Portfolios Archive - Page 3 of 4

Downtown East Precise Plan

The primary focus of the City of Hanford Downtown East Precise Plan was the China Alley Revitalization Plan. China Alley was identified in 2011 as one of the most endangered historic places in America by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Other issues included the need to revitalize and attract new businesses in an area that had remained stagnant for new economic development for years.

The extensive Plan document includes an economic study and fiscal impact analysis, zoning for mixed-use, permitted land uses, a form-based code for frontage types for multiple building types, development regulations, landscape guidelines, street improvements, traffic calming guidelines, parking policies, a focused Environmental Impact Report (EIR), and concept studies that depict how the area could potentially develop. Since its adoption, new businesses have sprung up on China Alley including new multi-cultural restaurants and a tea house.

The plan was given the 2014 Award of Merit for “Comprehensive Planning: Small Jurisdiction” by the American Planning Association (APA) California Chapter, Central Section.

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Multi-Phased Downtown Enhancement Project

Mountain Road 319 Bridge Replacement

Working closely with Tulare County Resource Management Agency (Tulare RMA) and Cornerstone Structural Engineering Group, QK served as the primary consultant in the preparation of the field review and Preliminary Environmental Study (PES) for National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance through Caltrans for the project area that included a rural bridge site, equipment staging areas, and temporary water crossing accessed through the riparian habitat.

Throughout the project duration, our team actively managed the environmental permitting and compliance process including the completion of environmental studies and consultation with regulatory agencies. QK biologists completed field surveys for sensitive wildlife and plant species, and habitat. Technical documents included a Natural Environment Study (NES), water quality technical memorandum, cultural resources report, hydrology report, and restoration plan for riparian habitat as required for California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and NEPA compliance. Federal and State permit applications were also submitted and approved, and QK provided biological monitoring in compliance with California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) requirements during construction to ensure no impacts occurred within the river or sensitive riparian habitat.

During construction, a temporary crossing was erected downstream from the new bridge for County residents and emergency vehicles. To mitigate construction impacts on the Kaweah River, QK’s environmental team recommended alternatives to some work within the Ordinary High Water Mark (OHWM), and revisions to bridge design to reduce the number of trees that required removal and trimming.

The Mountain Road 319 Bridge replacement was awarded 2013 “Project of the Year – Large” by the American Public Works Association (APWA) Cen-Cal Chapter and a 2014 Engineering Excellence “Award of Merit for Small Firms” by the California American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC California).

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Multi-Phased Downtown Enhancement Project

Golden State Corridor

QK was selected to create a comprehensive design to improve the Golden State Corridor area that runs through the Fresno County cities of Kingsburg, Selma, and Fowler. Public input was vital to the planning process and QK organized, publicized, and led community meetings and facilitated discussions during Plan visioning workshops. Stakeholder meetings involved feedback from decision-makers in each of the affected cities including Fresno County officials, bicycle advocates, and railroad specialists.

While planning, our firm focused on design improvements and streetscape enhancements, expanding economic development, improving the flow of transit, and improving safety for motorists and bicyclists. One key feature was a street realignment in Fowler that creates three new urban blocks for future downtown commercial development.

The final package of construction plans included a topographic survey, urban design guidelines manual, 30% engineering plans set, utility report, pavement rehabilitation report, detailed cost estimate, and environmental analysis for future compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The completed package enables the Fresno Council of Governments (FCOG) to continue to move forward with their design plans on all or selected portions of the Corridor.

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Multi-Phased Downtown Enhancement Project

Pump Station & Odor Control Facility

The City of Atwater’s existing lift station and alternative site were analyzed to accommodate a short timeline for bidding, equipment delivery, and construction needed to meet a deadline imposed by the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB).

Ultimately, the existing wastewater treatment plant was replaced by a new tertiary treatment plant. This new treatment facility is located 5.7 miles to the south of the community and provides additional capacity for future growth. The new site location was chosen to provide avoidance from existing and future commercial development adjacent to the site and the new lift station was designed to handle the existing flows along with growth up to a flow of 12 million gallons per day (MGD).

The pump station and odor control facility was completed prior to the RWQCB’s deadline and within the funded budget, and our design strengthens the reliability of the facility by adding a generator, improved electrical service, and odor control facilities.

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Multi-Phased Downtown Enhancement Project

Bridge Replacements Environmental Services

Bridge Replacement Environmental Services

QK provided biological reports, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) compliance, and permit applications that allowed the County of Madera to begin construction on a series of three rural bridges.

Our firm prepared NEPA-required technical studies for Caltrans in support of a Categorical Exclusion (CE). These included a Natural Environment Study (NES), Water Quality Assessment Report, and Air Quality Analysis for all three Federal Highway Bridge Replacement Program projects. We also completed CEQA documents and permit applications for multiple agencies, including the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Service, the US Army Corps of Engineers, and the Regional Water Quality Control Board.

The County of Madera completed the permitting process, and QK has since partnered with them to provide environmental consulting services for two additional roadway/bridge projects.

