Details:
488 Acres
1,200 Multi/Single family homes
260 Acre habitat reserve
Extensive trail system
Client:
Cook Hill Properties
Type:
Private
A Gold Nugget Award of Merit recipient for Best Plan on the Boards, the Montebello Hills project is a hillside development where the “Science Forward” approach was used to craft a successful project. This unique property, currently being used for oil extraction, is one of the last significant opportunities to increase the housing supply in the City of Montebello and the Los Angeles metro area. As the subsurface land use nears its end, the surface land uses are being explored in order extend the land’s viability as a resource. The site’s unique topography, vegetation, and history required a proactive planning approach to this infill and brown field site.
The Montebello Hills project can be characterized by its location and terrain. Located just 10 minutes east of Downtown Los Angeles, this 488-acre site’s terrain can be described as varied and often steep, in which pockets of coastal sage plant communities thrive. This site is also the northerly reach of the “Critical Habitat Area” for the California Gnatcatcher, as defined by the USFWS. The complexity this project yielded necessitated the “Predictable Outcome” strategy, and through this approach early communication was established between the City of Montebello, federal agencies, and the project team to bring each party’s concerns and expectations out in the open. The resulting dialogue facilitated a comprehensive design strategy, in which development opportunities and constraints were anticipated and issues were resolved through project design. Collaborative team includes Adams-Streeter-Engineering, Mark Jacobucci-Landscape Architecture, and David Sheegog-Architecture.
