Tesoro Viejo – an upcoming master
planned community in southeast Madera County – was honored with the
2016 Outstanding Planning Award in Innovation in Green Community
Planning. The American Planning Association's California Central Section
Chapter presented the award to Tesoro Viejo and Madera County,
applauding their efforts to create and maintain a vibrant and healthy
community. As a section award recipient, the community plan will next be
submitted for statewide consideration.
Tesoro Viejo is designed to lie lightly on the land, and has sought
to preserve the natural and historic beauty by integrating preservation
of land with people, jobs, and green infrastructure. Development will be
clustered around natural features such as hillsides and streambeds, and
a quarter of the plan is open space. The community is designed to be
self-contained to maintain a healthy jobs-housing ratio with the goal of
limiting out-commuting to reduce its carbon footprint.
"Tesoro Viejo sets new standards for our county and region," said
Norman Allinder, Madera County planning director. "The plan is very
environmentally responsible and does an outstanding job of connecting
the community to nature and open space while enabling people to get
around easily on foot and bicycle without relying on cars. Tesoro Viejo
is an example of getting it right from the beginning rather than
retrofitting a community later on."
Conservation and sustainability practices are being emphasized in the
design and building of Tesoro Viejo, a 1600-acre master planned
community located just off Highway 41, at the foot of Little Table
Mountain. More than 15 miles of pedestrian and bicycle trails will
connect eight villages and more than 400 acres of open space. The
community will also promote health and wellness through walkable
neighborhoods; neighborhood grocery stores and farmers' markets; and
easy access to schools, parks, recreational facilities, health care, and
civic centers to reduce vehicle usage.
Green practices also include an on-site tree nursery fostering the
growth of more than 10,000 trees and local implementation of a statewide
program to reduce greenhouse gases. Allergen-free trees will be planted
and solar energy incorporated to provide affordable and sustainable
energy use. The plan's built drainage system has been designed to
recycle water for landscaping and recharge groundwater.
The Madera County Health Department and the San Joaquin River
Conservancy both provided letters of support to the award nominating
committee. "This award by the regional American Planning Association
recognizes that the Tesoro Viejo plan creates a vibrant and healthy
community for our region," said Brent McCaffrey, president of Tesoro
Viejo. "It's a credit to our planning team and to the County of Madera,
and we're excited about bringing the vision of Tesoro Viejo to a reality
in the months ahead."
About Tesoro Viejo
Tesoro Viejo is a new master-planned community that is being
developed by The McCaffrey Group and Lyles Diversified, family-owned
businesses with deep roots in the Central Valley. Located just off
Highway 41 in the heart of Madera's planned growth area in southeast
Madera County, Tesoro Viejo is a breathtaking site of about 1,600 acres
of gently rolling hills and vistas situated at the foot of Little Table
Mountain.
A model of innovative design and sustainable living, Tesoro Viejo
will be a vibrant hub for southeast Madera County where residents can
live, work, and play with housing and business opportunities, a walkable
town center, green living, thriving industry, and neighborhood parks
and schools.
As reported by The Business Journal: http://www.thebusinessjournal.com/news/development/22623-madera-s-tesoro-viejo-honored-with-planning-award