Rancho Marina MHP

Located along the Delta in Brannan Island, California, Rancho Marina Mobile Home Park faced near-total devastation when a fire tore through the community, destroying 90% of the park’s infrastructure and residences. Once debris and hazardous materials were cleared, Caltech was brought in to help rebuild—starting from the ground up.

This wasn’t just a construction job. It was a full-scale recovery effort in a sensitive and geologically challenging area, requiring careful planning, coordination, and innovation to restore services, elevate new pads, and bring life back to the community.

The Challenge
The fire had obliterated nearly everything. While some remnants of infrastructure remained, Caltech’s assessment found that most existing utilities were beyond salvage. Rebuilding the park meant dealing with:

• Unstable peat soil and a high water table, just one foot below grade
• Hazardous debris including collapsed tanks and remnants of the old water plant
• The need for complete replacement of power, water, and sewer systems
• Elevation and drainage concerns that required importing hundreds of tons of soil and rock

This was more than just rebuilding—it was about making the park stronger and more resilient than before.

Caltech’s Approach
Caltech managed the reconstruction of all major infrastructure systems, working in close coordination with local agencies and utilities to ensure the new build met modern safety and performance standards.

Our scope included:

• Partnering with PG&E for underground power installations
• Installing new sewer mains, septic tanks, and water lines
• Excavating and removing legacy concrete pads and debris from the previous water plant
• Clearing trees and overgrowth to prepare the site for development
• Elevating building pads using imported material to improve drainage and minimize flood risk

Every aspect of this project was approached with care, safety, and long-term sustainability in mind.

Results
Today, Rancho Marina MHP is thriving again—rebuilt with brand new utility infrastructure, safer elevations, and improved drainage. Despite the challenges of the location, Caltech delivered a successful rebuild, restoring access, safety, and habitability.

The park is currently at approximately 80% occupancy, a strong sign of recovery and revitalization for a once-devastated community.

Rebuilding Stronger After Disaster
Rancho Marina showcases Caltech’s ability to take on high-stakes, high-complexity infrastructure challenges—especially in post-disaster scenarios. It’s a testament to our expertise in not just building, but rebuilding with purpose.