Pismo Preserve

A Spectacular 880 Acres, Accessible to All

In 2014, the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County purchased 880 acres of rolling grasslands and oak-forested hillsides above Pismo Beach, after a whirlwind of fundraising saved it from commercial development. In partnership with Precision, the nonprofit opened the preserve in January 2020 with amenities including an ADA accessible parking lot, restrooms, and a world class 11-mile network of trails for hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians.

All construction was done in close collaboration with Northern Chumash tribal representatives due to culturally sensitive areas near the trailhead. Keeping the land intact was the guiding idea behind the entire project, because of its significance culturally and environmentally. Precision and the Land Conservancy wanted to make it accessible to everyone, but in an almost invisible way.

Other amenities include an information kiosk, ADA-accessible picnic area, bike parking and repair stand, and on-site parking with horse-trailer spaces. The unobtrusive, ranch-style design doesn’t distract from the stunning natural vistas, and picnic tables and benches are sprinkled among the trails.

The project also included improvements to Mattie Road and large retaining wall systems, site utilities, bridges, paved ADA trails and archaeological displays.

Precision was originally engaged at the time of bid solicitation to provide preconstruction services including cost engineering, scheduling, constructability review, bid evaluation, value engineering and assistance with contractor selection. Due to the value Precision added during the preconstruction phase, the Land Conservancy subsequently retained Precision to provide the full suite of Construction Management services.

During the contractor selection process, Precision identified value engineering opportunities that resulted in a 5% reduction to the construction budget. Additionally, Precision identified key errors and omissions in contractor bids that significantly enhanced the quality and accuracy of the bids and helped the Land Conservancy avoid large change orders and potential litigation. Construction began October 2018.