion, drainage base, forest,
vegetation, wildlife habitat
Accessibility to Electrical Power,
Water Supply, Sewer Lagoon, Roads,
Communication, etc.

Planning for Housing

continued

Planning for housing units depends upon

projected incoming and existing
population statistics. Demands for
housing brings new residents into a
community.
Economic Activities brings potential
employees, customers and school age
children to an area.
Better living conditions and conveniences
also attracts potential residents to a
community.

Chapter Community Land

Use Planning Committees
Responsibilities

Discuss and Implement a Strategic

Plan for your community. Get Familiar
with your land use plan.
Initiate a Phase I, Phase II Phase III
Phase IV,
Implementation plan with all your
projects.
Chapter Officials, Administrators,
CLUPC and outside entities, Indian
Health Services, Navajo Housing
Authority, Navajo Tribal Utility
Authority, and Transportation Dept.
need to communicate, plan, and work
together to develop infrastructure,
public facilities, sewer, domestic water,
roads, solid waste management and
housing for all 110 Chapters.