Mitigating Environmental Impacts at Master-Planned CommunityChallenge: Planning a nearly 2,900 acre master-planned community, 4S Kelwood needed to address and mitigate environmental impacts.Project Scope: Dudek prepared and processed an environmental impact report (EIR) and biological resource analysis. Additionally, the firm prepared wetland mitigation plans for impacts to two creek systems.Resolution: 4S Kelwood needed to identify the environmental implications of a major development project in San Diego’s Rancho Bernardo community that would include nearly 5,400 residential units, 1,280 acres of commercial space, schools, a reclaimed water treatment facility and parks. The company turned to Dudek, which prepared and processed an EIR that addressed:
Based on its findings, Dudek prepared and permitted conceptual wetland mitigation plans that addressed impacts to two creek systems. The firm also prepared a rare plant salvage/translocation and mitigation plan for an endangered plant species as well as obtained permits from the California Department of Fish and Game for salvaging and relocating the species.Next, Dudek prepared final revegetation construction documents for wetland mitigation, monitored construction of the revegetation installation, and continues to conduct long-term biological monitoring of the wetlands. The result is 60 percent, or more than 1,600 acres, of the community are designated as permanently protected wildlife habitats, linking the regional open space systems to the San Diego Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP).
