ABOUT US SERVICES PORTFOLIO MEDIA CAREERS CONTACT search NEWSLETTERS The Latest Happenings and Updates AUG 25 0 Summer 2021 Newsletter READ MORE HERE JUL 14 0 Spring 2021 Newsletter READ MORE HERE FEB 05 0 Winter 2021 Newsletter READ MORE HERE NOV 30 0 Fall 2020 Newsletter READ MORE HERE AUG 06 0 Summer 2020 Newsletter READ MORE HERE A WORD FROM OUR CFO With the novelty of virtual workplaces and zoom meetings wearing off, we are finding new ways to stay active, engaged, and most of all communicative with our clients, staff and colleagues. Back to the Office: as essential workers begin to return to the office we have seen a wide range of approaches to how and when that happens. . At Latitude 33 we have chosen a phased approach which allows employees a choice. We have seen approximately 20% of our employees return completely, while the remainder are split between half-time in the office and those who are continuing to work completely from home. In our “Company Culture” section of the newsletter you can see how we celebrate successes and keep our team connected even when we can’t be together. Pursuits Continue: how do you impress a new client and showcase your personality and technical abilities over Zoom? We have all learned the importance of reading body language and how to adapt your approach and delivery based on those non-verbal cues. When we were faced with a virtual project interview with a brand new client we needed to adjust our approach and invest time into getting comfortable with new technology and practicing a new style of presenting. Check out a deeper dive into how we prepared and won the UC Irvine As-Needed contract in the “Project Wins” section of this newsletter. Networking: for the time being, networking is not like it used to be. In lieu of 200+ BIA and ULI events we are meeting virtually on zoom with small groups of networking partners. We attend webinars and listen in on educational podcasts and interviews. We place high value on our relationships both internally and externally and are happy to put in the extra effort to stay connected. Now more than ever we rely on our strategic partners and friends to stay informed and up to date on what’s happening in our Industry and we strive to be a resource to our partners and clients in return! Continue to Be Safe and Stay Healthy! Featured Story China Lake On July 4th and 5th, 2019, many of the facilities at Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake were severely damaged by the Ridgecrest Earthquakes. China Lake is the Navy’s key research & development site for major aviation and weapons systems testing and evaluation. Covering 1.2 million acres in the Mojave Desert, China Lake felt the brunt of the significant 6.4 and 7.1 magnitude quakes. The tremors left buildings, roadways, and utility infrastructure impacted, and entire Mission programs without adequate space and facilities to continue their critical work and research. Latitude 33 is excited to be a part of the recovery efforts at China Lake. As a subconsultant to Jacobs Engineering Group, Latitude 33 recently completed design-build bridging documents for a new weapons research laboratory situated on ~10 acres within NAWSCL Main site. The new laboratory was carefully designed to consolidate several Mission programs into one state-of-the-art facility and included much site planning and engineering. In the early phases of the project, Latitude 33 provided several site layout concepts to maximize building and parking coverage of the available real estate, which ultimately led to the development of the design concept used for the project bridging documents. Documents provided consisted of: basis of design narrative, part 3 engineering systems requirements, concept grading plan, site improvement plan, utility plan, storm water management calculations and report, and overall project consultation and coordination throughout the duration of the project. One of the many unique challenges faced included the live development of the constantly evolving project program to provide the most comprehensive bidding documents to the satisfaction of the End Users. Another unique engineering challenge included the analysis and design of a solution to re-route an existing major drainage channel bisecting the project site to make space for the laboratory and supporting parking lot and other site features. Latitude 33 is proud and excited to be a part of such a meaningful project and Mission to rehabilitate buildings and systems at China Lake! Groundbreakings Jefferson, La Mesa JEFFERSON LA MESA, a 5-acre multi-family development, broke ground in early February. Developed by JPI, JEFFERSON LA MESA is at the intersection of Baltimore Drive and University Avenue and is near the trolley station and downtown dining and entertainment district. This four-story, luxury development will consist of 230 apartment homes that will feature sleek and contemporary finishes, designer kitchens, and SMART Home Technology. Community amenities will include a two-level fitness center with yoga room and cycling studio, co-working space, resort-style pool with cabanas, high-tech resident lounge, pet park with grooming station, outdoor fire pit, and other design features. Latitude 33 provided services for not only the onsite grading and improvements, but also extensive improvements to existing El Cajon Boulevard, University Avenue, Baltimore Drive and Nebo Drive for roadway widening, new medians, new bike lanes, traffic signal and upgrades and new sewer and water mains. The project also included obtaining permits and approvals from several agencies including San Diego County Water Authority, Helix Water District, San Diego Metropolitan Transit System, Heartland Fire and City of La Mesa. JEFFERSON LA MESA is estimated to be completed 2021! Learn more at www.jpi.com Juvenile Justice Campus Groundbreaking for grading officially has begun! One of Latitude 33’s most innovative projects is the Urban Camp at the JUVENILE JUSTICE CAMPUS, Phase 1 of a three-phase redevelopment of the County Juvenile Hall and Probations Center. Located at 2840 Meadowlark Drive in Kearny Mesa, the project is south of the I-805 & SR-163 junction. This development for the County of San Diego is intended to be a model for positive development and reorient the way we approach the rehabilitation of incarcerated youth. Phase 1 of the JUVENILE JUSTICE CAMPUS project, dubbed the Urban Camp, entails adding approximately 131,000 sq. ft. of new buildings, over 300 parking stalls, and new campus amenities, including a recreation field, ball courts, indoor gymnasium, educational facilities, vocational spaces, and four new housing facilities. The project will provide for their basic physical needs, safety, and security, and support personal growth. The environment will emphasize staff and youth interaction, family connections, positive program participation, and a sense of wellness for both youth and staff. The design emulates a residential campus, such as a private boarding school, with a secure environment and aims to be a place where youth can grow and flourish. The project is designed to achieve Zero Net Energy (ZNE). The design-build team is being led by Balfour Beatty + DLR Group, along with nine (9) design/engineering partners and 11 trade partners, including Latitude 33. Virtual Win University of California, Irvine Latitude 33 has won a 3-year Executive Engineering Contract with University of California, Irvine to provide Civil Engineering services for a multitude of deferred maintenance projects across the campus. This project was procured during the COVID-19 shelter in place order for California during the months of March and April, meaning the final interview was presented online to the UCI Selection Committee through a Zoom Virtual Meeting. Presenting in this new environment meant a collaborative effort of Latitude 33 Staff, including Dana Keil (Marketing), Matt Semic (Principal), and Kyle Boyce (Project Manager) to create a presentation that was engaging and precise. Latitude 33 took advantage of the free reign to be creative when developing our power point and took special care and time rehearsing on-line with our Latitude 33 audience critiquing. They even coordinated apparel! Key points made during the online interview included dedicated speakers, engaging examples and illustrations to convey messages presented by the speakers and ensuring committee members felt engaged. Blossoming Partnerships General Atomics Latitude 33 is excited to join the General Atomics team! As a leader in the energy sector and a prominent defense corporation, General Atomics specializes in research and technology development. Headquartered in San Diego, General Atomics has an impressive campus footprint in both La Jolla and Poway. The recently awarded as-needed contract is intended to assist the Facilities Engineering Services team in efforts including existing conditions reconnaissance, ADA upgrades, storm water assessment, entitlement work and other various engineering related tasks. San Diego Unified School