SAN DIEGO — SCS Engineers (SCS) completed several Phase I environmental site assessments and subsurface investigations on behalf of the City of San Marcos, which is redeveloping the San Marcos Creek District. The environmental engineering firm conducted the assessment services in conjunction with the city’s due diligence during the acquisition of property for obtaining right-of-way as part of the San Marcos Creek Specific Plan Infrastructure Improvement Project.

“The site assessment ensures that environmental anomalies are identified and addressed prior to the property transaction and helps preserve the city’s liability protection should environmental impairment issues arise,” said Daniel E. Johnson, SCS Vice President and San Diego Operations Manager. Johnson served as project director for the environmental site assessment.

The San Marcos plan establishes the redevelopment, growth, and conservation of 214-acres along San Marcos Creek in central San Marcos (San Diego County, Calif.) to transform an underutilized and flood-prone area of suburban strip commercial development into a mixed-use downtown. The sites assessed by SCS included vacant lots, residential homes, commercial buildings, and industrial facilities. SCS made several recommendations to help streamline construction activities of the improvement projects.

The assessments and investigations found that the creek and the accompanying revegetation and establishment of habitat will be both an environmental enhancement to the city and will augment the unique identity and character of the riparian open-space corridor. SCS recommended keeping the soil wet during grading operations to minimize possible generation and migration of dust from the historical agricultural sites, and that impacted soils, if any, be excavated and disposed of off-site, as appropriate.

Ryan Marcos, national partner for due diligence, was the project manager for SCS Engineers. Andy Zahurak and Cristobal Ramirez served as environmental professionals, Tracy Thompson as environmental engineer, and Robert Gutzler as project geologist.