Topographic Address Assignment Database

In 2019, Hector Rivera, the MBPO’s Topographic Associate and BetaNYC started conversions on methods to help digitize his system of organizing address applications. The previous system used a series of folders with attachments of site plans, letters, and photos taken during site visits. This provided difficulty for the topo office to share the statuses of applications and search historical documents, when requested by the BP, office staff, and developers. In addition during site visits, photos taken to verify entrances/exits of buildings were hard to keep track of.

We built an initial prototype in the following month in ArcGIS Online to:

  • Store all the information that was previously in the folders by tax lots (BBL) and address points in a geographic database
  • Allow for tax lots to be updated with statuses and notes using a website
  • Allow for updates and photos to be attached from a smartphone during site visits  
  • Create a searchable web map that allows office staff to check statuses and get documents (read-only)
Screenshot of the landing page. Either search by Address or BBL, or explore the map to see a quick summary of type, statuses, and comments associated with each lot.
Screenshot of the landing page. Either search by Address or BBL, or explore the map to see a quick summary of type, statuses, and comments associated with each lot.
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Screenshot of the tax lot information view. It shows the files attached (letter and images), useful links to ZOLA, ACRIS and DOB, and all address assignments and types on the lot.
Screenshot of the tax lot information view. It shows the files attached (letter and images), useful links to ZOLA, ACRIS and DOB, and all address assignments and types on the lot.