User:TRSConsultants

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TRS Consultants (TRS) is a land use and environmental planning company with over 25 years of experience in the County of San Diego. We pride ourselves on remaining small and independent with a flexible and open-minded approach.

Recognized as a leader in creative solutions, TRS combines progressive planning concepts with practical expertise. Utilizing a holistic approach, our objective is to reflect the client’s goals, the community’s specific needs, preservation groups’ interests and governmental agencies’ regulations.

TRS is experienced at meeting the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). We work within the guidelines of local jurisdictions, agency regulations and ordinances that govern the development process. We also apply current legal decisions that impact planning and environmental review. TRS welcomes projects that offer creative challenges and deliver valuable, long-term benefits for a wide range of community interests. We strive for a healthy balance that improves relationships between people and their environment.

How TRS has helped clients:

- Our appeal letter to the County of San Diego resulted in the elimination of a $77,000 Transportation Impact Fee (TIF) for a client.

- After County Staff and the Planning Commission recommended the denial of a project to the Board of Supervisors, we were able to obtain the unanimous local support of a Planning Group and subsequently, we were successful in gaining the Board of Supervisors’ support for the project to continue to be processed.

- We are in the process of establishing one of the largest mitigation banks in the County of San Diego.

- We were successful in obtaining a commercial classification for General Plan 2020 for a client.

- Our CEQA document’s validity withstood a lawsuit at the Superior Court level.

TRS has over 24 years of experience providing planning and environmental services to clients throughout the County of San Diego, in both public and private sectors.

Our expertise includes:

Land Use Planning

Land use planning is the scientific, aesthetic, and orderly disposition of land, resources, facilities and services with the objective to secure the physical, economic and social efficiency, health and well-being of urban and rural communities.

Environmental Analysis and Reporting

An environmental analysis includes an analysis of environmental impacts, feasible mitigation measures, and alternative projects. The environmental analysis takes into account a reasonable range of environmental, economic, and technical factors, population and geographic areas, as well as specific sites.

Project Management

TRS is experienced at collaborating with sub-consultants as a team leader for various types of projects. We effectively organize and manage resources to complete projects within defined scope, time, and cost constraints. We provide effective and dynamic management of projects in both the design phase and during processing.

Representation to Public Agencies and Community Groups

The majority of our clients have required representation at various levels of the jurisdictional ladder. From local community planning groups to the Board of Supervisors, TRS has many years of experience and the industry network to facilitate project approvals.

Development Processing Assistance

If your project requires additional support, TRS will provide our industry knowledge and effectual influence to your overall team effort.

Agricultural Studies

An agricultural report is a land use study which analyzes the agricultural status of a site. It includes a review of the soils information, climate, cropping/agricultural history, a Land Evaluation and Site Assessment (LESA) model, cumulative analysis, and an assessment of compatibility with the surrounding area’s land use. The goal is to identify significant agricultural resources, farmland and operations. Oftentimes, the assessment will also include a profile of chemical use on the site and the history of land use.

Visual Studies

A visual study is an innovative and successful technique that enables citizens to evaluate physical images of natural and built environments. The process involves evaluating a wide variety of images depicting streetscapes, land use, site designs, building types, to determine whether or not the proposed project design would be appropriate for the community.

TRS has authored and compiled:

Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs)

An EIR is a document required under CEQA. It describes a particular project location in its existing setting, describes the impacts which a project will have on the environment both on and adjacent to the property, and proposes mitigation measures. Since its inception, TRS has been processing EIR’s through the County of San Diego.

Negative Declaration

A Negative Declaration is prepared when a project (that is subject to CEQA) demonstrates during the initial study that there is no substantial evidence that the project may have significant environmental impacts.

General Plan Amendment (GPA)

All cities and counties have comprehensive general plans that provide a policy statement and guide for the development and conservation of the community. General plans are required to consist of the following elements: land use, circulation, housing, conservation, scenic highway, open space, noise and safety. Although the General Plan is periodically reviewed and updated, there occasionally arises a need or desire to change some specific portion of the Plan such as the land use designation for a particular area.

