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Services
CAA Planning provides a full range of planning and environmental
services including:
- Environmental
Analysis / CEQA and NEPA
- California
Coastal Act/Coastal Zone Project Processing
- Land
Use Regulations
- Entitlements
- Natural Resource
Protection
- General
& Community Planning
- Project
Management & Preconstruction Monitoring
- Subconsultant
Coordination
- Governmental
Relations
- Special Studies
EIRs, EISs and other CEQA or NEPA compliance
CAA Planning are leaders in the development of progressive
programs for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This innovation alone has saved
builders and landowners millions of dollars.
CAA has prepared numerous CEQA compliance documents, including
EIR's and EIS's, for both private and public sector projects.
Some of the more controversial project EIRs prepared by CAA
include:
·
North Costa Mesa High-Rise Residential Program EIR
·
MacArthur Place South EIR
·
Boating and Instructional Safety Center EIR
·
Tonner Hills Planned Community Program EIR
·
Arroyo Vista K-8 Conversion Supplemental EIR
·
Community School No. 1 EIR
·
Santa Monica Airport Park EIR
·
Laguna Laurel Planned Community
·
Upper Newport Bay Dredging and Rehabilitation Plan
·
City of Beaumont General Plan Program EIR
·
Laguna Niguel Planned Community Program EIR
·
Alta Mira/The Canyons at Bighorn in Palm Desert (one square mile
of Palm Desert)
·
Ortega Rock Quarry on Rancho Mission Viejo
·
Theo Lacy and Musick Jail Expansion
Our philosophy is to resist requirement of an EIR or EIS unless it
is legally necessary. If one must be written, however, we strive to make sure
it has the best chance possible of standing the test of litigation. We have
successfully prepared a defensible Mitigated Negative Declaration for a variety
of projects including:
·
Balboa Marina Dock Replacement Mitigated Negative Declaration
·
West End Pump Station Mitigated Negative Declaration
·
Seal Beach Shopping Center Renovation Mitigated Negative
Declaration
·
Vista Focus Academy Mitigated Negative Declaration
·
Family Literacy Center Mitigated Negative Declaration
California Coastal Act/Coastal
Zone Project Processing
CAA Planning has represented applicants for land development
projects throughout the Coastal Zone of California, and maintain outstanding
statutory, legal, and Coastal Commission relations in this area.
The reputation of CAA as legal experts in the Coastal Act, as
responsible communicators with the Commission, and as a team player with our
clients has been responsible for our success in this area.
Our projects in the Coastal Zone have encompassed some of the most
controversial and notorious issues in the Coastal Zone, all accomplished to
approval without alienation of the staff or the Commission.
More than twenty five years ago, Chairman C. David Culbertson
developed a new zoning philosophy and format which has since been applied to
nearly every major landholding in South Orange County.
Prior to the new philosophy, nearly all zoning regulations allowed
only a narrow range of uses on a piece of property. All others were prohibited.
Recognizing the negative side of these rigid regulations, co-founder, C. David
Culbertson developed a more builder/developer friendly zoning format and
philosophy that was adopted by the County of Orange.
One of the major benefits of this new zoning philosophy is the
ability to respond to market forces without the need for unnecessary, time
consuming and costly zone changes and amendments. This approach can be applied
to zoning, specific plans, and local coastal programs.
Major landowners throughout southern California have adopted CAA's
philosophy because it saves money and time for large-scale comprehensive land
development.
Coastal Development Permits, Subdivisions, Vesting Maps, Site
Plans, Development Agreements & Other Entitlement Tools
We have an extensive background in the preparation and processing
of all entitlements necessary for new and redevelopment projects.
CAA Planning prepared the original Coastal Development Permits in
2003 for the Pelican Hill Resort and has since processed several amendments to
the 2003 Coastal Development Permits in response to a design theme change and
architectural and engineering refinements throughout the four Pelican Hill
Resort components. While the resort is under construction currently, CAA’s role
continues beyond the minor amendments noted and includes building permit
processing, assistance, and monitoring of compliance with conditions of
approval.
For Mission Viejo Company, CAA developed a strategy with the
company to vest the entire remainder of its undeveloped Orange County holdings
- over 9,100 dwelling units at the time. Vesting maps and CEQA compliance were
prepared and processed through the necessary governmental agencies in record
time.
For Hemmeter Development Corporation's 1,125-room hotel complex in
Monarch Beach, CAA developed the strategy, represented the company at public
meetings and hearings, and managed the sub-consultants for the processing of
all permits.
