Projects
Case Studies
One Paseo
Kilroy Realty Corporation proposed a mixed-use development with 608 multifamily units and 730,500 square feet of retail and office on the last large parcel of undeveloped land in Carmel Valley: the site was previously planned for 500,000 square feet of offices. Kilroy retained Atlantis Group to help usher the project through the community outreach process. That role quickly expanded to include all aspects of the project entitlements, including the General Plan Amendment, CV Community Plan Amendment, Precise Plan Amendment, Rezoning, Conditional Use Permit, Site Development Permit, Neighborhood Development Permit and EIR.
While the project faced fierce, well-funded opposition, the City Council approved the proposed project in a 7-2 vote. Opponents filed a CEQA lawsuit challenging the project, and Kilroy ultimately reduced the retail and office square footage as part of a settlement agreement.
The revised project earned broad community support and another bipartisan supermajority vote of the City Council. One Paseo is currently under construction.
Redevelopment of Naval Training Center/Liberty Station
The former Naval Training Center (NTC) has been transformed into a new urban village called Liberty Station. Following several years of planning, including extensive public involvement, the San Diego City Council adopted a Reuse Plan in October 1998, charting a new course for NTC. In 1999, Atlantis Group principals Marcela Escobar-Eck was a program manager at the City of San Diego, and Kathi Riser was entitlements project manager for The Corky McMillin Cos., the master developer selected by the City to redevelop the base. Marcela and Kathi played key roles in securing the entitlements for this often-controversial project, conducting hundreds of hours of community meetings and public outreach forums.
The project is located in a sensitive area from a variety of regulatory perspectives, requiring approvals not only from the city but also the Coastal Commission, Office of Historic Preservation, Tidelands Trust, and the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority.
Mission Beach Residences & Santa Barbara Place
McKellar-McGowan retained Atlantis Group to lead the development team for a proposed 63-unit luxury townhome project on the site of the long-closed Mission Beach Elementary School, in a densely populated beach community. The team prepared and processed a General Plan Amendment, Mission Beach Community Plan/LCP Amendment, a Tentative Map, a Coastal Development Permit and an EIR with the City of San Diego.
Atlantis Group led the City Council lobbying effort, resulting in a 6-2 bipartisan vote to approve the project. The project was approved by the California Coastal Commission
Otay Ranch Portion of Village 4 SPA
Dansk Investments retained Atlantis Group to lead a development team for a 350-unit residential project in the city of Chula Vista. The team prepared and processed a Sectional Planning Area (SPA) Plan, a Tentative Map, Design Guidelines, a Public Facilities Finance Plan, an EIR, and annexation into an Otay Water District Improvement Area. Atlantis negotiated an MSCP Boundary Line Adjustment with the City and the resource agencies. The project was approved in June 2018.
Liberty Station (Later Projects)
Client: The Corky McMillin Companies
The Corky McMillin Cos. retained Atlantis Group to process entitlement for the Liberty Station East Hotel, consisting of 650 rooms in three hotels. The project was approved by the city’s Planning Commission without opposition, and later gained approval by the California Coastal Commission.
McMillin has also retained Atlantis Group for as-needed consulting services associated with securing tenants, lease terms, a master sign program and building permits. Atlantis also has assisted the NTC Foundation, Stone Brewing, The Lot cinema and other tenants with their entitlement issues.
Residential Development
Preface-Lake Atlin
Atlanis Group managed the discretionary permit process to obtain approval for a Process Four Vesting Tentative Map (VTM) and Planned Development Permit (PDP). The VTM and PDP allow for the development of a 10-acre infill surplus San Diego School District school site with 50 single-family dwelling units.
Pardee-Castlerock
Atlantis Group managed the discretionary permit process to obtain approval of a Process Five project that included a General Plan Amendment (GPA), Community Plan Amendment (CPA), Vesting Tentative Map (VTM), Planned Development Permit (PDP), Site Development Permit (SDP), a rezone, and a LAFCO Reorganization between the Cities of San Diego and Santee. The approvals allowed the Client to construct up to 430 dwelling units adjacent to the CIty of Santee when complete will be annexed into the City of Santee and perseved more than 100-acres of natural open space for the Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP).
