There are a lot of hoops to jump through to take a project from the drawing board to completion. From CEQA through Tentative and Final Maps, from Lot Line Adjustments through Comprehensive Master Plans, from local agencies to the State and Federal levels, BDA leads its clients efficiently and effectively through every stage of the entitlement process. The documentation we can provide includes:
Tentative Maps/Subdivision Plans/Lot Splits
The subdivision of land is a serious undertaking, with consequences that will far outlive both designer and project proponent. The environmental review and project permitting process can be a daunting one, but the combination of good design and clear documentation will make the sailing much smoother. A well designed project minimizes impacts and maximizes benefits, protecting resources while providing economic return to the project proponent. A well designed project should enhance, not diminish the property for which it is planned, and inspire wholehearted support, rather than opposition, from the community in which it is proposed.
Master Plans and Specific Plans
Big visions require big plans. Rather than being constrained by the “one size fits all” approach of conventional zoning, through specific planning we can do much more than simply design projects — we can design communities, and create places as unique as the sites on which they occur. Combining residential and commercial uses, providing ample areas for open space and recreation, designing circulation routes which accommodate pedestrians and cyclists as well as the automobile, enables us to truly discover a property’s highest and best use.
Regulatory Permitting
The regulatory process is a complex one, particularly in California, and it grows more so every day. We have experience in dealing with state and federal agencies on projects large and small, including, to name a few:
- The Army Corps of Engineers – Particularly on properties with lakes, rivers or other wetland features, the Army Corps will have something to say about a project. We have experience in working with the Corps to resolve their concerns and, ideally, avoid the impacts which would trigger their review.
- The Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) – Particularly in the foothills, where the toxic by-products of the gold rush continue to impact our environment in ways we are just beginning to understand, we often need to work with state agencies such as DTSC, in addition to local Departments of Environmental Health, to craft feasible, practical remediation plans. We have a good understanding of the issues regarding lands impacted by mining, and the ways in which they can be resolved.
- The State Mining and Geology Board (SMGB) – If you own land which has been quarried or mined since 1972, you are likely familiar with SMGB, who requires that lands on which commercial mining has occurred have a reclamation plan in place to restore the property to its pre-1972 condition. We have worked extensively with SMGB, and in 2008 completed a reclamation effort the agency called the finest they had ever seen.
