Nipomo Commons is our highlighted project this quarter.

Executive Summary: Elevation 77 is building a mixed-use medium density development on 5.5 acres located in the center of Nipomo, California to fill a market need-gap that exists in the community for affordable housing and attractive commercial-retail space. The Nipomo Commons project will include rehabilitating and expanding an existing 10,000 square foot building in Phase 1, which will occur during 2004-05. In Phase 2, the alignment of Frontage Road will move west to create a retail pad along Highway 101 to the east and to ease traffic circulation problems in the area. Phase 2 will begin in 2005 and complete in 2006. A total of eight new free-standing structures will be built to accommodate approximately 56 Live/Work Lofts and 90,000 square feet of retail/commercial space. Each building will be inter-connected to the others via pedestrian and bicycle friendly walkways which will be landscaped using drought resistant and low water use species along with the existing mature oak trees. Pathways lead visitors to a series of terraces or "piazzas", which enable outdoor dining and informal social gathers in a relaxed, sylvan setting. The entire development is transected by public walkways to encourage foot-traffic from neighboring housing and retail corridors. The project is designed for low water usage, and will maximize access to public transit and non-vehicle forms of transportation.

Case Study: Nipomo Commons Mixed-use Development

Team: Elevation 77 (www.elevation77.com), Ed Shapiro Associates, R2L Architects (www.r2larchitects.com), and JC Martin, Co.

Location: Nipomo, California (Central Coast, San Luis Obispo County)

Size / Existing Land Use: approximately 5.5 acres. Existing approx. 10,000 square foot structure that was a former community center, 2 acres of parking. Currently not occupied. Fronts along US Highway 101 to the east and Hill Street to the south.

Project Type: Urban Infill and Sustainable Mixed-use Design

Project Duration: Complete Phase 1 Summer of 2005, and Phase 2 Summer of 2006

Community Attributes: Community has grown from about 11,000 citizens to 20,000 citizens from 1998 to 2002. Area is undergoing transformation from predominantly agricultural economy to mixed agricultural / recreational-leisure / professional services based economy. New luxury golf courses (The Woodlands and Black Lake Golf Course) have been created/approved, but supporting infrastructure has lagged.

Development Challenge: The Nipomo Community and surrounding area show a dearth of attractive retail and commercial space. This is particularly the case within the public transportation accessible retail district along the western frontage of US 101. Significantly, though extensive effort has been placed in the region on high-end, single-family housing, little effort has been directed toward higher density affordable housing or creating infrastructure that would attract specialty shops and national retailers (which have strong interest in this market).

Area-wide development in the region is constrained by the availability of water. All development must comply with local requirements and be designed following smart, sustainable methods (minimal landscaping footprint, low flow fixtures, efficient appliances, etc.).

The site is located within the center of a 28-acre "village" area that includes principally retail to the north and housing to the south. Elevation 77’s Nipomo Commons site is located at the center/nexus of this development, and therefore must allow for ease-of-movement across the region while also blending harmoniously with adjacent architecture and infrastructure.

Lastly, the Nipomo Community and San Luis Obispo County are seeking to improve traffic circulation in the area, and are asking developers to adopt a road re-alignment to allow better flows, which requires synchronizing work efforts across parcels and among developers.

Elevation 77 Solution: The Team sought to create a design that put the existing structure back into use as soon as possible while also allowing future development of the site. The size of the current building will be increased from 10,000 to about 20,000 square feet total during this Phase 1 of the project, and will be targeted for commercial re-use. The existing mature oak trees will be kept from harm during this building rehabilitation.

Phase 2 will involve grading and drainage changes to accommodate a new road alignment of the Frontage Road across our Nipomo Commons site. Additionally, up to 8 new buildings will be created, each inter-connected with the other buildings via a series of pedestrian pathways and common areas or "squares" to allow for outdoor dining and to provide informal meeting places. Parking will be off-street and generally out of view from the roadways. These new buildings will form the core of the Nipomo Commons mixed use development, which has a campus-like feel. Typically, the first floor will contain commercial space for restaurants, bookstores, cafes/coffeehouses, and the overlying floor(s) will be used for Live/Work lofts. These lofts will offer several configurations, typically in the 900-1200 square foot floorplan. Some office suites/industrial condos are also being considered.

A 0.6 acre park will be created under the two large oaks near the northwestern corner of the site. Meandering pathways will connect this site with the King Development to the south, and the existing Longs/Vons retail corridor to the north to encourage non-vehicular transit and active lifestyles. Additionally, the site is located directly on a transit line and adjacent to the existing and future proposed onramp to US 101, reducing cross-town traffic for residents.

We are currently working with the community stakeholders to ensure that the development design meets all requirements and specifications, and serves the needs of the local citizens.