Company Profile
EMC Planning Group is an interdisciplinary land use planning and environmental compliance firm located in Monterey, California. Since its inception in 1978, the firm has gained a wealth of knowledge and experience in services pertaining to land use and community planning, development and entitlement services, and environmental planning and compliance. Guided by an exceptional commitment to client satisfaction, EMC Planning Group has earned a reputation for being responsive, attuned to client needs, skilled in developing and implementing strategies to meet client goals, and producing quality products. The firm translates that experience into concrete, focused results in a timely and cost-effective manner to an extensive list of public agencies and private sector clients in communities of varying scale throughout California. EMC Planning Group is a State of California certified small business (Micro) and a locally certified green business.
The firm’s success and longevity are due to the diverse talents and creativity of its team members. EMC Planning Group’s land use and environmental planners, biologists, and archaeologist are skilled professionals with the ability to deliver practical, yet innovative solutions to environmental review, regulatory compliance, and land use planning and development challenges. The services listed below are representative of those EMC Planning Group delivers to an extensive list of public agencies, special jurisdictions, and private sector clients.Â
- Land Use PlanningÂ
EMC Planning Group provides development site selection and evaluation, land use feasibility, site planning and design, master planning, entitlement and permit processing coordination and management, preparing and navigating city, county, LAFCo, and special district application processing, and project representation.
- Advance PlanningÂ
Preparation of general plans, housing elements, area plans, specific plans, local coastal programs, zoning codes, sphere-of-influence studies, and downtown vibrancy plans.
- Current & Procedural Planning
Perform contract planning staff services including, but not limited to: development review process management; permit processing; policy and regulatory analyses; application preparation and completeness review; land use plan/specific plan preparation; zoning regulation preparation and review; preparation of project consideration packages (staff reports, resolutions, and ordinances, findings, etc.); environmental documentation preparation; public noticing; preparation of specialized technical documentation; coordination and management of technical consultants, preparation and monitoring of project schedules and budgets; and public outreach and community engagement.
- Public Outreach & Community Engagement
Develop and implement public outreach programs catered to the need of the client and to inform and involve project stakeholders and the community.
- CEQA & NEPA Compliance Services
Preparation of environmental compliance documents for categorical exemptions and categorical exclusions, initial studies, environmental assessments, environmental impact reports (EIRs), environmental impact statements, noticing, and findings.
- Biological Resources & Regulatory Permitting
Conduct biological resources assessments, special-status species surveys, wetland delineations, habitat conservation plans, and regulatory permitting.
- Archaeological & Cultural Resources/Tribal Consultation
Provide archaeological and cultural resources services associated with CEQA and NEPA (Section 106) compliance, including: archaeological surveys and testing when appropriate; California Historical Resources Information System (CHRIS) and Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC) searches; tribal consultation; data recovery; and construction monitoring.Â
- Air Quality Analysis
Analyze criteria for air pollutant emissions, air quality dispersion modeling, and hazard risk assessments using the California Emissions Estimator Model (CalEEMod) and Emissions Factor Model (EMFAC).
- Greenhouse Gas Anaysis
Analyze greenhouse gas emissions modeling using CalEEMod and EMCFAC, regulatory and legislative analysis, impact analysis, and emissions reduction/mitigation strategies.