AppGeo Division of The Sanborn Map Company

Bordering the capital city, West Hartford, Connecticut is a bustling town where historic charm meets modern convenience. From the lively Blue Back Square, brimming with restaurants, shops, and cultural events, to the dazzling array of Elizabeth Park’s renowned rose gardens, West Hartford offers a sophisticated blend of urban and suburban panache.

Since 1999, West Hartford has also been a trailblazer in GIS technology. Initially partnering with Applied Geographics (now the AppGeo Division of The Sanborn Map Company), the town would help shape what would become the MapGeo platform, now used by more than 100 towns, cities, and counties nationwide. Twenty-five years later, West Hartford is still providing seamless access to vital data such as parcel information, zoning regulations, and property assessments — empowering both residents and officials to make well-informed decisions.

In addition to MapGeo, West Hartford has also used Sanborn’s Spatial IQ™ services for everything from data collection or even paper maps, as well as training to enhance in-house capabilities. This partnership boosts the Town's ability to respond quickly to ever-evolving needs. West Hartford is setting the standard for how data drives better outcomes for communities nationwide.

Most recently, West Hartford added a new theme to MapGeo to visualize their streetlight illumination. The Town conducted their own analysis to identify the gaps in lighting after receiving many residents’ complaints. Town decided to complete a system-wide illumination analysis with specific review of areas identified in their Vision Zero Action Plan – a comprehensive plan to improve roadway safety for all users with the goal to eliminate roadway-related fatalities by 2033. Based on this analysis, the Town ordered ~250 new luminaires that will upgrade lumen output at existing fixture locations or fill in previously dark areas with new fixture locations. The analysis provides critical information to support this work and hosting this layer on MapGeo allows quick review of existing conditions by the Engineering Division and other town staff.

Are you looking for funding opportunities for resiliency projects? The Federal Highway Administration has announced a grant program, Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost- Saving Transportation (PROTECT). There is $1.5 billion in grant funding available for next year to support resilience efforts. The deadline to submit grant requests is February 2025.

Looking at previous awards, various levels of government have received funding for planning, drainage improvement, water quality improvement, flood remediation, erosion prevention, and floodwall improvements to name a few.

This might be an opportunity to secure funds to plan and carry out geospatial projects or acquire imagery or LiDAR data to support resilience efforts. Let us know if you have any questions or would like to discuss further.

When you think of what Sanborn does, you may initially think of maps and GIS, but our expertise goes beyond the traditional. We assist many of our clients by developing custom scripts to help with repeatable tasks across various departments. We are proficient in several different software and scripting tools (ex. FME, Python, ArcPy, Panda, SQL, Alteryx) depending on the type of input and the expected output.

Below are two examples of recent scripts that we have developed for the Town of Acton, MA:

FME Script for Generating and Maintaining a Master Address Table

We have developed two FME scripts to generate and maintain a comprehensive Master Address Table (MAT) for integration with OpenGov. One script ensures the accuracy and completeness of address data by comparing the state’s address points with the Assessor's table. It eliminates duplicates, generates addresses for condos and apartments using unit numbers, and enforces a standardized format for street naming.

The other script seamlessly updates the MAT whenever new addresses are added by incorporating relevant information from the Assessor’s table, such as the owner's information. This automation enhances the efficiency and accuracy of maintaining the MAT, crucial for seamless integration with OpenGov.

Python Script for Automating Permit Information Transfer

Additionally, we have created a Python script to streamline the process of transferring permit information from OpenGov to the Assessor’s database, Vision. This tool automates the transfer of building permit data, thereby eliminating the need for manual entry by the Assessor. The script utilizes reports listing building permit numbers and efficiently transfers this information into an extract from the Assessor’s Vision database. By automating this transfer process, the tool significantly reduces the time and effort required by the Assessor, allowing for a more efficient and accurate update of permit information within Vision.

We plan to talk more about the custom scripting and projects that we can do for clients in an upcoming Spatial IQ quarterly educational webinar.

Over the summer, the GIS director from Northborough (MA) reached out about creating a project tax calculator in MapGeo to keep everything in one platform. The MapGeo team brainstormed ideas and created a mockup for the client to review. After a few iterations, the end result was a custom property details view showing the property tax implications of a major infrastructure project on the November ballot. Now that the measure has passed, the view is behind a login for town staff to reuse for future projects.

Residents were able to use the tool to look up their property and see how their property taxes would be impacted by the project.

Sanborn Change Analyst™

Experience the power of Sanborn's change detection solutions. View multiple windows of source data side by side within the Sanborn Change Analyst™. All views are linked to synchronized panning and zooming. Organize and view your parcel data by percentage of change, parcel numbers, addresses, or any other identifier that allows for easy searching and analysis.

Automated Change Detection

Say goodbye to the tedious and costly task of manually searching within large datasets for changes. Sanborn's advanced analysis and processing techniques streamline the process of change detection. Our process is meticulously designed to flag any alterations in your data, ensuring efficient change detection between your Year a (Alpha) and Year b (Beta) datasets.