PDS West | Planning and Design Solutions

2010 ANNUAL HISTORIC SYMPOSIUM – JUNE 17th, 2010 – OPEN TO EVERYONE

pdswest — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 18:21:12 +0000

This year, the 3rd Annual Historical Symposium will be focusing on historical projects making a difference in our communities. The selected panel will address exemplary programs and strategies to successfully find history and put it where it truly belongs: in the future. The Symposium is sponored by the Inland Empire Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA). It is hosted by the City of Perris, and will be held in the Perris Council Chambers. Bob Lacoss of PDS West will be one of the speakers at this event. To review the full Program, click HERE. To get more information or to sign up click HERE.

AB 1881, THE WATER CONSERVATION IN LANDSCAPING ACT OF 2006 IS NOW IN EFFECT

pdswest — Mon, 10 May 2010 23:29:34 +0000

On January 1, 2010, AB 1881 went into effect and all Cities, Counties and Agencies are now required to implement the Ordinance. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO YOU? Click HERE to read and/or download a Primer on AB 1881 – Prepared by PDS West.

PDS WEST FORMS PARTNERSHIP WITH TAMAAYOWUT

pdswest — Mon, 10 May 2010 22:52:36 +0000

PDS West has formed a partnership with Tamaayowut (Tah-my-oh-woot), a Native American-Owned firm, in order to pursue and provide planning, design and landscape architectural services for Native American Tribes. Tamaayowut, which means Mother Earth in the Acjachemen (ah-ha-shah-mon) language has a mission of assisting sovereign nations with the means to contiue to be self-sustaining. In addition to master planning reservation improvements and designing these improvements, Tamaayowut provides renewable energy solutions, and energy and water conservation technology. Finally, part of the mission is to create jobs for Native Americans by bringing clean manufacturing to Indian lands and and Native American education and training programs. Click HERE for more information.

MICHAEL BUNGANICH JOINS PDS WEST AS DIRECTOR OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

pdswest — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:02:49 +0000

Michael Bunganich has joined PDS West as a Principal and Head of Landscape Architecture. Mike, who is a licensed Landscape Architect in California and Nevada and a licensed Architect in California, brings over 20 years experience in the Landscape Architectural field to PDS West. Click here for more information about Mike.

Under Mike’s direction, Landscape Architectural projects range from streetscapes and plazas to parks and athletic facilites. We work on commercial, industrial, residential, resort and multi-use projects. We provide exceptional design, sustainable landscape planning, construction documents and specifications, bid docurments and accurate cost estimating. For more information about our projects click here to visit our Web Site.

RIVERSIDE COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION GIVES NOD TO THERMAL DESIGN GUIDELINES

pdswest — Tue, 12 May 2009 00:32:03 +0000

On April 29, 2009 the Riverside County Planning Commission gave a unanimous positive review of the Thermal Design Guidelines prepared for the County by PDS West. It will now go before the Board of Supervisors for adoption.

The purpose of these design guidelines is to capture and strengthen Thermal’s sense of place within the rapidly growing eastern Coachella Valley. Unlike the resort-oriented communities such as Palm Springs, Palm Desert and Rancho Mirage to the northwest, Thermal grew from agricultural roots and the railroad. It represents the low-scale, expansive rural ambience of the eastern Coachella Valley. Its most distinctive design icons – packing houses, date palm groves, table and citrus croplands, and the single-engine plane of famed aviatrix Jacqueline Cochran, evoke an earlier time.

Celebrating its agricultural bounty, improving its streetscape landscaping, strengthening its community core and developing attractive public space are the major goals of these guidelines. This document crystallizes Thermal’s best qualities and creates an attractive, low-key design vocabulary, including industrial and packing house architecture. But these guidelines are also forward-thinking and adopt principles of environmental sustainability, energy conservation and green building design. With its abundant resources, growing population and employment needs, Thermal is looking to the future to become a catalyst in creating buildings, industry and opportunities in green building and alternative energy.

Click here for complete guidelines on the County Web Site

COMMUNITY OF MECCA DESIGN GUIDELINES APPROVED BY RIVERSIDE PLANNING COMMISSION

pdswest — Tue, 12 May 2009 00:30:42 +0000

The Riverside County Planning Commission unanimously gave a positive review of these design guidelines prepared by PDS West for the County. They will now go before the Board of Supervisors for adoption.