Specific Plan

A specific plan is a tool for the systematic implementation of the general plan. It establishes a link between implementing policies of the general plan and the individual development proposals in a defined area. A specific plan may include setting forth broad policy concepts, providing direction to every facet of development, and/or deciding the resources to be used for financing public improvements to design guidelines of a subdivision. All specific plans must be consistent with the general plan. In turn, all subsequent subdivision and development, all public works projects and zoning regulations must be consistent with the specific plan. Two options are available for the adoption of a specific plan: 1) adoption by resolution (which is designed to be policy driven), or 2) adoption by ordinance (which is regulatory by design).

Tentative Map (TM)

A TM is a map showing the design of a proposed subdivision of five or more lots. It includes existing conditions in and around the subdivision. This is the stage when a city or county must place all the restrictions it deems necessary on the map. Additional conditions or substantive design changes cannot be required once a tentative map is approved. A subdivision is not complete until the conditions of approval imposed upon the tentative map have been satisfied and a final map has been certified by the city or county and recorded with the county recorder.

Mitigation Bank

A mitigation bank is a single parcel, or a series of parcels of habitat, which is managed for its natural resource values. The resource benefits derived from this management organization are sold as “credits” to project proponents who seek mitigation opportunities to compensate for resource impacts elsewhere. TRS has the capacity to submit a complete application toward the establishment of a mitigation bank (i.e. compose a Habitat Management Plan, Property Analysis Record, Conservation Easement, etc.) as well as facilitate the purchase of credits from existing banks, perpetual monitoring and bond maintenance.

Feasibility Study

A feasibility study is a preliminary study undertaken before the real work of a project starts to ascertain the likelihood of the project's success. It is an analysis of possible solutions to a problem and a recommendation on the best solution to use. Case Study: Ana – I’ll have to email this one to you

Site Plan

Site planning refers to the organizational stage of the design process. It involves the organization of land use zoning, access, circulation, privacy, security, shelter, land drainage, and other factors. This is done by arranging the compositional elements of landform, planting, water, buildings and paving and building. By determining areas that are poor for development (such as floodplain or steep slopes) and better for development, TRS can assess optimal location and assist in designing a structure that works within this space.

Major Use Permit

The intent and purpose of a Major Use Permit is to provide for the accommodation of land uses with special site or design requirements, operating characteristics or potential adverse effects on surroundings, through review and where necessary, the imposition of special conditions of approval. It allows the County to regulate ongoing operations and uses that fall outside of strict commercial uses. Most County zoning designations include a list of land uses that require approval of a Major Use Permit. The application submittal typically includes a complete plot plan, architectural elevations, concept landscaping and grading plans, an environmental initial study, and a storm water management report.

Minor Use Permit

The intent and purpose of a Minor Use Permit is to provide for the accommodation of land uses with specific site or design requirements, operating characteristics or potential adverse effects on surroundings, through review and, when necessary, the imposition of special conditions of approval.

Administrative Permit

An administrative permit corrects typographical errors, identifies a change in the name, address or telephone number of any individual identified in the permit, or provides a similar minor administrative change at the facility. It requires more frequent monitoring or reporting by the permittee, changes the permit number without changing any portion of the permit that would not otherwise qualify as an administrative amendment.

Tentative Parcel Map (TPM)

A TPM is similar in nature to the TM; the only difference is that a TPM proposes a minor subdivision resulting in fewer than five lots. A TPM includes existing conditions in and around the subdivision. This is the stage when a city or county must place all the restrictions it deems necessary on the map. Additional conditions or substantive design changes cannot be required once a tentative parcel map is approved.

Zoning Reclassifications

Zoning ordinances consist of a map indicating the various land use zones in the community, and text that sets down the rules (development standards and allowable uses) for development of land. Simply, zoning establishes development standards for each zone, such as minimum lot size, maximum height, use and area of structures, building setbacks, the use of the land, yard size, and the density of population and intensity of allowable uses. If an applicant proposes a use that is not allowed in the zone, the city or county could approve a rezoning (change in zone) to allow that development.