Our Vision

Carville Sierra’s vision for growth in Grass Valley is new to the Sierra Nevada. The Loma Rica neighborhoods are based on the successful built forms of our past. Loma Rica will have integrated architecture and landscape design that grows from the local climate, topography, history and building practice. There will be many opportunities to reinforce community identity and the culture of democracy in the civic buildings and public gathering places that will occur frequently and be centered on visible and important sites throughout the development. Buildings provide their inhabitants with a clear sense of location, weather and time. Energy efficiency and sustainable building practices are emphasized. Historic assets are preserved and made accessible to the public.

Within the neighborhoods and a short walkable distance will be a vibrant mixed-use environment, embedding institutional, commercial and civic activity within the neighborhoods… not in remote, single-use districts that are the modern product of sprawl. Living in place will be possible as a young person can grow up here, rent their first apartment, purchase their first home, move into a larger one as their family grows, and finally, move into something more modest as they progress into their later years. Friends and families can stay together in a community that accommodates all their needs.

A full two-thirds of the property will be preserved for the public as Open Space, Parks and the Organic Farm. There will be small pocket parks, village greens, playing fields and community gardens distributed within neighborhoods, connected by conservation areas and open spaces. There will be a public, community athletic club and a full-service day care facility to serve the needs of everyone in the Grass Valley area.

Preserving Our Local Economy

Grass Valley’s former economic engines were logging, ranching and mining. Today, the economies of Grass Valley and Nevada County are fueled primarily by services and tourism. Visitor appeal is based on local history, the scenic landscape, architectural and historic resources and small-town charm. If Grass Valley’s appeal is “watered down” by poor new development, tourism will be lost. Without tourists, the local economy will suffer. Shops will close, hotel occupancy will drop, jobs will be lost and housing values will fall. It would be devastating to Grass Valley. Thus, new growth and development should embrace and enhance the local characteristics that make Grass Valley so special.

The design of the Neighborhoods and buildings at Loma Rica is based on the premise that good design creates places of long-lasting value and quality. Loma Rica creates places that are compact and sustainable, preserving the best of the site’s irreplaceable historic and environmental amenities while encouraging the healthy growth of the City of Grass Valley. Qualities of Grass Valley and other historic Sierra communities have been carefully studied to ensure a continued high quality of life for the existing and future residents of the city.