Specific Plans & Master Plans
LWC's approach to Specific Plans, Master Plans, and more in the State of California integrates our command of land use policy, economics, municipal finance, market fundamentals, and community engagement. On each of our projects, LWC addresses policy consistency and alternatives, economic and financial performance, market influences, and works closely with a multi-disciplinary team to cover other areas of expertise, including parking and circulation, environmental/CEQA, civil engineering, and design standards.
Image by Opticos Design, Project Team
AShland and Cherryland Business district Specific Plan
Alameda County, CA | 2013 - 2015
Award-winning corridor-based Specific Plan in the East Bay.
LWC was retained by the County of Alameda to lead an update of the Ashland and Cherryland Business District Specific Plan (Plan). The consultant team included specialists in mobility, finance, urban design, CEQA, retail programming, and community engagement.
A key goal for the City was to generate economic revitalization in the Plan Area through a comprehensive analysis of: zoning regulations, demographic profile, market conditions and a market-based implementation plan. Transparency, collaboration and community involvement was also a critical factor for the community and facilitated through a project-based, multi-lingual website, social media channels, frequent site visits, stakeholder interviews, workshops, 4-day charrette and study sessions and public presentations.
The Final Plan Update was adopted unanimously by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors on December 8, 2015 and won the 2016 California APA, Northern Section’s Outstanding Planning Award for Economic Development.
downtown specific plan, code, and Eir
hayward, CA | september 2016 - april 2019
Innovative and transformative Specific Plan for downtown revitalization, housing, and walkable, infill development.
LWC was hired by the City of Hayward to lead the Downtown Specific Plan and Code and manage a team of top-tier firms. The project was funded by the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC) through the One-Bay Area Grant program. The City’s focus for the project was to promote economic revitalization, increase housing opportunities, improve pedestrian and bicycle connectivity, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging compact, infill development near public transit.
Centered around the Downtown Hayward BART station, a key component of the project was to identify regulatory constraints to transit-oriented development and assess the impacts of zoning regulations on overall development potential.
The team worked with the community to establish the long term vision and goals for Downtown through an extensive engagement process that included multiple site visits, personal interviews, public workshops, task force meetings, an online survey, and a 5-day design charrette which attracted over one hundred community members.
The Plan was adopted unanimously by the Hayward City Council in May 2019 and provides for up to 3,427 new housing units and 1.9 million square feet of space for retail, entertainment, office and other nonresidential uses. The final Plan was driven by the community’s vision as a regional destination, celebrated for its distinct history, culture, and diversity; providing shopping, entertainment, employment, and housing options for residents and visitors of all ages and backgrounds; that is accessible by bike, foot, public transit, and car.
Image by Opticos Design
Image courtesy of City of San Luis Obispo
San Luis Ranch Specific Plan
San Luis Obispo, CA | 2014 - 2017 (Adopted)
2018 - Present (Ongoing Amendments)
Forward-thinking, award-winning Specific Plan that offers a direct response to California’s housing crisis.
LWC was retained by Coastal Community Builders to complete a Specific Plan for a 123-acre mixed-use, multimodal development comprised of housing, retail, commercial, hotel, urban agriculture, and open space recreation on the former Dalidio Ranch, an iconic property with agricultural history in the City of San Luis Obispo.
From the beginning of the project, the SLR Team was committed to a robust and effective public outreach process, providing substantive and multiple opportunities for the community to provide feedback and shape the end result including significant revisions to the site design, circulation patterns and amenities, even “providing opportunities for public participation in on-site agricultural activities.”
The San Luis Obispo City Council approved the project in July 2017 and construction started in May of 2019. By January of 2020, grading, street and bike path improvements, utilities, storm drain, and sewer infrastructure installations began. San Luis Ranch is providing 580 diverse housing units, including 34 deed-restricted affordable housing units 2.5 miles from downtown San Luis Obispo and 3 miles from the Cal Poly campus. In March of 2020, the project received the APA Central Coast Chapter Best Practices Award and stands as a direct and effective response to California’s housing and affordability crisis.
LWC Master Plans 2006 - Present
Benicia, CA, Downtown Mixed-Use Master Plan and Form-Based Code
Grover Beach, CA, West Grand Avenue Master Plan
King City, CA, West Broadway Master Plan
Las Vegas, NV, Downtown Master Plan
Merced, CA, Bellevue Community Plan
Petaluma, CA, SMART Rail Station Areas: TOD Master Plan
Tulare, CA, Downtown Visioning, 2040
LWC Specific Plans 2006 - Present
Alameda County, CA, Ashland and Cherryland Business District Specific Plan and Code Update
Benicia, CA, Lower Arsenal Mixed-Use Specific Plan and Form-Based Code
Coastal Community Builders, CA, San Luis Ranch Specific Plan
King, CA, Historic Revitalization Plan and Form-Based Code
Moraga, CA, Downtown Specific Plan Implementation
Rancho Cucamonga, CA, North Eastern Sphere Annexation Project
Richmond, CA, Richmond Bay Specific Plan
San Luis Obispo County, CA, Oceano Revitalization Plan
Sausalito, CA, Marinship Specific Plan Assessment and Evaluation
Soledad, CA, Downtown Vision Program and Specific Plan Update
Tehachapi, CA, Capital Hills Strategic Plan, Zoning Code and CEQA Review
Vallejo, CA, Sonoma Boulevard Specific Plan