Apr 12

Latitude 33 Adapts to Virtual Workplace

By Katie Yee Newsletter

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

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Latitude 33 Continues Diversifying

By Katie Yee Newsletter

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

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Latitude 33 Recognizes Outstanding Women

By Katie Yee Newsletter

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

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A Season to Give Thanks

By Katie Yee Newsletter

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!