Size:  1,240 acres

Units:  Master-planned community of 6,000 homes

Developer:  Matthews Homes

Jurisdiction:  El Centro, Imperial County, California

Status:  Entitlement Stage

Synopsis:  Desert Lakes set a new standard for master-planned communities in California's Imperial Valley, with lakes as the centerpiece surrounded by a mix of residential and complementary land uses, all on a site that is one-quarter the size of the existing city of El Centro. Pangaea provided urban and policy planning; grading, hydrology, and utility design; surveying; and graphics services for the preparation of the Tentative Map and Specific Plan. Challenges were presented by flat terrain; a large tributary drainage area; perimeter highway improvements; and the Imperial Irrigation District's irrigation, drainage, and energy infrastructure.  Services include urban and policy planning; grading, hydrology, and utility design; surveying; and graphics services supporting the preparation of the Tentative Map and Specific Plan.