District Latitude 33 has teamed with HPI Architecture to assist on 12 SDUSD school sites. Heightened security has become a priority at all Public Schools and Latitude 33 is elated to assist the district in achieving their security goals. The project initially consisted of providing survey work including boundary mapping, topography and as-built research on all twelve (12) campuses. As the projects evolved, Latitude 33 was tasked to provide assistance on security functions on all the site as wells. The work entailed coordinating fencing locations with security gates, providing ADA compliant paths of travel to points of entry, designing erosion control plans and providing Water Pollution Control plans as necessary. Awards Pacific Highlands Ranch Community Park Wins 2020 APWA “Project of the Year We’re very pleased that the American Public Works Association (APWA) has recognized Pacific Highlands Ranch Community Park with the Project of the Year Award for 2020. This 13-acre community park offers a diverse and unique blend of recreational amenities for the local community that include an entry garden, discovery playgarden, parkour area, children’s play areas, and picnic areas. This community park also offers opportunities for athletic and community-based functions with a central gymnasium, separate multi-purpose building, and a large flexible outdoor courtyard in their 17,000-square-foot recreation center along with a full size softball field, a ½ mile loop pathway which connects the field and access to the dog park and pump track. Latitude 33 proudly provided planning and engineering services for this community park. Congratulations to the development team: Schmidt Design Group, Architects Hanna Gabriel Wells, and T.B. Penick and Sons, Inc. UC San Diego Osler Parking Structure Wins DBIA 2020 Award of Merit This design-build collaboration is located off Gilman Drive in the School of Medicine. With six-levels and over 1,300 stalls, it replaces two parking lots that served the Heath Sciences West community. This innovative design blends the natural landscape seamlessly and enhances visitors experience, providing connectivity to the surrounding campus including access to the Visitor Center from a pedestrian bridge. For this project, Latitude 33 provided grading and site design, including excavation quantities and precise grading to support ADA path of travel requirements; Leading coordination efforts with a broad spectrum of sub-consultants; Storm water treatment BMP design for water quality; Strategic thinking and collaboration with UCSD during utility and site layout to best address the future needs of the school; Value engineering and construction support efforts. Congratulations to our design team: UC San Diego, Gensler, Watry Design, Inc., Swinerton, tk1sc, and Spurlock Landscape Architects Community & Culture Latitude 33’s Newest Project Manager Rory Linehan, P. E. has joined Latitude 33 Planning & Engineering as a Project Manager. He brings nearly two decades of experience as a naval officer and a civil engineer. For the past 14 years, he has worked in the construction and engineering fields, managing projects, coordinating contractors, and ensuring projects complied with engineering and architectural plans. Additionally, Mr. Linehan serves in the Navy Reserves. During his active duty, he served as a Construction Manager and an Engineering Division Officer, among other roles. For Latitude 33, Mr. Linehan will manage projects ranging from infill mixed-use developments to life science and hospitality projects. “Looking forward to contributing to the dynamic Latitude 33 team across a diverse variety of projects and being a part of helping shape the beautiful San Diego region” Latitude 33’s Newest Design Engineer Aubrey Kramer has just joined Latitude 33 Planning & Engineering as a Design Engineer and has recently graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Ms. Kramer truly has a passion for others as she volunteers in her spare time and also enjoys baking and traveling. Welcome to the Latitude team! “Civil Engineering gives me the opportunity to help others within this industry such as providing housing and helping solve water resource issues” Did You Know We are actively seeking talented individuals for the following positions: Project Manager Senior Design Engineer Design Engineer Project Engineer Apply Online at www.latitude33.com Celebration Celebrating a prosperous quarter Whether it’s virtual, in person or a hybrid of both, Latitude 33 always finds a way to stay connected and to simply celebrate! Latitude 33 has been pushing the creativity when it comes to company culture with Halloween themed happy hours (in June!) and trivia nights with the crew. On June 24th our team in the office and virtually from home met at Cutwater Spirits to celebrate a prosperous second quarter and to cheers to exciting new opportunities. Thank you for being a part of our planning and engineering family. From the entire Latitude 33 team, stay healthy and enjoy your summer! APR 12 0 Latitude 33 Adapts to Virtual Workplace Latitude 33 Adapts to Virtual Workplace Dear Clients, Colleagues & Friends, Week two in the virtual workplace has proven that humans still thrive on facial interaction. Zoom meetings were not new to any of us, but how often did people actually have their cameras on? I know I was guilty of having it off, usually so no one could see me multi-task! Within 48 hours of our entire industry being virtual, in all my meetings, everyone had their cameras on. People I had never met had their cameras on. By the end of the week the real human side set in. We didn’t dive right into work or have anxious small talk as we rushed from meeting to meeting and felt behind on our day. Real conversations began occurring. People are now letting us into their houses virtually. We are meeting kids, spouses, and pets, and people are showing personality with creative Zoom wall papers. ENR featured Latitude 33 in a recent article about how our industry is adapting to the California lockdown (click here to read the article). We can likely all say we will never forget this spring season. The situation around us is evolving by the minute. The range of emotions we are all experiencing is on this same roller coaster, but one thing we all strive for in times like this is to have normalcy. With that, we bring you the first quarterly newsletter of the year! Be Safe, Stay Healthy! Matt & the entire Latitude Planning & Engineering Team Featured Story The New Urban Camp at the Juvenile Justice Campus Prepares to Break Ground The Urban Camp at the Juvenile Justice Campus will break ground next quarter. One of Latitude 33’s most innovative projects is the Urban Camp at the Juvenile Justice Campus, Phase 1 of a three-phase redevelopment of the County Juvenile Hall and Probations Center. Located at 2840 Meadowlark Drive in Kearny Mesa, the project is south of the I-805 & SR-163 junction. This development for the County of San Diego is intended to be a model for positive development, and reorient the way we approach the rehabilitation of incarcerated youth. Phase 1 of the Juvenile Justice Campus project, dubbed the Urban Camp, entails adding approximately 131,000 sq. ft. of new buildings, over 300 parking stalls, and new campus amenities, including a recreation field, ball courts, indoor gymnasium, educational facilities, vocational spaces, and four new housing facilities. The project will provide for their basic physical needs, safety, and security, and support personal growth. The environment will emphasize staff and youth interaction, family connections, positive program participation, and a sense of wellness for both youth and staff. The design emulates a residential campus, such as a private boarding school, with a secure environment and aims to be a place where youth can grow and flourish. The project is designed to achieve Zero Net Energy (ZNE). The design-build team is being led by Balfour Beatty + DLR Group, along with nine (9) design/engineering partners and 11 trade partners, including Latitude 33. The project is preparing to break ground in the second quarter of 2020. Groundbreakings Construction Begins on MERGE 56, Landmark Project in Rancho Peñasquitos Merge 56 broke ground in early February, 2020. MERGE 56, a 40-acre mixed-use development in Torrey Highlands, broke ground in early February. Developed by Sea Breeze Properties, MERGE 56 is adjacent to State Route 56 at Camino Del Sur, and will include approximately 450,000 square-feet of Class A office and retail space, a boutique hotel, and 242 residential homes. Of those, 47 homes are slated to be affordable units for residents earning less than 65 percent of the area median income. MERGE 56 has been touted as a model for suburban development, providing one of the few walkable mixed-use environments in Central San Diego. Parking is provided in partly subterranean structures, rather than surface lots. Residents and visitors will also have direct access to the miles of hiking and biking trails in the adjacent open