Screening Outcomes: Proceed, Proceed with Risk, or Stop
Early-stage assessment doesn't establish feasibility, massing, or yield.
It establishes a decision. Before deeper analysis starts, the process has to determine whether a site advances and under what conditions. Without a clearly framed outcome, early work turns descriptive instead of decisive, and unresolved risk drifts into later stages.
Effective evaluation ends with a recorded decision.
Early-stage assessment doesn't establish feasibility, massing, or yield.
Before deeper analysis starts, the process has to determine whether a site moves forward and under what conditions. Without a clearly stated outcome, early work becomes descriptive instead of decisive, and unresolved risk carries into later stages.
Effective evaluation ends with a recorded decision.
Why Binary Thinking Is Insufficient
Screening is often treated as a simple pass or fail exercise. In practice, that framing is incomplete.
Some sites clearly fail structural thresholds and must be stopped. Others are viable as of right, but materially constrained in ways that matter. Treating all viable sites as equal obscures risk. Treating all constrained sites as failures discards opportunities that may still justify further analysis under the right assumptions.
A disciplined process distinguishes between viability and risk.
Screening is often treated as a simple pass or fail exercise. In practice, that framing is incomplete.
Some sites clearly fail and must be stopped. Others are viable as of right but constrained in meaningful ways. Treating all viable sites as equal hides risk. Treating all constrained sites as failures discards opportunities that may still justify further work.
A disciplined process separates viability from risk.
The Three Outcomes
1. Proceed
A “Proceed” outcome indicates that the site clears all primary screening thresholds.
As-of-right development is achievable
No structural zoning or physical gates are present
The buildable envelope translates cleanly into workable massing
These sites warrant progression into massing and underwriting without qualification. Any remaining questions are related to optimization, not feasibility.
A “Proceed” outcome indicates that the site clears all primary screening thresholds.
As-of-right development is achievable
No structural zoning or physical gates are present
The buildable envelope translates cleanly into workable massing
These sites can advance into massing and underwriting without qualification. Remaining questions relate to optimization, not feasibility.
2. Proceed with Risk
A “Proceed with Risk” outcome applies when a site is viable but materially constrained.
As-of-right development is achievable
Structural gates are absent
Envelope sensitivity, bulk compression, or yield limitations are present
In these cases, the site is not eliminated, but expectations are reset. Risk is acknowledged up front, and downstream analysis proceeds with a clear understanding of what may limit performance.
This outcome is not a hedge. It is a decision to proceed with documented constraints.
A “Proceed with Risk” outcome applies when a site is viable but materially constrained.
As-of-right development is achievable
Structural gates are absent
Envelope sensitivity, bulk compression, or yield limitations are present
The site is not eliminated, but expectations are reset. Risk is acknowledged early, and downstream analysis proceeds with a clear understanding of what may limit outcomes.
This outcome is not a hedge. It is a decision to proceed with documented constraints.
3. Stop
A “Stop” outcome is reached when the site fails one or more structural thresholds.
As-of-right feasibility breaks down
The buildable envelope collapses under zoning or geometry
Non-negotiable physical or legal constraints are present
At this point, further analysis does not clarify viability. It delays an inevitable conclusion. Stopping early preserves time, capital, and analytical credibility.
A stopped site is not a failed analysis. It is a completed one.
A “Stop” outcome is reached when the site fails one or more structural thresholds.
As-of-right feasibility breaks down
The buildable envelope collapses under zoning or geometry
Non-negotiable physical or legal constraints are present
At this point, additional analysis does not improve clarity. It delays an inevitable conclusion. Stopping early preserves time, capital, and analytical credibility.
A stopped site is not a failed analysis. It is a completed one.
What Screening Explicitly Does Not Decide
Final massing configuration
Optimal unit mix or efficiency
Financial yield or return metrics
These are downstream questions that assume an early-stage decision has already been reached. Screening determines whether those questions should be pursued not how they should be answered.
Final massing configuration
Optimal unit mix or efficiency
Financial yield or return
These are downstream questions that assume a clear early-stage decision already exists. Early stage feasibility determines whether those questions should be asked, not how they should be answered.
Why Documenting the Outcome Matters
An early-stage review without a documented outcome is not screening. It is observation.
Recording a clear decision aligns expectations across teams, anchors downstream analysis, and prevents unresolved risk from migrating silently into later stages. It also creates accountability. When a site advances, the rationale for doing so is explicit.
Decision clarity at the earliest stage is what allows flexibility later.
An early-stage review without a documented outcome is not screening. It is observation.
Recording a clear decision aligns teams, anchors downstream work, and prevents unresolved risk from drifting forward. It also creates accountability. When a site advances the reason for doing so is explicit.
Decision clarity at the earliest stage is what allows flexibility later.
Outcomes as Inputs, Not Conclusions
Screening outcomes are not endpoints. They are inputs into the next stage of analysis.
A Proceed decision frames massing assumptions.
A Proceed with Risk decision defines where sensitivity testing should concentrate.
A Stop decision prevents further work entirely.
When outcomes are clearly framed, downstream analysis becomes targeted rather than exploratory. Work begins with known constraints instead of rediscovering them through iteration.
Screening outcomes are not endpoints. They are inputs into the next stage of analysis.
Proceed decision frames massing assumptions.
Proceed with Risk decision defines where sensitivity testing should concentrate.
Stop decision prevents further work entirely.
When outcomes are explicit, full scale analysis becomes targeted instead of exploratory. Work starts with known constraints instead of rediscovering them through iteration.
Key Takeaway
Screening is complete only when a clear outcome is recorded. Proceed. Proceed with risk. Or stop.
In Practice
Strong screening does not accelerate the pipeline by moving more sites forward. It accelerates the pipeline by ensuring that only the right sites do.
By framing outcomes explicitly, early-stage assessment protects downstream work and preserves focus on opportunities with a structurally viable path forward.
Strong screening does not accelerate the pipeline by moving more sites forward. It accelerates the pipeline by ensuring that only the right sites do.