Planning

At the start of every project, SHN and our clients begin discussing how the project will be successful, paid for, and maintained, but equally important is how it will impact our communities and environment—and how the community and environment will impact the project.  Our project planning approach is to identify impacts that may be difficult to permit but, through minor project adjustments, can minimize or even eliminate those concerns.  For example, an operational mitigation is limiting construction to daytime hours, so nearby residents are less affected during quiet evening and night time hours.   A technological mitigation is our use of horizontal directional drilling to avoid trenching in wetlands during pipeline installation.  Clients and regulators know that SHN will approach every project with integrity and with the community’s long-term environmental and economic benefits in mind.

We also provide planning services to cities, counties, tribal governments, and community services districts.  We have assisted them in code revisions, general plan updates, strategic plans, and visioning processes.   Grant funding is frequently the only way that a small government can plan or implement capital improvements, and SHN has a successful track record assisting communities in obtaining and managing grants.

Completing an EIR on an accelerated schedule

Project Details

Location:  Lake County, CA

Owner/Client:  Clement, Fitzpatrick & Kenworthy

Partners:  Wild Diamond Vineyards, LLC

Project Timeline:  2015 to 2016

Project Details

Location:  Lake County, CA

Owner/Client:  Clement, Fitzpatrick & Kenworthy

Partners:  Wild Diamond Vineyards, LLC

Project Timeline:  2015 to 2016

Project Details

Location:  Lake County, CA

Owner/Client:  Clement, Fitzpatrick & Kenworthy

Partners:  Wild Diamond Vineyards, LLC

Project Timeline:  2015 to 2016

SHN worked with Wild Diamond Vineyards, LLC, to create and communicate sufficient mitigations for the project’s primary issues of water supply, air quality, traffic, and noise impacts.  The project describes a 90-acre vineyard, a winery, and an interpretive center.  SHN was the principal EIR preparer and managed a diverse team of specialists that assessed wildlife, plants, wetlands, groundwater and surface water, cultural resources including Tribal coordination and historical resources, noise assessment, air quality, and greenhouse gas emissions.  SHN’s planners developed the project, performed public and agency outreach, wrote draft and final documents, and attended multiple Planning Commission and Board of Supervisor meetings.  This project was completed on an accelerated timeline, requiring just 10 months, from the start of special studies to the Final EIR that was submitted in September 2016. The project was approved by the County Board of Supervisors in December 2016.

CEQA permitting for construction of a section of California coastal trail

Project Details

Location:  Point St. George Management Area, Del Norte County

Owner/Client:  Del Norte County

Partners:  Numerous stakeholders including Smith River and Elk Valley Rancherias and resource agencies

Project Timeline:  2012 to 2013

Project Details

Location:  Point St. George Management Area, Del Norte County

Owner/Client:  Del Norte County

Partners:  Numerous stakeholders including Smith River and Elk Valley Rancherias and resource agencies

Project Timeline:  2012 to 2013

Project Details

Location:  Point St. George Management Area, Del Norte County

Owner/Client:  Del Norte County

Partners:  Numerous stakeholders including Smith River and Elk Valley Rancherias and resource agencies

Project Timeline:  2012 to 2013

Project Details

Location:  Point St. George Management Area, Del Norte County

Owner/Client:  Del Norte County

Partners:  Numerous stakeholders including Smith River and Elk Valley Rancherias and resource agencies

Project Timeline:  2012 to 2013

The County of Del Norte wanted to fulfill its plan to make the Point St. George Management Area a part of the California Coastal Trail.  The existing “trails” were informal (volunteer) paths created by pedestrian visitors who wanted to access vista points along the bluffs and adjacent beaches.  SHN provided CEQA environmental compliance services in anticipation of construction of the Point St. George section.  Services included completion of a wetland delineation, a conceptual wetland mitigation plan, natural resource assessment, and an Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration.  The natural resource assessment included evaluations of special status species and Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Areas.  Easier trail access for disabled people was also a design criterion.  A Coastal Development Permit was also obtained.

Environmental permitting for forest products industrial facility expansion

Project Details

Location:  Mendocino Forest Products Willits Mill, CA

Owner/Client:  Mendocino Forest Products

Partners:  Archaeological Services, Inc.

Project Timeline:  2013 to present

Project Details

Location:  Mendocino Forest Products Willits Mill, CA

Owner/Client:  Mendocino Forest Products

Partners:  Archaeological Services, Inc.

Project Timeline:  2013 to present

Project Details

Location:  Mendocino Forest Products Willits Mill, CA

Owner/Client:  Mendocino Forest Products

Partners:  Archaeological Services, Inc.

Project Timeline:  2013 to present

Project Details

Location:  Mendocino Forest Products Willits Mill, CA

Owner/Client:  Mendocino Forest Products

Partners:  Archaeological Services, Inc.

Project Timeline:  2013 to present

Mendocino Forest Products plans to expand their existing industrial facilities to accommodate future growth and development, which requires the excavation and removal of approximately 800,000 cubic yards of soil.  SHN prepared the CEQA documentation, including the development of special studies for aesthetics, biological resources, wetland delineations, and a focused Northern Spotted Owl survey.  In addition, we performed slope stability investigations and cutslope analyses, and undertook a hazardous materials investigation for the proposed future development.  We determined that the project fit within the Mitigated Negative Declaration parameters of CEQA, and we evaluated the degree of significance of potential impacts on biological and social resources at the site.  SHN prepared the Initial Study and Mitigated “Neg Dec,” supported Mendocino County as they submitted documents to the State Clearinghouse, created the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program, and gave presentations to the Mendocino Board of Supervisors for project approval.

 

 

Certifications and Associations

Contact

Corporate Office:

812 W. Wabash Ave.
Eureka, CA 95501-2138
Tel: 707-441-8855
Fax: 707-441-8877
info@shn-engr.com

Office Locations:

  • Arcata, CA
  • Eureka, CA
  • Fort Bragg, CA
  • Redding, CA
  • Willits, CA
  • Coos Bay, OR
  • Klamath Falls, OR
 
 
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