space of Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve. The development will also complete the traffic grid for the Rancho Peñasquitos community, including extending Carmel Mountain Road, and extending Camino Del Sur to Park Village Road. This will help relieve traffic congestion on Black Mountain Road by giving approximately 2,000 more homes direct freeway access. Sea Breeze Properties acquired the land in 2013, with a pedestrian-centric, mixed-use environment in mind. Latitude 33 helped to obtain the necessary engineering, grading, and entitlement permits for the development of the master plan. The project received unanimous approval from the Rancho Peñasquitos Community Planning Group, City of San Diego Planning Commission, and the San Diego City Council. To learn more about MERGE 56, check out this recent article from the San Diego Business Journal. Edencrest in Escondido Breaks Ground Construction is underway on the 74-acre Edencrest community in Escondido. Image courtesy Trumark Homes Homebuilder Trumark Homes is officially underway on 95 new homes in its newest community, Edencrest. The 74-acre community in Escondido is the former home of historic Henry Ranch avocado farm. As a nod to its roots, the community will include two neighborhoods named Arbors and Groves. Arbors will be a neighborhood for move-down buyers consisting of 57 single-story homes from 2,496 to 3,399 square feet. Groves will be a more family-focused neighborhood consisting of 38 one- and two-story homes, ranging from 3,100 to 4,043 square feet. Latitude 33’s services for this project included civil engineering and surveying services for Substantial Conformance plans, Grading and Improvement plans, water quality and drainage studies, offsite improvement plans to upgrade the regional storm water system, and existing street improvements. Construction Underway on Aperture Del Mar Aperture Del Mar will consist of five, Class A office and life science buildings. Located within Pacific Highlands Ranch, Aperture Del Mar will be a vibrant office campus five miles from Torrey Pines Beach. Developed by Lincoln Property Company, the development broke ground in September of last year. The campus blends highly amenitized spaces, cutting- edge design by Gensler, and prime Class A office space for life science and technology companies spaces ranging from 100,000 to 650,000 square feet. Designed to bring the outdoors in, each building and floor connects to the outdoor environment. Campus amenities include an organic bistro, boutique coffee roaster, event lawn, an amphitheater, bocce court, half basketball court, sand volleyball court, dog park, jogging trail, outdoor lounges, reading nooks, an organic community garden, and indoor and outdoor fitness facilities. Latitude 33’s planning department assisted in securing the necessary approvals for this project. Phase one is expected to be complete by the second quarter of 2021. To learn more about Aperture, check out this recent article from the San Diego Business Journal. Construction Continues on Pacific Village Pacific Village consists of a mix of single-family homes, triplex homes, townhomes, and apartments. Located off of Carmel Mountain Road, Pacific Village is a planned community featuring 601 new homes. Pacific Village features 99 single-family homes, 105 triplex homes, and 120 townhomes developed by Lennar Homes, and 277 apartments developed by Atlantic & Pacific Companies. The community has four neighborhoods: The Commons, The Pavilion, The Promenade, and The Courtyards. The 41-acre community also features park and picnic areas, walking trails, an event lawn, fitness facilities, swimming pool and spa, and even showcase spaces for local artists. Located just west of I-15, Pacific Village is also adjacent to Black Mountain and its open spaces. Model homes are now open for interested homebuyers, and the for-rent apartments are anticipated to be open as early as late 2020. Services provided by Latitude 33 include planning and civil engineering for entitlements and final engineering. Awards County of San Diego Sheriff’s Department Crime Laboratory Recognized with Regional DBIA Award The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department Crime Laboratory. Image courtesy SmithGroup. We’re very pleased that the Design Build Institute of America (DBIA) Western Pacific Region recognized the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department Crime Laboratory with a Merit Award for 2019. This four-story crime lab features office space, laboratories, conference areas, training and interview rooms, two holding cells, a ballistics lab, and 60,000 sq. ft. of evidence storage in the waterproof basement. The project has achieved LEED Gold Certification for its numerous sustainable elements, including extensive daylighting, low-flow indoor plumbing, native plants with high-efficiency irrigation, and a photovoltaic solar array. Congratulations to the development team: Lowe Enterprises, DPR Construction, SmithGroup, Lastras de Gertler Landscape Architects Inc., Dynalectric, AMC Mechanical, Degenkolb Engineers, Project Management Advisors Inc., Schuff Steel Co., and Latitude 33’s outstanding team of civil engineers and planners! UC San Diego Mesa Nueva Graduate and Professional Student Housing Wins Regional and National DBIA Awards UC San Diego’s Mesa Nueva Graduate and Professional Student Housing has won both regional and national awards. One of Latitude 33’s recent, highly lauded projects is the $188 million UC San Diego Mesa Nueva Graduate and Professional Student Housing. Last year, the project was recognized by the DBIA Western Pacific Region with a “Distinction Award,” and went on to earn two (2) national DBIA awards: a “National Award of Merit” in the Education Facilities Category, and a “Best of Award” for Best in Teaming. With 1,350 new beds, the residential community is one of the largest graduate and professional student housing facilities in the country. The 10-acre Mesa Nueva development features furnished units in studio, 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom designs in five (5) side-by-side residential buildings. The new units surround a grassy open space where students can gather or relax. Mesa Nueva also includes a 900-space parking structure and a bike rack for every resident. The development was designed to meet the need for housing and provide students with a greater sense of community. Shared amenities include a social pool with spas and splash zones, a brew pub, outdoor lounge, a small grocery store, and more. For this project, Latitude 33 provided guidance to the team for an optimum site design solution that addressed all environmental, water quality, and retention concerns. Congrats to UC San Diego, Hensel Phelps, Mithun, MA Engineers, Helix Electric, and of course, the Latitude 33 team for these well-deserved awards! Community and Culture Latitude 33 Celebrates Holidays in Style The Latitude 33 celebrates the holidays at Carté Hotel in downtown San Diego. A karate demonstration was one of the highlights of this year’s talent show. Latitude 33 celebrated the holidays, the close of a successful year, and its outstanding projects, with a holiday party at the recently completed Carté Hotel in downtown San Diego. The Carté Hotel united Tucker Sadler Architects, davisREED Construction, and Latitude 33 for this new Curio Collection hotel by Hilton. Every year, the holiday party includes a talent show. All employees showcase their talents, from comedy to singing. This year, we had a special karate performance, including gravity- defying stunts and powerful kicks by Dustin Daneri, Matt McGuirk, Jacob Schaniel, and Sean Drake. Latitude 33 never ceases to have a great time! It was such a treat to celebrate our team, our clients, our projects, and our successful year in this stylish new hotel! Latitude 33 Strikes Again! The Latitude 33 team at URGE in San Marcos. On February 21, Latitude 33 enjoyed a day of bowling at URGE in San Marcos. Sea Breeze Properties, developer of the North City community where URGE is located, is also the developer MERGE 56, one of Latitude 33’s signature projects. This evening of food and fun was the perfect way to unwind and bond over some burgers, beer, and bowling. It was also a great way to celebrate all of our “strikes” in recent months. Way to go, team! Thank you for being a part of our planning and engineering family. From the entire Latitude 33 team, stay healthy and enjoy spring! NOV 01 0 Latitude 33 Continues Diversifying Latitude 33 Continues Diversifying Since our inception over 25 years ago, Latitude 33 has made diversity a core value. Initially founded by multi-talented staff, Latitude 33 was able to offer expertise in both planning and engineering under one roof. As we have grown, diversity has continued to be one of our core values—both in the type of services we offer and the projects we accept. We are excited to report that Latitude 33 is more diverse than ever before. We have pursued team members who bring unique skillsets, and we have