Riverwalk
Atlantis Group is managing the discretionary permit Process (Five) to obtain approval of a General Plan Amendment (GPA), Specific Plan Amendment (SPA), Vesting Tentative Map (VTM), a Site Development Permit (SDP), General Park Development Plan (GDP), a Rezone (RZ), and a Conditional Use Permit Amendment (CUP) for approximately 4,300 dwelling units, 1,000,000 square-feet of office space, 152,000 square-feet of community commercial, a trolley station, more than 100-acres of neighborhood and regional park space, restoration of approximately 1/2-mile of the San Diego River, and certain roadway improvements, including upgrading Fashion Valley Road.
Wakeland Housing & Development – Ivy Senior Apartments
Atlantis Group has performed due diligence on a proposed Permanent Supportive Housing project for Wakeland Housing and Development Corporation in the Clairemont Mesa Community Plan area. Atlantis worked extensively with City staff to determine aspects that needed discretionary review and identified upcoming and recently-signed legislation that resulted in the project being permitted by right, with no entitlement or CEQA review. Looking ahead and recognizing opportunities for the future has resulted in significant cost and time savings.
Next Space – 3903 Voltaire
Next Space retained Atlantis Group to manage compliance with discretionary permit conditions approved for the previous owner in 2009, including processing a minor engineering permit to utilize the permit, an Affordable Housing Agreement, and conditions relating to solar panels on a 2-story building in the 30′ height limit area of Point Loma.
Saturn Rezone and Tentative Map
Atlantis Group is managing the entitlement process of a Vesting Tentative Map, Planned Development Permit and Coastal Development Permit to demolish an existing residence with detached accessory structures for the development of a neighborhood of eighteen (18) single family residences in the Otay Mesa Nestor Planning Area. The project includes design guidelines and negotiated street improvements.
Urbana
Atlantis Group was retained by Urbana CV, LLC to provide entitlement services including approval from the Chula Vista Urban Core Design Review Board for a mixed-use live/work project with 257 apartments and 9 live/work units wrapped around an interior parking garage in the Urban Core Specific Plan area of western Chula Vista.
Commercial Development
Life Time Fitness
Atlantis has performed numerous due diligence analyses for siting fitness center locations within the San Diego region. At the Wall Street location there are both City and State entitlements, which have been codified in the La Jolla Planned District Ordinance, and a land use consistency determination was sought and obtained that the change of use to a fitness center would not increase the required parking and therefore, no discretionary action was required. Atlantis further obtained written confirmation from the California Coastal Commission staff that the project would not require an amendment from the state.
Superior Ready Mix – Nancy Ridge Drive
Atlantis Group was engaged to perform due diligence on a site at Nancy Ridge Rd. for a Superior Ready-Mix concrete batch plant within the Mira Mesa Community Plan area. Atlantis identified a path to keep the project ministerial, thereby saving our client from the time and expense of a Conditional Use Permit and CEQA analysis. Initially City staff did not agree with our determination, however high-level conflict resolution meetings resulted in a written decision for our client, and a path identified for consistent determinations in the future.
Montezuma Hotel
Atlantis Group is managing the Community Plan Amendment, Rezone, and Neighborhood Development Permit to allow the construction of a 125-room hotel on Montezuma Road in the College Area Community Plan area. The project includes working with the Friends of the Rolando Branch Library and the City of San Diego to create and implement a shared access and parking agreement for the library.
Futbol Factory
Juan Carlos Paz & Puente envisioned an indoor futbol training facility in a 29,000 SF space in an existing industrial building in Chula Vista. Atlantis Group successfully processed a Conditional Use Permit as an “educational” facility that provides a unique educational opportunity for sports instruction for the children and adults of the City, and that would contribute to the general well being of the surrounding community.