CAA processed the project through the County of Orange in eight
weeks (with unanimous approval of both the Planning Commission and the Board of
Supervisors) and through the California Coastal Commission in 49 days. The
Coastal Commission approval was also unanimous.
One of the most challenging areas in entitlements at the present
time involves the regulatory constraints with respect to wetlands, endangered
species, and resource conservation. The multiple agencies involved in the areas
at the federal, state and local level demand the most proficient knowledge not
only of regulations, but also of negotiating opportunities. Constructive
treatment of these issues can result not only in a successful blend of the
project's aims with these concerns, but can also avoid subjecting the process
to multiple - and sometimes inconsistent - requirements.
We take great pride in our accomplishments in these areas with
respect to several projects, including the establishment and use of wetland
mitigation banks, alternative wetland delineations through the Natural Resource
Conservation Service (resulting in fewer wetlands acres involved), and work
with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on endangered species, habitat
conservation plans, and species listing concerns. On the 760 Reservoir project,
involvement led to a significant reduction in impacts to Coastal Sage Scrub and
Resource Agency concurrence was received within a matter of months. Most
importantly, we have used our negotiating skills and strategic knowledge to
extricate projects from the problems sometimes encountered in these resource
areas, and have written several interagency compacts to effectuate agreement on
these resource issues.
General & Community Planning
CAA Planning has managed
and produced general and community planning projects in the public and private
sectors. Representative projects include:
|
o Mission Viejo Planned Community o Aliso Viejo Planned Community o Newport (Irvine) Coast Planned Community o Seal Beach General Plan o Bear Brand Planned Community (Ocean Ranch) o Santa Margarita Planned Community o Portola Hills Planned Community o Foothill Ranch Planned Community o Laguna Niguel Planned Community o Laguna Laurel Planned Community o Talega Valley Specific Plan o Monarch Beach Local Coastal Plan o Forster Ranch Specific Plan o City of Beaumont General Plan o City of Mission Viejo General Plan Amendments |
Project Management &
Preconstruction Monitoring
Over the years, landowners, builders and governmental agencies
have discovered it is more cost-effective to hire CAA Planning to manage their
preconstruction processing than it is to hire an in-house manager with enough
expertise to do the job efficiently.
A partial listing of clients that have used CAA for project
management include:
·
The Irvine Company
·
SunCal
·
Shea Homes
·
Capital Pacific Holdings
·
Makar
·
County of Los Angeles, Department of Beaches and Harbors
·
Greystone
·
City of San Juan Capistrano
·
Balboa Bay Club
·
BaccHus Development
·
Capistrano Unified School District
·
Hemmeter Development Corporation
·
AVCO Community Developers
·
Hon Development Company
·
Soka University of America
·
Lennar
·
Pacific Gateway
·
Parker Properties
·
Simon DeBartolo
Based on numerous years of experience in the environmental
planning field, CAA Planning has found that an interdisciplinary team approach
best serves the client's interest and ensures the integrity of a project's
analysis. CAA has also determined that the top technical specialists are most
often found in their own consulting businesses. Therefore, CAA relies upon
other consultants recognized and respected in their fields of expertise; such
areas include traffic, noise, air quality, geotechnical, and water quality
analysis. This association, in the form of subconsultant agreements, ensures
that technical, consultant expertise is customized to individual client and
project needs. As part of our services, CAA manages any sub-consultants
necessary to the project.
One of the most important techniques for insuring project success
in the entitlement field is early and convincing governmental relations at the
local, state and federal levels. This can be at a staff level and/or at the
decision-making level. The knowledge possessed by our company - or acquired in
new jurisdictions through our many contacts - insures a fair hearing and early
warning of concerns or opportunities for advancing the project.
Our contacts in this regard are always above reproach in scope and
context. Perhaps the best evidence of this statement is that many of the
decision makers we deal with are the persons who recommend us when consulted by
potential applicants.
We offer in-house expertise in a number of specialized areas,
including:
·
Environmental Opportunities and Constraints Analyses
·
Land Use Feasibility Studies
·
Pre-purchase Research and Assessment
·
Affordable Housing Implementation Programs
·
Expert Witness Representation
As part of our services, CAA manages any subconsultants necessary
to the project, including civil engineers, land planners, architects,
biologists, botanists, archaeologists, paleontologists, noise study and
acoustical engineers, and traffic engineers.
Our goal in the management of these consultants is to see that all
studies are complete, accurate, on schedule and within budget.
Last updated April 2007