undertaken projects in new sectors. Today, planning, civil engineering, surveying & mapping, drone technology, and Geographic Information Systems are a few of the major services we provide. And more than ever, Latitude 33 serves clients in numerous sectors, including municipalities, private developers, hospitals, military, and educational institutions, to name a few. In this quarter, our newsletter features a few of our unique projects: a monastery, a world-class biotech research facility, and a crime lab. Latitude 33’s scope and capabilities are extensive—and growing. Thanks for being a part of our journey. Sincerely, Latitude 33 Leadership Team Featured Story Latitude 33 Succeeds with Approval of Phap Vuong Monastery The Phap Vuong Monastery’s Major Use Permit was unanimously approved by the County of San Diego Planning Commission on June 21, 2019. Latitude 33 Planning & Engineering recently had a long-anticipated success with the Phap Vuong Monastery. The Major Use Permit to allow for the construction and operation of a monastery was unanimously approved by the County of San Diego Planning Commission on June 21, 2019. Located at the southwest corner of Vista Avenue and North Ash Street in Escondido, the project is in the North County Metropolitan Subregional Plan Area. The Phap Vuong Monastery will include a two-story, 8,272 square-foot religious assembly building, associated parking, and landscaping on seven (7) acres. The monastery will be open daily and host special events throughout the year. The beautiful new structure will feature meditation rooms, a kitchen, social room, and guest room on the first floor. The second floor will include four bedrooms and a sitting area for resident monks. For this project, Latitude 33 provided both Planning and Engineering services, including continuous guidance and strategic advice to navigate the project through the entitlement process. With a number of design changes, the involvement of multiple municipalities, and solving issues with the sewer, the entitlement process was a six-year long process. Congratulations, Latitude 33 team, on this highly anticipated success! Projects UC San Diego’s Center for Novel Therapeutics Now Open The Center for Novel Therapeutics at UCSD opened in September. On September 6, 2019, The Center for Novel Therapeutics (CNT) opened at UC San Diego. The $92 million facility, developed by a public-private partnership between UC San Diego and BioMed Realty, pairs the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center with local research organizations as they work together to find treatments for cancer. The new CNT is home to the first academic-industry drug discovery incubator in San Diego to accelerate scientific discovery and commercialization. The 137,500-square-foot CNT facility fulfills an important part of the UCSD master plan for East Campus in the heart of UC San Diego’s Science Research Park. Latitude 33’s services included design/build services with innovative site design and water quality treatment systems to achieve the building’s LEED Gold certification. Other development team members for this project included: UC San Diego (owner), BioMed Realty (developer), McCarthy (general contractor), Perkins and Will (architect), LandLAB (landscape architect), EXP (Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing systems), and Coffman Engineers (structural engineer). San Diego County Sheriff’s Department Crime Laboratory Receives ENR Best Project Award of Merit The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department Crime Laboratory was named a Best Project of 2019 by ENR California. We’re very pleased that ENR Magazine named the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department Crime Laboratory one of the Best Projects of 2019. The project was recognized with an “Award of Merit” in the “Green Project” category. This four-story crime lab features office space, laboratories, conference areas, training and interview rooms, two holding cells, a ballistics lab, and 60,000 sq. ft. of evidence storage in the waterproof basement. The project has achieved LEED Gold Certification for its numerous sustainable elements, including extensive daylighting, low-flow indoor plumbing, native plants with high-efficiency irrigation, and a photovoltaic solar array. Congratulations to the development team: Lowe Enterprises, DPR Construction, SmithGroup, Lastras de Gertler Landscape Architects Inc., Dynalectric, AMC Mechanical, Degenkolb Engineers, Project Management Advisors Inc., Schuff Steel Co., and of course, Latitude 33’s outstanding team of civil engineers and planners! People Matt Semic, PE Named a Finalist for the San Diego Business Journal’s “40 Next Top Business Leaders Under 40” Matt Semic, PE, Principal at Latitude 33 attends to the San Diego Business Journal’s “40 Next Top Business Leaders Under 40” Awards Dinner on August 28, 2019. Congratulations to Latitude 33’s Principal, Matt Semic, PE for being a named a finalist in the San Diego Business Journal’s 2019 “40 Next Top Business Leaders Under 40” awards program! The recognition comes as 2019 has been the most significant year thus far in Matt’s career. His ability to lead a company and his civil engineering expertise are influencing some of San Diego’s largest and most consequential real estate projects. His most notable developments are for UCSD and the County of San Diego, collectively valued at over $1 billion. Congratulations, Matt! Latitude 33 Welcomes Mike Caughey, PLS Mike Caughey, PLS is Latitude 33’s newest professional surveyor. Latitude 33 is thrilled to welcome Mike Caughey, PLS to the team. Mike is a professional surveyor with 22 years of progressive experience in surveying and civil design. He has extensive expertise in field surveying, boundary analysis, and preparation of survey maps and engineering plans. Mike joins Latitude 33 to strengthen the survey and mapping department services. He will assist Latitude 33’s team with managing survey field crews, overseeing office mapping, and drone services. He will also play a pivotal role in expanding Latitude 33’s in-house surveying services. Mike holds certificates in surveying and GIS, and FAA training. Welcome, Mike! Sean Drake, P.E., QSD Returns to Latitude 33 Sean Drake, P.E., QSD has returned to Latitude 33, bringing his experience on nearly two-dozen NAVFAC SW projects. Latitude 33 is pleased to announce that Project Manager Sean Drake, P.E., QSD has returned to Latitude 33. Sean has worked in the engineering field for 15 years. While he has experience in multiple project types, he has become an expert in military work, and is passionate about pursuing these projects. Since 2014, his experience has been in design and project management support for nearly two-dozen NAVFAC SW projects. Sean previously worked at Latitude 33 for four years, and has now returned to bring his military expertise to Latitude 33. We’re so glad to have you back, Sean! Community and Culture Latitude 33 Volunteers with Feeding San Diego Latitude 33 Planning & Engineering and the ARRIVE San Diego Aviation Alliance partner together to volunteer at Feeding San Diego in August. On Thursday, August 22, Latitude 33 partnered with the ARRIVE San Diego Aviation Alliance in volunteering at the Feeding San Diego warehouse. Established in 2007, Feeding San Diego is the leading hunger-relief organization in San Diego County. The organization feeds 63,000 people in San Diego each week. For the volunteer event, Latitude 33 sorted apples, peaches, and nectarines to be offered in Feeding America’s Mobile Pantry. Serving predominantly rural areas in the North and East Counties of San Diego, the Mobile Pantry delivers food to underserved neighborhoods that have a high incidence of poverty and lack transportation to reach grocery stores or other food sources. These farmer’s market style distribution sites are offered across the County twice per month, often paired with nutritional education and other community resources. Latitude 33 Enjoys a Day at the Races On Sunday, August 11, Latitude 33 hosted our team and their families for a Day at the Races at the Del Mar Fairground. Latitude 33 employees and families had a great time mingling and getting an up-close look at the horses in action. Thanks to everyone who joined us! Thank you for being a part of our planning and engineering family. From the entire Latitude 33 team, enjoy fall! MAY 02 0 Latitude 33 Recognizes Outstanding Women Welcome to Spring! This month, we take a moment to acknowledge the outstanding women who make Latitude 33 a success. According to the 2016 Bureau of Labor Statistics data, only 14 percent of full-time workers in the architecture and engineering fields are women. In a field dominated by men, Latitude 33’s fearless women serve as role models and trailblazers for other young women. As noted below, two of our female leaders were recognized with regional honors this quarter. Latitude 33 is thrilled to recognize all of the outstanding women who provide indispensable skills, expertise, leadership, diligence, and