Representative Projects

MILL CREEK WETLANDS

Project Overview

The Cucamonga Creek Watershed Regional Water Quality Project (Mill Creek Wetlands) is a 52-acre natural wetland system that provides water quality, recreation, and habitat restoration benefits, located in the Prado Basin. The project is the result of a multi-agency partnership with the Corps, City of Ontario, City of Chino, San Bernardino County Parks, Orange County Water District, and the Inland Empire Utilities Agency utilizing Corps land and City of Ontario grant funds along with private developer funds to create a $25 million facility. Carlson was instrumental in project design, preparation of CEQA/NEPA documents, and obtaining project approvals from the Corps and the City of Ontario. The project was given the Outstanding Public Sector Civil Engineering Project Award by the American Society of Civil Engineers in June 2014. Carlson Strategic Land Solutions is currently under contract with the City of Ontario to manage the Mill Creek Wetlands. Carlson performed the following major tasks:

Environmental CEQA/NEPA

  • Preparation of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Mitigated Negative Declaration
  • Preparation of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Environmental Assessment

Regulatory, Permitting, Monitoring, Biology

  • Jurisdictional Delineation and Habitat Mitigation and Monitoring Plan
  • Resource Management Plan
  • Section 404 NWP / Section 401 WQC / Section 1602 LSA
  • Section 7 Biological Opinion / CDFG Section 1 Habitat and Water Quality Vegetation Design
  • Construction monitoring
  • Least Bell’s vireo / Burrowing Owl / Nesting Bird surveys
  • Vegetation Transects
  • Annual Reporting

Management

  • Current management of MCW operations and habitat

MVUSD ON-CALL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES

Project Overview

Carlson has served as the on-call environmental consultant for Murrieta Valley Unified School District (MVUSD) since around 2001. Carlson prepared EIRs for two high schools, a K-8 combined elementary school, as well as comprehensive IS/MNDs for a middle school and two elementary schools. Several of the school sites required regulatory permits that were negotiated and obtained by Carlson. CSLS remains the School District’s on-call environmental consultant today. Projects include:

Environmental Oversight and Management

Murrieta Mesa High School:  Murrieta Mesa High School (MMHS) is a 275,000 square foot high school on 62 acres serving 2,400 students. Carlson was MVUSD’s lead consultant for negotiating with the City of Murrieta, preparation, and implementation of the regulatory permits for impacts to a jurisdictional drainage, community outreach with the adjacent residential neighborhoods, and worked closely with KKC for preparation of the EIR. MMHS was approved. Carlson designed and monitored the mitigation site.

Vista Murrieta High School:  Vista Murrieta High School (VMHS) is a 250,000 square foot high school on 50 acres serving 3,500 students, which was part of a Specific Plan prepared by the City of Murrieta.  MVUSD and the City of Murrieta were co-Lead Agencies and prepared a joint EIR for VMHS and the Specific Plan. Carlson designed and implemented the mitigation program for impacts to the Quino Checkerspot Butterfly (QCB) and drainages. All of MVUSD’s mitigation requirements have been successfully satisfied and signed off by the regulatory agencies under the direction of Carlson.

Mails and McElhinny Campus:  The Mails and McElhinny Campus is a 250,000 square foot campus serving 2,800 Kindergarten through 8th grade students on 52 acres. Carlson was MVUSD’s lead consultant for preparation of an Environmental Impact Report.  Additionally, the Campus is located in QCB and coastal California gnatcatcher (CGN) critical habitat, within the Western Riverside MSHCP, and contains numerous jurisdictional drainages. Carlson developed a strategy to avoid impacts to jurisdiction in order to avoid a Section 7 consultation with the USFWS, regulatory permits, and a protracted negotiation on the MSHCP. This strategy saved the District a substantial amount of development costs, but more importantly allowed MVUSD to begin construction on time to meet the opening date for students, which would not have been possible without this strategy.

CNG Bus Fleet Conversion Project:  Carlson prepared an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) for the conversion of MVUSD’s existing diesel bus fleet to a compressed natural gas fueling facility at the District office. Carlson provided project management, developed a comprehensive project description, coordinated with sub-consultants and oversaw all technical studies and reports, identified and detailed mitigation measures as part of the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program. The IS/MND was certified and the project was approved on November 8, 2012.

