Orange County’s spur of redevelopment projects has kept environmental consultants busy.
The county’s “growing vertically because we’re running out of open space,” said Thomas Tait, president of Santa Ana environmental engineering company Tait & Associates Inc. “Whenever you’re developing a site, the environment always becomes a prime issue.”
Local consultants are being tapped for environmental remediation, or site cleanup. They’re working with developers on tasks such as testing and removing contaminants from soil and groundwater before, during and after a project.
Site cleanup’s played a big role in the county lately, with a number of developers turning former industrial land into offices, homes and shopping centers.
“There’s always a need to preserve nature when there’s residential or commercial growth,” said John Caldwell, vice president and area office manager of the Santa Ana office of Denver-based CH2M Hill Cos. “With big projects, there are always significant environmental issues.”
Such was the case with the Marblehead Coastal housing development in San Clemente. In 2005, Irvine-based SunCal Cos. bought the 248-acre site just off the San Diego (I-5) Freeway for $195 million and sought to build 313 homes.
Marblehead was one of a few coastal projects that had been proposed after years,even decades,of haggling with the California Coastal Commission and cities.
One big issue for the project: managing storm water runoff.
It’s a big issue consultants are seeing in OC, according to Michael Burke, executive vice president of RBF Consulting in Irvine.
The county’s proximity to the ocean makes dealing with water runoff and water pollution a serious issue that developers have to deal with, he said.
RBF worked with SunCal on tackling water pollution in its plans.
Marblehead, a coastal plateau, had been used for farming and had an abandoned sewer treatment plant on it. The area also includes eroding coastal bluffs, degraded coastal sage habitat and freshwater wetlands, according to RBF.
RBF worked with SunCal on designs, which won approval from the coastal commission in March. The plans include open space, a wildlife habitat and a park, and have won over some critics.
SunCal was looking at the development from an “environmental standpoint,” said Mike McGovern, project manager for Marblehead.
The developer spent more than $10 million on water quality enhancement systems with filters and retention tanks to help eliminate waste and other pollutants from water before it runs off into the ocean, he said.
Special attention also was given to preserving the area’s native vegetation and wildlife, McGovern said.
“We’re close to the ocean and RBF (helped us) minimize the impact of development, especially on water quality,” McGovern said. “Environmental consultants are helpful with the regulatory issues with the environment,the development community needs to do its part as well.”
Marblehead also calls for a shopping center, Plaza San Clemente, which is being developed by Newport Beach’s Craig Realty Group and SDC Partners Ltd., also of Newport Beach. An outlet mall is in the planning stages as well, along with a 130-room hotel.
At El Toro in Irvine, the 3,700-acre former Marine base is expected to see close to 9,500 homes built by the local arm of Miami-based Lennar Corp.
Cleanup has been a big issue at the site.
CH2M Hill has been testing for and getting rid of materials such as oil, sewage and chemicals at the site, Caldwell said.
Protection
Environmental consultants are pushing prevention.
They’re working with developers to incorporate guidelines and practices to minimize the effects of development on the environment and prevent damage.
Resource conservation, water reuse, water quality treatment, storm water management, recycling and waste minimization are just a few practices consultants are having developers work in during construction.
Environmental protection is a key element in urban infill development, RBF said.
The company said it’s preparing plans for Anaheim GardenWalk, a 19-acre project near the Disneyland Resort. GardenWalk will house 655,000 square feet of shopping, dining, hotels and timeshare condominiums.
Sites such as Anaheim GardenWalk use storm drain and sewer master plans to offset other types of pollution in cities such as fuel emission, according to the company.
Going Green
Pollution isn’t the only environmental issue affecting development, said Herb Hauser, chief executive of Midtown Technologies LLC, a New York-based green building technology company.
More environmental consultants and developers across the country are incorporating designs that are geared toward natural sources such as solar and wind power and water to cut energy costs, he said.
Redevelopment projects with proper landscaping and irrigation could reduce energy and water costs, said Gene Nalbandian, chief executive of Jardinier Corp., a Santa Ana-based maker of energy and water saving irrigation products and services.
Rooftop gardens and water fountains, for example, naturally cool building temperatures and provide a cost effective alternative to air-conditioning.
“There’s a lot going on in terms of environmental sustainability,” Nalbandian said. “More environmental consultants and developers are realizing there are ways to redevelop in ecologically friendly ways.”
