Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them. These points are usually on the surface of the Earth, and they are often used to establish land maps and boundaries for ownership or governmental purposes.
I view surveying as a historical puzzle. We take old and new documents and apply them to the surface of the Earth. While conducting surveys, I
wonder what it was like at the moment in time when a developer placed a pipe into a ground to divide off a piece of property.
Fast forward 100 years – is it the same pipe? Every step along the way, I need to view each piece of evidence. Just like a puzzle – is it an edge piece, part of the sky or is it water. Each piece needs to be analyzed carefully.
I start with what I know and build upon it until completing the puzzle. Surveying is the same way but includes many layers.
One layer is made up of research that is gathered from reviewing deeds, plans, probate records, road documents, etc. Another layer is the process of conducting fieldwork and gathering information needed to create a surveying plat or plan. What monuments did I find? Pipes? Stonewalls? Wire fences? With this information, I determine the age of the monuments. Questions arise such as – did a neighbor just build a stonewall or has it been there since the mid 1800s? After all questions are answered and the research is complete, I take both layers and combine them into one complete puzzle for the client. This process is both fun and interesting!
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“I have been a Code Enforcement Officer (CEO) for over 40 years and have been employed by the Town of Ogunquit, Maine for the past 18 years.
I have worked with Raymond A. Bisson on several projects throughout the years. He is one of the more adept surveyors I have worked with during my career as a CEO.
Raymond has proven to be an asset to many residences and commercial projects in the Town of Ogunquit because of his understanding of Land Use Regulations and applying that knowledge to their projects. He has been involved in a multitude of projects from subdivisions, flood plain elevations to lot coverage calculations and setback restraints.
I have looked to Raymond for advice on particular instances that were very sensitive in the Town on numerous actions. I have, and will continue to recommend Ray for surveying related projects in the Town of Ogunquit.”
– Paul Lempicki, Land Use Director,
Town of Ogunquit Maine