Otay Valley Rock Quarry
Client: Moller Investments
Moller Investments acquired a 214 acre parcel in the City of Chula Vista that included an operating rock quarry and land designated for residential development and habitat preservation. Atlantis Group managed the Quarry project through the regulatory review processes with local, state and federal agencies, including a Reclamation Plan, EIR, Multiple Species Conservation Plan Boundary Adjustment, sensitive habitat preservation issues, and annexation into a CFD for ongoing maintenance.
Stone Company Store on Kettner and the Stone Tap Room next to Petco Park
Stone Brewing Co. retained Atlantis Group to assist with efforts to amend the Centre City Planned District Ordinance and the San Diego Land Development Code to include a new land use category “Brewery Tasting Room” to facilitate the opening of their new Stone Company Store on Kettner and their Stone Tap Room next to Petco Park.
Institutional
Penske CUP – Father Joe’s Villages / Neil Good Day Center
Atlantis Group managed the discretionary permit process where Father Joe’s obtained approval of a Process Four Conditional Use Permit (CUP). The CUP allows the Neil Good homeless day center at 1402 Commercial Street in the East Village neighborhood in Downtown San Diego. The day center includes a 5,624 square-foot building and an outdoor patio area which allows for day time storage of belongings, a covered respite from the weather, employment information and referrals, income assistance to patrons, facilities for personal hygiene, and mail and telephone access for the homeless population.
La Jolla Music Society – The Conrad
The La Jolla Music Society retained Atlantis Group to process a Coastal Development Permit and Mitigated Negative Declaration for a 500-seat concern hall, a 150-seat cabaret space and offices in the village of La Jolla with no onsite parking, based on agreements with nearby offices to provide parking for evening and weekend performances.
St. John Garabed Armenian Church
Atlantis Group assisted in due diligence for the property acquisition for the Church’s present and future needs. The proposed project is a 4-building campus on a 13-acre property owned by the Church. The church is located in the jurisdiction of the California Coastal Commission in the Future Urbanizing Area of the City of San Diego. Atlantis Group is leading a team of design consultants in the preparation of a plan that meets the overlapping regulatory requirements. Extensive public outreach is being conducted with the Community Planning Groups, the surrounding neighbors and other stakeholders to secure the entitlements for the proposed project.
The San Diego French American School
The San Diego French American School leases property from San Diego Unified School District at the former Decatur Element School in La Jolla. The existing Conditional Use Permit for the property did not allow for the number of students that their future enrollment anticipated. The community expressed considerable concern about the traffic and circulation impacts of the additional enrollment. Atlantis Group worked with City staff, the La Jolla Community Planning Association and various neighborhood groups, and was successful in processing an amendment to the CUP for the additional enrollment.
The Cambridge School
The Cambridge School opened under a lease from a church; however, the church’s Conditional Use Permit did not allow for a school. In addition, they wanted the right to construct additional classrooms. Atlantis Group worked with City staff, represented Cambridge at the Rancho Peñasquitos Planning Board, and was successful in processing a separate Conditional Use Permit for the school, and building permits for its new construction.
Subsequently, Cambridge School wished to add three additional modular classrooms. Atlantis Group processed a substantial conformance review to allow the addition of one classroom which will accommodate their 2012 enrollment.
The Greater San Diego Muslim Community Center
The Greater San Diego Muslim Community Center acquired a site in Black Mountain Ranch designated for a religious institution. When neighborhood opposition materialized, GSDMCC retained Atlantis Group to assist with its building permits and to work with community and neighborhood groups as needed. The $5.5M project was completed in mid-2010.
Rock Church and Academy
Rock Church and Academy developed a 3,500 seat sanctuary and a Pre-K through Grade 12 school in Liberty Station. Atlantis Group was retained by Rock Church to address community outreach and interface with the regulatory departments. Additionally, Atlantis Group handled aspects of government affairs for The Rock Church and Academy.
City of Chula Vista
Atlantis Group was retained to develop and present a project management training series to staff of the City of Chula Vista Development Services Department. The training included surveys of senior City managers about project management, various leadership training modules and follow-up with department managers.