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T-4 3MG Water Storage Tank & Booster Pump Station

The City of Fresno designed its $10M T-4 3MG water storage tank and booster station to address water availability issues within the downtown area and increase water flow to accommodate future redevelopment needs. With extensive redevelopment projects planned for Downtown Fresno and existing land barriers limiting available water during peak times, the new water storage tank and pump station were needed to meet peak-hour demands.

QK worked with the City and stakeholders to design their water storage tank and booster pump station. Environmental permitting and final plans included a three-million-gallon (MG) water storage tank, an operations building, appurtenant exterior facilities including a surge tank and emergency generator, miscellaneous yard piping and site improvements, site landscaping, and architectural treatment of the new tank and operations building.

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Multi-Phased Downtown Enhancement Project

Lerdo Justice Facility, Federal Firing Range & Staff Training Center

The Lerdo Justice Facility correctional institution and staff training center had to meet the needs of Kern County Sherrif’s Department and other law enforcement, as well as the inmate population. The design needed to accommodate for earthquake preparedness measures, which are extremely important due to the very poor soil conditions and shallow groundwater at the construction site.

QK worked on the design of site grading and paving, potable water, sewer, and stormwater systems as well as public utility coordination. Our engineering team executed an extensive soil and foundation improvement program as well as essential drainage and underground utility improvements to mitigate the danger of seismic activity. To address shallow groundwater problems, the building site was raised by five feet and was dewatered during construction.

The development of the $236 million prison complex design includes infrastructure, housing, and support buildings. QK also provided engineering design services for a federal firing range and staff training center.

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San Joaquin Cross Valley Transmission Project

The Cross Valley transmission line corridor traverses approximately 11 miles of agriculturally developed land and 12 miles of native foothill grassland habitat that potentially contained a diverse group of threatened, endangered, and protected species. Federal and State permits for the take of species and wetlands delineation were a necessity. Project-specific information on the abundance and distribution of species and wetlands had to be documented at a high degree of specificity and confidence. The high project scrutiny required that the implementation of avoidance and mitigation measures be conducted efficiently, effectively, and with a high degree of documentation.

QK completed initial biological resource surveys including protocol-level surveys for special-status species, nesting raptors, and other birds, conducted wetlands delineations, and provided that information in reports for the client to use in obtaining project permits from the regulatory agencies (United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). QK conducted follow-up studies to provide the current information as the project progressed, implemented all permit requirements, conducted pre-construction surveys, and performed construction monitoring for the construction of this 23-mile transmission line.

QK worked with the client to achieve a performance schedule that was reasonable and met the needs of the client while allowing sufficient time for the completion of seasonally dependent studies. Follow-up surveys were conducted to provide updated biological information as site conditions changed, project designs were modified, and coordination with the regulatory agencies progressed.

A long-term program was established to train construction workers on the implementation of avoidance and minimization measures, train a team of biological compliance monitors, and implement all mitigation measures.
The transmission line construction project was completed on-time with no major compliance issues, despite a large diversity of biological issues and a complex mitigation and reporting plan.

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Golden State Corridor

Pump Station & Odor Control Facility

Bridge Replacements Environmental Services

T-4 3MG Water Storage Tank & Booster Pump Station

Lerdo Justice Facility, Federal Firing Range & Staff Training Center

Maricopa Sun Solar Energy Complex

The proposed site for Maricopa Orchards’ solar energy complex was composed of 6,000-acres of undeveloped agricultural land which potentially harbored a wide variety of threatened, endangered, and protected species. The large project size, broadly separated configuration of the project, and close proximity of existing wildlife populations created the potential for taking of species and affect a wildlife dispersal corridor. Impacts of the project needed to be identified and documented, avoidance and minimization measures developed, compensatory lands acquired, and permits from regulatory agencies acquired. Of primary concern was that the landowner, Maricopa Orchards, was not envisioned to be the developer, but rather properties would be pre-permitted for solar development, and then sold or leased to solar developing interests.

QK worked with Maricopa Orchards to conduct all studies required for the development of a 700-MW solar project on private lands without federal subsidies. QK conducted all required studies, coordinated and consulted with resource agency staff, provided all applications and plans for all project permits, and created the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Plan (MMRP) for the project. QK also developed management plans for the compensatory lands, which were also owned by Maricopa Orchards. Several unique and never-before-attempted solutions to agency concerns were developed including a “springing” conservation easement that was applied to solar lands and a phased approach to compensation and mitigation.

All project permits were approved, the environmental process completed, one 160-acre solar facility has been constructed, and nearly 80-percent of the land entitled for solar has now been sold or is in escrow. An extremely low mitigation ratio was negotiated, based upon site-specific conditions, that resulted in a compensation ratio of approximately 0.5 acres preserved for each acre of solar developed, plus the conversion of solar lands to conservation lands once decommissioning of the solar sites is realized.

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Water Systems Improvements Project

QK assisted the Frazier Park Public Utility District as they applied for American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) funding; prepared plans, specifications, and estimates; and provided construction management for water system improvements including new mains, water tanks, control valves, and motor control centers. We were also able to obtain an emergency permit from the US Forest Service (USFS) to begin construction while the district processed their regular operating permit. QK consulted throughout the project’s development and construction, primarily for engineering, funding, planning, and managing construction renovations.