This Spring, the Redland team got up from our desks and went out to visit our latest projects. To kick off 2017, we visited the new Central Park site in Highlands Ranch and the Painted Sky neighborhood at Backcountry, also in Highlands Ranch.
Our first stop was Central Park in Highlands Ranch. Central Park is adjacent to the thriving Highlands RanchTown Center neighborhood off of Lucent Boulevard just north of C-470. Encompassing a total of 57 acres, Central Park will include new retail, restaurants, apartments, single-family homes, as well as a new UC Health medical campus. At the epicenter of this development will be an community park with interactive plaza elements and public art. Redland is working for the owner, Shea Properties, for the retail/restaurant development and the park element, totaling approximately 14 acres. Associates walked the site and discussed the importance of coordinating roadway design and utility services on a steep site; proper communication to ensure all needs are met between the owner, stakeholders, and Douglas County; and the nuances of planning the site to ensure the design will translate into a truly great place, while also meeting the program goals for Shea Properties.
From there, the team mobilized and went south to the The Painted Sky neighborhood at Backcountry in Highlands Ranch. Painted Sky represents some of the last development in Backcountry. With most of the community perched on a bluff high above the metro area, residents have panoramic views of the snow-capped Rocky Mountains. In fact, the neighborhood was specially designed to provide these spectacular views to nearly every home site. Associates learned about the importance of lot layout and home placement; site grading of lots to minimize slopes and garage steps on homes while still maintaining mountain views; the design of private road networks; and stormwater treatment by means of low impact design.
We are proud to have provided our civil engineering and land planning services for these projects. At Redland, it’s important for our associates to see and learn from both in-progress and completed projects. It gives us a better understanding of the overall project goals, reliable design practices, and an appreciation for detail. Ultimately it expands our expertise so that we can continue to provide quality services to help our clients, colleagues, and communities succeed and thrive.
