GIS & Mapping

GIS Services to Member Counties

Our primary GIS services revolve around our member counties. SPDC is contracted to provide GIS services to each county. The scope of work varies from county to county, but in general we provide the following services through these contracts:

911 mapping system updates
Addressing oversight (& adherance to standards)
Next Gen 911 planning
Emergency Service Zone mapping
Online GIS webmaps
Parcel mapping
Interactive webmaps
GIS data dissemination
Other GIS tasks as requested

Grant Administration

The GIS and GPS systems in use at SPDC are also used to support grant projects, both in the application phase as well as through administration of the grant. The system and the data and maps produced are used by the staff for planning, documentation, and as a part of the actual application. GIS is also used to support planning in the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy and tasks outlined in the VDOT Work Program.

Locality Request

As time permits, member localities may request GIS or GPS services, and we will be glad to fit them into our schedule when time permits. These services (mapping, GIS data creation, map creation, analysis, etc.) can be free or paid, depending on the scope and deadline of the project. In the past we have mapped water and sewer lines with GPS, provided visitors & tourism maps, and worked on redistricting projects. If your locality would like to request GIS or GPS mapping please contact Andy Wells (awells@southsidepdc.org).

GPS Mapping Projects

GPS can be used to map real-world facilities such as manholes, water valves, and hydrants. Our system is technically capable of sub-inch accuracy, although we cannot guarantee that the data provided will be that accurate, as we are not licensed surveyors and the techniques needed to achieve sub-inch accuracy for all points is extremely time-consuming. We do strive for the highest accuracy available within reasonable means, however. For the best results, we use an RTK GPS rover that utilizes the North Carolina CORS system for corrections. GPS Mapping Projects typically result in a deliverable of GIS data and/or interactive webmaps to view that data.

SPDC Paper Map Resources

We have approximately 2,000 map documents (maps, blueprints, engineering drawings, etc.) on file in our map archive. Most of these are related to SPDC projects such as downtown enhancement projects, water/sewer upgrades, and transportation projects. These are a mix of paper and PDF formats. We use these as secondary data sources when needed, and to support grant planning projects in the office. In addition, we keep USGS Topographi Maps on hand to cover our counties and some surrounding areas, VDOT transportation maps, FEMA flood maps, and several other paper map products.

SPDC GIS Resources Website