BEDFORD CANYON WASH

Project Overview

Carlson Strategic Land Solutions (CSLS), acting on behalf of The New Home Company, was instrumental in designing, permitting, and managing implementation of a widened and restored Bedford Canyon Wash as part of the Arantine Hills Specific Plan. Bedford Wash, an ephemeral drainage with RAFSS habitat, had an average width of approximately 90 feet. To convey storm flows and debris safely, CSLS guided the biological portion of the design of a widened and restored Bedford Wash with an average width of 200 feet. CSLS obtained regulatory permits including 404 NWP, 401 WQC, 1600 LSAA, Section 7 BO, MSHCP Consistency, and DBESP. Bedford Wash will be owned and managed by the Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, with a Conservation Easement to the benefit of RCRCD. CSLS was instrumental in coordinating with both agencies. CSLS performed the following major tasks:

Environmental CEQA/NEPA

  • Preparation of Biological Technical Report and portions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Supplemental EIR

Regulatory, Permitting, Monitoring, Biology

  • Jurisdictional Delineation
  • Habitat Mitigation and Monitoring Plan
  • Long-Term Management Plan
  • Section 404 NWP / Section 401 WQC / Section 1600 LSAA Section 7 Biological Opinion / MSHCP / DBESP
  • Conservation Easement
  • Co-Op Agreement with RCF&WCD
  • Construction monitoring
  • Burrowing Owl / Nesting Bird surveys
  • Annual Reporting

Summerly

Project Overview

Summerly is a 706-acre master-planned golf community in the Lake Elsinore Back Basin. The development consists of approximately 1,955 residential units, 40 acres of roads, and 329 acres of open space, including an 18-hole golf course. The Lake Elsinore Back Basin is subject to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hydrology requirements and California Department of Fish and Game Section 1600 jurisdiction. Carlson assisted the development team in identifying a strategy for regulatory permitting, which included working closely with the City of Lake Elsinore and Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District.

Strategic Planning

  • Recommended modifications to an existing multi-party 404 permit, previously considered to be out of compliance due to the required mitigation measures having not been fully implemented.
  • Successfully managed the process by which developer was added as a co-permittee with the City of Lake Elsinore and Elsinore Valley Water District.
  • Negotiated new mitigation measures with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and California Department Fish and Game to allow use of the existing 404 permit and issuance of a new Section 1602 Streambed Alteration Agreement.
  • Assisted the City and developer with Western Riverside County Multiple Species Habitat Plan participation and negotiations with the County and USFWS.
  • Assisted the developer and the City in identifying mitigation acreage to satisfy 404, 1602, and MSHCP.

Environmental Services

  • Secured amended Section 404 permit and CDFG Section 1602.
  • Prepared the Habitat Mitigation and Monitoring Plan for over 100 acres of new habitat.
  • Managed rare plant, endangered species, and burrowing owl surveys.
  • Conduct five-year mitigation monitoring and reporting.
  • Successfully managed the process by which developer was added as a co-permittee with the City of Lake Elsinore and Elsinore Valley Water District.
  • Negotiated new mitigation measures with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and California Department Fish and Game to allow use of the existing 404 permit and issuance of a new Section 1602 Streambed Alteration Agreement.
  • Assisted the City and developer with Western Riverside County Multiple Species Habitat Plan participation and negotiations with the County and USFWS.
  • Assisted the developer and the City in identifying mitigation acreage to satisfy 404, 1602, and MSHCP.

MARYWOOD EIR

Project Overview

The Marywood Residential Development Project entailed redevelopment of the approximate 16-acre Marywood Pastoral Center in the City of Orange, from 102,000 square feet of existing educational/religious facilities built in 1964 to 40 single-family residential homes. Required Project approvals consisted of a Tentative Tract Map, Major Site Plan, Design Review, Environmental Review, and a Conditional Use Permit for temporary onsite crushing of select demolition material to be reused as fill. Carlson prepared and processed the environmental documentation for CEQA compliance through the City (Lead Agency) including the Notice of Preparation; Scoping Meeting; Draft EIR with technical studies; Notice of Availability; Final EIR with Responses to Comments, Errata and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program; Findings of Fact; Statement of Overriding Conditions; and Notice of Determination.

Unique challenges included proposed demolition of architecturally significant buildings; soil remediation to prepare the site for new development and protect City water tank infrastructure from existing unsuitable fill material and oversteepened slopes; and potential air quality, noise, and traffic impacts on an adjacent child daycare facility and residential homes. Carlson worked with the City, Applicant, and cultural resources specialists to create a historical recordation and item salvage program for the site to reduce the significant unavoidable impact resulting from building demolition. Carlson also worked with technical consultants to craft mitigation that reduced all other potential impacts to less than significant.

Based on the Project’s specific challenges, the City anticipated six rounds of City review/administrative screen check drafts prior to release of the public Draft EIR. Carlson was able to finalize the public Draft with the City after only two rounds of minor comments, resulting in a significantly expedited processing schedule. The City certified the Final EIR and approved the Project in October 2015.

