Brian Mooney is the Project Director for the 2014 update to the County of Imperial General Plan Geothermal/Alternative Energy Transmission Element. This element is being updated to include significant changes created by proposals to produce and transmit energy from renewable energy sources including solar, wind and agricultural byproducts. Innovative concepts such as the coordination of energy transmission corridors as well as the concentration of energy intensive land uses adjacent to the energy producing sites. Special focus has been on incorporating the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan concepts. The program has included extensive public outreach and the development of a County wide Environmental Baseline Report. The proposed Element update will also include implementing Ordinances for the siting of renewable energy projects. In addition, the previously outdated mapping of the location and capacity of existing and proposed transmission corridors is being updated.
Category Archives: Environmental Studies
Warner Springs Ranch Resort General plan Amendment, Specific Plan and Environmental Impact Report (EIR), County of San Diego, CA
Project Director, Mr. Mooney is currently managing the preparation of a General Plan Amendment, Specific Plan and Programmatic Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) for this sustainable resort community on 2,450 acres in Northern San Diego County. The community includes a 350 hotel and casita resort, 695 second-home residential units, an equestrian center, a 27-hole championship golf course, an expanded rural village designed to reflect new urbanism values and an airport. Key issues include preservation and integration of significant prehistoric and historic cultural resources, historic architecture, endangered species and groundwater. The plan includes preservation of over 1900 acres and coordination with USFW, CFW, ACOE and numerous other agencies.
Cedros Crossing Transit Oriented Development Master Plan and Environmental Impact Report (EIR), City of Solana Beach, San Diego County, California
Project Director. Mr. Mooney managed the development of a Master EIR for a mixed-use transit-oriented development project in the City of Solana Beach. The project included the development of a specific plan on an existing surface parking lot adjacent to the Solana Beach train station and included 200,000 square feet of retail space, 125 residential dwelling units, a community theater, and a parking garage for 450 automobiles. He addressed key issues including land use, traffic circulation, parking, aesthetics, water quality, and cumulative impacts.
General Plan and Environmental Impact Report (EIR), City of Lake Elsinore, Riverside County, California
Project Director. Mr. Mooney managed the revision and update of all elements of the City’s General Plan. In addition to the mandatory General Plan elements, the project included optional Economic Development and Lake Elements. The project required an extensive citywide public participation and visioning program to maximize citizen involvement in the update process. A master environmental document for the update was prepared and processed. This update included an entire rethinking of the presentation of the General Plan into a user-friendly format.
General Plan and Environmental Impact Report (EIR), County of Imperial, California
Project Director. Mr. Mooney managed a comprehensive update of the County of Imperial General Plan. Special emphasis was placed on land use planning for landfills, prisons, and other intensive or impactive land uses, which are not always desirable in local communities. He proposed a new land use category, Special Purpose Facility, and siting guidelines to assist the county in locating new local and regional facilities. He also prepared a Master EIR.
General Plan and Environmental Impact Report EIR, City of San Marcos, San Diego County, California
Project Director. Mr. Mooney updated all elements of the General Plan and prepared three community plans for communities within the City. Mr. Mooney led an extensive, citywide public participation program that was implemented to maximize citizen involvement in the update process. He prepared and processed a master environmental document for the update.
General Plan and Environmental Impact Report (EIR), City of Santee, San Diego County, California
Project Manager. Mr. Mooney prepared the General Plan and Master EIR, which focused on reorientation from a strictly residential suburban and strip commercial community to a greater mixed-use concept with a town center focal point. He prepared all General Plan elements, including the optional Community Design Element, and represented the City’s interest through the approval process.
Fairbanks Country Club, Watt Industries, Rancho Santa Fe, San Diego County, CA
Director. Mr. Mooney managed the preparation of a specific plan, Environmental Impact Report (EIR), and permit acquisition for this golf course/residential community with a 36-hole golf course covering 500 acres. Special focus of the specific plan was the creation of a master-planned community that integrated the San Dieguito River Valley and created a distinctive sense of place for an exclusive community.
Luckey Ranch Environmental Impact Report (EIR), City of Brawley, Imperial County, CA
Project Director. Mr. Mooney managed a program-level and project-level EIR for a general plan amendment, annexation, specific plan, and tentative map submittal for the City of Brawley to assess impacts associated with build-out development of more than 2,000 acres adjacent to the existing city boundary, and only partially within the designated sphere of influence. He addressed important issues such as land use and public safety; circulation and traffic volumes; roadway and aircraft noise; aircraft and vehicle emissions; infrastructure and public services requirements for police, fire, and schools; light and glare; surface drainage/hydrology; preservation of prime and statewide important farmlands; population and housing; and preservation of sensitive species, such as the burrowing owl.
Woods Valley Ranch Specific Plan and Environmental Impact Report (EIR), Newlands Communities, Valley Center, San Diego County, CA
Project Director. Mr. Mooney managed the preparation of the Specific Plan, land plan and EIR for this 300-unit residential and golf course community on 800 acres in Valley Center. The project required a balance of biological and cultural resources factors to design a community in that mitigated all impacts. Key to the design was the designation of over 60% of the site in natural and active open space.