Nicole Sauviat Criste

Ms. Criste has been with Terra Nova since 1985. She has conducted and managed the preparation of La Quinta General Plan and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan, and the award-winning Apple Valley Climate Action Plan. She is also the Principal-in-Charge of the Coachella Valley Green For Life Program.

Ms. Criste has managed the preparation of several General Plans, including those for the cities of La Quinta, Cathedral City and Banning. She completed the Apple Valley General Plan update and the 4,000-acre Apple Valley Airport Industrial Specific Plan and EIR. Ms. Criste is also expert in state Housing Element law and has completed Housing Elements for Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert and La Quinta over multiple cycles.

In addition to extensive land use and community planning experience, Ms. Criste also provides expert services in sustainability planning, environmental, land use and development design analysis, fiscal and economic impact analysis, market research and marketing strategy development. Her experience in project and community land use planning and analysis is extensive and has included most regions of the U.S.

She has conducted numerous market and economic impact studies, as well as environmental studies for economic development and redevelopment agencies in the region. Prior to the demise of redevelopment agencies, she regularly presented a two-day class on CEQA and redevelopment to members of the California Redevelopment Association. Ms. Criste has prepared fiscal impacts analysis, development impact fee studies and economic impact analyses for General Plans and Specific Plans, annexations, and a variety of other projects. She also prepared the fiscal and socio-economic analysis for the Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan and the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto National Monument Plan and federal EIS.

Among her public sector clients, Ms. Criste provides land use and environmental planning services to a number of cities, including Palm Springs, La Quinta, Palm Desert, Cathedral City, Apple Valley and Rancho Mirage.

Ms. Criste is a graduate of Scripps College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in European Studies.