ARANTINE HILLS RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT

Project Overview

The Arantine Hills Residential Project proposes to develop a master-planned community, which encompasses approximately 276.0 acres located below the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains adjacent to the southeastern boundary of the City of Corona, Riverside County, California. The Project faced several challenges including the jurisdictional features found onsite, specifically Bedford Canyon Wash that transverses the Project site in a northeast-southwest direction. The Project proposed three design options for Bedford Canyon Wash including a concrete-lined bypass channel, soft bottom bypass channel, and a widened and restored Bedford Canyon Wash.  Through multi-agency partnership with the Army Corps of Engineers, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Regional Water Quality Control Board, and United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the widened and restored Bedford Canyon Wash was chosen to the benefit of all, while utilizing the resources onsite.  

Responsibilities included conducting all field surveys and preparation of an updated Biological Technical Study, Western Riverside Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP) Consistency Analysis and Determination of Biological Equivalent or Superior Preservation (DBESP), and regulatory permits for this Project.

Regulatory, Permitting, Monitoring, Biology

  • Updated Jurisdictional Delineation
  • Updated Biological Technical Study
  • MSHCP Consistency Analysis and DBESP
  • Section 404 Nationwide Permit with USACE
  • Section 401 Water Quality Certification with Regional Water Quality Control Board
  • Section 1602 Streambed Alteration Agreement with California Department of Fish and Wildlife
  • S. Fish and Wildlife Service coordination
  • Migratory Bird Treaty Act Surveys
  • Burrowing owl surveys

ROSEDALE SPECIFIC PLAN

Project Overview

Managed all aspects of entitlement for the 500-acre Monrovia Nursery site, from agricultural zoning to a master planned 1,250 home residential development; managed the technical studies for the project as well as the preparation of the Environmental Impact Report and Specific Plan. Mr. Carlson led the strategic planning related to all public agency coordination, including coordination with the Public Utilities Commission for two grade separated crossings on the site, and worked with the Gold Line Authority and Metrolink for the realignment of a reach of the existing train tracks to accommodate the grade separated crossings. In addition, Mr. Carlson worked extensively with City staff and made all applicant presentations to the Planning Commission, City Council and community groups.  The project was challenged by a group of residents and Mr. Carlson was instrumental in running a campaign that won project approval with over 75 percent community support.

SKYRIDGE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT

Project Overview

The Skyridge Residential Development Project proposed an 84-single family home development located on approximately 28.5 acres of County-designated Open Space. Originally within the jurisdiction of the County of Orange, Skyridge included annexation into the City of Mission Viejo, resulting in the need for a General Plan Amendment, Zone Change, and Vesting Tentative Tract Map. The Project faced several challenges including a large landslide, significant cultural resources site, and occupied coastal California gnatcatcher habitat.

Responsibilities included conducting all field surveys and prepared a Biological Resources Assessment for this project, including focused plant surveys, focused coastal California gnatcatcher surveys, and jurisdictional delineation and assessment. Furthermore, the Project included the process of obtaining Section 404, Section 401, Section 1602, Section 106, and Section 7 permits.

SERRANO SUMMIT - CIVIC CENTER ADDENDUM

Project Overview

Carlson prepared a complex Addendum for a project that included both a new civic center for the City of Lake Forest and an adjoining development project. The City had previously prepared two EIRs. First, in 2008, the City prepared the City of Lake Forest Opportunities Study Program Environmental Impact Report. The City also used that programmatic EIR for approval of the Development Agreement between the City and Irvine Ranch Water District. Second, in 2012, the City prepared the “Serrano Summit Area Plan 2009-01 and Tentative Tract Map No. 17331 Environmental Impact Report, January 2012”, tiered off the Opportunity Studies Program EIR. The City relied on that site-specific EIR for approval of the Area Plan, Tentative Tract Map, and Use Permit.

The proposed modifications to the Project included revisions to the Development Agreement, the Area Plan, the Use Permit, Tentative Tract Map, and the Civic Center. Since the proposed actions relied on two separate EIRs (the DA was approved by the OSA Program EIR, and the Area Plan and TTM were approved by the Serrano Summit project level EIR), Carlson determined the appropriate approach was to Addend both prior EIRs. Carlson prepared the EIR Addendum that captures the revisions of both the documents into a single document.

Responsibilities included conducting all field surveys and prepared a Biological Resources Assessment for this project, including focused plant surveys, focused coastal California gnatcatcher surveys, and jurisdictional delineation and assessment. Furthermore, the Project included the process of obtaining Section 404, Section 401, Section 1602, Section 106, and Section 7 permits.