dedication to our team. Thank you, ladies, for all you do! Sincerely, Latitude 33 Leadership Team Featured Story Latitude 33: Striving for Diversification Since our inception over 25 years ago, Latitude 33 has been a company with a multi-talented staff allowing us to offer expertise in both planning and engineering. As we have grown, diversity has continued to be one of our core values. We have pursued team members who bring unique skillsets to our firm. Planning, civil engineering, surveying & mapping, drone technology, and Geographic Information Systems are a few of the major services we provide today. Diversity Latitude 33’s increasingly diverse team and services have contributed to the growth of our expertise and relationships. More than ever, Latitude 33 serves clients in numerous sectors, including municipalities, private developers, hospitals, military, and educational institutions to name a few. From urban neighborhoods to suburban communities, Latitude 33’s scope and capabilities are far-reaching. The following are two of Latitude 33’s current projects: The Glen at Scripps Ranch and UC San Diego Medical Center in Hillcrest. Both serve as examples of Latitude 33’s diverse project types, and the variety of planning challenges that Latitude 33 can overcome. The Glen at Scripps Ranch Latitude 33’s planning team made major contributions to the 53-acre, state-of-the-art Glen at Scripps Ranch. Project Description Continuing Life Communities is developing a new retirement community at Scripps Miramar Ranch called the Glen at Scripps Ranch. The community consists of 400 assisted living units in various configurations (villas, garden terraces, and apartment style), 50 acute assisted living units (16 of which are memory care units), and 60 skilled nursing. The 53-acre, state-of-the-art project will also include learning centers, a lecture hall, library, auditorium, fine art facilities, tennis & pickle ball courts, gardens, dog parks, short-game golf course, fitness center, movie theater, tech & business center, pool, sauna, and Jacuzzi. It is the first continuing care retirement community to be built in San Diego in nearly 10 years. The project is anticipated to be complete in November 2020. Services & Challenges The Glen at Scripps Ranch is an example of how Latitude 33’s Planning and Engineering departments work together seamlessly to benefit the firm’s clients. Latitude 33 was chosen to be the lead consultant for the entitlement phase of the development. The firm’s experience, network of strong relationships with local agencies, and access to other resources were invaluable in obtaining the entitlements. The project entitlements included a Community Plan Amendment, Conditional Use Permit, and Planned Development Permit—a process which began four years ago. The property was previously owned by Alliant University, and needed to be re-zoned as residential. Throughout the entitlement process, Latitude 33 provided vital project management services to keep the project on schedule. Latitude 33 worked closely with the consultant team, owner, and City of San Diego to strategize and determine the best approach to challenges that arose, and supported the team during the public review period. Another major challenge for this project was identifying the appropriate use classification. Previously, there was no classification within the City of San Diego Municipal Code and General Plan for senior housing. Latitude 33 and the developer, Continuing Life Communities, worked with the City of San Diego to calculate a new fee structure for water and sewer fees specific to senior housing. This process saved the owner $1 million in fees. Latitude 33’s Planning department took the lead on the client’s public outreach efforts. The firm worked with community members, the planning group, and multiple stakeholders to create a project that ultimately benefited the community. Latitude 33 represented Continuing Life Communities at public hearings, and prepared visual aids to be used during public presentations. Latitude 33’s planning team also assisted with circulation planning to best manage the flow of traffic, pedestrians, and movement throughout the site. From a design and development standpoint, the Glen at Scripps Ranch represents eight different projects, including numerous grading and building permits. To allow certain portions of the project to permit more quickly than others, the building permits alone were divided into five separate phased packages. Another challenge was the size and scope of the skilled nursing facility, which requires an Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) approval. The main entry also has shared easements and street improvements with a neighbor, which required close coordination to successfully complete this work. Design challenges for Latitude 33’s Engineering team included working with the existing steep topography, avoiding impacts to the wetlands and housing development immediately downhill from the project site, and accommodating an ever-evolving design to best meet the needs of the end users. The analysis of site topography offered additional thoughtful planning for Latitude 33. As a senior community, built on a hill, additional consideration was required to minimize the number of steps on site, lower the curbs, flatten walkways, and generally decrease the elevation change throughout to accommodate a senior lifestyle. Project partners include KTGY Architects and KTU+A Landscape Architects. For more information, visit: http://www.theglenatscrippsranch.com/ UC San Diego Medical Center, Hillcrest The proposed layout for the new Long Range Development Plan to replace the current UC San Diego Hillcrest Medical Campus Project Description UC San Diego has operated a medical campus in the greater Hillcrest area that was originally constructed in 1963 as the County of San Diego Hospital. After six decades of add-on construction and expansions, the University is ready to replace the 11-story medical center. With aging infrastructure, updates in seismic regulations, and technological advances in acute healthcare and outpatient procedures, the University can no longer operate the campus in its existing condition. UC San Diego hired architecture firm SmithGroup to lead the master planning effort to re-imagine the Wellness Campus in the 21st century—including the hospital and the entire 62-acre site. After extensive community involvement and consultation, the resulting vision is a new Long Range Development Plan, which features districts for healthcare, housing, mixed-use, research, open space, and canyons. The plan calls for redeveloping roughly 34 acres of the 62-acre site with significant infrastructure upgrades, maintaining many of the view corridors and limiting the footprint of the development on the mesa. A commitment to mass transit will connect the UC San Diego Wellness Campus in Hillcrest to other UC San Diego campuses in La Jolla and downtown. The project will be constructed in five to seven phases, all while the hospital remains open, and will be completed in approximately 12 years. The UC Board of Regents are expected to approve the plan and entitlement documents later in 2019, with the Phase 1 design currently underway and groundbreaking anticipated in summer 2020. Services As part of the new master planning effort, Latitude 33 consulted on the following with the overall design team: Plan for vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian circulation to promote a healthy campus and emphasize a shared space for all types of transportation. Analysis of grading impacts due to new structures and site improvements, giving real time results to the design team and client. Conceptual design of domestic water, sanitary sewer, and storm drain for the overall master plan. Latitude 33 analyzed the capacity of existing utilities, coordinated utility corridor locations with the design team to fit into the overall strategy of the site plan, and located connection points with public/franchise utility providers to minimize re-work during the phased implementation of the campus. Matt Semic, PE, Principal at Latitude 33, states, “The canyon topography is a central element of the project design. The development focused in this area during Phase 1 will help marry everything together and connect the UCSD Wellness Campus to the Hillcrest and Mission Hills communities.” For more information, visit: http://lrdp.ucsd.edu/hillcrest/index.html. The Glen at Scripps Ranch UCSD Hillcrest Hospital Project Partners KTGY Architects, KTU+A Landscape Architects, Gates + Associates Landscape Architects Harris & Associates; Linscott, Law and Greens; Architectural Resources Group, SmithGroup; Spurlock Landscape Architects; TK1SC; Linscott Law & Greenspan (LLG) Address 10718 Pomerado Rd., San Diego 200 W Arbor Dr., San Diego Progress Under construction Planning stages/Phase1 design Size 53 acres 34 acres of 62-acre site Classification Suburban Urban Type New Construction Redevelopment Key Elements • 450 assisted living units • 60 skilled