Architectural Plans | Planning and Permitting - David J Elliott & Associates

Creative & Innovative

Planning & Permitting

Through countless public hearings assisting clients before planning commissions, city councils, and supervisor boards David J. Elliott & Associates has built a reputation as mediators, and innovative problem solvers through time consuming and often difficult approval processes.

We are formidable advocates for clients requiring difficult discretionary permit processes. We have successfully negotiated the processing of conditional use permits involving commercial development in valuable farmland zoning classifications. We have won approval for homeowners faced with getting ridgeline development considered. DJEA has been the professional leader serving clients requiring extensive general plan and zoning amendments. We have a substantial background processing Coastal Commission applications for clients developing homes requiring extensive tree removal, grading, and lot coverage. DJEA’s professional, methodical, and sensitive approach to problem solving along with our respectful attitude toward governmental authorities has greatly enhanced timely and cost effective project approvals.

We know how to put that something special into your project to get it approved. We know how to properly present a project before the decision makers and stakeholders in the community and defend it when necessary. If you have a complex project with multiple stakeholders, we would love to serve you.

Here are some example of planning projects that required extra creativity and innovation:

Monterey Regional Health Resources Strategy-Fort Ord

California

Consultant and contributing author of a Study Report finalizing the Silas B. Hays Army Community Hospital (SBHACH) Blue Ribbon Committee of the Fort Ord Reuse Group (FORG). The services centered on the evaluation of the need for the hospital as a 24-hour bed facility, developing reuse scenarios for the eight story facility, and the study of potential housing sites on base appropriate for a continuum of care senior community. Responsibilities also included assisting in the development and moderation of an open forum health care Summit attended by leading local health care and political leaders to develop a regional health care strategy taking advantage of facility opportunities available from the Fort Ord base closure.

Monterey County Capital Facilities

Master Plan

David J. Elliott and Associates assembled a team incorporating ROMA Design Group of San Francisco, and Whitney Associates of Los Angeles who were selected together to prepare the twenty year Monterey County Capital Facilities Master Plan. This Contract focused on the two county owned parcels of land at the downtown Salinas courthouse site and the East Salinas Natividad site. Private development partnership scenarios were considered as creative financing mechanisms opposed to the traditional general obligation bond programs. An exhaustive evaluation of county owned property was developed by a separate contract by Whitney Associates requiring a certain interface in the Master Plan.

DJEA’s primary function was to act as local liaison for information gathering, interface of existing separate reports, department interviews for facility unit projections, existing and proposed facility evaluation, and budget projections. During the course of the project consideration of the purchase of the adjacent Salinas City Hall was considered requiring a separate building efficiency analysis.

The result of the Master Plan included the evaluation of over one million square feet of facilities and disqualified the need to acquire any additional land for the twenty year facility development. ties Master Plan. This Contract focused on the two county owned parcels of land at the downtown Salinas courthouse site and the East Salinas Natividad site. Private development partnership scenarios were considered as creative financing mechanisms opposed to the traditional general obligation bond programs. An exhaustive evaluation of county owned property was developed by a separate contract by Whitney Associates requiring a certain interface in the Master Plan.

>DJEA’s primary function was to act as local liaison for information gathering, interface of existing separate reports, department interviews for facility unit projections, existing and proposed facility evaluation, and budget projections. During the course of the project consideration of the purchase of the adjacent Salinas City Hall was considered requiring a separate building efficiency analysis.

The result of the Master Plan included the evaluation of over one million square feet of facilities and disqualified the need to acquire any additional land for the twenty year facility development.

King City Airport

Industrial Park

As Project Manager, DJEA processed the development of a 60 acre industrial park adjacent to the King City Airport in South Monterey County. The property was annexed into the city in 1982. EOC funds were made available to the city who installed part of the infrastructure. It has been developed to allow for quarter acre, one acre, two-and-a-half acre to twenty acre parcels in three phases with a twenty year development agreement. The project is being fast tracked with a negative declaration with the potential of incorporating joint approval of a major tenant requiring 500,000 gallons of water and sewage disposal per day. Tentative approval of a private well and irrigation reuse treatment is being encouraged by the governing authorities.

Churches

The Salinas Valley Community Church searched for five years for property to develop a phased 45,000 square feet facility to house its church activities. A twelve acre site was chosen in a 40 acre valuable farmlands zone. A Conditional Use Permit was applied for, denied by the Monterey County Zoning Administrator, the Monterey County Planning Commission, and two years later approved by appeal to the Monterey County Board of Supervisors. The decision was precedent setting in the Supervisor’s decision to consider a church consistent with the General Plan in a valuable agricultural land designation. Other churches requiring extensive use permit approvals include:

Echoes from Calvary
Young Nak Presbyterian Church
Diocese of Monterey
Iglesia Bautista Emanuel
Iglesia Bautista Manantial de Vida
Salvation Army
First Baptist Church of Salinas
Salinas Vineyard Church

Monterey County Social Services Consolidation

Feasibility Study

David J. Elliott and Associates was approached by the Monterey County Social Services to develop a feasibility study to consolidate their many Salinas agencies into one facility. This project involved intensive interviews and research culminating with an all day workshop attended by over 40 Social Service administrators and employees. The end result refined and restructured component and overall organizational charts to develop a consolidated facility program. Central facilities relative to all component service groups were gleaned for maximum efficiency and cost effective support applications. Facility unit spatial diagrams were developed describing furniture allocations and relative adjacency requirements to other units. The consolidation program was quantified to develop facility size, site support, and relative budget costs. A $10 million dollar, 80,000 square foot facility was qualified. Further tenant improvement plans were developed in the Quadrangle Office Building in Salinas where implementation of the study has been taking place over several years.

Shopping Centers

Feasibility Study

Prunedale Shopping Center Expansion The Prunedale Shopping Center Expansion was a diverse multi-agency General Development Plan approval of an existing 40,000 square feet retail shopping center built in 1973 and 1975. The development was expanded to 108,000 square feet of multiple retail and office buildings on 23 acres. The project involved moving a 3 acre septic system and constructing a new water system requiring 150,000 gallons of storage. The project was approved in 1988 after several amendments. Newly developed shopping centers requiring extensive general development approval processes completed for developers include:

Condominium Development

Fast Food Restaurants

David J. Elliott and Associates has developed into an advocate for fast food franchises as many jurisdictions develop more critical approval processes for their unique needs. Little Caesars The City of San Francisco has a mandatory use permit approval process for fast food projects. “Mom and pop” restaurants tend to be favored over the more established franchises. David developed a strategy to get the approval of the first Little Caesars franchise in San Francisco. Though there were six other “mom and pop” pizza restaurants within a few blocks of the site, sensitive presentations to the neighborhood residents, a merchants association and eventually the planning commission earned the approval.

The City of Oakland also has a mandatory use permit process for fast food projects. Within a week of the application for this Little Caesars restaurant there were over 90 separate email and/or written objections to the project from neighbors and a well organized merchants association. After pointed hands-on meetings with the merchant’s association all objections were resolved and the project was reduced from a “major,” public hearing permit to a “minor” administrative approval.

Other franchises that DJEA has assisted in planning approvals include: