River Islands – Utility Leadership on one of California’s Largest Master-Planned Community

River Islands – Utility Leadership on one of California’s Largest Master-Planned Community

As utility lead for California’s largest active master-planned community, PSD has delivered 5,000+ lots with clear trenching, phased designs, and 20+ years of trusted service.

Results

  • Accelerated city and utility agency approvals, reducing bottlenecks
  • 5,000 lots installed to date across approx. 2,000 acres with clear utility phasing
  • Consistent construction schedule supported by highly coordinated trench design
  • Joint trench planning for homes, schools, parks, and civic uses
  • Endorsed by River Islands’ President after 20 years of partnership
  • “PSD is very responsive to our needs and has been professional in every interaction. They are a big part of our team, and we intend to work together for the next 20 years.”
  • — Susan Dell’Osso, President, River Islands Development

Solution

PSD has served as the utility backbone of River Islands since its inception, delivering a full suite of dry utility planning and design services:

  • Master electric utility planning and circuit design for Lathrop Irrigation District (LID)
  • Master dry utility design across residential, education, and recreational phases
  • PG&E Rule 15/16 gas planning and design, including early coordination and WDT strategies
  • Telecom and fiber layout for AT&T, Comcast, and LID fiber
  • City street lighting design and photometric modeling for all neighborhoods and arterials
  • Joint trench composite plans for major backbones and phased development areas
  • From early infrastructure planning through neighborhood buildout, PSD developed standardized design packages, agency-ready plan sets, and clear trenching strategies to reduce confusion and drive construction efficiency.

Challenge

River Islands is among the largest active master-planned communities in California. Key challenges included:

  • Jurisdictional complexity between LID, PG&E, telecom carriers, and the City of Lathrop
  • Rapidly evolving LID utility standards, requiring flexible design expertise
  • Electric WDT coordination with PG&E, evolving into a transmission-level service
  • Load forecasting, feeder routing, and phasing for 15,000+ future homes and 7 planned schools
  • Need to accommodate multiple housing builders, infrastructure contractors, and vertical phasing
  • Without a central utility strategist like PSD, the risk of rework, misaligned trenching, or schedule slip would have been significant.

Impact

PSD’s contribution has led to:

  • Streamlined trench routing and approvals, reducing city and agency comments
  • Clear jurisdictional handoffs, improving installation speed and agency compliance
  • Scalable design documentation used across 2,000+ acres of active development
  • On-time delivery of schools, commercial sites, and housing phases
  • Significant savings in trenching, design rework, and construction delays

The Master Plan

  • 4,905 acres of community development
  • 15,000 planned homes
  • 7 schools, dozens of parks, and miles of riverfront/lakefront trails
  • New business park, downtown retail, and ACE rail connections
  • All supported by comprehensive dry utility infrastructure designed and managed by PSD

F.A.Q.

Have a question? We’ve probably heard it before

Both. Some clients hire us directly, while others bring us in through their civil engineer or architect. We’re comfortable working in any structure — what matters most is early involvement to ensure coordinated planning.

Yes. We Manage Utility Provider Coordination, Trench Routing & Configuration, City Permitting Support Drawings and Timelines As Part Of Our Process. Our Deep Knowledge of Local Agencies Helps Avoid Delays And Keep Your Project Moving.

We work on everything from life science campuses and tech parks, to mixed-use, high density residential and master-planned communities. If it involves land development and complex utility needs, we’ve probably done it.

We’ll work with you to define a realistic kickoff timeline based on scope and energization deadlines. We prioritize responsiveness and typically begin coordination and discovery within a week or two of engagement.

Yes — we’re growing. Visit our Careers page to learn more about current opportunities and what it’s like to work with us.

We’re based in Northern California and primarily serve the Bay Area, Central Valley, South Bay, North Bay, Peninsula, and surrounding regions. However, we’re equipped to support projects throughout the state — especially where local utility coordination requires deep experience.

While our focus is on dry utility infrastructure, we also offer select medium and high-voltage design services — including substation coordination and feeder layouts — depending on project scope. Let’s talk through your needs to see if it’s a fit.

Let’s Work Together Dry utility design that helps your
project move forward.

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