The equation consists of the floodplain, vacant parcels, the distance from transmission lines that carry three phase power, the distance from a major highway, the distance to the city’s water mains that are larger than 16 inches, the distance to the city’s sewer interceptors, and the slope of the terrain. The area where the Edwards Aquifer is located was excluded from the search.

                The suitability map is keen in choosing the ten parcels because it indicates where the ideal places to build are based on the equation we entered. Now that we know where ideally the City of San Marcos would want an industrial business to locate, we place the city parcels map on top of the suitability map and select the parcels that are located in the suitable areas. It is important that we select parcels because they have spatial data that we need to write a descriptive report about each site.

                 In order to ensure accurate results the team tested each parcel to make sure it was vacant. The test was conducted by placing a DOQQ on top of the selected parcels and then reexamining each one for vacancy. Also, to double check that the results of the test were legitimate, we searched online by the parcel’s identification number in the Hays County Appraisal Districts parcel identification number search. This indicates a variety of information, but most importantly it indicates if there is a permanent structure on the land. Furthermore, we checked the for land use compatibility with other adjacent properties by placing the selected parcels on top of a land use map.