This small farmworker community near the Salton Sea is 99+% Latino, most originating from rural Mexico. The guidelines capture the ambiance of a traditional Mexican small town in a beautiful desert and agricultural setting. They build on its existing identity displayed in small personalized homes with ornamental wrought-iron fences and gates and moulded arcades. In addition to guidence for streetscapes, entrance monuments and signage, architecture, parks, landscape design, walls and fences, the booklet provides a conceptual plan and guidelines for a town plaza.

Click here for more information

Click here for complete guidelines on the County Web Site

LAS PRADERAS IS APPROVED BY RIVERSIDE PLANNING DEPARTMENT

pdswest — Mon, 11 May 2009 22:55:15 +0000

On February 4, 2009, the Riverside Planning Commission unanimously voted to approve the planned community of Las Praderas. The development is being coordinated by Legend Homes in Murrieta, California. PDS West provided land planning services, designing the community layout and preparing the design guidelines, environmental graphics design, presentation graphics and a power point presentation. Located within the Winchester Hills Specific Plan, Las Praderas is one of the first approved small-lot subdivisions in the County. It has a total of 420 alley-loaded and front-loaded homes.

Las Praderas will be an attractive, single-family community of two neighborhoods, each oriented around two acre, centrally-located parks. Consistent with the rustic design themes set forth in the Winchester Hills Specific Plan, the architectural character of Las Praderas will reflect the rural, vernacular styles of the region including Early California, Bungalow, Country Cottage and Spanish. Lot sizes, ranging from 3600 to just over 4000 square feet, and alley and front-loaded designs will give the community an intimate and varied feel. A central roundabout and right-angle street orientation will give Las Praderas a somewhat formal, New Urbanist layout.

In addition to Legend Homes and PDS West, the project team includes ACD Engineering, Iverson Architects and David Neault Associates, Landscape Architects.

RIVERSIDE COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION APPROVES MENIFEE HEIGHTS

pdswest — Wed, 21 May 2008 23:12:56 +0000

On April 16th, 2008 the Riverside Planning Commission unanimously approved the planned Community, Menifee Heights. The developer of this project is Stonegate Development in Laguna Niguel, California. PDS West took part in the planning and entitlement process, prepared design guidelines, environmental graphics design, presentation graphics and a power point presentation. Located on the southwest corner of Holland Road and Briggs Road in Menifee, California, the 158-acre community Will have 359 homes planned around a central 10-acre park.

The streetscapes of Menifee Heights are pedestrian-friendly with parkways, street trees and street-oriented architecture. The community’s gateways, walls and fences and landscaping draw their inspiration from the surrounding area with the use of natural colors and materials including extensive use of stone. The design retains the natural hillside and provides multi-use trails through them, linking with regional and community trails along peripheral roads to form a two-mile loop for walking, biking or equestrian use.

In addition to Stonegate Development and PDS West, the project team includes W. J. McKeever, Engineers and David Neault Associates, Landscape Architects.

DESERT EDGE COMMUNITY COUNCIL VOTES TO ACCEPT NEW DESIGN GUIDELINES

pdswest — Wed, 21 May 2008 20:39:52 +0000

The Desert Edge Community Council (formerly Hotsprings Community Council) voted unanimously to approve the Desert Edge Design Guidelines prepared by PDS West. They will now go before the Riverside County Planning Commission for their review before going to the County Board of Supervisors for adoption. The vision for Desert Edge is as a resort and retirement community based around the natural hot mineral waters prevalent in the area, the desert views, the multi-use trails and wildlife habitat and open spaces. The design guidelines were prepared to reinforce this vision with a recognizable logo, monumentation and signage, streetscape design and theme fencing.

Click HERE for more information

Click HERE for complete guidelines on County Web Site

BERMUDA DUNES DESIGN GUIDELINES ADOPTED BY COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE

pdswest — Tue, 20 May 2008 17:12:41 +0000

On May 13, 2008, the County of Riverside Board of Supervisors adopted the Bermuda Dunes Design Guidelines, prepared by PDS West. PDS West worked in concert with the Planning Department, Bermuda Dunes Community Council and the 4th District Supervisor’s Office in creating a vision for the unincorporated community of Bermuda Dunes.

Click here for more information

Click here for complete guidelines on Riverside County Web Site