David Gates described the vision for North Pointe as a place to work, shop, and live.

But even more so, the founder and president of the landscape architect firm of Gates + Associates sees other components for the 310 acres in the northeast section of Ripon such as Paseo, roundabouts, pocket parks, plazas and bike trails all linked up to the Mistlin Sports Complex.

 “We’re simply trying to complete the picture of what’s already out there,” he said at Tuesday’s Ripon City Council meeting.

Elected leaders did their part by approving the North Point Specific Plan consisting of the environmental review from the Conceptual Land Use Map necessary in preparing the Environmental Impact Report.

This is a major project taking place east of Highway 99, bounded by Mistlin to the north, Fulton Avenue to the east, the freeway and frontage road to the south and Jack Tone Road to the west.

Wayne Rasmussen of Rasmussen Planning Inc. mentioned that several workshops and even a vendor booth at the recent Main Street Day have been helpful in providing plenty of feedback for those working on this project.

They covered the design guidelines, directions on the development of the plans, and the infrastructure, to name a few.

“We’re on time at his point,” Rasmussen said prior to the specific plan getting the Council OK.

He has 30 years of planning experience. His work includes doing mixed-use communities, business centers and regional recreational parks.

Councilman Dean Uecker was thrilled to see the plans for North Pointe calls for building all segments of homes and dwellings to cover the City’s needs over a 10-year period.

At one of the workshops, those in attendance preferred medium density housing on smaller lots.

Gates added that North Pointe could be an extension of the community that’s already out there, including similar-type easements, boulevards, and wide streets.

 Retail spaces to lure new businesses to Ripon and a campus / technology area to possibly bring in hi-tech businesses and medical offices are other parts of the plan.

What’s next after the EIR – Rasmussen, Gates and BaseCamp of Stockton will be working on that part – will be questioners going out to the respective property owners, more community workshops, and a Ripon Planning Commission review.

The City’s Director of Planning Ken Zuidervaart is projecting May or June as to when the final plan might go before Council for approval.