nursing beds • Indoor amenity space: learning centers, a lecture hall, library, auditorium, fine art facilities, fitness center, movie theater, tech & business center, pool, sauna, Jacuzzi • Outdoor amenity space: tennis & pickle ball courts, gardens, dog parks, short-game golf course • Healthcare: up to 300 hospital beds, outpatient, research • Residential: up to 950 residential units • Mixed-use area with up to 50 residential units and wellness services • Open space Canyons • New roads • Outpatient pavilion • Research • Parking Structures Services by Latitude 33 • Entitlements • Project management • Civil engineering • Developed new use classification with City of San Diego • Topographic survey and construction staking • Planning for Environmentally Sensitive Lands • Circulation plan • Circulation plan, Alignment studies • Analysis of grading impacts • Analysis of existing utilities • Conceptual design of water, sewer, and storm drain for new master plan Community and Culture Melissa Krause Honored as an Influential Woman of 2019 by the Daily Transcript Melissa Krause, Principal with Latitude 33 Planning & Engineering, featured in The Daily Transcript as a Top Influential Woman of 2019 In the February 27, 2019 issue of the Daily Transcript, Latitude 33’s Melissa Krause was honored as an Influential Woman of 2019. The annual list recognizes the most talented, innovative, and hard-working women in San Diego. This year, 35 influential women made the list. One of the highlights from Melissa’s feature article: Now with Latitude 33 for about four years, Krause was made a principal in the firm last year. Success was never a slam dunk, but instead the product of her tenacity and perseverance. “It’s a very male-dominated industry and that’s never scared me,” Krause said. “I’ve never felt held back by that. I’ve always been one to focus on ‘OK, well… I’m gonna work hard. I’m going to keep my head up and get to where I think I should be.'” As a Principal with Latitude 33 Planning & Engineering, Melissa Krause has taken the lead on building and maintaining relationships with the firm’s public and private developer clients. She has spent 20 years successfully managing projects for large residential developers in San Diego County, and now uses her contacts and expertise in a planning role to save developers time and development costs. In the firm’s 25-year history, Latitude 33 has a 100 percent success rate for seeking entitlements, in part due to Melissa’s efforts. As an integral part of the leadership team, she also contributes to the firm’s strategic planning. In addition to her invaluable contributions at Latitude 33, Melissa has been a member of the Building Industry Association for over 20 years. She serves as a BIA mentor to younger generation (yGEN) members, and has lectured for the yGEN speaker series. Melissa also recently joined NAIOP, and is active on its Legislative Committee. In 2018, she was appointed to the Advisory Board for the Corky McMillin Center for Real Estate at SDSU. One of San Diego’s most accomplished women in the industry, Melissa was a finalist for the San Diego Business Journal’s 2015 Women Who Mean Business Awards, and a finalist for San Diego Magazine’s 2018 Celebrating Women Awards. Congratulations, Melissa, for this well-deserved honor! Katie Yee Recognized As an Outstanding Woman in Construction & Design from the SD Business Journal Katie Yee, Principal and Chief Relationship Officer at Latitude 33, was among 28 honorees for the San Diego Business Journal’s new Influential Women in Construction & Design list for 2019 This year, the San Diego Business Journal initiated a new annual list, recognizing San Diego’s most influential women in construction and design. Latitude 33 is excited to announce that Katie Yee was honored as one of the top 28 women honored by the Business Journal for this first-time honor. Katie’s profile appeared in the February 25, 2019 issue of the San Diego Business Journal. Katie Yee is a Principal and Chief Relationship Officer at Latitude 33. Her title is an acknowledgement of the value she has brought the firm and an important precedent in an industry where principal titles are often held only by architects and engineers. Her position as Principal reflects both her tenacious drive and ability to leverage her marketing, business development and relationship-building skills to support and grow Latitude 33 as well as the careers of her peers. Katie is a strong advocate of supporting and growing the ranks of women in commercial real estate. Katie mentors, sponsors, supports and guides women on a daily basis as they progress through their careers. In addition to serving on the Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) San Diego board, Katie started the UCREW program for the San Diego chapter to help launch the careers of university students, and she also participates in CREW’s mentorship program, where she mentors a more junior female professional. She has participated in and led numerous other CREW initiatives. For her dedication and hard work, Katie received CREW San Diego’s Outreach Award in 2017. Katie is also active in the San Diego Building Industry Association (BIA) and the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA). Last year, Katie spoke on a local Women in Construction Coalition (WCC) Leadership Series panel on business development. She is also a past recipient of San Diego Metro’s 40 Under 40 honor. Congratulations, Katie! Thank you for being a part of our planning and engineering family. From the entire Latitude 33 team, Enjoy Spring! NOV 01 0 A Season to Give Thanks A Season to Give Thanks Fall is officially in full swing, and many of us are reflecting on all that we have to be grateful for during this season. This year, Latitude 33 and our leadership team are especially grateful for the last 25 years of working with dedicated staff and inspiring clients, and consulting on phenomenal projects that have changed the landscape of San Diego. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to our past successes, and to all of those with whom we will continue to collaborate for years to come. This season, we are grateful for you! Sincerely, Latitude 33 Leadership Team Featured Story All three projects featured in this quarter’s newsletter were completed using the design-build method. The design-build project delivery method creates a culture of collaboration because the designer and contractor work together from the very beginning under a single contract with the owner. According to the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA), design-build projects are completed 12 percent faster and save 6.1 percent in cost. What used to be an alternative method of delivery, is now used for nearly half of all the nation’s projects. Please enjoy learning about a few of Latitude 33’s recent design-build projects! Ten Years in Planning and Construction: San Diego County Operations Center Demonstrates Latitude 33’s City-Making Ability The $600 million County of San Diego’s Operations Center. One of San Diego County’s largest projects is also one of Latitude 33’s signature projects: the County of San Diego’s Operations Center. This $600 million project developed over the past 10 years not only demonstrates Latitude 33’s scope and capabilities, it perfectly exemplifies the firm’s commitment to excellence, being proactive, and anticipating their client’s needs—keys to developing long-term relationships. The Place-Making Partner Latitude 33 played a key role in helping bring this project to fruition. As a $600 million project with a 10-year timeline, Latitude 33 had numerous opportunities to utilize its capabilities for this complex project. Overall, the project scope included demolishing over 20 buildings totaling 623,600 square feet, and building 1,288,000 square feet of new construction with nearly 3,500 parking stalls. The construction was completed in numerous phases in order to not disrupt the ongoing county-wide security and communications operations on-site. Latitude 33’s engineering efforts included extensive offsite traffic mitigation measures including three phases for Caltrans’ freeway ramps and City of San Diego intersection improvements. Additionally, Latitude 33’s onsite engineering efforts included design and phasing coordination of over 5,000 lineal feet of storm drain, water, sewer, chilled water, joint trenching, and gas mains. The firm also developed an intricate utility identification plan to locate existing undocumented infrastructure. The County, developer Lowe Enterprises, and Project Management Associates (PMA) continued to return to Latitude 33 for engineering services due to the firm’s commitment to excellence and its ability to forge long-term relationships. Led by Principal Matt Semic, PE, Latitude 33 worked diligently to go above and beyond every step of the way. Deemed by Semic as the “ten year puzzle,” the project required that the staff be proactive, anticipate their clients’ needs, produce progressive solutions, and do more than just their