Michael Rolband speaks about Wetlands, the Environment, and Real Estate Development
Michael Rolband ‘82, founder and president of Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc., visited with Program in Real Estate students as part of the Cornell Real Estate Industry Seminar on Thursday, September 7th.
Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc, (WSSI) based in Virginia, consults with real estate developers on issues surrounding natural resources. WSSI focuses primarily on wetland and stream issues, and employs a team of industry professionals, including civil engineers, environmental scientists, and archeologists. WSSI is required to comply with local, regional, and national regulatory requirements, all of which contain interpretations of the words ‘wetland’ and ‘stream’ that are not clear-cut in the field. Rolband discussed the difficulties these regulations present when trying to create solutions for developers that meet everyone’s needs.
“Developers are now required to submit documentation to the Army Corps of Engineers if a wetland or stream is found on their site proving that no other site was available for their project,” said Rolband, adding, “if no other site exists, developers are also required to show financially how it wouldn’t be practicable for them to redesign their project around the wetland or stream.”
Despite constraints and complications, WSSI has successfully consulted on more than 2,500 sites in Virginia.
Rolband also delved into issues of mitigation. Government regulations have grown increasingly stringent since their inception in the 1970s, requiring land developers to mitigate their impact to wetlands and streams increasingly smaller in size. Rolband noted that mitigation results in many outcomes: fitting the development around the sensitive areas, relocating sensitive areas on site, and buying mitigation credits to preserve wetlands and streams elsewhere.
Rolband received three degrees from Cornell – MBA 1982, MEng 1981, and BS 1980 – and is on the Advisory Board for the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
The Real Estate Industry Seminar is a weekly session held exclusively for students in the Program in Real Estate. It provides students the opportunity to interact with industry leaders and explore a number of current topics within the real estate field.