jobs. Moving Forward Located on the campus now are the Campus Center, Medical Examiner & Forensic Center, and the Registrar of Voters Headquarters. The Crime Lab recently had its ribbon cutting and is in the process of being occupied, and the Sheriff’s Technology & Information Center recently finished demolition and has broken ground. Latitude 33 continues to provide engineering services for various elements of this complex project and continues to build on a decade-long relationship with the County of San Diego. For more information, visit latitude33.com. Projects Ribbon Cutting for UCSD Osler Parking Structure and Visitor Center The August 31, 2018 Ribbon Cutting for the UCSD Osler Parking Structure and Visitor Center. Chancellor Pradeep Khosla is 5th from left. The Latitude 33 team attended the Ribbon Cutting for the UCSD Osler Parking Structure and Visitor Center on August 31, 2018. This six-story parking structure has over 1,300 stalls, including ADA parking stalls and electric vehicle parking stalls. The structure also contains space for facilities and maintenance, a bicycle enclosure, stair and elevator cores in three corners of the building, and space for future photovoltaic equipment. This design-build collaboration serves as a gateway to the campus, with an onsite visitor center and an innovative design that blends seamlessly into the natural landscape. Services provided by Latitude 33 included: Grading and site design, including excavation quantities and precise grading to support ADA path of travel requirements Leading coordination efforts with a broad spectrum of sub-consultants Design of storm water treatment best management practices for water quality Strategic thinking and collaboration with UCSD during utility and site layout to best address the future needs of the school, and Value engineering and construction support efforts At the event, the design-build team members, including Swinerton, Gensler, Watry Design, Inc., Spurlock Landscape Architects, and Latitude 33 were commended by the Vice Chancellor for their innovative design and collaborative team work. Congratulations team! Groundbreaking for County of San Diego Assessor, Recorder, County Clerk (ARCC) East County Branch Office The Latitude 33 team at the Groundbreaking for County of San Diego ARCC East County Branch Office On October 24, 2018, the Latitude 33 team was proud to attend the groundbreaking ceremony for the County of San Diego Assessor, Recorder, County Clerk (ARCC) East County Branch Office. This design-build project is a unique collaboration with the County of San Diego and the City of Santee. The ARCC East County Branch office will be a 25,000-square-foot, LEED Gold (possibly LEED Platinum) building located on a 3.65-acre site situated along Mission Gorge Road in Santee. This new ARCC branch was designed to achieve net-zero energy consumption, utilizing the natural features of the site, including light and ventilation. A venue for civil ceremonies will be at the rear of the building utilizing bio-filtration basins, landscape dunes, and planting consistent with the area as a natural backdrop for the “Wedding Arbor.” This project requires constant and intensive collaboration with the project teams, including The Miller Hull Partnership and CW Driver, in a design-build effort to obtain multiple permits with various jurisdictions. Latitude 33’s design efforts include site design from concept to final, drainage and water quality design, utility design, fire access, and infrastructure permitted through the County of San Diego, City of Santee, and Santee Fire Department. Community and Culture Melissa Krause Named Finalist for San Diego Magazine Celebrating Women Awards Melissa Krause, Principal at Latitude 33 Planning & Engineering, recognized by San Diego Magazine. San Diego Magazine held its 13th annual Celebrating Women event on September 25, 2018, recognizing women who have excelled in their respective fields of accomplishment. More than 300 women were nominated and only half qualified as finalists. Latitude 33’s Melissa Krause was recognized in the Industry Leader category as a dynamic and passionate leader who has a positive influence on others and works tirelessly for causes which are important to her. A few of her achievements include: In Latitude 33’s 25-year history, the firm has a 100 percent success rate for seeking entitlements, in part due to Melissa and her efforts. Melissa has helped steer Latitude 33 and contributed to its strategic planning for the future. The firm is growing its services and it serves a more diverse client base than ever before. Melissa is involved in numerous volunteer activities, allowing her to share her industry expertise with a younger generation of leaders. In addition to her invaluable contributions at Latitude 33, Melissa has been a member of the Building Industry Association for nearly 20 years, where she serves on the North County Legislative Committee. She has also served as a BIA mentor for four years to younger generation (yGEN) members, and has lectured for the yGEN speaker series. Melissa also recently joined NAIOP, and is active on its Legislative Committee. In 2018, she was appointed to the Advisory Board for the Corky McMillin Center for Real Estate at SDSU. Congratulations, Melissa, for this well-deserved honor! Katie Yee Helps CREW Convention Come to San Diego Katie Yee (6th from Left) with the rest of the 2018 CREW San Diego Convention Planning Committee. From October 17-19, 2018, the 2018 CREW Network Convention and Marketplace was held in San Diego. Over 1,300 commercial real estate professionals came from all over the world to network, be inspired, and hear the latest on what’s happening in commercial real estate. Congratulations to Latitude 33’s Katie Yee, who served as a member of the 2018 CREW San Diego Convention Planning Committee. Great job on putting together a stellar lineup of speakers and an outstanding event! Latitude 33 Celebrates its 25-Year Anniversary Latitude 33 Team members, friends, and family On September 22, 2018, the Latitude 33 team celebrated 25 years as a firm by heading over to Hilltop Community Park for a picnic and an afternoon of relaxing together with friends and family. Thank you to all of our staff, clients, and partners for being a part of our journey! A Halloween Fitting For a 25-Year Anniversary Latitude 33’s annual costume contest and pumpkin decorating event on Halloween, 2018 Latitude 33 celebrated Halloween this year with pumpkin decorating and our annual costume contest. Our 25th Anniversary wasn’t forgotten as Kyle Boyce, Jason Gordon, Justin Listar and Christopher Eardensohn paid tribute to an iconic photo of the firm’s founding partners (bottom center photo above). Thank you for being a part of our planning and engineering family. From the entire Latitude 33 team, Happy Fall! JUN 06 0 LATITUDE 33 CELEBRATES 25 YEARS LATITUDE 33 CELEBRATES 25 YEARS Above from left to right: John Eardensohn, Senior Principal Engineer and Randi Coopersmith, Senior Principal Planner. Photo by Kristy Walker. Hello, and welcome to a special, 25th Anniversary edition of the Latitude 33 newsletter. This quarter, we are taking an opportunity to highlight a few special stories related to our 25th Anniversary and our core values as a company. We hope you enjoy learning more about our humble beginnings, and how we got to where we are today. Sincerely, Latitude 33 Leadership Team FEATURED STORY THE HISTORY OF LATITUDE 33 PLANNING & ENGINEERING: AN UNLIKELY SUCCESS STORY Above from left to right: Randi Coopersmith, Senior Principal Planner and John Eardensohn, Senior Principal Engineer. Photo by Kristy Walker. By all accounts, Latitude 33 Planning & Engineering shouldn’t be here today. It should have dissipated before it ever gained momentum. The partners did everything in opposition to conventional business wisdom. They started their firm in the middle of a recession. The firm had few local clients. Moreover, the partners couldn’t pursue some of their best prospects. It wasn’t a promising start. The Early Years The story of Latitude 33 begins at another large planning, engineering, and surveying firm in San Diego. Randi Coopersmith and John Eardensohn were associates working at the firm together. They watched the company grow from 35 to 125 staff members, and the process was not a smooth one. Convinced they could develop a better business model, they and two others set out on their own, and founded Latitude 33 Planning & Engineering. As junior partners and shareholders, they left with a non-compete clause—they couldn’t pursue any of their former firm’s clients for at least one year. It was 1993, in the middle of a deep recession. The partners began to build their integrated planning and engineering company, and disregarded the standard, single-leader, top-down management model. They genuinely enjoyed doing the work, which lead to a more horizontal structure with hands-on principal involvement. They also wanted an equal partnership with a shared decision-making approach. Each partner owned exactly equal shares of company, and the presidency rotated between the partners. While they each possessed unique skillsets and strengths, they were completely aligned in their goals for growth and the type of culture they wanted to create. For the first three years of the firm’s existence, Latitude 33 didn’t have any local clients. They reached out and found clients in Colorado, Arizona, and Mexico—but not a single client in the State of California. The Breakthrough Change came, however, in 1996 when Pardee Homes and Latitude 33 began working together on Pacific Highlands Ranch. The massive, 2,652-acre development led to multiple projects for Latitude 33. Beginning a snowball effect, the firm then landed numerous local clients, including Gen-Probe, The La Jolla Institute For Allergy and Immunology, and the Eastgate Tech Park. For twenty-five years, the company has gained momentum and forged ahead with great success. The partners each lead a team focused on services including public sector planning, land use planning, public outreach, entitlement services, and civil engineering for public works, private subdivision, healthcare, higher education, and military projects. Lessons Learned Whether riding out a major recession or setting itself up for future success, the principals have learned new lessons and Latitude 33 has emerged a different company. Key among the firm’s values are: Diversity – Once known for its niche expertise for coastal projects, Latitude 33 is more diverse than ever. The firm’s clients now include hospitals, municipalities, military, and educational institutions. The firm is reinventing suburbs and urban neighborhoods with projects such as Merge 56. Longevity – Latitude 33 focuses on turning each client into a legacy client. The firm seeks to move past having just “jobs”; instead, it seeks long-term relationships. This requires that the staff be more proactive, anticipate their clients’ needs, and do more than just their jobs. Democracy – Against all business wisdom, a more democratic, horizontal structure has worked for Latitude 33. To this day, every client and every project has hands-on principal involvement. Moving Forward Much of Latitude 33’s success is due to the long-term thinking of Coopersmith and Eardensohn. “We began thinking about a succession plan when Latitude 33 was just five years old,” Eardensohn says. “We are always looking for strong leaders and seeking to promote from within.” The firm is continuing to build on its strengths, and puts its lessons learned into practice. Using strategic planning, Latitude 33 has been able to grow and thrive. Setting itself up for the long-term, the firm continues to focus on diversification and creating legacy clients in numerous industries. “The challenges of today are less technical and more political,” says Coopersmith. He cites a recent example of The Village at Pacific Highlands Ranch. Going above and beyond, Latitude 33 met with all the stakeholders and garnered their support before the plans went to the City for approval. In the past 25 years, the firm has played a role in having three city-wide voter initiatives approved. “In our 25-year history, we have an unparalleled 100 percent success rate for seeking entitlements,” Coopersmith adds. Latitude 33 Planning & Engineering continues to offer a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach to design. Serving public agencies, developers and property owners, the firm specializes in residential, education, healthcare, military, commercial/retail, civic, and hospitality projects. And unlike its predicted path at inception, the firm will continue and expand its work, by all forecasts, for many years to come. For more information, visit latitude33.com. PROJECTS PACIFIC HIGHLANDS RANCH: THE PROJECT THAT LAUNCHED LATITUDE 33 IN SAN DIEGO The Village at Pacific Highlands Ranch, courtesy Owen McGoldrick. For its first three years in business, Latitude 33 didn’t work on a single project in the State of California. Until Pacific Highlands Ranch. It was the first of many San Diego projects—the one that launched Latitude 33 locally and helped it earn the stellar reputation it has today. Latitude 33 and Pardee Homes, which has developed most of Pacific Highlands Ranch, began working together on the 2,652-acre development in 1996 on an extremely extensive and broad community engagement process. It included input from the Carmel Valley Community Planning Board, community planning groups across the entire city, City of San Diego staff, elected officials, environmental organizations and stakeholders. The developer and design team worked with the surrounding community to create the Pacific Highlands Ranch Subarea Plan, the community plan for this area. The plan was on the forefront of visionary planning in San Diego by preserving and enhancing the existing habitat and canyons system, creating new wildlife corridors, and creating an urban village in a northern San Diego suburb. The Sierra Club, the Endangered Habitat League, the Carmel Valley Community Planning Board, and many other organizations fully supported the plan. The Pacific Highlands Ranch Subarea Plan was adopted by City Council July 28, 1998. Twenty years later, the area has transformed into a vibrant, world-class community with thousands of residents, energy-efficient market-rate and affordable homes, outstanding schools, a multi-trail system, shopping centers, and 1,300 acres of preserved open spaces. And, it’s not done yet. Under construction is the heart of the entire community: The Village at Pacific Highlands Ranch. The Village at Pacific Highlands Ranch will bring commercial retail, high-density residential, civic, and park uses together as the pedestrian-friendly town center for the master-planned community. The multi-use, urban village will include 252 market rate residential condominiums and 79 affordable residential units (331 total units), 195,000 square feet of commercial space, a library, and a civic use area including a dog park, 13-acre public park, access to biking/walking trails, and central plaza with outdoor seating, fireplaces, and a fountain. The Village will provide a place to live, play, socialize, learn, work, shop, and dine, all within a walkable space. Latitude 33 is proud to be part of a major collaborative effort to bring The Village to fruition. This portion of Pacific Highlands Ranch attracted numerous companies to gather around a common goal and purpose to get the master plan designed, approved, constructed and open for use. The team of Latitude 33 Planning & Engineering, SPGA Architecture and Planning, Wiseman & Rohy, McParlane & Associates, Michael Wall Engineering, Inc., MW Peltz + Associates, Inc., and Coast Income Properties, Inc. made this dream project a reality. Additionally, Wermers Construction is the builder of the market rate apartments, and Affirmed Housing developed the affordable component. SGPA was the architect for the commercial components, and Architects Orange designed all residential pieces. More than 20 years after beginning to work on the community, it is very satisfying for the entire Latitude 33 team to continue its work at Pacific Highlands Ranch, and see the vibrant community thriving, in part, because of Latitude 33’s efforts. COMMUNITY AND CULTURE LATITUDE 33 BUILDS A CULTURE OF TRUST Latitude 33 in action. Top Row: San Diego Mud Run in 2012 (left). The annual Scripps Ranch Old Pros 4th of July Run (right) and Ride (center). Latitude 33 is an annual sponsor for this race. Bottom Row: 2017 Holiday party (left). Rock climbing in 2017 (center). The superhero-themed Engineers Without Borders Kick Ball Tournament (right). As noted in this edition’s feature story, Latitude 33 values longevity and focuses on building long-term relationships. Relationship-building is not only part of our focus for clients, it is also part of our internal culture, as well. Modeled after Ken Blanchard’s theories about productivity and leadership in the workplace, Latitude 33 strives to create trusting relationships among all team members. Blanchard notes that 45% of employees say that lack of trust in leadership is the biggest issue impacting their work performance. By contrast, high trust organizations experience 32 times greater risk-taking, 11 times more innovation, and six times higher performance. Trusting relationships in the workplace leads to increased collaboration, higher levels of creativity, and more effective execution of business strategy. In honor of Latitude 33’s 25th Anniversary, we look back on some of our favorite moments over the years as we have built a culture of trust and teamwork in the workplace. Enjoy the pictures above! 1 2 3 Next » RECENT NEWSLETTERS August 2021 July 2021 February 2021 November 2020 August 2020 April 2020 November 2019 May 2019 November 2018 June 2018 December 2017 September 2017 April 2017 March 2017 November 2016 August 2016 October 2015 July 2015 May 2015 © 2020. All Rights Reserved. Accessibility Feedback. facebook linkedin We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Reject